Buffalo Celebrating The Pothole Bandit

In New Orleans, an anonymous artist known as the “Buffalo Pothole Bandit” has been filling potholes with mosaic art. Over the last two weeks, they have completed more than 30 installations using recycled materials to create designs inspired by local surroundings. They previously created similar works in New York, Pennsylvania, and Chattanooga, and residents describe seeing the artist working with cones, cement, and safety gear, initially mistaking the work for official city repairs.

The city had announced a plan to repair 15-hundred potholes a week, but reported fixing fewer than a thousand over the same two week period, while the artist continued working independently. The Bandit says mosaics are more durable than paint and describes the work as a way to add art while filling holes. New Orleans code enforcement says that pothole art may be classified as unauthorized markings and treated as criminal property damage or vandalism under existing law.

Community members seem to appreciate the installations, including one piece titled “The White Whale” that references a long-standing issue with a truck left in the roadway with potholes forming around it. The artist has received nearly 100 requests for additional installations across the city and continues to work anonymously.

Source: WDSU