Also by Milbrand: Lookin'
Good mural,
1472 Hertel Avenue
Public
Art in Buffalo
Greetings
From
Buffalo, New York mural
By Casey Milbrand
461 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, New York
  The sunburst may have been inspired by the sunburst skylight in City Hall:  Sunburst skylight in City Hall  Rand Building ... Liberty building ... City Hall ... ? ... St. Joseph's RC Cathedral (triangle) ... Old County Hall (far right) ... Note water reflection of buildings on lower half  Far left: Old County Hall ... Lafayette Court Building(?) ... Far right: One Seneca Tower  "CWM": artist's signature: Casey William Milbrand |
Another mural is underway in Downtown Buffalo. This time it is artist Casey Milbrand who is contributing his “Greetings from Buffalo, NY” work of art, which mimics a historic Buffalo postcard. The mural is also an intended backdrop for photographs. Casey got the idea when he saw how popular these types of photo-friendly murals were in other cities. This colorful splash of life will be the perfect setting for those who want to showcase their travels in a fun and friendly way. “I’ve been to a lot of cities, and so many of them have similar postcard-inspired murals where tourists flock to snap photos so they can share their travels with the world,” said Casey. “I want to bring that idea home. And with new street art going up all over the city and tourism at an ultimate high, now is the time for our own mural that welcomes visitors to the Queen City.” - Queenseyes, "Greetings from Buffalo: Downtown Mural Project," pub. on Buffalo Rising, October 9, 2016 (online March 2019) |
There's a new mural in town, and it is almost ready to compete for your Instagram-fueled affections. Casey William Milbrand expects to complete his picture-postcard mural on the south wall of the Washington Market at 461 Ellicott St. this week. The piece, funded with $6,500 in crowd-sourced donations, practically glows with Buffalo pride. It depicts a 12-pointed sun rising behind a red and purple skyline against a graphic background of blue squares. At dead center is the word "BUFFALO" spelled out in bubble letters, complete with a heart in the center of the "O." On the right, a red Buffalo heads out of the frame, as if on his way to explore the city. Much like the perpetually upbeat Milbrand, the mural gives off an air of boundless optimism and possibility about the city. It also mimics the vibe of unbridled "Buffalove" on display in the storefront space and Buffalo-themed Airbnb Milbrand runs with his partner Jason Lloyd Clement on Grant Street. - Colin Dabkowski, "New 'Greetings from Buffalo' mural appears on Ellicott Street," pub. on The Buffalo News, October 25, 2016 (online March 2019) |
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Excerpts ‘Greetings
from Buffalo' lauded the
city's tourism. Then came the copyright infringement notices The
Buffalo
News, Apr 10, 2023 Casey
William
Milbrand's Ellicott Street mural “Greetings from
Buffalo” has been
celebrated as a symbol of Buffalo's tourism and a
made-for-Instagram backdrop. But nearly seven years after the mural's
creation,
Milbrand faces criticism for sending invoices to businesses
and institutions
requesting sums from $5,000 to $180,000 for
alleged copyright
infringement. In two of these letters and invoices shared with
The Buffalo
News, Milbrand includes screenshots that show images of
his
murals used in businesses' marketing, promotional and
branding materials
without attribution to the artist. If organizations do not
meet the
asking price within 10 days, the documents read, the invoice
offer is moot and
Milbrand writes that he will contact his attorney. Because
Greetings from
Buffalo is protected by federal copyright – a copy of which he
also includes in
the letter – Milbrand could through U.S.
Copyright Law pursue
up to $30,000 for each
infringement and $150,000 for each if he can prove his work
was intentionally
reproduced for profit. The News has confirmed that since 2021, Roswell
Park,
the University at Buffalo, 43North, Welcome 716 and Buffalo
Bike
Tours have all received invoices from Milbrand alleging
copyright
infringement. The invoice sent to UB asked for $180,000,
confirmed university spokesperson John Della Contrada, who
said UB removed the
images immediately from its website and photo
archives. The university had
no further comment due to ongoing litigation, he said. "This was meant to be a city beautification
project," said Jason Rothschild, vice president for Signature
Development,
which owns the building adorned with the Greetings from
Buffalo mural. "We
offered that wall up free of charge to the artist." When organizations don't comply with his
financial
requests for alleged infringement, Milbrand has been willing
to take them to
court. Shapiro, his attorney, has filed legal complaints
alleging copyright
infringement in U.S. District Court for Milbrand at least
twice, against Roswell
Park in 2021 and 43North last month. A Roswell Park
spokesperson
confirmed this week that the cancer center settled for a
"modest
amount" out of court, and legal documents show Milbrand
voluntarily dismissed
the case last
April.
The case against 43North, a business startup incubator, is
active, however, and Shapiro declined to share specifics. In a notice of copyright infringement, the
initial
approach is up to the artist, Shapiro explained. Some may send
a
cease-and-desist order, which usually requires removal of all
reproductions
among other remedies, while other artists may request direct
compensation in an
amount they believe to be appropriate. If an infringement case
reaches
court, U.S.
Copyright Law dictates a
range of $200 to $150,000 in statutory damages can be awarded
for each
infringement, depending largely on whether the infringer
knowingly reproduced
copyrighted material for profit. A court can cancel damages if
the reproduction
is deemed fair use… Visit Buffalo Niagara was "thrilled" by the idea of
Milbrand's “Greetings from Buffalo” mural in 2016. The tourism
organization
supported Milbrand's crowdfunding campaign to raise money for
the downtown
project, which received
$4,640 total from
70 donors. For public works commissioned by Albright-Knox, the gallery's
website dedicates an entire section to clarify copyrights and usage. |
