If you stand in the right place and line up the courthouse, you will see all of the other buildings that were there in 1920. Sign by Doug Mackenzie.
Two art projects that are kind of cousins caught my attention as tools for small towns.
First is from reader Doug Mackenzie. It’s metal sign that, if you stand in the right place and line up the courthouse in the center, it shows the other historic buildings from the town of Marshall, North Carolina. (See the photo above.)
Any small town could make a similar metal sign to show former local landmarks, or just how things have changed over the years. Good for residents and visitors alike.
Second is from Witt Siasoco, called the Mobile Tracing Unit. It invites people to trace the outline of an actual building in their neighborhood of Minneapolis. (See the photo below.) Learn more about it at Drawing on Minneapolis.
I tried it out at the recent AMIBA Conference. I found it clever and engaging. It’s a way to get people thinking and talking about the buildings in their neighborhood, a not-scary tool for getting local people involved in planning.
How have you used art to change how people view your town?
New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.
The Mobile Tracing Unit by Witt Siasoco invites people to draw outlines of local buildings and at the same time think about the buildings all around them.
- The secret to effective follow up: What NOT to say - April 15, 2019
- How church buildings can do more for the community - April 8, 2019
- Ideas to fill empty display windows - April 2, 2019
- Know your customers: What do they want to be good at? - March 25, 2019
- 99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission - March 4, 2019
- Want more public attendance at your events? Make sure your signs include this specific phrase - February 18, 2019
- Know your customer: Who’s asking them questions? - February 11, 2019
- How restaurants can market each other in small towns - February 4, 2019
- SEO for voice search is different for rural small business - January 28, 2019
- What businesses would work in a small town with empty land - January 21, 2019
