Two local artists have been chosen to create public art that will be installed in Buffalo's Broderick Park next year.
James Cooper will create a sculpture and Gino Morrow will develop a mural concept entitled "The Road to Freedom." The theme of the art will be the Underground Railroad, as Broderick Park — located at the end of West Ferry Street on the city's West Side — was the location for many escaped 19th-century slaves who crossed the Niagara River into Canada and freedom.
The project comes from a collaboration among the City of Buffalo, the Buffalo Arts Commission, the Department of Public Works, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and other individuals committed to Buffalo's Olmsted Parks system.
Funding for the artwork come from a $400,000 Capital Bond from City Hall and builds on an $11 million investment to improve the park, plus the Bird Island Pier and the West Ferry Street lift bridge.
