About

Founded in 2013, Community Canvases reduced graffiti through murals on Buffalo’s Main St. and artwork on traffic signal boxes on Hertel and Elmwood. We have worked with artists, communities, learners and leaders on over 35 murals and public art installations throughout WNY. We are an incubator for programs which are integral to our organization, and can become self-sustaining.

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Our unique programs inspire creativity and enhance community well-being:

• Kind Fools’ intuitive writing workshop, WRITE ON, creates a welcoming space for reflection, listening and authentic human connection. As a recent participant said, this “reminds me of what it means to be human and what it’s like to be at peace with other human beings.”

• WNY Trash Mob inspires a culture of agency through neighborhood cleanups, beautification, and art initiatives. We facilitate a sense of community while advocating for meaningful improvements to policy and infrastructure. Since 2020, we’ve organized over 36 cleanups with local officials, businesses, and block clubs. In 2024, our 4th annual Earth Day Cleanup Challenge distributed 400 bags and gloves to 31 teams cleaning their neighborhoods.

• Community Swing organizes a lesson and dance every Wednesday evening. Started in May 2021 to reduce isolation from the pandemic and to provide work for local musicians, we foster a welcoming and fun community through the art of dance at the Ukrainian-American Civic Center.

• Collaborative Art promotes community awareness, civic engagement, mindfulness, and artistic principles by facilitating workshops to design and construct functional public art, such as redecorating signal boxes with local artists.