What do you get when you mix art, windows, and downtown Petersburg? Stories-n-Storefronts! Petersburg’s new initiative, which helps to clean, restore and decorate the windows of vacant buildings, is expected to take the city by storm.  The grand unveiling of the first phase of the project on Upper Sycamore Street will take place this Friday, July 11 in conjunction with Friday for the Arts!, beginning at 6pm at the Downtown Express Building, 110 N. Sycamore Street.  Come out and watch the story unfold!

Join fellow Petersburgers as we tour three re-designed windows on Upper Syacmore and learn about the history—and potential—of these now vacant buildings. The tour will include three redesigned windows along with history about the building and the design concept.

This new initiative was inspired by the movement in Richmond called Vacant Spaces, Artful Places.  Vacant Spaces, Artful Places has re-designed dozens of vacant storefronts in downtown Richmond and facilitated their return to productive uses.  Seeking to invigorate downtown Petersburg, Gwen Cooper and the Army-Community Heritage Partnership Property Development Committee, along with the Phoenix Project Summer Class of 2008, has designed several windows to help kick off this initiative.  Each storefront has a different theme that celebrates the vibrancy that still is essentially Petersburg. 

Stories-n-Storefronts is grateful to Gwen Cooper, the City of Petersburg, Laura Willoughby and the City Museum staff, Raymond Wilson, Ronnie Thompson, artist Jerome Wiggins, Roberta Purcell, The Gardener’s Gate, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School and the Phoenix Project Nonprofit Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship students for making these displays possible.