CITY OF PHILADELPHIA UNVEILS PLAN TO REJUVENATE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS THROUGH ART

First project to open in Chestnut Hill.rnrnPhiladelphia, September 2, 2011- The Philadelphia Department of Commerce and the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy announced the ReStore Corridors Through Art program, which aims to energize commercial corridors through art and creative spaces. Temporary art projects will be installed in vacant or under-utilized properties to enhance the streetscape and to attract new visitors to the neighborhood. These businesses and artists will follow the national trend of using empty commercial spaces for art. Cities like San Francisco, New York and St. Louis have seen increased economic activity and new creative communities thrive as a result of projects similar to ReStore Corridors Through Art.rnrn“Bustling commercial corridors are the lifeblood of our neighborhoods and the backbone of our business community,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Public space for art and creative use will engage the community in new ways. Our Administration places a high value on supporting Philadelphia’s creative industries.”rnrnReStore Corridors Through Art will create partnerships with community organizations, businesses and artists to transform storefronts into imaginative and innovative spaces. These spaces will be designed to bring more activity and traffic to the targeted areas, increase visibility for the art community and present opportunities for Philadelphia’s residents to improve their neighborhood commercial corridors. rnrn“Philadelphia is a place where the words ‘creative’ and ‘economy’ really do come together,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Alan Greenberger. “That’s why the City is so excited to bring increased resources and attention to our neighborhood commercial corridors, and to do so in a way that engages the community through art. The first project has already sparked a high level of interest, and we are confident that our investment – along with the hard work of the artists involved – will help to further the redevelopment of these important centers of commerce.”rnrnOrganizations were chosen based on several criteria.rn • Overall concept plan, including quality and scope of proposal;rn • Compatibility with the City’s goals;rn • Preliminary stakeholder commitment and partnerships;rn • Organizational capacity to manage project; andrn • Potential connectivity to other neighborhood initiatives and programming.rnrn“It is gratifying that our Commerce Department is looking to the power of art and artists to revitalize commercial corridors,” said Chief Cultural Officer Gary Steuer. “We are eager to continue to work with the Commerce Department and other City agencies to weave the arts and creativity into our efforts to make Philadelphia the best possible place to live, work, play and do business. The arts can play a critical role in place-making and Philadelphia is at the leading edge of this work nationally.”rnrnThe first project to be completed is “New Trails” on Germantown Avenue and within Fairmount Park in Chestnut Hill. The main gallery is located at 8517 Germantown Ave, where a public reception celebrating the project’s launch is being held this evening at 6:00 PM. More than twenty artists will produce work inspired by the Chestnut Hill community. More information about New Trails can be found at http://www.newtrailsphila.org. rnrnThe next project, “Lancaster Avenue Arts,” will launch at a later date. It will be a coordinated effort between Drexel University and the local community to install art on the 3500-3900 blocks of Lancaster Avenue.