Grandview residents enjoy music, food and vendors at the first of Grandview Summer Nights on Aug. 19, 2022.

Grace Lieberman's "Transformation: An Ode to a Small Town," is an art installation which is the first in Main Street Grandview's Project Window. 

Grandview residents enjoy music, food and vendors at the first of Grandview Summer Nights on Aug. 19, 2022.

GRANDVIEW — Friday night transformed the 100 block of Grandview’s Division Street. Tents blossomed in the place of cars, food trucks and grills circled rows of white folding tables and conversation lifted into the air. Music, barbecue and small businesses filled the block as the sun set.

It was the first Grandview Summer Nights, an event meant to bring the community together and serve as a platform for small businesses.

Main Street Grandview, which sponsored the event, also unveiled the first installation for Project: Window, a series of public art pieces which the organization hopes will spread through downtown.

“The whole purpose is to revitalize downtowns, not only beautification, but also economic vitality,” said Grace Lieberman, a member of Main Street Grandview who created ‘Transformation: An Ode to a Small Town.’ “If you keep your downtown looking beautiful, you’ll encourage more businesses to come here.”

Lieberman’s installation is made of organic materials, plaster and papier-mâché and can be found at 131 Division St. until Sept. 9. Cocoons hang from vines in a window display and are decorated with paper butterfly wings. Lieberman grew up in Grandview, left after graduating high school and returned in 2018 when she felt the pull to return home.

She feels her appreciation for Grandview has grown over time. Transformation symbolizes that space for change for her and, she hopes, downtown Grandview. The piece is also personal. Lieberman said it honors her father, who died in 2020.

Grace Lieberman's "Transformation: An Ode to a Small Town," is an art installation which is the first in Main Street Grandview's Project Window. 

Main Street Grandview has a three-phase plan for building restoration in town. The first is Project: Window, which is inspired by Window Dressing, a similar project in Spokane. Organizers are looking for local artists to create art pieces in empty downtown storefronts. Lieberman said the parameters are few.

“We’re hopeful for that kind of generation of artists and businesses that want to come together to do this,” Lieberman said. “I’m also hoping that local artists who don’t get this kind of recognition can have this kind of exposure and make some money.”

Lieberman added there would be stipends of roughly $250-$500 for participating artists.

The next two phases of the revitalization effort involve increased funding and action. Phase 2 would be cosmetic improvements — like new paint and signage — and Phase 3 would culminate in renovations for older buildings.

Alicia Fajardo, executive director of Main Street Grandview and local small business owner, is hopeful that support will lead to entrepreneurs owning their own stores.

“If you notice, we do have a lot of empty windows right now,” Fajardo said. “Our goal is to continue to have Project: Window and to continue to have pop-up events because our focus is to help small business owners have their own brick and mortar business.”

In the meantime, residents enjoyed the food, the festive atmosphere and the opportunity to get out of the house.

Local business owners were excited to showcase their wares. Marissa Garza and Alyssa Ibarra launched Grit by Grace, their new Christian-based apparel company, at Summer Nights. The two are from Grandview and enjoy the increase in local events.

“We thought it would be the perfect first event,” Garza said. “It’s nice to see a lot of familiar faces.”

Several of the vendors said they planned to come back for the next Summer Nights event on Oct. 7. One of the planned events in late July was canceled because of high temperatures during the heat wave.

Main Street Grandview also played host to a Summer Heat 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament earlier this month. Fajardo said the events are good for local businesses and help bring people downtown.

“We’ve been getting so much positive response from the community that we’re going full force,” Fajardo said. “We’ll keep on going.”

Jasper Kenzo Sundeen’s reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.

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