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THE RIVERLINE
COMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAM

The Riverline Community Arts Program is an opportunity to invite the public to join with us to celebrate local history and showcase the unique characteristics and cultures of The Riverline neighborhoods. The goals of this program are to: 

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  • Uplift the diversity and rich history of The Riverline neighborhoods and foster community interactions

  • Provide meaningful opportunities for residents to express themselves in relevant ways through art

  • Inspire ideas for future public art elements along The Riverline as it moves into the final design phase

In 2020, The Riverline commissioned an artist from the Old First Ward to work with youth from the Old First Ward Community Center. Together, they completed a mural on the National Fuel substation building at the corner of Alabama and Mackinaw Streets.  The colors and style of the mural celebrate both Indigenous and LGBTQ+ pride. We also worked with children in the after school programs at the Old First Ward and Valley Community Centers to create a series of colorful bird houses across the three communities on the corridor.

The Riverline Mural Artists

In the spring of 2023, The Riverline launched a new phase of the program by forming a Community Arts Advisory Committee composed of local residents, established arts organizations, emerging young artists, and others with a vested interest in the mission of The Riverline.

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  • The Advisory Committee invited artists and arts organizations to submit proposals for a community-based project that built on themes derived from community input of “refuge” and “togetherness.”

  • The Committee selected three finalists to display their proposals at a public event, where the community had the opportunity to interact with the finalists and choose top preferences.

  • Based on community preferences, the Advisory Committee selected the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) to carry out their project. BCAT’s Youth Mural Club designed and completed a mural on a family-owned warehouse building on Moore Street between South Park Avenue and Miami Street.  

  • The Riverline celebrated the success of the program and the student artists in October 2023 with a public unveiling event called “Mural Awakening.”

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The Riverline envisions the Community Arts Program to be an ongoing endeavor

and recently launched the program for 2024.

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