Did you notice that Lents Town Center looked a little more festive this winter?
In an effort to show how great Lents Town Center could look with a little added life the Lents Biz team set out to recruit local craft people, artists, designers and schools to fill the windows of our vacant storefronts with our own hyper-local version of Barney’s Holiday window displays. To make the project work, the Lents Biz team raised over $800 in seed funding via Kickstarter to buy basic materials to help spiff up the windows, light them and make them an all-around great canvas for the creative folks to do their thing.
Some great local artists and craftspeople lined up to help add to the festive feel, including Ashley Goldberg of www.kittygenius.com, the local multi-media gurus from Lents Creative - www.lentscreative.com, art by the kids at Lent Elementary, sparkling jewelry by Becca Stavenjord, artistic photography by Jessie McGrath and Maren Stoeber – two Renaissance Arts high school students, and Clarice Keating – sock monkey and monster maker extraordinaire. Many thanks to Portland Development Commission for their help with contacting property owners and the use of one of their properties for window display space. Aidha, we’d like to thank the Farah Family for the use of their storefronts and their enthusiasm, and Lents Commons for hosting the “Lights On” celebration.
In the end, the Light up Lents event was sponsored by over 32 community members and businesses. Over 300 linear feet of window space was filled with lights and art, turning Lents Town Center into a glowing, warm and welcoming environment for four weeks of winter. Light up Lents got people’s attention too. Many of the previously vacant storefronts now have tenants lined up – working on opening new businesses that will bring life to them permanently.