A mural in Ft. Wayne, Ind., is pictured. Similar murals will be painted this summer as part of a new county initiative

The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth and the Chautauqua County Department of Planning & Development are launching a new public art initiative.

The PAINT CHQ mural program will focus on holding a countywide festival later this year that involves the creation of large public murals in various Chautauqua County communities. For 2025, 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 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, the county will be working with A H Public Spaces Consulting, owned and operated by Alexandra Hall. Hall is a studio artist and muralist based in Fort Wayne, Ind. Hall has worked on public art projects across the country, including Upstate New York. The consulting group will work with the county 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 said. “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. The festival will culminate on the final day of the event, Saturday, Sept. 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 can’t attend the workshops, can complete a PAINT CHQ Public Art Feedback Survey.

“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 manager. “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 said. “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.