When business and art share the same canvas

Art on Edge's new, compact format brought benefits to retailers in Palmerston North's "Cultural Quarter" last Saturday, as people jammed into George Street and Coleman Mall, the rain failing to dampen the city's artistic fire.

Previous events had spread performers and artists out, all the way up to Square Edge, but the smaller area with its streets closed to traffic saw the footpaths packed with pedestrians eager to defy the conditions and sample Palmerston North's artistic delights.

Karilyn Andrew, owner of George Street boutique Urban Charm, praised the diversity and especially the accessibility of the event, saying traffic in previous years had made things a bit dangerous.

"It's good to use public spaces like this," she said.

"It's much more relaxed, and gives people ownership."

Ms Andrew said it had given her business a boost.

"I had a lot of people come in who maybe wouldn't have, prior to this. It's a win-win all around!"

She said the area had a lot of potential and wanted to see even more events there, especially at night.

"It's always a buzz," agreed William Beauchamp, who works at Georgie Girl and runs the nut stand outside 50George.

"Market days on streets are always fantastic for 99 per cent of the people involved."

There were reports of some retailers being unhappy with the street closures, but with several shops moving their wares into the street, he said it was a matter of taking the right approach

"The science of street selling is lost on people who fail to comprehend the advantages of tapping into the passing public."

Organiser Chris Teo-Sherrell credits retailers who joined in with contributing a great deal of the day's fun - an example being the shop windows containing living mannequins from the group Circo Arcofit, who were consistently a strong focus of public interest.

"The vast majority are beginning to come on board, which is really pleasing to see," he said.

The greater diversity of artists on show was a big source of positive feedback from the public. "The orchestra in the library was a wonderful addition. It'd be great if we could 'open the windows'."

The future of Art on Edge looks to involve a greater partnership with retailers. Mr Teo-Sherrell describes it as "different sectors coming together and putting things on collaboratively", and is keen to see businesses take on a more significant role.