In Buffalo’s East Side, urban agriculture is transforming once residential, abandoned land into small farms serving local groups. And although vacant land is abundant, it is often contaminated. Historically farmers used above ground grow structures to overcome poor soil conditions – an approach which could also provide a solution to the difficulties of funding property acquisition by achieving greater density on each site.

ARTFARMS invites recognized artists to design grow sculptures for the East Side urban farms. Made from lightweight materials, their ghost-like appearance highlights the neighborhood’s exodus of homes, people and activity. Used as growth structures for fruits, vegetables and flowers, these large scale planted sculptures attract new visitors and attention.

ARTFARMS turns the area’s vacant properties into a new landscape of growing sculpture. It invites a wider audience to witness the formation of a new perception for the area that brings more visitors to the farm produce stores, more positive impressions of the area’s future, more potential of attracting other small business development. The result is a synergy where ongoing local reuse efforts are enhanced by their coordination with a larger cultural perspective.