Buffalo AKG Public Art Initiative Completes New Murals at Kissing Bridge All-Season Resort

September 4, 2025, Buffalo, NY – Today the Buffalo AKG announced that the museum’s Public Art Initiative recently completed multiple murals at Kissing Bridge All-Season Resort, by artist Mark Paul Deren, known as MADSTEEZ (American, born 1980). The murals will be celebrated at a community event hosted by Kissing Bridge, with a date yet to be announced. The project has been generously supported by New York State Assembly member Patrick Burke, administered by Arts Services Inc. (ASI). Additional support has been provided by Kissing Bridge All Season Resort.

"Buffalo is a mid-sized American city with a global arts and cultural scene,” said Assembly member Burke. “I'm grateful to have partners like the AKG, ASI and Kissing Bridge that understand how important public art is to making our community special."

"We’re excited to collaborate with partners across the arts sector and the broader community to highlight the vital role the arts play in Western New York,” said Jen Swan-Kilpatrick, Executive Director of Arts Services Inc. “The arts and culture sector generates $382 million annually across our five counties, and projects like this help shape the experiences of both neighbors and visitors alike."

“Having an artist like MADSTEEZ at Kissing Bridge is an incredible way to kick off our new focus on art and community—his work will help reimagine the resort as a year-round destination for Recreation, Art, Wellness, and Community,” said Rhett McNulty, Owner of Kissing Bridge.

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About Kissing Bridge All-Season Resort

Kissing Bridge All Seasons Resort is Western New York’s closest hometown mountain playground for Buffalo and Southern Ontario—where heart and adrenaline meet. Founded in 1958 and steeped in the covered-bridge legend, KB is now under new ownership and reimagined with a year-round vision of Recreation, Art, Wellness, and Community. More than a ski area, KB is a gathering place with a deep connective layer across generations of families, designed to include everyone; from lifelong skiers to those discovering the mountain for the first time.

Explore 39 slopes served by nine lifts, with night skiing every day of the week. When the snow melts, enjoy 20 miles of mountain-biking and hiking trails, plus festivals, concerts, and family programs. Known as New York’s most affordable ski and snowboard destination, KB is currently offering a special $199 Night Season Pass; and will soon be home to a brand-new snow tubing park opening for the 2025/2026 season. Adventure, connection, and community - this is the new KB. Book it to the ‘Bridge.

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About MADSTEEZ

Born blind in his left eye and given three first names, artist Mark Paul Deren, (aka MADSTEEZ) is a human color wheel spinning on overdrive. Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, his doodles and larger-than-life pop-soaked paintings, portraits & multi-layered, massive-scale murals have granted him worldwide appreciation by transforming blank canvases into a voyage of acidic cosmic explosions.

MADSTEEZ’s eclectic personality breaths through each colorful piece he masters, He is known for his vivid, large-scale, multi-layered paintings, where strange and familiar figures are integrated into abstract landscapes.

By combining the best street art and advertising, MADSTEEZ has created many collaborative items and apparel with some of the biggest companies in the world—namely Nike, Red Bull, BMW, Stüssy, Amazon, and RipCurl. He has held solo exhibitions in New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, as well as group showings in London, Germany, Portland, Vancouver and Art Basel, Miami.

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About Arts Services Inc. (ASI)

Arts Services Inc. (ASI) empowers the region’s artists and arts organizations with connections to funding, learning opportunities, and community access to the arts. We are a resource hub for the Western New York arts and cultural sector.

ASI envisions a region where inclusive creative communities are valued and visible, and where artists and arts organizations have access to the resources needed to advance and thrive.

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About ICNCLST

ICNCLST, founded in 2016, is a New York-based agency that brings together leaders in arts and culture with global brands. With an innovative approach, it develops dynamic strategies and campaigns for clients across the lifestyle, fashion, sports, and entertainment sectors. ICNCLST/ empowers businesses to collaborate with artists, creating commercial opportunities while preserving artistic integrity. The agency’s team works closely with a network of creators, curating projects that result in inspired campaigns. ICNCLST/ also has a satellite office in Portland, Oregon, with representatives in Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Support for this mural has been provided by New York State Assemblyman Patrick Burke, administered by Arts Services Inc. Additional support has been provided by Kissing Bridge All-Season Resort. The Public Art Initiative was established and is supported by leadership funding from the County of Erie and the City of Buffalo.

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About the Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Founded in 1862, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery) is the sixth-oldest public art institution in the United States. For more than 160 years, the Buffalo AKG has collected, conserved, and exhibited the art of its time, often working directly with living artists. This tradition has given rise to one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of modern and contemporary art.

In June 2023, following the completion of the most significant campus development and expansion project in its history, the Buffalo AKG opened anew to the public. The project is funded by a $230 million capital campaign, the largest such campaign for a cultural institution in the history of Western New York, including $195 million raised for construction and $35 million in additional operating endowment funds.

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