Artist Dory Thomassie’s 'Winter Wonderland' window display depicts the gang from the Peanuts cartoon singing Christmas carols, in the front window For the Little Ones, on Main Street at Bridge Street.  

In the windows of a few of downtown blocks this month, local and visiting shoppers have noticed more than just the products of Main Street merchants on display. 

For the fifth year running, a local nonprofit has sponsored and organized a holiday-season window display and downtown beautification program — but the program’s future is increasingly an open question. 

“Window Wonderland” was inspired by the intricate Christmas shop window displays along Fifth Avenue, in New York, said its founder, Phanat Xanamane. 

When Xanamane, a New Iberia native, was studying architecture and urban design at Columbia University in New York City, he said, strolling through the famous shopping district to view the well-crafted displays was one of his favorite things to do at this time of year. 

After six years in the Big Apple and a year-and-a-half teaching architecture and urban design in Thailand, Xanamane moved back home around Christmas time in 2010 and noticed that many downtown storefronts were empty. 

“I wanted to start a project that would help inspire the city to do something with the downtown,” he said. “I wanted to show local businesses and artists that they can make New Iberia an amazing destination.”

In its first year, “Window Wonderland” had about eight storefronts participating, Xanamane said. At their peak, they were up to 30. But numbers have fallen the past three years — down to about 12 this year, which might be its last, he said. 

The nonprofit Xanamane started, Envision da Berry — which is the lead organization behind the window display program — is stretched thinner now more than ever. And Xanamane is stepping away from his role as artistic director for the program, in a larger move away from the nonprofit he helped found as well. Carl Cooper Jr. has taken his place as president of Envision da Berry.

Xanamane said the intention never was to have it last forever. 

“Envision da Berry pushed (“Window Wonderland”) not as something permanent, but as something to inspire others to do more with it,” he said. “I wanted to be a steward of some things that somebody could be there to pick up the torch.”  

And the nonprofit had more attentional resources to spare then. 

“When it started, I wasn’t on five different boards, and Envision da Berry didn’t have multiple projects running during the holiday season,” Xanamane said. 

Over the years, “Window Wonderland” has moved from exclusively using highly skilled and trained artisans to increasingly taking on more volunteers. Several professional artists are still involved this year, plus about 12 volunteers who put garlands around several downtown windows and a group of young artists from local middle schools that helped paint a mural as well. 

Each year there is a theme — past year’s themes have included “Frozen” and “Blue Christmas” — and this year the theme has been “Christmas Carols.” Each participating display depicts a different classic Christmas Carol, with designs representing “Away in a Manger,” “Santa is Coming to Town,” and more. 

“I see it maybe going into the hands of the Downtown Business Association,” Xanamane said. “But even they’re stretched thin around the holiday season, with the parade and everything.” 

“It’s tough to find a group with an arts background to take it over,” he said. “It has to be done right, with talented artists, and they have to be compensated for it.”