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On Saturday, September 13, Open Buffalo (OB) was proud to participate in the Welcoming Spaces Community Art Crawl, an event conceived and coordinated by Partnership for the Public Good (PPG) and The Burchfield Penney Art Center. Through this initiative, OB received the original painting titled "There Goes the Neighborhood" (Bree Gilliam), which is now displayed in our office atrium space. Community residents, partners, and others are invited to see the piece during your next visit.

"Since our founding more than a decade ago, Open Buffalo has held 'arts integration' as one of our key tenets,” said Max Anderson, Open Buffalo. “Our endeavors in leadership development, community empowerment, and systems change have been inspired, co-led, and supercharged by local creatives specializing in various disciplines. We are proud to participate in Welcoming Spaces and to have our office be home to Bree Gilliam's powerful piece There Goes the Neighborhood.”

For background on Welcoming Spaces, see the press release from PPG below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Caitlin Love Crowell

Partnership for the Public Good
caitlin@ppgbuffalo.org
716-218-3577

Partnership for the Public Good and Burchfield Penney Announce Welcoming Spaces Community Art Crawl

Buffalo, NY — August 27, 2025 — The Burchfield Penney Art Center, in collaboration with the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG), presents the Welcoming Spaces Community Art Crawl on Saturday, September 13, 2025, inviting the public to explore dynamic artworks and discover the impact of nonprofit organizations across Buffalo.

Welcoming Spaces is a new initiative that places original works by regional artists into the public-facing spaces of ten local nonprofits. The artworks were first exhibited at the Burchfield Penney, where each partner organization selected pieces that best reflected its mission.

During the Art Crawl, attendees are invited to visit these organizations to view the newly installed artworks, meet the artists, and learn about the vital work each nonprofit performs. Participants can join guided bike or bus tours of select locations, or choose to explore the sites independently through a self-directed visit.

Event Details:

• When: Saturday, September 13, 2025, 2 pm
• Where: Meet at Massachusetts Avenue Project, 387 Massachusetts Avenue
• Cost: Free and open to the public
• Register: https://bpac.co/e:5131

Participating nonprofits and artists include:

• Massachusetts Avenue Project — Crowded and Clouded (Angela Guest)
• Center for Employment Opportunities — Nu-Humboldt (Paulie!)
• Family Promise of WNY — Falling Into Place (Wendy Caldwell Maloney)
• Center for Elder Law and Justice — Punchline (Steve)
• Open Buffalo — There goes the Neighborhood (Bree Gilliam)
• King Urban Life Center — Potential (Danielle Saeva)
• Jericho Road Community Health Center — Timeline-4 (Ginny O’Brien)
• Metro Community Development Corporation — High Density (Joshua Nickerson)
• Western New York Law Center — The Phenomenal Field (Joey Goergen)
• Peaceprints of WNY — Retreat from the City (Dr. Phyllis I. Thompson)

Quotes from Participating Organizations:

“As a museum dedicated to the artists of Western New York, we are extremely excited to be able to share the work of local creatives, while partnering with organizations that strengthen our community in so many vital ways,” says Burchfield Penney Executive Director Scott Propeack.

"PPG is thrilled to be working with some of the most important voices in Buffalo, says Caitlin Love Crowell, Partnership for the Public Good. "This program brings together the people who work every day to make our world a better place: artists, whose bravery allows us to imagine a new future, and advocates, who fight for our rights to just and equitable lives.”

“Peaceprints of WNY was excited to be selected as a host location for our piece from the Welcoming Spaces exhibit because we believe that our clients deserve access not just to the basic resources to survive, but the cultural and pro-social experiences that help shape and enrich our lives and give them purpose, says Christian Holdridge, Peaceprints of WNY Director of Development.

"The Welcoming Spaces art program has been such an exciting opportunity to be a part of,” says Avalon Gupta VerWeibe, Massachusetts Avenue Project. “We're so grateful to the Partnership for the Public Good and the Burchfield Penney for helping make art more accessible and continuing to forge a path between community-based organizations and local artists.”

"Since our founding more than a decade ago, Open Buffalo has held 'arts integration' as one of our key tenets,” says Max Anderson, Open Buffalo. “Our endeavors in leadership development, community empowerment, and systems change have been inspired, co-led, and supercharged by local creatives specializing in various disciplines. We are proud to participate in Welcoming Spaces and to have our office be home to Bree Gilliam's powerful piece There Goes the Neighborhood.”

"Family Promise of WNY is thrilled to have been selected for the Welcoming Spaces collaboration, says Lu Firestone, Family Promise. “As a small nonprofit serving children and parents who are facing homelessness, we know that a person's physical space can help define their experience.  That is why we strive to create environments full of beauty and color.”

"This new permanent art installation elevates our space and restores dignity to local residents who have for too long been the recipients of neglect and devaluation, says Rev. Timothy Anas, Interim Director of Operations, King Urban Life Center. We are the City of Good neighbors, no matter our zip code or street address.”

SUPPORT FOR WELCOMING SPACES
This project is made possible with generous support from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

ABOUT BURCHFIELD PENNEY ART CENTER
The Burchfield Penney Art Center is the museum dedicated to the art and vision of Charles E. Burchfield and the art and artists of Buffalo, NY, and our region.

ABOUT PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD
Partnership for the Public Good is a community-based think tank that builds a more just, sustainable, and culturally vibrant Buffalo Niagara through action-oriented research, policy development, and citizen engagement.