Southampton Now Requires Vacant Storefronts to Display Local Art
The population of the villages within Long Island’s eastern end diminish severely as the summer season ends. With reduced foot traffic, businesses tend to shutter, casting a blight upon the other seasons. To breathe life into one town, and provide exposure for local artists, Southampton mayor Jesse Warren’s Storefront Art Project requires that landlords fill their vacant storefronts with art or receive a fine. This partnership program encourages artists and landlords from the community to reach out to the Southampton Arts Center or Southampton Artists Association to get involved. Though the artists are not compensated for their installation, the initiative (now signed into code) provides coveted exhibition space. It’s a superb idea, applicable outside off the Hamptons, that could stymie the creeping ghost-town sensations of many destinations. Read more at the Wall Street Journal.
Image courtesy of Southampton Art Center
Via wsj.com link opens in a new window
