SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — In Downtown Syracuse, vacant storefronts are being filled with art, as art haus SYR, a local gallery, looks to use art to bring the city to life and fill the void those vacant stores leave behind.
The gallery, co-founded by Michael Schwarzer and his wife Marianna Ranieri-Schwarzer, started the art in indowns initiative back in 2023. Originally, the couple’s other art gallery, MIDOMA, located in New York City, started “Art on the Avenue,” which inspired them to bring the same concept to Syracuse.
Through the “Art in Windows” project, all of the art is strategically placed in the storefronts of vacant buildings in an attempt to conceal the dark and gloomy look left behind after stores vacate the buildings.
“You will find a void. You will find very dark spaces that downtown in general would look less inviting,” Schwarzer said. “It would feel less safe. It would also not be as appealing to anybody who walks through the streets of Syracuse.”
“Art in Windows,” which utilizes art from artists across New York State, also aims to help bring life to a once bustling city, Schwrazer said. For locals, like Harrison Starr, he sees growth in the city and agreed the gallery is doing its part to aid in that growth.
“I mean, I think it’s really important just because Syracuse as a whole is growing and, you know, having grown up here, it’s good to expose the people here to different types of topics and things like that,” Starr said. “Art is ever so important, and things like this help expose people from all ages to it.”
Steven Webb, another local resident, shared a similar sentiment.
“I think it’s a good idea. I think more towns would beenefit from doing that. It brings attention to it,” Webb said.
Although only four locations currently have art on display, Schwarzer’s belief about the benefits of the project leads one only to believe that the project will continue to expand.
“We felt every city that has a lot of empty storefront windows could benefit from activating these spaces with local art,” Schwarzer said.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: How a local art gallery is bringing Downtown Syracuse to life
JACOB ERLBAUM:
IN DOWNTOWN SYRACUSE, AT EACH OF THESE INTERSECTIONS, IF YOU TURN DOWN WASHINGTON, WALTON, OR SALINA STREET, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF WALKING RIGHT INTO AN OUTDOOR ART GALLERY.
MICHAEL SCHWARZER:
ART HOUSE SYR PARTNERED WITH MIDOMA, AND MIDOMA RUNS A PROGRAM CALLED STREET GALLERY NY. THAT PROGRAM FOCUSES ON OCCUPYING EMPTY STOREFRONT WINDOWS.
JACOB ERLBAUM:
INSPIRED BY A SIMILAR INITIATIVE IN NYC, SCHWARZER WANTED TO BRING VACANT STOREFRONTS IN DOWNTOWN SYRACUSE TO LIFE. SOMETHING HE BELIEVES WILL BENEFIT THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
MICHAEL SCHWARZER:
WE FELT THAT EVERY CITY THAT HAS EMPTY STOREFRONT WINDOWS COULD BENEFIT FROM ACTIVATING THESE SPACES WITH LOCAL ART.
STEVEN WEBB:
I THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA. I THINK MORE TOWNS WOULD BENEFIT FROM DOING THAT. IT BRINGS ATTENTION TO IT.
HARRISON STARR:
I MEAN, I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT JUST BECAUSE SYRACUSE AS A WHOLE IS GROWING AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING GROWN UP HERE, IT’S GOOD TO EXPOSE THE PEOPLE HERE TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOPICS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. ART IS EVER SO IMPORTANT, AND THINGS LIKE THIS HELP EXPOSE PEOPLE FROM ALL AGES TO IT.
JACOB ERLBAUM:
AND FOR SCHWARZER, HE BELIEVES THERE WOULD BE A VOID IN THE CITY IF THESE EMPTY STOREFRONTS WERE NOT FILLED.
MICHAEL SCHWARZER:
YOU WILL FIND A VOID. YOU WILL FIND VERY DARK SPACES THAT DOWNTOWN IN GENERAL WOULD LOOK LESS INVITING. IT WOULD FEEL LESS SAFE. IT WOULD ALSO NOT BE AS APPEALING TO ANYBODY WHO WALKS THROUGH THE STREETS OF SYRACUSE.