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Visit Buffalo Niagara proposes Williamsville mural as part of countywide neighborhood series
Summary
Visit Buffalo Niagara presented a plan to install a community-painted mural in Williamsville as one of three pilot murals countywide; the project would use a modular poly-tab system, community painting days, and is privately funded, presenters said.
Representatives of Visit Buffalo Niagara told the Village Board on May 12 they propose a neighborhood mural in Williamsville as one of three pilot installations in 2025, funded externally and intended to engage residents and attract visitors.
"This project is looking to put a mural in somewhere between, like, 11 to 12 different communities throughout the county," a Visit Buffalo Niagara representative said, and the group selected Hamburg, the Elmwood Village and Williamsville for the pilot year. The presenters said they chose Williamsville for its walkability, business cluster, and existing community connections.
The group named James Moffitt as the selected artist and described a modular design approach: Moffitt will produce "ghost sketch" panels printed on polytab, a UV-protected material that adheres to walls and allows community volunteers to fill in colors in paint-by-number sessions. The presenters said that, once applied, the product "typically lasts anywhere from 20 to 30 years."
Possible Williamsville wall sites mentioned in the meeting included the side of DeSalon next to St. Peter and Paul’s, a large visible wall on the Pumpkin Building on Main Street, and the Metro Building. Presenters said they had already contacted property owners for at least some candidate walls. "Centrally located is really what we're going for," one presenter said.
Asked about cost, the presenter said an external sponsor is covering the full project cost: "Invisible Fiverr is covering the full cost of all of this. There is no cost in the community whatsoever." They also gave a target schedule: "It is our goal to have it completed this year before the snow flies," and one presenter added, "Before the Super Bowl then."
The presenters said community outreach — via a landing page, QR codes and four-question forms — will solicit imagery and local ideas (the water mill, St. Peter and Paul steeple, local phrases or icons) to populate the modular tiles. They described community days when residents could apply paint to panels under artist supervision.
No formal action was required from the board at the meeting. Presenters asked for cooperation on site selection and community engagement; trustees and residents asked questions about wall ownership, material suitability and placement visibility.
