The City of Savannah unveiled new art installations created by local artists in the Waters Avenue shopping center.

Local artists created these exhibits through the City’s Arts on Waters program, celebrating the Waters Avenue corridor’s revitalization.

"There’s a lot of potential here, so when I heard that they wanted to put in installations, I was really excited," said Emily Stockwell, one of the featured artists. "I wanted to jump on board on that. I really thought the opportunity to add some color, pattern and excitement to the street was a good idea."

10-year-old Marcques Beasley was one of the dozens who attended the Arts on Waters block party, a community celebration of public art and its role in revitalizing this community.

"I love it because we don’t have to walk real far, and we’ll just walk across the street," he said.

Arts on Waters aims to build on Savannah’s artistic energy and attract residents of all backgrounds to celebrate the surrounding communities. Artists and artist teams based within the Savannah city limits created the exhibits that represent the community, and inspire, engage, and celebrate the surrounding neighborhood and its residents.

"It helps people see that there is potential here, that even an empty storefront can be utilized and hopefully will inspire people to come in and occupy these spaces with stores or galleries, restaurants," Stockwell said.

The installations are a complementary component to the new sidewalks, street trees and pedestrian lighting in this east-side corridor.