PAINT CHQ

Public encouraged to attend, learn about projects that will enhance the County’s main streetsJAMESTOWN, NY - In cooperation with public art consultant Alexandra Hall from A H Public Spaces Consulting, the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) will hold two public informational meetings for Paint CHQ. The first will take place on Monday, June 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the James Prendergast Library (509 Cherry Street, Jamestown). The second will be held on Tuesday, June 10 at 9 a.m. at the Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED) (214 Central Avenue, Dunkirk). The meetings will provide the public with updates on the locations of the four murals, the process for selecting artists and approving the artwork, a preview of events related to the County-wide festival and mural dedications, and a questions and answers session.  “CCPEG and the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development (CCDPD) have been working hard to pull together the many moving part of these projects,” says Rebecca Wurster, Planning Coordinator for CCPEG and CCDPD. “The June meeting will offer exciting information on where we are at in the planning process, the sites we are locating the murals at, and what the local steering committees have been working on in each of the four communities. We cannot wait for all of the exciting events planned the second week of September and unveiling all of the beautiful murals. We believe that these murals will have a transformational impact on our four municipality’s main streets.” Officially announced earlier this year, Paint CHQ is a new public art initiative intended to highlight and bring new interest to communities in Chautauqua County. The project is being coordinated CCPEG, in collaboration with CCDPD. It will culminate with a County-wide festival the second week of September that involves the creation of large public murals in Dunkirk, Falconer, Sherman, and Westfield. As part of the initiative, Professional artists will be selected to create the artwork. Both the artists and the specific locations will be announced this summer. The goals and purpose of Paint CHQ include highlighting community assets, embracing the value of public art investment, bringing visitors to Chautauqua County communities, encouraging economic growth, building a foundation for more public art investment, and improving quality of place. For more information, visit ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ. About CCPEG - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. It is an initiative of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). For more information visit CHQPartnership.org.

Applications Due June 1stJAMESTOWN, NY – Paint CHQ is proud to announce the launch of its Paint CHQ Apprenticeship Program, a hands-on initiative designed to equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and real-world experience necessary to develop large-scale murals. Local artists who are interested in learning more about how to install a mural may apply to participate in the Paint CHQ Mural Apprentice Program. The Paint CHQ Mural Apprentice Program will offer aspiring artists an opportunity to garner valuable experience installing large-scale mural. Applications are now open and will be accepted through June 1, 2025. Eligibility requirements include: Applicant must be 18 or older, or have parental permission Applicant must reside in Chautauqua County, NY Applicant MUST be able to volunteer some hours to this apprentice program during Paint CHQ mural festival: September 7 – September 13, 2025 “This is an excellent resume builder for an aspiring muralist,” said Alexandra Hall from A H Public Spaces Consulting, who’s been brought in to oversee the Paint CHQ initiative. “Apprentices will be paired with experienced muralists and asked to help assist in the mural installation during the mural festival. Apprentices may learn how to scale a design to fit a building, learn about different mediums, and expand their artist-network!” Officially announced earlier this year, Paint CHQ is a new public art initiative intended to highlight and bring new interest to communities in Chautauqua County. The project is being coordinated by the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), in collaboration with the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development. It will culminate with a County-wide festival the second week of September that involves the creation of large public murals in Dunkirk, Falconer, Sherman, and Westfield. As part of the initiative, Professional artists have been selected to create the artwork. Both the artists and the specific locations will be announced this summer. The goals and purpose of Paint CHQ include highlighting community assets, embracing the value of public art investment, bringing visitors to Chautauqua County communities, encouraging economic growth, building a foundation for more public art investment, and improving quality of place. To sign up for the Apprenticeship Program or to learn more about the Paint CHQ Festival in September, visit ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ. Inquiries about the program can also be sent via email to project coordinator Rebecca Wurster at WursterR@chqgov.com, or call 716-363-3620. About CCPEG - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. It is an initiative of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). For more information visit CHQPartnership.org.

RFQs from Prospective Artists due March 16CUTLINE: 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) JAMESTOWN, NY – The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG), in collaboration with the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development (CCDPD), is pleased to announce a new public art initiative intended to highlight and bring new interest to local communities. The PAINT CHQ mural 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. Full details, including a link to the RFQ form, can be found at ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ. 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. “The goals of PAINT CHQ follow those of other art mural festivals around the country,” Hall explained. “They include highlighting community assets, embracing the value of public art investment, bringing visitors to participating communities, encouraging economic growth, building a foundation for more public art investment, and improving quality of place. It will also help in the effort to grow regional pride, while garnering significant attention and exposure nationally.” 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 atmosphere 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. As noted earlier, an RFQ has also been issued for the initiative, with local and regional artists strongly encouraged to apply. 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. “Artists are strongly encouraged to apply to participate in this project. Local artists who are interested in learning more about how to install a mural may also apply to participate in the apprentice program, which is meant to offer aspiring artists an opportunity to garner valuable experience installing large-scale murals,” Hall said. “This is an excellent resume builder for an aspiring muralist! Volunteer apprentices will be paired with experienced muralists and asked to help assist in the mural installation during the festival. Apprentices may learn how to scale a design to fit a building, learn about different mediums, and expand their artist-network.” “While we don’t always think about art as an economic development driver, it certainly can be,” said Nate Aldrich, County Economic Development Coordinator and CCPEG Manger. “As our team tackles multiple economic development priorities, projects like these can also help to improve our communities and create a sense of place by providing unique offerings that are interesting and attractive, while also being interpretive. PAINT CHQ, in conjunction with our many other initiatives, contributes to making our Main Streets more attractive and inviting, while also building community pride.” Initial funding for PAINT CHQ has been provided by CCPEG. Additional funding may come from grant applications, local foundation support, and corporate sponsorships. “Our overall goal is to make this a successful event for not only this year’s participating communities, but for all of Chautauqua County,” Aldrich added. “This will help ensure the initiative will return each year with other participating communities, making PAINT CHQ an annually celebrated and anticipated event for all of the County’s residents, businesses, and visitors.” More information about PAINT CHQ can be found at ChooseCHQ.com/PaintCHQ. About CCPEG - The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) serves as the main convener of economic development partners and resources to advance key projects that achieve economic prosperity in Chautauqua County. It also serves as the catalyst and broker of resources for advancing economic prosperity efforts and is the central coordinating entity for the formation, retention, development, and attraction of quality jobs and advancements to the quality of life. It is an initiative of the Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC). For more information visit CHQPartnership.org.