American, born 1991
Artist Saira Siddiqui leading a workshop at Stitch Buffalo. Photo: Jeff Mace
Participate
284 Plymouth Avenue, Buffalo, New York
Polytab
Art can be a powerful tool for making places that people feel loved in and connected to. For immigrants, placemaking is an art born of necessity. Artist Saira Siddiqui is leading a collaboration between the refugee artisans of Stitch Buffalo and the public with the support of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum to create a mural that fosters belonging and celebrates diverse voices.
Siddiqui is an artist that helps people harness the creative potential within their communities. Her Stitch Buffalo mural will integrate the stories and contributions of refugee and immigrant communities.
The project builds on the work of Stitch Buffalo, a nonprofit that empowers refugee women and brings people together through textile arts. Stitch offers workshops for refugee women who are skilled in the making of hand-sewn textiles, provides classes for the community taught by these women as well as staff members, and has robust program for repurposing donated textiles.
Members of the public will have a number of ways to contribute their thoughts and inspiration to the design and creation of the mural that will cover Stitch Buffalo’s new Plymouth Avenue building.
Now is the time to vote for your favorite mural design! Once we hear from you, our community, and our partners, we will select a design for production on Polytab. This format will allow us to print the final design on specially fabricated sections of fabric. Once printed, we will welcome you and our community to help us again by painting the mural next year in advance of the installation. This truly collaborative, community-oriented work relies on public participation, and we would be thrilled if you would join the process at this and future stages!
Design Goals
At our workshops, the public worked with us on shared design goals, encouraging colorful and engaging work. Common design themes included literal and metaphorical stitchwork, promoting diverse voices, backgrounds, and cultures.
Stitch artisans hope the mural reflects the site’s role as a vital textile art center, supporting multicultural artists, a majority of whom are women makers, and acknowledging their cultural impact. Our shared goal for Stitch Buffalo’s new home and mural is to connect with neighbors, the West Side Community, and beyond.
About the Design: This design highlights the vibrant work and purpose of Stitch Buffalo. Large-scale textile tools serve as a backdrop, transitioning to retail clothing displayed in the foreground. It reflects the layout of the space, with the rear of the building dedicated to the creation of textile arts and the front showcasing the transformation of these creations into retail offerings.
Patchwork designs on the fabrics symbolize the rich diversity of cultures and ethnicities represented within Stitch Buffalo's community. A tomato pincushion, a familiar and functional tool, adds a touch of warmth and meaning. Historically, tomatoes were placed on mantels to bring prosperity and ward off evil spirits. As pincushions, they are filled with sand or sawdust to sharpen needles, emphasizing their practicality while connecting to Stitch Buffalo’s story.
About the Design: This design embodies a sense of freedom and playfulness through the scarf-like fabric that flows across the wall. The fabric, along with the placement of a large-scale needle, creates a dynamic interplay of scale. The scarf transforms from a simple sheath of material into a beautifully designed and finished piece of textile art. Additional fabrics are showcased behind the rainbow cloth, highlighting textiles from other areas of the world.
The back of the building will highlight the maker space, featuring additional textile tools such as an unraveling spool, a pressure foot, or a tomato pincushion, symbolizing the creative process. The design would wrap around the front of the building, which will feature more completed retail goods offered within the Stitch Buffalo space.
Click here to vote for your favorite design!
Saira Siddiqui specializes in people, places, and experiences to help them harness the creative potential within their communities. With over a decade of experience, Siddiqui is a working artist with specializations in commercial district revitalization, placemaking, community engagement, and creativity.
The public paint days and workshop sessions invite the community to co-create a public space that reflects diverse experiences. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and belonging for participants who are directly involved in shaping the narrative of their neighborhood. This process is replicable in other communities, offering a model for how public art can both celebrate diversity and build inclusive spaces through collaboration.
This case study demonstrates how public art can be a catalyst for inclusive redevelopment, engaging across spectrums of age, ability, and background. By involving a broad range of voices, the project highlights how arts-driven placemaking can lead to more equitable and vibrant communities.
