Shasti O'Leary Soudant is a multidisciplinary artist, sculptor, designer, and writer whose colorful public art is inspired by philosophy, ideology, and scientific and/or mathematical concepts. Her commissioned works include projects for cities, museums, healthcare campuses, and transit systems nationwide. She holds a BFA from Purchase College and an MFA from the University at Buffalo and is currently an Assistant Professor of Art and Design at Buffalo State University.

Bethany Krull & Jesse Walp are accomplished artists working as Allied Art Studio with extensive experience creating meaningful site-specific sculptures and installations in various materials, from ceramics and wood to cast bronze, steel, aluminum, and resin. Krull is a 2007 graduate of the Ceramics program at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and her work consistently addresses the complicated and contradictory relationship between humans and animals. Walp is a 2008 graduate of RIT's Sculpture program. Primarily using wood, Walp creates organic sculptures that seem to have a life of their own, often referencing vines, buds, sprouts, and fruits.

Tim Martin specializes in murals and decorative paint finishes. Living in Lancaster, New York, his work covers house painting, trompe-l'œil murals, decorative finishes, including marbling, woodgraining, Venetian plasters, and cement finishes. He was inducted into the International Decorative Painters Salon in 2017.

Julian Montague is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, and graphic designer whose practice spans long-term conceptual projects, geometric abstractions constructed from repurposed clothing, and large-scale outdoor installations and murals. His work has been exhibited widely throughout the United States and Europe. Bridging art and design, he has collaborated with international clients including Continental Tires, Moncler, Monotype, Sonos, and Warby Parker. He lives and works in Buffalo.

Brittain Peck is an illustrator and public artist whose work uses bold, graphic colors and a clear-line drawing style to create approachable, character-based narratives. He mixes cartoon-like outlines with convincing depictions of light and depth, moving viewers back and forth between the illustrated image and experiences of reality. His work in ceramic tile mosaics is based on a 1-inch-square grid of tiles, which, when combined with sports imagery, is intended to evoke nostalgia for beloved home video games from the late 1980s.

Jill Pettigrew has been an artist since receiving her first box of 64 Crayola crayons at age five. Over her decades-long career, Jill has taught students of all ages, including K-12, adults, senior citizens, and those with special needs. She has led significant public art projects, including a mural with blind students and another depicting the history of Batavia, New York. Her work features pure, saturated colors, eye-catching patterns, and stylized images of objects from pop culture and everyday life, making it accessible to a diverse audience of all ages. She graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Art Education and Painting.

Rocks of Unity: Alexa Zappia and Megan McElfresh: Rocks of Unity™ is a brand of educational workshops geared toward individuals of all ages that affirm diversity as a strength through kindness, acceptance, and unity. Rocks of Unity invites people of all backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities to come together, decorate a rock that expresses their identity, and then turn these creations into permanent art installations. This can take the form of diverse rock gardens, rock walls, walkways, and more.

The Solo Roths are Matthew SaGurney and Robert Lynch. The Solo Roths are a collaborative duo known for their vibrant, dynamic murals. They have been collaborating on artworks since their Buffalo State years in the mid to late 90's. This creative partnership brings together a unique blend of artistic styles, resulting in visually layered works that embody playfulness and nostalgia. Through their spontaneous and interactive creative process, they craft artworks that showcase their individual talents and teamwork.

Matthew Grote and Chuck Tingley are Weego, a collaboration of two accomplished painters who first joined forces in Buffalo 15 years ago. Their partnership blends distinct processes into a collective style. Grote's bold visual vocabulary merges with Tingley's expressive figurative work to create something neither would produce on their own. Built on the graphic energy of 90s illustration design, their collaboration is an active dialogue in which composition, color, and concept develop through a shared vision rather than divided labor. Recent work includes a mural at Shoshone Park for the Thomas M. Smith Athletic Center, and their landmark 2018 collaboration at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, which established the Weego identity.

Joe Bochynski mosaic bricolage artwork focuses on the rituals and allegories taught within civic American institutions and how they define the individual and group. More recently, he has been using biomorphic forms to expose the imprints left by these structures on our bodies. He received a Bachelor's in Mathematics and Studio Art from Hobart College in 2008 and an MFA in painting from RISD in 2013. He participated in residencies at Socrates Sculpture Park (2017) and the Vermont Studio Center (2015). His first permanent public work was commissioned by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for the Arts Program in 2024. He was born in Buffalo but currently lives and works in Maine.

