StoreFront programme connects art and business

From Andy Warhol for Bonwit Teller on 5th Avenue in New York to Judy Darragh for Mi Piaci on High Street in Auckland’s city centre, artists have a long history of creating striking window displays. Initiated as part of Art in the City and created to attract passers-by into the store while also introducing an artist to a new audience, this idea of taking art out of galleries and into storefronts also plays a role in building a vibrant urban environment. 

The StoreFront programme in the city centre’s High Street district plays on this well-documented relationship between artists and business owners. Created in partnership between ourselves and Auckland Council, with funding from the city centre targeted rate, it’s the latest example of our work to support businesses and make the city centre an attractive place.

Much like Karangahape Road’s Street Front initiative, StoreFront connects local businesses with local creatives who create temporary eye-catching artwork for their store windows. 

Curator of the StoreFront programme Layla Tweedie-Cullen says that it “allows for unusual and unexpected interpretations of a retail store by an artist [as well as] promotes community and connection." 

We had a chat with some of the businesses and artists about their involvement in the StoreFront programme:

Judy Darragh for Mi Piaci

A practicing artist since the 1980s, Judy Darragh (ONZM) has become well known for her irreverent, kitschy installations made from everyday items. She was paired with Mi Piaci, who this year is celebrating 20 years of designing footwear – mostly in-house- in Auckland.

Visual Merchandising Manager at Overland Footwear Group Vili Tonu says that the StoreFront programme “sounded like an amazing opportunity to support local artists to see what magic they can create in our store. Ultimately, the window displays are the arms of the store and are what will entice customers to enter, so why not?”

The installation called Silver Sea is a great example of Judy’s artwork. It shows a sea of tin foil chains and mannequins’ hands – spraypainted silver – holding up a stunning range of shoes. “I’m always keen on reusing materials, so the foil chains are from another show. The tinfoil has been transformed into something magical, suggesting a new value” says Judy. “I was inspired by the shiny shoes and I’ve used gold and silver metallics in my work a lot. [They’re] aspirational metals alluding to luxury and the hand has often been used in retail to symbolise desire and ownership.”

A self-described fan of Judy’s work, Vili describes the completed work as “serendipitous as it works really well with our current campaign that’s celebrating our 20th anniversary. The silver embellishments work with our overall ‘Party Edit’ in-store.”

“The whole team and our staff love the setup” he continues. “We even featured the setup on our TikTok page...[The StoreFront programme] is a great way to generate foot traffic."

“I love this Storefront project…and the customers like the surprise,” says Judy.

Aya Yamashita Francis for Shut The Front Door

As the owner of Moshi Moshi Classroom Aya creates bilingual educational materials for teachers and parents that feature her whimsical artwork. “I’m always interested in creating something that’s fun, childlike, colourful and interactive,” she says. Her approach paired perfectly with Shut The Front Door, a  gift and homewares store. 

“Anything that helps draw people into the city centre is good for us,” says Shut the Front Door's Glenda Donovan on her decision to take part in the StoreFront programme.

 “I love the artwork, it’s quirky and eye-catching – we thought it captured the aesthetic of the store well." 

“I felt very privileged to work with such a popular store! I really like the energy that the Shut the Front Door brand has” says Aya.  “When I was offered to work on their window, I knew that my style of art would work well.” True to form, Aya wanted the artwork to be “somehow interactive and not just the art on the window. There are lots of holes that you can peep through the shop. You could copy the pose and take photos. I’ve called the artwork Stretch with Me to invite the public to come out of their house, join me, stretch with me, and feel the fresh air outside. Just like animals coming out from their hibernation.”

Glenda has noticed that the artwork has created a splash “we have quite a few people taking selfies and pointing and stopping…[the artworks] look great and they certainly add a positive vibe to the city.”

Note: These artworks aren't permanent, so make sure to catch them before they're gone!