August 15, 2025, Buffalo, NY – Today the Buffalo AKG Art Museum’s Public Art Initiative unveiled a new mural, titled Community Cloth: Stories in Thread, at Stitch Buffalo, located at 284 Plymouth Avenue. Local artist Saira Siddiqui (American, born 1991) has worked with both organizations and members of the community over the past eighteen months to design, paint, and install the finished mural.

Siddiqui led workshops throughout 2024 with Stitch Buffalo staff and artists, as well as members of the public, to develop the mural design. Once a final design was selected, the mural was painted by community members in the spring of 2025 at a series of public paint days. The mural has been painted on sections of Polytab, a non-woven fabric that is lighter than traditional canvas and can adapt to the form of the surface on which it is being applied.  

“Stitch Buffalo’s new mural project is more than just public art, it is a tangible manifestation of our commitment to weave together diverse community narratives through the universal language of thread and fabric,” said Dawne Hoeg, founder and Executive Director of Stitch Buffalo. “We are grateful for the exceptional partnership of Rich Products, an early believer and ongoing supporter of Stitch Buffalo’s community-centered mission and growth. Thanks, too, to Aaron Ott and his dedicated team at the Buffalo AKG, whose vision, support, grace, and grit guided the project from concept to completion. This collaborative effort was energized by Saira Siddiqui’s tireless work in community engagement, bringing her energy and enthusiasm to ensure the mural authentically represents the voices and stories of Buffalo residents.”

"'Community through creativity' is a motto that resonates with me, shaped by my own extensive background in the arts,” said New York State Senator April N. M. Baskin. “This project led by the visionary Saira Siddiqui stands as a testament to the transformative power of public art. Thanks to the months of hard work and vision by the talented artists, this initiative not only fosters community pride and enhances shared spaces but also provides artists with opportunities to grow their businesses. Such projects exemplify how creativity can be a bridge that unites, inspires, and enriches our communities.”

"The AKG is thrilled to partner with organizations that are so committed to the well-being of our community,” said Aaron Ott, AKG Curator of Public Art. “With this mural, the Rich Family Foundation and the Rich Family Fund for Community Access helped provide the support to spotlight and amplify the presence of our region’s most important and influential textile-based art center in Stitch Buffalo. With their new home on Buffalo’s West Side, Stitch Buffalo is poised to burnish that reputation even further, and the AKG Public Art Initiative is proud to have produced a work of art that enhances our connection to such a vital community asset."

“There’s something special happening on Niagara Street and this vibrant mural is a reflection of that creative energy,” said Rachael Ireland, Manager of Community Impact for Rich Products. “As an anchor business on the street for eighty years, Rich’s cares deeply about the neighborhood and what happens here. We were excited to team up with our friends at Stich Buffalo and the AKG, and our associates were eager to get involved in the project—a beautiful example of what’s possible when you bring together art, creativity, partnership and community.”

“I’m deeply grateful to the Buffalo AKG for their support and for the opportunity to bring this vision to life,” said Siddiqui. “Partnering with Stitch Buffalo has been an incredible honor—their work providing economic opportunity to refugee and immigrant women is a powerful force in our city. This project has been a chance to not only celebrate their mission, but also to beautify Buffalo by transforming public space into a vibrant reflection of the community. Drawing on my background in planning and placemaking, I believe art can be a catalyst for connection—and this mural is a testament to what we can create when we come together.”

About Saira Siddiqui 

Saira Siddiqui specializes in people, places, and experiences to help them harness the creative potential within their communities. With more than a decade of experience, Siddiqui is a working artist with specializations in commercial district revitalization, placemaking, community engagement, and creativity.

Siddiqui is currently exploring and developing her own unique process that invites neighborhood residents and stakeholders to play a role in artmaking. Leaning on her creative problem-solving background and facilitation techniques, she hosts workshops that engage people in the discussion of a public space’s history and narrative. From there, themes, colors, and shapes are identified that physically represent the identity of the space. Finally, residents and community members are invited to take part in the painting process, paving the way for stronger ownership, meaning, and connection to their environments.

About Stitch Buffalo 

Stitch Buffalo is a textile arts center dedicated to preserving and celebrating textile traditions while fostering creative connections and environmental sustainability. Through workshops, exhibitions, and public art projects, Stitch Buffalo creates spaces where diverse voices can share their stories through the medium of fabric and thread. For more information, please visit stitchbuffalo.org.

Sponsors

This project is made possible through the generosity of the Rich Family Foundation and the Rich Family Fund for Community Access, with additional support from an anonymous donor in honor of the Stitch Buffalo Families. The Public Art Initiative was established and is supported by leadership funding from the County of Erie and the City of Buffalo.

About the Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Founded in 1862, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery) is the sixth-oldest public art institution in the United States. For 160 years, the Buffalo AKG has collected, conserved, and exhibited the art of its time, often working directly with living artists. This tradition has given rise to one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of modern and contemporary art.

In June 2023, following the completion of the most significant campus development and expansion project in its history, the Buffalo AKG opened to the public. The project is funded by a $230 million capital campaign, the largest such campaign for a cultural institution in the history of Western New York, including $195 million raised for construction and $35 million in additional operating endowment funds.

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