WILLIAMSVILLE, NY (Oct. 15, 2020) – The Village of Williamsville on Oct. 14 officially dedicated its first piece of community art – a 99-foot wide by 17-foot high floral-themed mural created by Chris Piontkowski of Buffalo.
The mural is titled “A Butterfly’s View of the Garden.”
The village’s Beautification Committee, led by Chairperson Deb Habes, commissioned Piontkowski for the vibrant-colored mural, which was created using outdoor latex paint and spray paint.
Habes said the mural serves to acknowledge the many native plants and flowers within the Pocket Park garden. She added that the artwork will also be an extension of the Beautification Committee’s work to educate the community on the importance of gardens.
“Part of our mission is to provide our vanishing pollinators, such as the endangered Monarch butterflies and honeybees, with the plants and flowers that they feed upon,” she said. “The wall mural will be a celebration of nature’s floral beauty.”
A 2009 graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree and studied media art and animation. Public murals by Piontkowski can be viewed in Hertel Alley, along Elmwood Avenue, in Eggertsville and in Black Rock. Recently, he was involved in the “Works, From Home” project, which was sponsored by the Albright-Knox Public Art Initiative.
“It’s been an honor for me to be welcomed by the community to bring a mural that brings positivity and helps raise awareness about the importance of certain plants to pollinator insect populations,”
Piontkowski said. “I knew going into the project that we were going large and vibrant but I never fully imagined the impact it would have on such a big scale. The flower choices represent pollinator friendly, native growing species that I hope serve as a reminder to live colorfully.”
Habes added that Piontkowski’s expertise was a perfect fit for the village.
“His artistic style of floral and pollinator images is what our committee is looking for,” said Deb Habes, who led the Beautification’s Committee’s efforts in securing Piontkowski and the mural initiative. “We believe that based on his floral-themed murals painted in the City of Buffalo and Town of Amherst, he provides the natural aestethics we believe would best complement the gardens in the Pocket Park.”
The Beautification Committee’s financial support for the mural was made possible through community donations collected during village garden walks from 2012 through 2019. Funds raised from basket raffles during the annual garden walks were earmarked for village garden improvements in the form of artistic projects, such as a mural.
“This mural is our gift to the community,” Habes said.
The mural, Habes said, will serve to acknowledge the many native plants and flowers within the Pocket Park garden. She added that the artwork will also be an extension of the Beautification Committee’s work to educate the community on the importance of gardens.
Habes added that the Beautification Committee is excited for Piontkowski’s mural to be a regional attraction within the Village of Williamsville.
“We are thankful to all of the sponsors who donated to the garden walk and our other programs throughout the years,” she said. “The mural will add to making the Village Pocket Park a pleasant space to relax for visitors and residents. It will be visible to motorists and pedestrians and will form a beautiful backdrop to our existing garden in the park.”
For more information about Piontkowski, the public can follow him social media, including Facebook and Instagram, as well as YouTube and his own website, www.getchrisp.com.