Vacant Storefront Creative Design Contest Winners Announced


3/14/2019 • 5 years ago

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Five artists have been chosen to participate in a City of Cambridge initiative to energize Cambridge neighborhoods by filling vacant store windows with reproductions of locally-made art.

The Vacant Storefront Creative Design Contest, organized by the Community Development Department and Cambridge Arts, attracted more than 400 original art work submissions. A jury selected 13 semi-finalists and the Cambridge community picked the 5 winning designs through a public vote online and in person at the City Hall Annex. Each artist will receive a $1,000 honorarium. The five winning designs represent a range of mediums from Cambridge artists:

To request a design, property managers or owners of vacant storefronts will contact the Cambridge Community Development Department and indicate which finalist design they are interested in displaying. The Community Development Department will provide a high-resolution file of the design that can be printed on vinyl or paper. The property management company is responsible for printing and installing the design. Requests for designs will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 2021.

“The City’s Retail Strategy Plan identified vacant storefront activation as a key recommendation for enhancing Cambridge’s retail environment,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. “This contest is a unique opportunity for local artists to make our commercial districts more vibrant and engaging.”  

“In Cambridge, we’re always looking for opportunities for our artists and businesses to partner—from the Central Square Mural Project and the Central Square Cultural District to our Creative Marketplace Exhibitions program,” said Jason Weeks, Executive Director of Cambridge Arts. “The Vacant Storefront Creative Design Contest is another way the arts can make our city a more dynamic and engaging place to live, work, and explore.”

To view finalist designs and for more information about the contest, visit cambridgema.gov/StorefrontContest

Cambridge Vacant Storefront Creative Design Winners

"Autumn Leaves, Bare Branches" by Judith Motzkin 
"People's Republik" by Karl Braden 
"Place of Peace" by Deidre Tao 
"Woman in Blue" by Shane Taremi 
 "Windows of Cambridge" by Malia Edney

Click here to view a gallery of the Semi-Finalists