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The winning design will be displayed on HARBORCENTER's north end loading dock doors beginning this spring.
The winning design will be displayed on HARBORCENTER's north end loading dock doors beginning this spring.

Lewiston's Asklar, Conroy HARBORCENTER public art contest winners

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Thu, Feb 18th 2016 11:00 am

Mural chosen through online voting contest will be displayed on HARBORCENTER this spring

HARBORCENTER today announced the winner of its online public art contest. Lewiston residents Thomas Paul Asklar and Matthew Sinclair Conroy have won the contest with a design that symbolizes the renaissance of Buffalo and the new beginning of the Queen City, while paying tribute to its past.

The design was chosen following a month-long online voting contest and will be displayed on the loading dock doors on the north end of HARBORCENTER, overlooking the replica canals and One Canalside building.

Installation will begin this spring.

"Our intention with this contest was to showcase Western New York's art community by displaying a locally produced mural that pays tribute to the history of downtown Buffalo and this historic district," said Frank Cravotta, Pegula Sports and Entertainment's executive vice president of creative services. "This design provides insightful perspective into our city's history, while painting an optimistic view of our future. We are very glad that the community chose this work of art to be displayed for years to come."

The bold and bright colors of HARBORCENTER's winning design symbolize the brilliant renaissance of the Queen City through light rays that radiate throughout the mural and represent sunrise and sunset. The color purple represents the royalty of Buffalo as "Queen City" of the Great Lakes. Art deco is represented throughout the mural to pay tribute to Buffalo's rich art and architectural history, highlighted by City Hall, which was completed in 1931.

The mural's mighty bison pays tribute to Buffalo's namesake animal and the Native Americans who held the buffalo in sacred regard. The seal of the City of Buffalo hovers with a lightning bolt, along with an iconic grain mill, to reference the city's powerful industrial history.

The historical sign of the "Two Waterfronts" and image of the lighthouse pay tribute to the merging of the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes, which was vital to grain trade for generations. A young mule represents the Erie Canal's importance to immigrants and their vital contribution to this region's commercial success.

Paying further tribute to Buffalo's place as the Queen City of the Great Lakes is the iconic SS Arthur M. Anderson cargo ship, which represents the shipping industry and is believed to be the last ship in contact with the SS Edmund Fitzgerald before its sinking in 1975. The SS Anderson is still in service today.

The mission of this winning mural design is to represent sharing art with the masses in celebration of the Queen City - Buffalo.

 

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