This post is written by guest blogger, Steven Amrhein, Intern at Old Town Cape.

With all of the art popping up in downtown Cape Girardeau lately, it's nice to see some art coming out of Cape Girardeau. No, I don't mean that in negative way like pieces are being removed, but rather in a good way as a local artist was recently recognized and a piece of his was chosen for a festival. The Charleston Dogwood Azalea Festival has been held every year for the past 40 years and in 2015, the festival organizers will use a piece of artwork by Johnny Thurman to identify the event.

What began as an idea at work for Johnny is now going to appear on t-shirts for the festival - how cool! He created a drawing of the state of Missouri with the state flower inside of it using trace paper, prism color ink pens and colored pencils. Because this piece turned out so well, he soon had clients from Illinois, Kentucky and even Arizona asking him to do similar work with their respected states and flowers. One of Johnny's friends took the liberty to post a picture of the original drawing on social media and it got almost immediate attention by one of Johnny's grade school teachers. Now working for the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, the teacher thought the drawing was perfect for the festival and plans are being made to use it!

Johnny has been interested in art since he was a kid. In fact, his 4th grade teacher even called his mom when he was in grade school to tell her that he had an eye for detail and that he could go far with it. This skill probably comes from his background as he grew up with an artistic family where his mom was constantly drawing and his aunts had paintings hung everywhere. He became inspired by his surroundings and grew to love drawing. Recently, he took drawing a step further and began working as a tattoo artist at A Different Drummer where he is able to tailor his love into a more permanent form. His favorite part of the job is having the ability to make suggestions for changes to a tattoo idea and bounce other ideas off of people in order to create the perfect piece.

Johnny has grown from drawing fliers for local bands to using skin as a canvas while still honoring his signature style of pen and ink watercolors. He believes that doors have been opened for him submitting new works due to the festival choosing to use his piece. Of course, this will be in a primitive form if his clients want something original, but they will also have the choice of a hand drawn piece rather than one created using computer software. "You're your own worst critic" is the phrase that Johnny left me with. When you spend twenty-three hours on a pencil project and are only an eighth of the way done, I'd say he's right. He continues to tweak the piece for the festival and explained that it's only done when the artist says that it's done.

This post is written by guest blogger, Kevin Taylor, Development & Resources Coordinator at Old Town Cape.

The recent work on Broadway due to the streetscape project has some wondering why projects like this one are so important to downtown Cape and historic communities in general. Since May is Historic Preservation month, there is no better time than the present to help you understand the science behind the project and how it has made downtown safer and more pedestrian friendly. And, as a result, exciting businesses have been enhanced because the area is now a destination that attracts more visitors.

Some view the change in parking along Broadway and the new crosswalks as a deterring factor, but both of these additions actually encourage drivers to slow down because the street is narrower and there is an increase in pedestrian traffic. As a bonus, the drivers have time to glance at the variety of businesses downtown as they are passing by and will perhaps make a pit stop.

Another feature that makes pedestrians feel safe is the bump-outs on each curb along Broadway. When driving down Broadway and turning onto Main Street, you will notice that the curb protrudes far away from the sidewalk. In the past if you were waiting outside of Renaissance for your significant other to finish her shopping, for example, you may have felt unsafe because the traffic was so close to you. That is no longer an issue because you are now tucked away from the traffic.

All of these features have also allowed Old Town Cape to finally do something that has been in the works for quite some time - bring more art to downtown Cape. In April, the Cape Girardeau Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit was launched with seven pieces placed along Broadway. These sculptures, whether you do or don't love them, have brought many people downtown to take a peek. In fact, The Corner Grocery Store shared with me that they have had an increase in customers due to keeping track of those who stop in while checking out the art. If that doesn't tell you something about the success of the changes along Broadway and downtown in general, I don't know what will!

Creating a safer and more inviting atmosphere is definitely the key to helping businesses be successful and bringing more traffic downtown. Old Town Cape is already a place that people are excited to visit, so everything that we can do to make them feel more welcome will only help the area succeed. I'm confident that the same positive impact will be seen on Main Street in the near future after the upcoming improvements are completed. Then, we'll have a thriving district no matter which street you are on! 

