Hide Article Text (OCR)
The Telegraph/MARGIE M BARNESAbove, Jade Bayer, 10. of Godfrey gets some help from art teacher Christine llewski, of Alton, as they put up African masks the class made in the front windows to display. Right, Chloe Huelsmann, 9, of Alton, works on her African masks during a class at the Jacoby Arts Building Classes from the Madison County Arts Council continue there this montha DiaceforNew arts center offering classes, a location for community to express itselfBy VICKI BENNINGTONFor The TelegraphALTON — After a distinguished, 99-year tenure as the home of Jacoby’s Furniture Store, the historic building at 627 E. Broadway is beginning a new life as a community arts center.The building, now known as the Jacoby Arts Center, was donated by the Jacoby family to the Madison County Arts Council as a means of bringing an appreciation of the arts to the entire community.Kathryn Nahorski, executive director for the Madison County Arts Council, said the council feels its role is to serve as the steward of this center — it actually belongs to the citizens in the area. She said the vision is to develop the building into a wonderful facility so the community can explore the arts locally.The building lends itself very well to the adapta-* tion to a space for art. With an intricate, tin ceiling in what will be the art gallery, there are also original hardwood floors and retro-lighted columns, reminiscent of the ’50s and ’60s.The gallery’s first exhibit will be on Sept. 18 with historic photographs honoring the Jacoby family from Don Jacoby’s private collection, along with pieces of furniture that were purchased in the store and are on loan from local residents.The first floor gallery will also be one of the ArtEast venues during the third and fourth weeks of October.“We are working on developing exhibits for the rest of the year,” Nahorski said. “A couple of times a year we would like to have shows for our artists.”She said the hope is to also bring in shows fromoutside the area, so that not only will the gallery be promoting local artists, but also bringing in new ideas.Nahorski said the original portion of the building is more than 100 years old, and the other half of the building was added in the 1920s. The council intends to retain as much of the historical and architectural appointments in the building as is feasibly possible.“We re not throwing anything out,” Nahorski said. “There are so many beautiful things, like the doors and the huge windows and the wooden cashier’s booth, that we want to keep as they are.”The building was vacant for a number of years and the first steps have involved installing sprinkler systems, environmental abatement, updating, of electricity and general remodeling.See PLACE, Page B4
Newspaper Details
Alton Telegraph
Alton, Illinois, US
Fri, Jul 02, 2004
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 20 Dec 2023
Other Publications Near Alton, Illinois
Alton Evening Telegraph
Alton Observer
Labor World
Alton Weekly Telegraph
Alton Telegraph and Democratic review
