Hi-Vis

This initiative launched in 2013 as the Buffalo AKG (then the Albright-Knox Art Gallery) became the first and only museum in North America to act as a producer of art for shared civic (non-museum) public spaces. The results over the past 10 years have been wide-ranging, including more than 60 installations, interventions, collaborations, and commissions with more than 80 artists to date. These dynamic installations are now among the most recognizable elements of the landscape of the Western New York region.

In this expansive and lavishly illustrated volume, curator of Public Art Aaron Ott and long-time project coordinators Zack Boehler and Eric Jones offer their insights on critical moments in the initiative’s development, crucial interactions with community collaborators, and the various means by which the initiative supports artists to realize their works. An introduction by Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Janne Sirén provides additional context about the genesis of the initiative, which relates to his experiences stewarding a public art program in Helsinki, Finland.

As the Buffalo AKG Art Museum continues to be a ground-breaking leader in the production of a wide range of public works over vast geographies and communities, this book reflects on the most significant works during that period. Each project over the course of the initiative’s 10-year existence is included in the book, making use of the incredible archive of photographic documentation the museum has undertaken. In addition, a dozen participating artists offer their own reflections, personal insights, and memories about their work with the Buffalo AKG.

Essays by Zack Boehler, Eric Jones, Aaron Ott, and Janne Sirén
Edited by Matt Connolly and Pam Hatley

Texts by Julia Bottoms, Amanda Browder, Hillary Waters Fayle, Futura 2000, Maya Hayuk, Monet Alyssa Kifner, Aaron Li-Hill, Shasti O’Leary Soudant, Bunnie Reiss, Casey Riordan, Rachel Shelton, and Edreys Wajed

Author biographies

Zack Boehler is Public Art project coordinator, Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Eric Jones is Public Art project coordinator, Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Aaron Ott is curator of Public Art, Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Table of Contents

• • 2014
  • Art Unbound: Catalyzing Creativity Beyond Museum Walls by Janne Sirén
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • Collective Ambition: Launching the AKG Public Art Initiative by Aaron Ott
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2020
  • Becoming Centered: Public Art as a Community Conversation by Eric Jones
  • 2021
  • 2022
  • Moments in Making: Finding Room for the Artist in Public Art by Zack Boehler
  • 2023
  • List of Projects, 2014–2023
  • Acknowledgments
  • Photo Credits