I’m writing this to inspire all of you who have not yet submitted a proposal to Art|Everywhere.

You cannot grow as an artist without seeing more and more good art. When you are surrounded by good art, you produce better work.

And you can’t have an art scene without good art around. Not gonna happen. That’s what makes an art scene, in fact.

No matter what we have ever said to the contrary, Hampton Roads has a lot going for it–particularly when it comes to its beauty. Unfortunately that’s also why we have so many boring landscapes and seascapes hanging in our local art festivals most likely.

This is a sleepy region, I get that. We’re never going to have a New York art scene or even a D.C. art scene, so there’s no sense in comparing. But you know what, what makes Athens, Georgia Athens, Georgia? What makes Charlottesville Charlottesville? What’s so different about Asheville or Savannah? All of those cities have a scene that artists gravitate toward.

And they do not deserve great art in their cities any more than Norfolk does.

Fight by Jessica Watson, featured in Art in Storefronts San Francisco

Norfolk: You deserve good art.

I grew up in this area wishing we had something like Art|Everywhere–a reason to celebrate art in the open. In other cities, I’ve attended huge gallery nights, taken public art walks, attended live action painting in the streets–all of which drew diverse crowds including young, old, families, couples–and wondered why they couldn’t also happen in Norfolk.

When I picked apart why, I realized there isn’t any reason. It just hasn’t.

For artists out there, this is a chance that doesn’t come along very often. Take it. We’ve made it easy. This is your part of the project, and it’s a big part: Dream with us about what Norfolk ought to look like.

Here’s all you have to do: Download this. Return the last page (a basic entry form) with a typed proposal telling us what you would like to do with an empty storefront window in downtown Norfolk. You could tell us you want to fill it with feathers. You could tell us you want to cover it in Silly Putty. You could tell us you want to hang one single photograph in the dead center. To help us see your vision, you may also include pictures or sketches. And if we like, you get to do it. Simple as that.

And to ensure you all have an opportunity to be a part of Art|Everywhere, we are extending the deadline for proposals to noon on Saturday, April 10.