12 Feb First Look — “In Gratitude” Boxes
The first round of the “In Gratitude” boxes have officially been delivered to locations across the city of Buffalo. These boxes are physical invitations to pause, notice, and record the everyday joys, the small wonders that make up our daily lives.
Inviting a City-Wide Reflection
Robert Sturm in his woodshop
The ‘In Gratitude’ boxes took shape in the workshop of Robert Sturm, who hand-built each wooden structure to serve as a home for the city’s shared reflections. From there, the boxes moved into the hands of artist and designer Ariel Aberg-Riger, who created custom, abstract artwork to wrap each box in vibrant color and texture.
Design by Ariel Aberg-Riger
Just Buffalo’s Noah Falck spent Super Bowl Sunday wheatpasting Ariel’s designs onto boxes. The result is a series of interactive public art pieces ready to hold a city-wide collection of gratitude.
Where to Find Them
Meg Howe of Alice, Ever After
Inspired by the work of poet Ross Gay, these boxes serve as gratitude stations. Each one is equipped with prompts inviting you to write down a moment of gratitude. You can currently find the first wave of boxes at the following locations:
- Actual Books (2956 Delaware Ave, Kenmore)
- Alice, Ever After Books (295 Parkside Ave, Parkside)
- Duende at Silo City (85 Silo City Row, Old First Ward)
- Fitz Books + Waffles (1462 Main St)
- Just Buffalo Literary Center (468 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Downtown)
- Talking Leaves Books (951 Elmwood Ave, Elmwood Village)
- Western New York Book Arts Center (468 Washington Street, Downtown)
How to Get Involved
We are collecting entries for an “In Gratitude” publication (and maybe more). Participating is simple:
- Locate a Box: Use the list above to find the station nearest to you.
- Take a Prompt: Follow the instructions on the “Gratitude Prompt.”
- Leave Some Language: Write a delight, a gratitude, a sentence of reflection and slide it into the box.
- Share the Joy: Take a photo of your experience and tag @justbuffalolit
We can’t wait to see what you share.
The “In Gratitude” project is generously supported by Cullen Foundation, Erie County, Foundation 214, The Golden Goldman Philanthropic Fund, The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, and M&T Bank.