Windows of Opportunity in York

Empty shops in York are being transformed with works of art

An unfortunate side effect of the recession is the number of empty shops in our town and city centres.

A joint project between York Museums Trust, Visit York and the City of York Council is improving the look of empty shops by transforming them with art.

Initially three designs have been unveiled in the Windows of Opportunity project.

The creators of the designs were chosen following a competition on the website flikr.com earlier this year.

Janet Barnes, chief executive of York Museums Trust explains what Windows of Opportunity is all about:

"I am sure that everyone is aware that because of the economic situation there's quite a lot of empty shops right across the country. In York we have quite a number of empty shops, but we're slightly better placed because a lot of them do move on and then they get new people in and they're used.

"There are a few that just sort of stick and we thought Windows of Opportunity would be a way of giving artists and designers an opportunity to show their own work and provide something that would benefit the city both economically and culturally."

This shop has closed, but it will re-open and be a new beginning for someone

In summer 2008, replicas of some of the most famous paintings in the world from the collections at the National Gallery and York Art gallery around York's city centre in The Grand Tour. The paintings certainly grabbed the attention of passers-by.

As Janet Barnes explains The Grand Tour was a big project that had an immediate impact, but this is slightly different.

"This might be a slow burner because we have to liaise with the estate agents, they have to talk to the owners, we have to do a lot more in terms of getting the necessary permission. We have to get the designs and then print them so I think people will see the designs gradually filling up these empty shop fronts."

The project has started with three very different designs by Matt Mellor and Ashley Colbeck, both from North Yorkshire and Rob Pratt from Portsmouth.

Matt Mellor is based in Easingwold and his design is called Every Cloud has a Silver Lining and can be seen on Goodramgate:

"It took me quite a while to come up with the concept that would cheer people up a bit and rather than looking into an empty shop window give them a message of hope. I eventually decided that every cloud has a silver lining.

"We're in the credit crunch but there's light at the end of the tunnel so that's where it came from. Hopefully it will make people smile and realise that this shop's closed down, but it'll soon open up again and it will be a new beginning for someone else."

Three shops have been transformed so far, and more will follow

Ashley Colbeck is from Ripon and his design is in King's Square and has something of a 1950s retro feel. He wanted to create a piece which evoked the old shop fronts of yesteryear and how large chain stores are taking business away from the smaller more traditional shops:

"Each of the products in the window are branded with positive product names, such as love, travel, go green and relax, that seek to inspire passengers by into seizing any potential opportunities that could have a positive effect on their lives."

Rob Pratt's design, Manmade, is in Low Petergate and brings together the latest in new media technology with images of industrial devastation in a very traditional shop front.

Two more shop windows have been made available and artists and designers are invited to submit their ideas via the Windows of Opportunity website.