Nicole Cherry is at the top of her game! While many people may have used the 2020 coronavirus pandemic to breeze through a Netflix collection of knock-off shows and movies based on meme culture, this beautiful blonde (with a thick-as-thieves attitude to boot) spent her pandemic days hard in the paint.
If you walk around Elmwood Avenue or Hertel Avenue, you’ll see Nicole’s work scattered about on the side of small business buildings. Her artistic muses range from nature themes, to the old-reliable “Buffalo” stamp of approval with her own special twist, to vintage cars, to relics of Buffalo’s working-class roots. Nicole is in the midst of completing a kick-ass General Mills mural boasting the Lucky Charms leprechaun and the Cheerios bee (below). You can visit her artist Facebook page for work-in-progress photos of this mural.
Nicole is truly the Buffalo-pride example of what it means to work hard and do right by your city! Gaining notoriety at an Albright-Knox public art project muralist at 1330 Niagara Street, Nicole graduated from Buffalo State College with an art degree in 2010. She was also selected as Step Out Buffalo’s Artist of the Month, joining their initiative to sell merchandise that will benefit charity.
This artist is extremely passionate when it comes to talking about art, lifting inspiration from the neighborhoods she grew up in. Nicole is someone you can pull up a chair and drink a beer with, riff about color, design, and also music (she loves everything from indie hip hop to classic rock). Down to earth and all about change, Nicole was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.
When asked how it feels to step back and admire her masterpieces, she said:
“At the end of the day I cheese because I’m so excited to come back! Sometimes I’m working 15 hour days with a few breaks in between to escape that sun! I got here at 6 today and I will be here until 8 or 9 (at night).”
Q: Tell me a few spots in Buffalo you would love to beautify with your mural talent and why.
I would love to add to Grant Street! I want to see this area transformed! I have lived off of Grant and I went to Buffalo State, and while the area has gotten better, I would love to see it streaming with art! I drive down this street all of the time and just imagine the walls filled with color!
I also think we should add more to Main Street! It’s the leading road, primarily if you want to take the “scenic route” and it should have more art!
I also want to paint the 33 East Expressway! I always envisioned drip paint from the top. But that’s probably impossible to do.
Q: You mentioned that sometimes your art isn’t exactly “what people want.” How do you respond to critiques of your art?
It’s like someone has their own vision that I cannot see and they contact me to make it. I see it differently and then they act disappointed that I cannot see what they see. I usually respond (to their request) by doing several revisions (of the art). You have to keep trying because that’s the whole point of working with clients. Of course, it’s nice to do your own stuff. But when you’re making public art, you gotta make others happy first.
Q: Last year after the street art festival on Hertel had concluded, the news reported vandalism by a local in the area. Does this commonly happen in this medium?
Honestly, this was shocking. I don’t hear about it really that often. And I’m still trying to figure out how vandalizing “locals only “ on a strip of local artists’ work makes any sense. I did get vandalized one other time. I hung up wheat pastes and hand-painted animals in Red Jacket Park. The vandal ripped down and graffitied over it. I want to say it’s a younger “street” type of mentality, people who think that that’s their own private space and no one else has a right to be there. Needless to say, they ruined all the paintings in that park, not just mine. So, did I really help by putting anything there at all if I just made people lash out? People are going to do what they’re gonna do. Most people respect public art. Let’s just hope that people don’t feel the need to vandalize art any longer.
Q: What other challenges do street art muralists face working in this genre?
Number 1, the sun. Living in Buffalo, we only have like three months of great weather and it goes from extremely cold to hot, like immediately. Some years we have cold summers. But the last several have been grueling hot. Last year, while I was painting the Albright Knox mural, both of my arms were covered in these tiny blisters. And here initially I thought it was cool to get tan. Now I know it’s way cooler to wear long sleeves in July.
Number 2, safety! Ladders are fun, but when you’re painting a wall for days they hurt your legs after a while, and then there’s always the danger aspect. Lifts are the way to go, but they definitely increase the total budget!
Q: What are your hopes and goals for 2020/2021 for the Buffalo art scene as a whole after the pandemic completely subsides?
I would really like to see people painting up the city! We will have to social distance for a while, so a great way to do so is to interact with art! I’m hoping that other artists help bring the community together in a safe and unique way!
Q: Who are some muralists we should be following on Instagram, outside of the Buffalo area?
Some of my favorites are @1010zzz, @Janegoat, @George_rose, @dabsmyla, and @kelsey montague:
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