On Poplar and Bass, art pops up to brighten empty storefronts, construction fences
Stroll west on Poplar Street’s less-walked south side or drive up well-traveled Bass Road into North Macon Plaza and you’ll see work by Macon artists in unusual spots.
On Poplar, the work is in empty storefront windows and out Bass it’s on a construction fence.
The backstory of each is one of artful serendipity and highlights Macon embracing an expanding art culture and a bit about how art oddly works.
The art in windows on Poplar was in time for last week’s First Friday celebration and happened through folks at Startup Studios on Riverside, The 567 Center for Renewal on First Street, Macon businessman Miller Heath of MMI Capital and 13 artists whose work is being shown.
But how did all those ingredients get stirred together?
Bryan M. Beck of Startup studios said he was talking to a neighbor a while back, photographer Chris Smith, and conversation turned to come-and-go phantom art displays in business windows in Los Angeles where Smith used to live.
Beck talked about art pop-ups in downtown Jacksonville where he used to live.
They mused it would be nice if something similar happened here.
The idea rolled around, Beck talked to his wife and partner at Startup, Yen-Ting Chiu, they pushed a little to see what might happen but couldn’t find locations.
Then COVID-19.
The idea went far back on a low-heat burner while they focused on getting through the pandemic with their fairly new Macon business.
But as COVID-19 and restrictions eased, Beck talked to another neighbor, Heath, and asked if he knew of any likely properties. Beck said Heath said yes, he thought he did. How about his empty buildings in the 600 block of Poplar?
Amazed, Beck said he realized it could happen but he might need help. Enter another friend, Colin Penndorf, fine art director at 567. Penndorf loved the idea and said it was a little like what 567 did in an empty building next to their gallery.
“When Miller stepped in the pieces started coming together,” Beck said. “People got involved and it meant new art and artists would get the chance to show their work for the first time.”
Initial seed money was given by Macon art advocate Creighton Rosenthal and an On the Table Conversation to Action Grant funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Community Foundation of Central Georgia upped the ante to around $1,000.
Beck said the big thing was cleaning storefronts and getting easels and tables because there were no walls to hang art. That and figuring out how to light it in buildings with no electricity. Solar seemed the answer.
The criteria was to show artists over the next year who had never been shown in galleries before. Penndorf said finding them was easy and included help from local artist-art teacher Micah Goguen.
Penndorf said as people from Startup, 567, artists and others were sprucing things up and getting more than 50 pieces of art in windows, Steven Fulbright, director of tourism at Visit Macon, drove by and yelled, “Are you making our city more beautiful?”
Yes, they were.
“It’s nice people like Steven and others take a second look and it sends a message,” Penndorf said. “Parts of Poplar are buzzing with people and restaurants and things but part is empty. Now there’s something going on in the ‘empty’ part and perceptions change making it more alive and beautiful. Art and people and partnerships do that.”
Art ranges in size and price and is on sale through Startup and 567. Penndorf said a 30 percent commission goes to the studios and 70 percent to artists.
“They get the bulk and I have to say another wonderful part is it brings relatively unknown artists’ work to the public and gets them shown before they might have otherwise. I don’t see any negatives.”
As well as connected to 567, Penndorf is involved in another art exhibit in an unusual place, this time through his role as executive director at Triangle Arts Macon. Triangle is the growing arts and events facility and graffiti park on Lower Elm Street in Macon’s old industrial district.
That project came from a whole different direction, according to Ric Geyer, Triangle’s president.
“We were contacted by The Sembler Company who’s the development, leasing and management company at North Macon Plaza,” he said. “They have properties all over and said they’d never done anything like this – it would be a pilot project. They wanted us to get artists and provide artwork for a construction fence out on Bass Road. It’s out there now and pieces will be auctioned online by mid-June. It was a pleasant surprise to be contacted and shows how we and others want to move art more into the public square to have an impact.”
Penndorf said artists created pieces specifically for the project on a theme fitting the commerce location.
“There’s an impact as people pass by knowing these are local artists and this is their work and, hey, it really does improve the space,” Penndorf said.
That and the fact a corporation like Sembler recognized and initiated it.
Penndorf said artists got $400 for each work through Sembler plus a stipend for supplies. The corporation sanctioned the auction where they’ll make more while a percentage goes to Triangle for future projects and Macon Arts Alliance who is hosting the auction on their website.
Hopefully, it’s clear that while producing art is a lonely endeavor by artists, getting it out to benefit the public and do the good things art does can and should happen in all manner of ways – including local, random conversations between creatives, business people and others who stir ideas that just might work then do the work. And through random calls from giant corporations wanting to see what comes of making local art part of what they do.
Win, win.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
To contact those mentioned go to:
www.macon-arts-alliance.myshopify.com (Under Auctions)