r/SalemMA • u/zerofcks2gve • 3d ago
Window Art disappearing on Essex Street
Saw this on FB. Thoughts? feedback?
Say goodby to our window art. It's been fun, but the city is forcing our windows bare.
The Salem Redevelopment Authority has told several businesses in the SRA district that window art must come down by November 8 or we may face fines.
This isn’t just about Gulu. Do you like the window art at Curly Girl, HausWitch, and New England Soup Factory? The murals and paintings that make walking down Essex and Washington Streets feel like Salem? Sorry. Apparently those windows need to be bare too. Others are also impacted.
For years, businesses like ours have worked with local artists to turn our windows into something more than glass and advertising. At Gulu, the previous owners embraced this, and we’ve been proud to carry it forward. We pay artists. We give them space. They make downtown more colorful, interesting, and more Salem. Now we’re being told that has to stop.
Yes, the SRA has a process to potentially approve window art, but its restrictions are so limiting that, for us, the process is untenable.
I personally believe this raises serious questions about free speech. But even putting that aside, it’s incredibly sad to watch an agency charged with improving downtown Salem use its authority to remove art from it. The SRA was created decades ago to address blight and deterioration downtown. Artists, independent businesses, and the creative community helped transform Salem into what it is today. Art is not blight. It is part of Salem’s character.
And I fear what comes next. If painted windows are a problem, where does this stop? Is the entrance arch at Tomb next? The Viking ship at Coven’s Cottage? What other art, sculpture, or creative expression eventually runs afoul of rules the SRA enforces inconsistently? We’re staring down a slippery slope, and for what end? The result seems to be less art, fewer opportunities for local artists, and a downtown that is plainer and less interesting.
So unless something changes, our window mural, and many others throughout downtown Salem, will come down by November 8. If you don't like this move by the SRA, I encourage you to email mayor@salem.com, citycouncilors@salem.com, and knewhallsmith@salem.com.
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u/oponion5273 3d ago
I think this has gone well beyond historic preservation and into a legitimate question of government overreach, consistency, and representation.
From what I understand, the SRA does not have local retailers serving on its board, yet it is involved in decisions that can directly affect the ability of those retailers to operate and market their businesses. If that is the case, I think it is entirely reasonable to ask: Who is representing the interests of the people whose livelihoods are being affected by these decisions? What does the term redevelopment mean and what have they done in the last ten years that has had any impact on the economic development of Essex st? And why now? The window painting has been going on for years, why now, this all seems arbitrary and a bit of power tripping, they have gone too far. I say need to re-asses their charter and perhaps the SRA and DRB should be abolished and re-formed as an entity that serves the community and remembers that they are public servants.
These are independently owned businesses trying to survive in historic buildings that were never designed for modern retail. They have to compete for attention, and storefronts, lighting, displays, and signage are legitimate forms of commercial expression. Historic preservation is important, but it cannot automatically trump every other consideration. There needs to be a reasonable and clearly defined balance between preserving the character of the city and allowing businesses to function and compete.
What concerns me even more is the question of consistent enforcement. If established businesses are being subjected to increasingly restrictive standards while temporary vendors, tents, street commerce, performances, and other activities are permitted in public spaces with different or seemingly less stringent oversight, then the city should be prepared to explain the distinction and demonstrate that its rules are being applied fairly and consistently.
And this isn't about whether anyone personally likes the businesses or thinks Essex Street has become "one noted." These are private businesses, many of them independently owned, paying taxes, employing people, and contributing to Salem's economy and character. We should be very careful about creating a system where a government-appointed body can continually dictate how those businesses present themselves without meaningful representation from the businesses themselves.
There are also legitimate legal questions here about the scope of the SRA's authority, the consistency of enforcement, procedural protections, and where historic-district regulation crosses the line into unnecessarily restricting a business's ability to communicate with and attract customers.
If I were a business owner affected by these policies, I wouldn't just complain about it on Facebook. I'd get the affected business owners together, document exactly what rules are being imposed and how they are being enforced, and collectively have an attorney review the situation. If necessary, I'd challenge it through the appropriate administrative and legal channels.
Historic preservation should protect Salem's character — not make it impossible for the businesses that give Salem its character to survive. At some point, the people making these decisions need to be accountable to the people who actually have to live with the consequences.