GREENFIELD — Outside the former First National Bank building, two pieces of artwork have been on display this month by local artists Jorie Morgan and Kate Spencer as part of the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority’s effort to “enliven Bank Row as pedestrians and drivers pass by the building each day.”

The call for artists, which went out in September, invited anyone ages 18 and older to participate, with preference given to artists from Greenfield. The search looked for people with experience in community art, murals or paintings, but accepted submissions of all themes and styles.

These first two prints, displayed on the long-vacant building’s 40-inch-by-60-inch windows, were placed at the start of December, and new prints by different artists will be placed there each month. Each artist receives a $50 stipend for their contribution.

Greenfield Economic and Community Development Assistant Christian LaPlante said 25 artists from Greenfield and across the Pioneer Valley submitted their work, and 12 pieces have been selected to be displayed on the building’s two windows through May.

When January arrives, people driving by on Bank Row can expect to see work by artists JJ White and Sara Lyons for the first prints of 2025, with White’s piece “Train Master” and Lyons’ piece “Change” being displayed.

The December prints include Morgan’s piece called “The Lovers,” an original piece depicting two elephants. The second piece by Spencer, called “Raz in Woods,” captures the perspective of a hiker on the trails around Mount Toby in Sunderland. Both prints on display are copies of original work, with the original “The Lovers” made with inks and natural materials, and “Raz in Woods” from an oil painting.

The process of getting the artwork selected and placed was a collaborative effort between the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority and local artists. LaPlante said the former First National Bank was initially suggested by a local artist as a place to display art, and the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority was able to offer the opportunity.

As such, the effort entailed “working with where our artists are looking to place their art and making it happen,” he said. “I think it’s great to have art there now.”

“We were talking as a department one day and thought that was a great canvas for some new public art that could go up there,” Community and Economic Development Director Amy Cahillane said when the call for artists was announced in September.

The former First National Bank building was constructed in 1929. The property was home to the First National Bank & Trust Co. until 1972 and was acquired by the Greenfield Redevelopment Authority in 2017. The organization is now seeking developers to give the historical building a new purpose.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.