WEED, Calif. – The City of Weed and the Siskiyou County Arts Council are collaborating on a project as a way to beautify and bring interest to downtown.
Many buildings are empty as a result of businesses closing during the pandemic and Weed City Manager, Tim Rundel, wanted to find a way to attract visitors to the area. He says the inspiration came from an article he had read about other cities doing beautification projects in empty store fronts and the positive impact it was having on the communities.
The project serves many purposes, like bringing foot traffic to Main Street and attracting attention to those empty store fronts in case anyone was thinking about opening a business in the area.
“Tourism is really big here in Siskiyou County with Mt. Shasta and a lot of the other assets, so all we’re trying to do is button up Main Street to make it look presentable to folks who want to visit our community,” Rundel said. “And instead of seeing a bunch of butcher block paper on the windows, lets put some art up there.”
A total of five artists were commissioned for the project and each one gets their own store front to work on. The displays include things like sculptures, tile projects and even a poetry window.
Art Education Director at Liberty Arts Gallery, Sharon Swingle, started working on her piece in December and said that she thinks this will have a positive impact on the community.
“I think I was a little skeptical at first that it would actually work, but as I have been working on my project down there, every single person who comes by stops and asks about it,” Swingle said. “So, it’s definitely bringing interest into the town already, even before the premier.”
One of the requirements for each piece is that it has to have something to do with the history of Weed.
There is no decision on a grand opening date, but once its official, the artwork is intended to remain on display until the spaces get rented.
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