“Our Changing Town,” an interactive art exhibit by Gail McCormick of Arlington, was on display at the second-floor of Town Hall from Tuesday, March 20, through April 27.
A reception was held March 22.
The street scenes along Mass. Ave. that McCormick began painting seven years ago have changed dramatically. A number of independent stores have closed, have been replaced or the owners have moved. Many storefronts remain empty, McCormick said in a news release.
Although excellent new restaurants have opened along with numerous health facilities, stores relying solely on selling products have suffered, she said.
Commercial districts do frequently undergo changes and restaurants have historically been prone to failure, she said, but the trend toward more service businesses has residents increasingly concerned there may continue to be a loss of unique shops in town.
‘Amazon Effect’
The problem is not exclusive to Arlington. Even upscale Manhattan is experiencing shuttered storefronts. The so-called “Amazon Effect” is part of the problem: People browse in local stores to find items they like and then go home to place orders online. But the issue is not that simple, she said.
The purpose of this art show is to increase awareness and understanding of what is happening in Arlington and gain public input that will be passed on to town officials, she pointed out.
A gift-certificate drawing will encourage people to visit Arlington shops. The street scenes can already be viewed as cards sold in the Book Rack and Artbeat Creativity Store whose owner, Jan Whitted, helped plan the exhibit.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass. Cultural Council, a state agency.
This news announcement was published Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