BuffaLUG (Buffalo LEGO User Group)

Eric Santiago (Project Manager) is an artist, builder, and community organizer. His creative work centers on LEGO as a medium for storytelling and engagement. As founder of BuffaLUG, he has led large-scale collaborative projects that celebrate local culture and invite hands-on participation. BuffaLUG team members include Jeremy Killion, Marcus Gillebaard, Jonathan Breidert, Lou Fioretti, Alan Gryfe, Mark Mancuso, Chris Murray, Paul Paulin, Ellissa Rosado, and Keith Rowe, along with over 2,000 community LEGO builders.

Susan Ferrari Rowley is a career sculptor who exhibits in galleries and museums at national and international levels and has received numerous awards and grants. Her public commissions address and integrate with the existing architecture and intent of the spaces they are created in. She earned a Bachelor's from State University College at Buffalo and an MFC, MCT from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Kari Achatz is a dynamic, multidisciplinary artist and educator. Her artwork spans sculpture, installation, print, and mixed media. Driven by a deep interest in the physical act of cutting, removing, revealing, and layering, she uses this process as both technique and metaphor, creating work that is visually compelling and conceptually resonant. Based in Buffalo, she has exhibited across Western New York, and her work is included in the Buffalo AKG Art Museum's Permanent Art Collection.

Nando Alvarez-Perez investigates the individual's relationship to the vast territory of history. The Buffalo native has exhibited at Rivalry Projects (Buffalo), Lydian Stater Gallery (NYC), Buffalo Central Terminal, Interface Gallery (Oakland, CA), Silver Eye Center for Photography (Pittsburgh), and Untitled Art Fair (San Francisco), among others. He was a resident of Light Work in Syracuse in 2022. He received a Bachelor's in Film Studies from CUNY Hunter in 2011 and an MFA from SFAI in 2014. He is a founding director of The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art and editor-in-chief of Cornelia, a visual art review. In 2024, he was an awardee of the JGS Fellowship for Photography and a NYSCA Individual Artist Grant.

Constance "Connie" Avery is represented by ArtLifting, a social enterprise that advances access to the art market by connecting artists with disabilities to socially conscious customers, creating meaningful spaces and products. She lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa and Usher's Syndrome, diseases that progressively reduce one's ability to see and hear. After having her daughter at age 40, her vision and hearing impairments were making it harder to find full-time nursing jobs, so she applied to college to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. After five years, she graduated proudly with her degree. Her painting style also transformed after cataract removal surgery, which altered her perception of light.

Kelly "Tsieriwaiens" Back, Turtle Clan, and Tyson "Karonhiahere" Back, Wolf Clan, comprise Fire Loom Creations, which has created over 200 custom beaded loomed belts for people to wear at ceremonies, weddings, and graduations. Most loom belts become family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. Their work has been recognized within the local community and beyond. With many years in the business, they have also begun traveling to different First Nations communities and museums to conduct demonstrations. They also travel to create community belts within schools and host tours within their cabin.

Michael Biondo is professional artist who travels to various cities to paint murals and create custom visual work for clients seeking compelling art, he focuses on realistic, pop-culture-inspired portraiture. His overarching goal is to produce artwork that inspires—crafted with the highest level of skill, dedication, and efficiency. Born and raised in Buffalo and currently living in Sarasota, he graduated from Villa Maria College and the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Julia Bottoms is a visual artist working primarily in acrylic, oil, and sculptural materials. Her practice centers on creating public art that bridges the connection between environments and the people who interact with them. Through murals, she seeks to tell compelling stories, preserve histories, and celebrate the cultural fabric that binds communities together. Her public artworks serve as visual narratives that honor Buffalo's unique identity and its people.

Meghan Cade is a First Nations freelance illustrator specializing in children's illustration, visual storytelling, and public art installations. Her work has a playful, vibrant, textured quality. Inspired by the natural world and vintage iconography, she is fueled by curiosity and imagination. She earned her degree from Sheridan College's Bachelor of Illustration program. She is from Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Carl Cordes specializes in Buffalo-themed sports pop art, including comic-style portraits and pop culture mashups and crossovers. Through both collaborations & personal projects, he has experience creating a large volume of relevant art. He has taught business classes for West Seneca Schools. He is a lifelong Western New York resident.

