2021 Community

In celebration of our sixtieth consecutive event, we invited Buffalo’s creative community to share stimulating and thought-provoking “shorts” of their take on February’s global CreativeMornings theme, ‘Divergent’.

➤ Bianca L. McGraw uses art, poetry, performance and space as a vehicle for discussion about identity, diversity and perspectives while exploring personal, societal and communal experiences. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. Completing her Master of Fine Arts Degree encouraged her to continue her education and research on the importance of how art, advocacy, and communal/cultural environments intercept. Her artistic exploits have allowed her to showcase her messages nationally (Chicago, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Buffalo, etc) and internationally (Canada, France, Mexico, and the United Kingdom). Her passion is an interchangeable balance between art, design, diversity, poetry, community development and personal engagement.

➤ An eternal optimist and quiet observer, artist Cassandra Ott grew up in a creative and entrepreneurial household surrounded by her mother’s textile collection and father’s architectural renderings. Her lighthearted and bright artistic explorations take shape across a variety of fine art media and surface pattern design. Cassandra’s love of puzzles, pattern, photography and nature are evident in all facets of her work. While the range of imagery is wide, themes of beauty, memory and optimism are common threads. A designer by trade she runs a creative studio helping clients with a broad range of print design services. Not too serious, but extremely driven, she approaches each project with a sense of wonder and possibility. Cassandra currently lives in beautiful Buffalo, NY with her husband, son and three cats.