Outside the Erie County Public Library is a garden of beautiful flowers and behind the garden there used to be an empty wall. But thanks to Aaron Ott, the flowers have made their way into the Sinclair building in the form of a painting.
Ott, a public art curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, is one of the people in charge of making public art available all around Buffalo. This mural, which has yet to be named, is part of the AK Public Art initiative that provides the public with art in the form of murals, billboards and more.
“People are really hungry for public art in the region,” Ott said. “They definitely like to see culture in their daily lives and they want to feel apart of it.”
The mural on Washington Street is a vibrant display of blooms that are native Western New York flowers. The artist behind the mural is Detroit, Michigan native Louise “0uizi” Jones. She specializes in murals and travels across the U.S. turning the boring bricks of a city into something beautiful and eclectic.
“Being able to connect with people on a very personal level even if I do not get to meet them when I make a piece in a city,” Jones said. “I’m relating to them in a very special way.”
The mural on Washington Street is said to be complete by September 10th.
By: Maytinee Kramer
