(Kelly Warth and Rachel Good – The Spectrum) When UB graduate Kimberley Moore looks at the Broadway Market downtown, she sees more than blank walls – she sees a chance to revitalize the community with art.
In February, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown named 2008 the “Year of the Arts” during his State of the City address. More recently, AmericanStyle magazine named Buffalo the number one mid-sized art city in the country.
Moore began the Buffalo Mural Arts Program as an internship project while at UB. This summer, the program will pay for the creation of seven murals on buildings of businesses on Buffalo’s East Side. These murals will reflect the identity of the City of Buffalo with the support of Common Council President David Franczyk.
“We’re really interested in city beautification and having a more positive image for Buffalo. Everyone thinks it’s just snow and losing sports teams,” said Moore, who is the program coordinator and project manager.
One of the program goals is to bring more people into downtown Buffalo.
“There have been studies by other successful programs that shows that murals increase revenue for local businesses, and more visitors interested in cultural tourism and residents come to the area,” Moore said