Akasya Crosier and Samantha Domagala. Akasya is a graphic designer, painter, and business owner based in Buffalo. After working as a graphic designer in nonprofit arts for five years, she ventured out on her own in 2022 to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a full-time artist. Now, her vibrant, silly illustrations and paintings are available on retail items made with Western New Yorkers in mind. Samantha is a painter and illustrator behind The Roaming Buffalo Art. Her work captures familiar streets, storefronts, and landmarks, inviting viewers to reconnect with places that feel like home. With over 100 shoppable pieces and 300+ commissions, she continues to grow a body of work rooted in memory, place, and everyday nostalgia.

Rob Dumuhosky is an illustrator with over 25 years of professional experience. His expertise lies in caricatures and comic books. As a member of the International Society of Caricature Artists, he's earned multiple awards from their yearly convention for his humor, likeness, body situations, and live party style. He is the former Art Manager at Darien Lake with experience drawing caricatures and training artists in theme parks across the country. He is based in Buffalo.

A.J. Fries is a painter who has exhibited in Art Basel Miami, NYC, Boston, New Orleans, Binghamton, and locally in Buffalo at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo Arts Studio, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, and Big Orbit Gallery, among others. A graduate of the Buffalo State University Fine Arts program, he is represented by Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts, and his work is included in many public and private collections, including those of the Buffalo AKG and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. He is a lifelong Western New York resident.

Randy Fernado and Joselyne Morocho are a collaborative artist-design team. The name MOV.E stands for Motion, Observation, Vision, and Energy, four principles that guide their creative brand. Their work aims to translate that spirit into built form—whether through dynamic sculptural systems, interactive walls, or modular installations that reflect unity through variation. They are based in Buffalo.

Bree Gilliam is a figurative painter. She is the owner and founder of Paintphoria, Buffalo's first paint-throwing studio. Gilliam attended SUNY Buffalo State University, receiving a B.F.A. in painting and a minor in art therapy. In 2023, Gilliam was selected as an artist-in-residence at Hunt Art Gallery. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions around Western New York. She is based in Buffalo.

Thomas Kegler is an internationally recognized artist, self-taught realist painter, and accomplished educational film producer. He is also a renowned Western New York-based art educator and champion of future artists, young and old. The wilds of New York State and a close-knit family of designers and entrepreneurs shaped his early love of art and the outdoors. His work is showcased in galleries, collections, and publications worldwide.

James Moffit, aka YAMES, is co-founder of The Good Stuff, formerly known as Pine Apple Company, an artist collective and gallery/gift shop located in Buffalo's Allentown neighborhood. Art has been a passion of YAMES's since a young age, leading him to study at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts and then at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. YAMES has grown into a multidisciplinary graphic artist who specializes in gold leaf, hand-painted signs, typography, illustration, murals, and more.

Chris B. Murray is a visual artist who boldly uses color, expressive characters, layered narratives, and carefully crafted compositions. He likes to navigate the complexities of human experience through the lens of the ongoing tension between nature and culture. He aims to bridge both thematic worlds, leaving a lasting narrative for future generations. International clients include Ticketmaster, Jordan Brand, Marvel Comics, and Paramount Pictures, among others. Based in Philadelphia, he is originally from Norfolk, New York, in St. Lawrence County.

Matt Mansour is a painter whose interest in the medium began in childhood, and he received his first solo exhibition at age nineteen. A decade later, Matt's art practice continues to thrive in Buffalo at the Hazelwood Studio of People Inc.'s ArtsWork Program, under the guidance of Teaching Artist Todd Lesmeister. "The People Series" is Matt's current body of work featuring layers of expressively painted stick figures in multiple colors.

Ann PerrySmith is a ceramic artist and retired art teacher whose work seamlessly blends sculptural form with the sinuous visual movement characteristic of Art Nouveau. Deeply connected to the natural world, she draws inspiration from its often-overlooked details, translating them into ceramics marked by intricate textures and organic patterns. After graduating from Grand Island High School, she studied at Buffalo State College, earning her Bachelor's in Art Education and an MS in multidisciplinary studies with a concentration in ceramics. Since 1992, she has been an art teacher at Lancaster High School.