This post was contributed to by Claire Bruce, owner of Sloan + Themis.

The bond between a mother and her child is indescribable. But, what about the bond between mothers and daughters in business...together? In celebration of Mother's Day, here's what it's like to share that indescribable bond in both life and business while working as a mom-daughter team in downtown Cape.

Pastimes Antiques - Deb Maevers and Kyleigh Baliva

"This whole store wouldn't have been in my wildest dream. But, us working together? It's been fun. I would enjoy working with her whether she was daughter or not," says Deb , owner of Pastimes Antiques when asked about working with her daughter, Kyleigh.

Deb and Kyleigh have worked together on several ambitious projects. Not only does the mother-daughter team manage one of downtown's largest antique stores, they've embarked on the Vintage Now Fashion Show. Vintage Now, started in 2009, is an annual fundraiser that brings together their love of vintage fashion and helping women via the local safe house.

Both ladies bring their own energy and specialties to the business, which add to their favorite parts of working with one another. "We can be silly together and make fun things," says Kyleigh.

Kyleigh said they can be put into any situation and are able to know what the other is thinking. In the business of vintage and antique wares, one never knows exactly what may come through the door. The pair prepares well together to handle anything and everything as a team, right down to reading each other's minds according to Deb. "I do some things before I know she wants me to do it," said Kyleigh.

Deb and Kyleigh's relationship has grown even closer having worked together since 2003. Deb's extensive work with interior design has been passed down to Kyleigh over the last several years. "I used to do all the windows, and now mostly she does them all. She's become a great window display artist," said Deb.

Time spent together working at Pastimes is invaluable to both ladies. Catching up with one another is easier at the store, providing an opportunity that otherwise may not be as easy to come by. "She's my best friend; I don't know what I would do without her," said Deb.

Stash - Jill and Emily Hoehne

In fall 2012, downtowners got some new neighbors when mother-daughter team Jill and Emily Hoehne opened Stash on Main Street. With a mix of brightly colored frocks and hip accessories, the boutique was an instant hit.

"It was always my dream to open a shop, and the stars aligned to make it happen," said Emily. Emily has managed retail shops in the St. Louis area for several years before returning to the Cape Girardeau area to earn her degree. Around the time Emily graduated, Jill had the opportunity to retire, then both mother and daughter were able to start a new adventure together.

The Hoehnes found that taking turns was key in making it all work. They worked together designing and building the shop. From scouting out vintage accents, constructing displays, refinishing tables, and hanging and steaming clothes, mother and daughter shared tasks and business decisions. Today, they still distribute the workload 50/50 in the store. Emily is the planner and the buyer who travels several times a year to market in Los Angeles and Dallas. Outgoing Jill has found her strength in styling and helping find the perfect look. "I love meeting all the new people and learning their stores, what their likes and dislikes are," said Jill.

Not only have the Hoehnes made a big impact on Cape's fashion scene, downtown has made an impact on their family. If you have every shopped at Stash, you know it is truly a family business. In one of the dressing rooms hangs a photo of Jill's mother, who provides shoppers with inspiration for grace and elegance. Emily also often brings her son to work. "I like that my son, Adrik, can see people working hard and succeeding. It teaches him the value of a dollar," said Emily. Recently Adrik even raised money for his school by making bracelets and selling them at Stash. Business savvy definitely runs in the Hoehne family.

This post is written by guest blogger, Steven Amrhein, Intern at Old Town Cape.

Over Easter weekend, I had the opportunity to take a trip to visit my grandfather. While going through some of his older things with him, I found something of mine - my Nintendo 64. I hadn't played this things in over ten years! This was the gaming system of my generation, which after my childhood I gave to my grandfather for all of my younger cousins to play with when they visited...but I remembered having a lot more games to play on it. Isn't it funny how things seem to magically disappear over time?

