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

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Vacant storefronts were an issue on the Upper West Side before the coronavirus pandemic. The ramifications from the virus have only added to the number of businesses forced to close up shop in the neighborhood.

However, one mother-daughter duo is trying to use these empty storefronts as an opportunity for art.

Upper West Side resident Barbara Anderson, her daughter Jackie Graham, and a friend, Leigh Majer, along with the Columbus Business Improvement District's support, are launching Art on the Ave in October.

The initiative is set to create a socially-distant walking art gallery by placing artists work in vacant storefronts on Columbus Avenue from 67th to 77th Street.

"We’d like this initiative to breathe new life into the UWS environment on Columbus Ave," Anderson told Patch. "Like other parts of the city, the Upper West Side is facing a difficult time. As more businesses close, it is hard to imagine the avenue returning to its once-buzzing state. We think art can help.

"Art has always played a part in the regeneration of spaces. It can act as a tool to animate and invigorate a community, and that is what we need. This socially-distanced gallery walk will create activity and energy and help sustain neighboring businesses that need the traffic," Anderson added. "Furthermore, the art we will showcase will contribute to the Upper West Side's sense of identity and place, tackle issues of social exclusion, promote social change, and act as an outdoor classroom. Art can transform empty, dead space into a locus of culture and activity, and this can spread to the wider community. We are hoping that Art on the Ave will signal a genuine sense of confidence and optimism for Columbus Ave and the Upper West Side."

Anderson came up with the idea for Art on the Ave after seeing shop-window art in an Instagram picture of where her daughter is living in British Columbia, Canada.

Graham explained to her mother, both teachers, that the local galleries needed more space and asked landlords of local properties that permanently closed if they could use the storefronts.

Anderson quickly spearheaded the idea to replicate the sidewalk galleries on the Upper West Side, but she made sure to emphasize that the personal highlight of the project was getting to work with her daughter.

"The best part of this project is working with her! Because the borders are closed, I haven't seen her in too long," Anderson told Patch.

Anderson also knew she needed someone in New York City that could help her get Art on the Ave up and running, so she enlisted the help of her "tech-savvy" friend and fellow teacher, Leigh Majer.

The two teachers got in touch with the Columbus Business Improvement District, who immediately supported the idea and helped them contact local businesses and landlords.

Anderson also signed Lisa DuBois of X-Gallery on as a curator for the initiative who has helped develop the idea from the onset.

"I always tell my students, 'You have to ask. The worst that will happen is that someone will be rude to you and not respond.' But one the best things about this project has been that everyone has been so kind and supportive," Anderson told Patch.

The art is set to transform 67th to 77th Street on Columbus sometime in October, and artists that want their work featured can submit their work on the ArtontheAve website. Anyone interested in sponsoring part of the initiative can donate at the same above link.

"No one wants to live in a place where things are so bad that business can't survive," Anderson said. "This gallery will bring foot traffic to the area and eyes to the buildings. It will restore confidence for community members and business owners."

The New York Foundation of the Arts has also signed on to sponsoring the initiative.

Anderson made sure to end the interview with one final point.

"I want to make clear that though I may have gotten the ball rolling, this has been a team effort, and I don't just mean the four of us," Anderson said. "Every step of the way, I expected someone to stop me. But instead I have encountered kindness, encouragement, and willingness to help. That is the story I want to share. No one should say that New Yorkers are tough and mean. Everyone I have called, approached or spoken to has been helpful."

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