Barbara Rickard creates imaginative paintings representing the city of Buffalo. Using color, movement, an energetic painting style, and injecting humor whenever possible, her artwork creates stories and brings to life objects, ideas, and places. A two-time MVP and four-year letterwinner on the women's track team, she was inducted into the SUNY Fredonia Hall of Fame in 1991. She earned a degree in Medical Illustration.

Lillian Selby is an award-winning graphic designer, illustrator, and hand-letterer. Originally from Virginia, her design work is behind a number of Buffalo landmark brands, including Martin House, Theatre of Youth, Buffalo Museum of Science, and Central Terminal. When she's not working directly for a non-profit or a cultural client on their brand, she dives into hand-lettering and illustration. She earned a Bachelor's in Anthropology and Art from William & Mary.

Stitch Buffalo is a nonprofit textile arts center located on Buffalo's West Side, founded in 2014 with a mission to empower refugee and immigrant women through the fiber arts. Its work is rooted in the belief that textile traditions, passed through generations and cultures, carry the power to tell stories, build community, and create opportunity. Stitch Buffalo is proud to serve as Western New York's only comprehensive textile arts hub, offering inclusive education programs, sustainable materials for local makers, and a platform for economic empowerment through its flagship Refugee Women's Workshop.

Ellen Steinfeld is a multidisciplinary artist known for her innovative large-scale metal sculptures, colorful wall reliefs, paintings, and mixed media works. Her work has been selected for public spaces throughout North America. Commissions include large steel sculptures for Roswell Park Cancer Center, Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, Lake Erie Seaway Trail, The Crane Library in Buffalo, Syracuse Upstate Cancer Center, JCC of Buffalo, paintings for Oishi Children's Hospital, and the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Her work is in many permanent collections, and she represented New York State in the Absolut Statehood Campaign. She earned a degree in painting and design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Adam Swift is a visual designer and photographer whose work investigates the emotional and atmospheric qualities of architectural and environmental spaces. His photography highlights the dynamic interplay between natural and constructed landscapes and has been recognized in regional art exhibitions and festivals. Rooted in Buffalo's energy and architectural character, each image reflects a deep curiosity about how form, atmosphere, and perspective shape our perception of place. He is a certified drone operator.

TerraCycle's Industrial Design and Art team creates custom upcycled work from hard-to-recycle materials. Their work includes art, sculpture, products, fashion, and furnishings. Working with materials ranging from ocean-bound plastic to cigarette butts to potato chip bags and more, the TerraCycle Design team raises awareness of the beauty in waste and the importance of recycling and reuse.

Brandon Watson, Brendan Bannon, and Jalen Wright are internationally acclaimed photographers whose work explores often overlooked communities and lived experiences through an honest, human lens, emphasizing inclusivity and representation. They create space for people and communities to see themselves reflected, preserving moments that deserve to be remembered. Their photography has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nike US Football, and Carhartt, and has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and United Nations Headquarters.

Sarah Robbins is a Rochester native and is currently based in Seattle. She creates public artwork shaped by community, environment, and a deep sense of place. Her work weaves bold graphics, texture, pattern, and color into compositions that hover between the abstract and the familiar, leaving room for personal interpretation. At its core, her practice is driven by a belief in art's ability to connect people and elevate voices beyond her own. Select clients include Amazon, Meta, Seattle Kraken, Capital One, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, and Lululemon.

Leslie Zemsky is a painter known for detailed, whimsical artwork and custom wallpaper and fabric designs. She primarily works in gouache, an opaque watercolor, as well as small landscapes and still lifes in oil. Based in Buffalo, she is a partner at Larkin Development Group.

Adam Zyglis has been the full-time editorial cartoonist for The Buffalo News, his newspaper, for the last twenty years. He began drawing weekly editorial cartoons for The Griffin at Canisius University (formerly Canisius College) in 2000, where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science and minors in Mathematics and Studio Art. He's incorporated sports cartoons into his work, and his cartoons have appeared in magazines, books, and newspapers around the world. He was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartoons.