One downtown Clarkesville building has gone from empty glass to artsy class this month, thanks to a cooperative effort between Clarkesville Main Street and local artists.
A project of the Downtown Clarkesville Master Plan, local artists have volunteered to turn the bare windows of the vacant buildings on the east side of the downtown square into showcases for their artwork. A total of six artists have contributed to the display, which will be rotated out monthly.
“Throughout the public engagement phase of the Master Planning process, the input emphasized the uniqueness of Clarkesville- in particular its local art culture,” explained Mary Beth Horton, Clarkesville Main Street Manager. “We wanted to integrate this into the public realm through public art displays.”
The current displays are in the windows of 1402 Washington Street, recently acquired by the City of Clarkesville after last year’s downtown fire. “Although construction on the square is set to begin very soon, we felt that this property, given its large display windows, provided a great venue to house the local art in the interim,” says Barbara Kesler, City Manager.
Currently, six local artists are participating: Cheryl Williams, Scott Peppers, Phyllis Mote, Willette Mote, Greg Kimsey and Tonya Kimsey Fowler. Martha McManus, also a local artist, helped to coordinate this effort along with Cheryl Williams, Roxie Barron and Claudia Lyle- the latter two both Main Street Board members. The artwork varies from photography to painting to pottery. The displays are lit at night, so evening pedestrians have the opportunity to view the windows.
“There is really more than one goal when this project is considered,” said Horton. “From our perspective, we are looking to improve downtown for a better pedestrian experience. Enhancing the appeal keeps foot traffic up, and ideally we want this to be more than just an improvement, but rather an attraction to bring people to downtown Clarkesville.”
Roxie Barron, Clarkesville Main Street Board Member and lead on this project, pointed out the windows are a great opportunity for the artists as well.
“From the arts perspective, it’s a chance to showcase the local talent and to show a broader side of Clarkesville’s unique downtown,” explains Barron.
“The Clarkesville area has a tremendous amount of artistic talent, and being able to give these artists a venue that can be seen by anyone and everyone is a great outlet for them,” commented Cheryl Williams, artist and project coordinator. “This is sort of an ‘open gallery,’ where anyone can attend just by walking around downtown Clarkesville.
The displays will be changed out monthly, explained Horton. Other artists are welcome to join in by contacting [email protected].
