The Future of Health in the City

Connect Gallery, Conventus
1001 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Installation runs from Oct. 8, 2019 until Fall 2020

“Western New York is one of the unhealthiest regions in the United States, but thankfully there are many wonderful groups committed to changing what our region’s health looks like and how people access health” said Beth Machnica, Healthy Communities Catalyst, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. “Charmaine’s work highlights the unique stories of the individuals and champions who are both affected by and leading this work. Charmaine’s efforts in capturing these stories provide a snapshot of how collaboration within a community can cultivate health.”

Over the course of three months in fall 2018, Wheatley met with individuals from different initiatives and organizations operating in and around the Medical Campus. The collective portrait of the communities presented brings into visual conversation individuals working in the BNMC’s Innovation Labs, UB medical students and facilitators, residents of Buffalo’s East Side neighborhoods, individuals experiencing homelessness and members of the Restoration Society, Inc. team who are dedicated to providing them with vital support services. 

“These portraits are about hope; they show a dreamscape of social change,” said Dr. Henry-Louis Taylor, Jr. Director, Center for Urban Studies, University of Buffalo. “They are about the possibility of building a future city where wellbeing and wholeness reign.”