A new public art initiative is being launched in Chautauqua County.
The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) is collaborating with the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development (CCDPD) on the PAINT CHQ mural program.
The program will focus on holding a County-wide festival later this year that involves the creation of large public murals in various Chautauqua County communities. For 2025, the communities of Dunkirk, Falconer, Sherman, and Westfield will participate, with a PAINT CHQ Festival planned for the second week of September.
As part of the initiative, Professional artists are being sought to create the artwork and are being asked to submit a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) by March 16. Local artists who are interested in learning more about how to install a mural anywhere in the County can also apply to participate in the PAINT CHQ Mural Apprentice Program. Full details, including a link to the RFQ form, can be found at ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ.
The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) is launching the PAINT CHQ initiative to help focus on the important role public art plays in placemaking and strengthening local communities. Coordinating the effort is A H Public Spaces Consulting, LLC, who has assisted with other community mural project around the country, including the one pictured here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. (Art by Jeremy Stroup) (Credit: Rachel Von Stroup)
To help coordinate and oversee PAINT CHQ, CCPEG will be working with A H Public Spaces Consulting, owned and operated by Alexandra Hall. Hall is an award-winning professional studio artist and muralist based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Hall has worked on public art projects across the country, including Upstate New York. The consulting group will work with CCPEG to select artists, seek public input and feedback, hold community engagement workshops, and also develop and coordinate a PAINT CHQ Mural Apprentice Program.
Each PAINT CHQ mural will be installed simultaneously as part of the inaugural festival in the second week of September 2025, with events taking place throughout County. According to Hall, the festival will draw media attention and outside visitors, while inviting local residents to be part of the public art creation. The festival will culminate on the final day of the event, Saturday, September 13, when all the murals are complete and celebrated.
As part of the buildup to the PAINT CHQ Festival in September, steering committees are now being developed in each of this year’s participating communities, with a goal of developing a design brief to help the artists better understand what makes Chautauqua County unique and to ensure certain elements and themes are incorporated into the final mural design.
PAINT CHQ Community Workshops are also scheduled at the following dates for each respective community:
· Tuesday, March 11 at 11 a.m. at the Cornerstone Restaurant, Sherman
· Tuesday, March 11 at 5 p.m. at SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation and Economic Development, Dunkirk
· Wednesday, March 12 at 11 a.m. at the Patterson Library, Westfield
· Wednesday, March 12 at 5 p.m. at the Firemen’s Exempt Hall, Falconer
Anyone who wants to provide input, but is unable to attend the workshops, is encouraged to provide their thoughts by completing the PAINT CHQ Public Art Feedback Survey that can be found at ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ.
Initial funding for PAINT CHQ has been provided by CCPEG. Additional funding may come from grant applications, local foundation support, and corporate sponsorships.
More information about PAINT CHQ can be found at ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ.
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