Like some of my favorite video game heroes, I was on a quest. I packed up the Nintendo and headed back to Cape Girardeau. Big retailers didn't carry what I wanted; only offering new games. I was about to give up hope, but as I was driving to work the other day I noticed a new business on Broadway - Gaming Grounds. I'd been to their Jackson location once, but had no idea that they opened a second location. Owner Shannon, a fellow video game lover, wanted to tap into the college life and chose downtown for the new location because of the lively atmosphere, good shops and lots of things to do. Once I learned that they cater all gamers from Atari to Xbox One, I knew I was in the right place.

Gaming Grounds offers a variety of services for someone looking to buy new games, trade in old ones, or just talk about future or past releases. One of the things that I enjoyed most about the store was being able to hook up my 64 to one of their flat screen TV's and test play some of the games. Since they have TV's for every system, you can play before you purchase or pay to play with full online access - how cool! They also host tournaments including Super Smash Bros, Halo, etc. but Shannon hopes to expand their services and start including more PC services and host tournaments bi-weekly in the near future.

Gaming Grounds prides themselves in having a great stock selection. I was amazed at how many Nintendo 64 games they had, all from trading in. And the best part? There was no pressure. I was able to casually browse and swap stories in a fun atmosphere. I also decided that I just couldn't live without purchasing a classic - Super Mario Bros - for my 64. I promised them that I would return in the future and purchase even more "new, old" games. If you're a video game junkie like myself, I encourage you to add them on Facebook to keep up with the new products, tournaments, etc.

This post is written by guest blogger, Lindsey Lotz, a Historic Preservation student at Southeast Missouri State University.

Did you know that May is National Historic Preservation month? As a student at Southeast Missouri State University studying Historic Preservation, I have long felt that there is a need for a piece that could be displayed in buildings downtown that would provide people who stroll by with information about the history and preservation of the building. So, I decided to take upon a project that would fill this need by creating posters for 120 Broadway, 121 Broadway, 19 North Spanish and 7-19 South Spanish. I chose these four buildings because they each have a varied history and have all served many different functions in the past.

For example, the building located at 120 Broadway is now home to Sweet Designs Boutique, but it originally sat on land owned by Louis Lorimer, who gave it to his daughter in his will. At the start, it was a single family hose, and for sometime it was home to Fred Kage, three time mayor of Cape Girardeau, who purchased it in 1886 for a mere $1,332. In approximately 1930, the house was renovated into a two family apartment and remained in that setup until 1972 when it became an office for SaveWay Oil Company. Local ledged suggests that the house was at one time sold for 300 gallons of whiskey.

Directly across from the former Kage House (120 Broadway) is what used to be Keys Music Store at 121 Broadway. Until recently, information about the architect was unknown, but new information points to J.B. Legg as the architect of the three story red brick building. Legg is famous for his work featured in the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, MO but also for the creation of Academic Hall and the copper dome that has become the symbol of Southeast Missouri State University. Today, the building is owned by Mike Rust and will soon be occupied by a microbrewery and a furniture store.

Built in 1941 by C.A. Juden, the building at 19 North Spanish was at one time an A&P Grocery Store. In fact, it was so large that it actually closed the other two A&P locations in Cape Girardeau at that time. The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company drastically changed the way people shopped back in the day by introducing a new supermarket model. Before the shoppers would go into a grocery store, they would hand their list to a clerk and the clerk would retrieve the items and sometimes would even help the customer carry the groceries home. A&P's vision behind this model was for the store to be fully self-service. Today, Brick Street Gallery Antiques is housed in this building.

7-19 South Spanish is located next to the parking lot that houses the Cape Riverfront Market on Saturday mornings between May and October. The Klostermann Block was built in 1905 by Louis F. Klostermann, a German immigrant who settled in Cape Girardeau after serving in the Civil War, who became a prominent business man with his store known as the "Bee" store. The Klostermann Block was built next to the "Bee" store and was used as a rental space. One of the most stunning features of the building is its pressed metal façade that was created by the Mesker Brother's company in St. Louis. Kelsen Gallery and Celebrations Downtown occupies the space today.

The research that I have done in order to create the posters has taught me so much about the history of downtown Cape. I couldn't have done it without the help of Old Town Cape, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Dr. Steven Hoffman. Keep an eye out for the posters that will go on display in May!