A local architecture firm recently “lost a window” but, as they say, took an opportunity – and it quickly went viral. 

On Monday, June 1, intern Brandon Finley was the first one to arrive at Five One’s Front Street offices and discovered a rock had been thrown through the window, presumably during the Downtown protest the night before. 

200 march against systematic racism on 12th night of protests

“Brandon sent me a text image of the huge rock that had shattered glass everywhere and landed near my desk,” Five principal Kelly Shannon Kirk said. “Next text I got from Brandon was the picture you have. I thought it was awesome! And a perfect response from a small architecture firm.” 

Lost a window to the riot, didn't lose an opportunity from r/pics

Finley said his first reaction was shock but then he mentally took a step back and thought about the passersby who would see the window. 

“This window would symbolize the feelings of this moment and I wanted to change the meaning of this destruction into something more positive,” he said. “Presenting [it] as an art piece was a lighthearted way to take the focus away from the negative aspects of social unrest and focus instead on the history being made all around us.” 

He also posted it to Reddit, where it got more than 500 comments. 

Redditors asked when the piece would be going to auction and there were even art reviews, such as this one: “This modern piece does a positively expert job conveying the artists emotional turmoil and strife. … Note the choice of media. The destruction of property no doubt allegory to the artist’s sense of futility.”

The call for police reform is coming from inside – and outside – the house

And, at least one account that reposted the picture on Instagram received more than 16,000 likes. 

As for the window at Five One, it’s since been replaced. Kirk said he was told that there is a Black Lives Matter fund that would help pay for the window but feels that “in these times, someone else could use the limited funds more than me.”