Inside a small retail space at the corner of State and Adams stands an unexpected array of sculptures.

Intricate cardboard mock-ups of a lion’s head, a hovering hawk with prickly brown and orange feathers and a sitting room with a fireplace, each made mostly from old Nike shoeboxes have, for the time being, replaced the merchandise, customers and employees hoped for in the Loop storefront.

If art is replacing commerce in some spots in the city’s central business district, it’s because the commerce side of things has been socked by the economic recession and slow-paced recovery, leading more storefront space wanting for activity.

According to the real estate consulting firm REIS, retail vacancy in Chicago stood at 11.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, a number that has steadily risen from a low point of 6.7 percent in 2006.

The sculptures at State and Adams make up one of 10 active galleries organized in empty retail spaces by the Chicago Loop Alliance, the downtown business advocacy group. The group wanted to take vacant storefronts and transform them with eye-catching works of art.

“The idea really came in response to the retail market and the high vacancy rate,” said Ty Tabing, executive director of the organization. An art-filled storefront enhances the pedestrian experience, he said, creating curb appeal.

Pop-Up Art Loop, as the initiative is called, partners artists with owners of vacant property. Property owners allow artists to set up shop in the tenantless spaces and in turn artists convert unoccupied spaces and storefronts into temporary galleries.

There is no cost to artists, and the Chicago Loop Alliance ensures the spaces are ready for artists once their proposals have been accepted.

Christophe Roberts, 30, whose artwork is displayed in the windows at the corner of State and Adams streets, said having his sculptures displayed through the Pop-Up Art Loop project had been fulfilling.

Referred to the project by fellow artist Pearl J. Dick, who has artwork displayed at 28 S. Wabash, Roberts completed a proposal, which included an application form, artwork samples, space requirements and his resume and biography.

After he received word that his proposal had been accepted, Roberts got right to work, filling the 12 storefront windows with his cardboard sculptures.

“You get a ton of exposure without having to deal with the rigmarole of regular galleries,” Roberts said.

Anne Vorshel, a Loop property owner, said the program has brought life to her 29 E. Madison Street property, which currently houses an installation by Chicago Photography Collective, helping potential tenants visualize what the space could look like.

While artists display their work in tenantless storefronts and spaces, property owners are still allowed to display rental information.

According to Tabing, once a space has been rented and the property owner notifies Chicago Loop Alliance, artists whose work occupies the space have 10 days to vacate the location, as to not impede the rental process. Artists are then given a new space in which to display their artwork.

“The program does so many wonderful things that it really is a win/win situation,” Vorshel said. “And there’s something really fun about it. It makes people pause and look at the creativity in their environment. It also shows that things are changing, which is part of the project’s concept.”