Art Is Coming To Vacant Storefront Windows In The West Village

WEST VILLAGE, NY — A collection of vacant storefronts in the West Village are about to get a whole new look as a successful public art initiative is moving from its Upper West Side origins to the Lower Manhattan neighborhood.

The initiative is called Art On The Ave, and it was founded by a mother-daughter duo who are looking to uplift and spotlight local artists while also doing something about the vacant storefront issue plaguing much of New York City.

After months of success on the Upper West Side, Barbara Anderson and her daughter Jackie Graham, with the support of the Greenwich Village and Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, are helping to get art installed in vacant storefronts throughout the West Village.

The Upper West Side display also resulted in many of the featured artists' work getting bought by people who happened to walk by and take a liking to a piece.

Specifically, Maria Diaz, the Executive Director of the Greenwich Village and Chelsea Chamber of Commerce, is spearheading an arts campaign in the Village that Art On The Ave will be the launch of.

Art On The Ave will go live in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood on April 15, and a few of the addresses already set for installations are 120 Christopher Street, 548 Hudson Street, 561 Hudson Street, 571 Hudson Street, and 353 Bleecker Street.

"I hope that residents, visitors, art lovers, or just casual passersby will be inspired to stop, to look at the art, and to listen to the artists’ audios," Anderson told Patch. "Maybe they’ll like it. Maybe they won’t, but at least it will be a conversation."

Anderson has spearheaded the idea since its creation in September of 2020, but she's continually made sure to emphasize that the personal highlight of the project has been getting to work with her daughter from afar.

Graham, her daughter, works as a teacher in Canada and hasn't been able to see her mother in nearly a year due to the United States/Canada border being closed due to COVID-19 concerns.

"I know she is my daughter, but I tip my hat to Jackie Graham who, from afar, has managed to pull this off. I may be the person on the ground, but there would be no Art on the Ave without Jackie’s vision, strategic planning, and marketing know-how," Anderson told Patch. "Even though we are in different countries and time zones, Art on the Ave makes it feel as though we are working together at the kitchen table."

Curators Susan Davis-Eley and Norma Kriger also play major parts in making Art On The Ave run successfully.

You can find out more about Art On The Ave on its website.

Read More: A Mom And Daughter's Drive To Bring Art To UWS Vacant Storefronts