Here is what happened at our first meeting..

Thanks to Sean Aaberg at the Last Friday Artwalk blog

The Eugene Storefront Art Project had its first public meeting at the New Zone gallery yesterday in order to introduce the concept to the public, get feedback & ideas & begin the process of putting art into the many empty storefronts in Eugene's downtown. The project is headed by Marc Time, Paula Goodbar & Peter (whose last name i can't remember!). Admirably, the group is placing action over everything else initially, eschewing the potential gridlock of bureaucracy just to get the ball rolling because their's always plenty of time for that later. There seems to be plenty of interest in this idea & i can smell its success in the wind. The ESAP emphasized the importance of cooperation between artists & the establishment as a way to get things done in town, which is a welcome change from the typical us vs. them present in much of the city's dealings. I also made sure to bring up that as an artist, you are providing a service & especially in this sort of urban beautification project, you are creating a veneer of interest & vibrancy for the city which should translate into money at some point. Marc Time declared that "artists will get paid" as soon as it is possible & that it is an important element of their organization. Eugene has had a notoriously empty downtown like much of the nation, as property owners sit on their various holdings, mysteriously waiting for some sort of sign to develop them. I hope that the Eugene Storefront Art Project can help to unlock some sort of prophetic "development cycle" which will usher in a new period of reinvestment in the core of the city. Maybe you will do the art piece that puts it all into motion? Join their facebook group. You can email them for an art submission form. Marc Time's email address is on that group.
Eugene Storefront Art Project Mission Statement:
-To place short term exhibits in empty Eugene area storefronts to demonstrate Eugene's commitment to the arts, while beautifying downtown areas and allowing artists a unique canvas.
-To promote new art and improving the quality of life while creating an artistic environment and making vacant properties more desirable.
-To facilitate happenings and events in vacant storefronts, urban spaces and community oriented businesses featuring the work of artists in different media, such as visual art, performance and music
-To develop ways to use empty buildings as temporary studio space available to artists until rented.
Posted by SEAN ÄABERG at 8:21 AM Wednesday, February 17, 2010