Community CanvasesPermalink

Community Canvases is a 501(c)3 nonprofit devoted to facilitating community engagement and expression through the arts.

Contact usPermalink

Please reach out to Director of Operations Hy Carrel at hy@communitycanvases.org or Executive Director Katherine Pessecow at katherine@communitycanvases.org

HistoryPermalink

Founded in 2013, we 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 like Buffalo Community Fridge.

Our VisionPermalink

We build communities abundant with spaces where every person feels a sense of belonging, an invitation to express themselves, and a certainty that they are responsible for and capable of creating positive change in their neighborhood, community and city through art and community engagement.

We pursue this mission through unique programs that inspire creativity and enhance community well-being such as:

  1. 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.”
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 diverse local artists.