Project Targets Store Fronts for Makeovers in Downtown Winston-Salem

It's been many years since the major department stores graced downtown Winston-Salem with elaborate window dressings. But those eye-catching displays could be headed for a comeback.

Associated Artists of Winston-Salem is sponsoring a new program designed to place art installations in vacant or underused storefronts. The organization is looking to have artists dress up six windows at different locations every three months. The Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership is helping identify the right places.

Cynthia Marvin is the coordinator of the project.  She says the goal is to grab peoples' attentions the same way that big-city department stores do around Christmas time.

Marvin says the themes will be based on what kinds of things are taking place in the city. The first phase will be in conjunction with the annual Bookmarks Festival. The designs will be inspired by works from the Winston-Salem Writers' “Poetry in Plain Sight” project. According to Marvin, the project will help fill a gap in the local arts scene.

Marvin says similar projects have worked in other cities, including Durham and Chapel Hill, to add vibrancy to their downtowns. For information on how to get involved, click here Web site, storefrontsws.org.