Daemen alum Kari Achatz ’07, Art – Visual Arts Education, is one of over 45 local artists and art teams—out of 433 applicants—selected as a featured artist in the Buffalo Bills Public Art Program at the new Highmark Stadium.
Achatz’s work, Between the Rush and the Release, crafted with stamped aluminum reminiscent of the grain of a football, spans four by eight feet and is appropriately finished in red, white, and blue. She wanted her artwork to convey who she is. “I’m a teacher, an artist, and a Bills fan,” she said.
She worked with Buffalo-based Rigidized Metals Corporation to bring her project to life. “I proposed my original concept to them on a little paper mockup before even presenting it to the Bills. I needed to make sure they could execute what I was envisioning,” she said. She created an original, ratio-to-scale, paper piece that she hand cut, hand painted, and layered in an artistic style all her own. “I’m an artist who draws with a blade. It’s very intuitive, very meditative.”
Achatz submitted her proposal to the Bills in April 2025 and was notified last summer that she was selected, though her contract wasn’t signed until January 2026. “I had six months to finish this project so I didn’t take on any other outside projects to make sure I had the bandwidth to execute this to the highest level,” she said.
In June, Achatz delivered her final masterpiece to the stadium. “We transported it fully assembled so nothing would slide or scratch. We took it apart at the stadium and then reassembled it on the wall,” she said, adding, “Professional art installers did the assembly. Everything was custom fabricated for this project.”
Achatz has inspired her students throughout this process. “They were so excited for this September to come so I could talk to them about my piece and show it to them,” she said. “When they left for the summer, one of my students put a note on my desk that said, ‘Thanks for everything you did this year. Your class was my favorite. I can’t wait to see what your art looks like in the stadium.’ I mean, the kids are just as pumped as I am, which makes this super exciting to share with them.”
This is an experience Achatz will never forget. “I love the Bills. I remember watching Bills games with my dad when I was five years old. Honestly, this is the coolest project I’ve ever been a part of, and I recognize that it’s so much bigger than just me and it’s even bigger than Buffalo.”