MORGANTOWN — Though a bit drizzly on Tuesday afternoon, community members and organizations still crowded into Monongalia County Courthouse Square for the first-ever Pop-Up Plaza.
Amy Loomis, one of the organizers of the event alongside Julie Bryan of Spark! Imagination and Science Center, said that when the Courthouse Square was renovated there was an opportunity to make the most of the new space.
“We’ve been going around talking to residents about this project. A lot of people are really enthusiastic about the project and they share their memories of the square,” Loomis said.
On the Pop-Up Plaza website, old photos of the square depict arts and craft sales. Loomis mentioned concerts also used to take place there.
“We wanted to add creative activity to the square and doing it in the middle of the work week I think is important,” she said.
Loomis, who studied public administration with an emphasis on community development, said the Pop-Up Plaza celebrates the use of public space. The square lacks seating, so Loomis worked with various art groups to decorate benches for people to sit on.
The project is funded by an Arts Monongahela Impact Grant and that was made possible through the city, county and Arts Mon. Part of the project also is to bring together citizens and local government as well. Tom Bloom, County Commission President came down to enjoy his lunch with everyone.
“We’ve been hearing from the public that they would like something like this to recur. We would love to do this on a recurring basis if funding and support exists,” she said.
Loomis said the event accomplished exactly what they’d hoped: Bringing people to the square, engaging them with arts and community and stimulating the local economy.
“We partnered with local restaurants, downtown restaurants, to offer lunch specials specifically in conjunction with the square,” Loomis said.
Beth Keener-Flanery, executive director of Arts Mon, said everyone has an inherent nature to be creative, and the Pop-Up gave people a chance to stimulate their creative juices. She was doing collage therapy, which she said therapists sometimes use.
“As an artist, I often do my best problem solving while I’m creating something else. I think that can be the case for just about anyone,” she said.
Another thing she liked about the Pop-Up: It gets people out of their offices to interact with others and meet new people.
“We’re so immersed in our technology that we forget that this is important too,” she said.
Partners in the Pop-Up Plaza included Spark!, Lowes, WV Women Work, Main Street Morgantown, Morgantown Art Party and Morgantown Public Library.
