Winning Designs Announced in Downtown Window Wonderland Contest

Syracuse, NY – A total of 852 people cast their votes for their favorite window displays in the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc.’s first-ever holiday window-decorating contest, and the results are in!

1. The Changing Room, located at 425 S. Warren Street, won first-place and will receive $500;
2. Vintage Love, located at 201 E. Jefferson Street, won second-place and will receive $250; and finally,
3. Olive on Brooklea, located at 116 W. Jefferson Street won third-place and will receive $100!

A total of 22 businesses (please find a complete list of participants on the following page) turned their ground-floor windows into “window wonderland” displays to celebrate the season and compete for $850 in awards, made possible through the Central New York Community Foundation. From November 25 through January 1, the community was encouraged to vote for their favorite displays through the Downtown Committee’s website. The contest was started to encourage people to further engage with their Downtown surroundings during the holiday season.

“Downtown Syracuse is a favorite place for holiday shopping and a centerpiece of many traditions for Central New York families,” said Merike Treier, executive director of the Downtown Committee. “We always hope that when folks are Downtown they might notice something new they haven’t seen before and use that as a springboard to find more reasons to come back. The Window Wonderland contest embodies that concept by encouraging the community to explore and check out the diversity of merchants located throughout 82 blocks.”

The Window Wonderland Contest is part of the Downtown Committee’s new Art in the Windows program where temporary installations of artwork activate Downtown’s streetscape by generating new foot traffic, expanding the audience for the visual arts. In the next phase of the Art in the Windows program, the Downtown Committee will match artwork contributed by local artists with downtown property owners who are interested in enlivening vacant storefront space(s). The program showcases available storefronts as retail business opportunities by spotlighting the talents of local artists.

Later this week, a jury will meet to select the winning artists who will be paired with interested property owners for site installation. The temporary installations will be installed in late January and remain in place through mid-April, thanks to funding provided by the Central New York Community Foundation. Stay tuned; the Downtown Committee plans to announce the winning artists and properties by mid-January.
In June 2016, VIP Structures hosted the first-ever Art in the Windows installation in which ArtRage gallery showcased pieces by numerous local photographers in the Pike Block, located at 308, 310 and 320 South Salina Street. For more information about the Art in the Windows program, please visit the Downtown Committee’s website.

Window Wonderland Contest Participants:

The Little Tea Cart & Friends 208 E. Jefferson Street

AmeriCU Credit Union
200 Walton Street

The Changing Room
425 S. Warren Street

Indie Kids
264 W. Jefferson Street

Marriott Syracuse Downtown 100 E. Onondaga Street

Recess Coffee
110 Montgomery Street

Olive on Brooklea
116 W. Jefferson Street

Vintage Love
201 E. Jefferson Street

Liehs & Steigerwald
117 E. Fayette Street

Pure Salon
327 W. Fayette Street

Landmark Theatre
362 S. Salina Street

Syracuse Style S. Clinton Street*

Marisa’s Fortress of Beauty
S. Clinton Street*

Empire Brewing Co. S. Clinton Street*

The Pen and Trophy Center
111 E. Willow Street

The Sweet Praxis 203 E. Water Street

Samson and Co. 128 E. Genesee Street

Brookline Development
227 W. Fayette Street

Bersani Gallery 217 S. Salina Street

Accents of Armory Square
121 Walton Street

Midnight Sun 406 Franklin Street

Koolakian’s Menswear 132 E. Genesee Street

*Displayed in windows located in the rear of the Landmark Theatre Building.

About the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc.
The Downtown Committee of Syracuse, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit, professional downtown management organization representing all property owners and tenants within the central business district. The Downtown Committee undertakes programs to improve downtown's image, strengthen its economic base, increase its attractiveness, and assure that it's clean, safe and accessible. For more information, visit www.downtownsyracuse.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 3, 2017
CONTACT:
Alice Maggiore
315.470.1953
amaggiore@downtownsyracuse.com
115 West Fayette St., Syracuse, NY 13202 315.422.8284

www.downtownsyracuse.com