From Property Owners
Adam Hasson, Senior Property Manager for SAMIS Land Company (see full story here)
“What’s special about Storefronts Seattle is that it’s a juried competition for the spaces. Landlords don’t want to give away their spaces to anyone who asks. Storefronts Seattle is doing all the homework, and this process is very special for us.
“The storefronts keep an active atmosphere at street level and help other retailers. People who come to the Storefronts Seattle spaces are going to the coffee shops and restaurants. They are activating the neighborhood.
“Art enriches the neighborhood. We’re more inclined to work with groups like that when we rent our spaces. Storefronts Seattle has been doing a great job in promoting the neighborhood.”
From Artists and Creative Entrepreneurs
Cindy Martin, Seattle Pinball Museum
“After Storefronts has completed we are intending on keeping the Seattle Pinball Museum going. We are presently looking for space in the International District to continue on the dream. We have grown really fond of the community and have decided this is where we want our business to grow.
“We are trying to be good neighbors first and business second and through Storefronts we were allowed this opportunity.
“We are starting a food drive for the local food bank, offering Seattle Parks and Recreation along with the local Youth Center and schools discounted rates for the kids. We also invite cancer patients and families on a daily basis and give them free admission.”
Dan Reeder, visual artist (see full story here)
“The best part has been sitting at Cafe Umbria at 320 Occidental and seeing the reactions of people who walk past the storefront, without anyone knowing I’m watching. I’ve never been able to do that before. I see kids squealing as soon as they see the dragons. I’ve seen adults skipping, even running, after seeing the storefront from across the courtyard. Everyone takes photos, and not just of one piece. They methodically take a photo of each individual dragon on display. There are people smiling and pointing – no one just walks by. To me, this is artistic success.”
Chauney Peck, visual artist (see full Q&A here: http://wp.me/p121vT-7B)
“[When I was installing], a woman wandered in and asked if she could buy a blanket and when “my store” was going to open. She mentioned a couple of times how beautiful the pile of blankets were and that that was what had attracted her to stop in. I told her I’d give her a blanket and that it was actually an art project. Then she asked for a second blanket and I tried telling her again about the art project thing but she didn’t seem to care. Her response made me super happy because she was attracted to something visually and she engaged with it in her own way. She had no expectations or desire to hear about the art. She had an authentic experience that was sparked visually and occurred somewhere between real life and art.”
