Bright Spot Award
The Keep Carbondale Beautiful Board selects businesses or residences to receive the Bright Spot Award on a monthly basis.
This award is presented for revitalization of property, new construction, plantings and beautification, upkeep and maintenance, or rehabilitation. A Bright Spot sign is placed at the business or residence to designate it as a winner.
If you would like to nominate a business or residence to receive the Award, please reach out to the Keep Carbondale Beautiful office by email at [email protected].
This award is presented for revitalization of property, new construction, plantings and beautification, upkeep and maintenance, or rehabilitation. A Bright Spot sign is placed at the business or residence to designate it as a winner.
If you would like to nominate a business or residence to receive the Award, please reach out to the Keep Carbondale Beautiful office by email at [email protected].
Keep Carbondale Beautiful congratulates Slabz Skatepark at 609 S. Illinois Avenue, the recipients of the May/June 2023 Business Bright Spot Award.
Proprietors and spouses Austin and Elizabeth Sears opened the original Slabz Skate Shop at 606 S Illinois Avenue in August of 2020. In addition to selling skateboards, skateboarding products, and apparel, Austin built a mini skate ramp in the back of the shop, which brought excitement and “fueled the obvious need for the skatepark even more.” Two years later they opened the doors of Slabz Skatepark, making it the only indoor skatepark within 100 miles. “The goal was and still is to foster a community that provides a safe and fun space for youth and adults. We’ve gained a family in the last 3 years.” The couple is currently in the process of renovating and moving the skate shop to the former QQ Bubble Tea space at 701 S. Illinois Avenue, two doors down from the skatepark.
Both Austin and Elizabeth separately moved to Carbondale for school in 2013, and since then they have become part of the local community. They’re enthusiastic about doing their part to help revitalize The Strip. “Owning two businesses on the strip has definitely opened our eyes to how important it is to shop local. We all know the potential downtown Carbondale holds, so Elizabeth and I both have faith it'll come back to life.”
The mural on the side of the skatepark was commissioned by Artspace 304, designed by local artist Chris DeShazo, and painted by Chris DeShazo and Sue Gindlesparger. It was commissioned in part to announce the coming of the second Artspace facility that will be opening this fall in the old Mélange Café space one door north of Slabz at 607 S Illinois Avenue. The mural features depictions of local artists’ hands at work in various mediums, an idea DeShazo describes as “‘hand portraits’ actually in the process of creating art. I felt it resonated with all artists: hopefully giving them a sense of being connected, included and inspired!” Marsha Ryan of Artspace shared that “Among the hands are those of Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, a painter whose work is on the wall at Arnett's Barber Shop, and Steve Grimmer, the ceramicist at Alto Clay Works.” DeShazo and Gindlespargers’ own hands are also included in the mural. The original design spanned the whole length of the exterior wall, with “massive” images linked end-to-end. The design was re-tooled to fit a smaller section of the wall, and fitted together in a geometric quilt-like pattern, which DeShazo describes as “binding us all together!” While the Slabz owners were not the ones who commissioned the mural themselves, they “appreciate the great art that highlights our business.”
Proprietors and spouses Austin and Elizabeth Sears opened the original Slabz Skate Shop at 606 S Illinois Avenue in August of 2020. In addition to selling skateboards, skateboarding products, and apparel, Austin built a mini skate ramp in the back of the shop, which brought excitement and “fueled the obvious need for the skatepark even more.” Two years later they opened the doors of Slabz Skatepark, making it the only indoor skatepark within 100 miles. “The goal was and still is to foster a community that provides a safe and fun space for youth and adults. We’ve gained a family in the last 3 years.” The couple is currently in the process of renovating and moving the skate shop to the former QQ Bubble Tea space at 701 S. Illinois Avenue, two doors down from the skatepark.
Both Austin and Elizabeth separately moved to Carbondale for school in 2013, and since then they have become part of the local community. They’re enthusiastic about doing their part to help revitalize The Strip. “Owning two businesses on the strip has definitely opened our eyes to how important it is to shop local. We all know the potential downtown Carbondale holds, so Elizabeth and I both have faith it'll come back to life.”
The mural on the side of the skatepark was commissioned by Artspace 304, designed by local artist Chris DeShazo, and painted by Chris DeShazo and Sue Gindlesparger. It was commissioned in part to announce the coming of the second Artspace facility that will be opening this fall in the old Mélange Café space one door north of Slabz at 607 S Illinois Avenue. The mural features depictions of local artists’ hands at work in various mediums, an idea DeShazo describes as “‘hand portraits’ actually in the process of creating art. I felt it resonated with all artists: hopefully giving them a sense of being connected, included and inspired!” Marsha Ryan of Artspace shared that “Among the hands are those of Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, a painter whose work is on the wall at Arnett's Barber Shop, and Steve Grimmer, the ceramicist at Alto Clay Works.” DeShazo and Gindlespargers’ own hands are also included in the mural. The original design spanned the whole length of the exterior wall, with “massive” images linked end-to-end. The design was re-tooled to fit a smaller section of the wall, and fitted together in a geometric quilt-like pattern, which DeShazo describes as “binding us all together!” While the Slabz owners were not the ones who commissioned the mural themselves, they “appreciate the great art that highlights our business.”