Cobblestone Commons

Along a stretch of wall in the Cobblestone District, next to the Buffalo River, in Buffalo NY, there is a series of large paintings …

below: by Detour303 aka Thomas Evans

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: Cyrielle Tremblay

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: Jason Brammer,  a framed view of the ocean

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: Ellen Rutt, a collage of shapes, colours, and textures

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

These images are presented by Albright-Knox Gallery and they date from Covid times, 2020-21. From the words on the wall:  “The commons are what belong to all of us.  In the nineteenth century, this area, so close to the Erie and Hamburg Canals and the Buffalo River and Harbor, was the site of a jostling mix of brick layers and dock workers, deckhands and lock tenders, machinists and millwrights.  Producers of all kinds walked down cobble streets alive with the energy and pleasure of other people’s company.  The commons are the exciting site of diverse perspectives and unexpected communions, shared together.

copy of the words on the wall for the Albright Knox Gallery series Cobblestone Commons, a grouping of 12 large outdoor artworks

below: A patchwork couple standing together, by Lauren Mckenzie-Pearce aka Lady Noel

a coupe with white hair, dressed in patchwork clothes, white woman, black man, man has a beard and mustache.

below: Obsidian Bellis, human? floral?

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: Karle Norman

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons, by Karle Norman,

below: by Monet Alyssa Kifner

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: A jumble of houses and other buildings, by Miriam Singer

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: “Be happy” by James Moffitt

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: Colourful cyclists by Morgan Blair

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons

below: Rough and tumbling pastel people by Bradd Young

large painting outdoors, part of Albright Knox's project Cobblestone Commons, in pastel colours,

The Albright Knox Gallery sponsored another set of artworks during Covid that still hand the wall in a downtown Buffalo lane.  You can see them at “Locked Down but Still at Work”

Photos taken April 2025

Denver street art

Like a number of cities have done, Denver has a district where large murals and other street art is encouraged.  In Denver’s case it is the River North (RiNo) Art District and the most street art is found along Larimer Street although I also found some at the top of Blake Street.  Here is the first batch of murals and paintings that I saw.

below: Love This City mural.  It is one of three ‘love’ murals, one in each of three neighbourhoods, by Pat Milbery.

horizontal mural in Denver with cursive writing that says Love this city.

below: A colourful head by Detour303

Denver street art mural of a woman's face on a large door. bright blue hair, background is pink and purple, skin in oranges, yellows and blues, by Detour303

 

below: by Chris Spade.  Haven’t you always wanted an octopus on your head?

Denver street art mural of a woman, from the waist up, naked, black x's over her nipples, large purple octopus on her head as well as large headphones over the ears. eye of the octopus shows. by Chris Spade

 

below: Snarling at people on the street.   Or maybe he’s screaming.

on a fence, street art, text and stylized throw up in greens on either side of a large black face with mouth open showing white teeth,

below:  A purplish woman in profile, with red and reddish circles.

mural of woman's profile in purplish tones, green hair, also her hand is in the painting. a red circle on her left and her right.

below: What one can do with a wall that isn’t flat.  From one side you see a boy, walk in the other direction and you see a girl.  Stand across the street and look straight at the building, the people disappear.  This is “Larimar Boy and Girl” by Jeremy Burns.

large mural of an oval face in white with black feature on a blue and brown background. wall is 3D so the mural changes depending on which angle you look at it. Straight on, only the blue and brown background shows. from one side, a boy's face, from the other side, a girl's face

 

below: Peaking out from behind the porch

on a wall on Blake St in Denver, a face in oranges and purples partially behind an overhang porch over a door a

below: by Gamma Gallery

Denver street art mural of a woman with long hair that is actually butterflies, by Gamma Gallery. She has her face in hands, like a mask, revealing her skull below. Very large, two storeys high

below: I am not sure if this mural, painted by Max Sansing (MAX) means anything.  The orange melting over the blue makes it look very creepy.  I like the little purple girl on the tire swing though.

Denver street art mural of a woman's head, top part is orange and bottom is blue, the orange part is melting into the blue. eyes closed. From the cheek, in purple, a small tire swing with a small girl playing on it.

 

below: Another colourful head on a door.  This one is by illson.

colourful mural on a garage door by illson in denver of a woman looking upward, with one of her hands raised up a bit

 

below: A grid pattern of stylized flowers on Blake Street.

older street art on a concrete block wall in Denver, stylized four petal flowers in a grid pattern, blues on the tops and yellows and oranges on the bottom. some weeds growing up beside the wall.

 

below: Keep an open mind.

Denver street art on a small, low concrete wall of a green figure with the words keep an open mind. a graffiti covered garbage skip is beside it.

 

below: It’s an ad for Botanicare but it’s roots are in street art.

part mural and part ad for botanicare products, a woman in many colours with long flowing hair, two large hibiscus flowers in front of her, on the side of a building in Denver