Arts organization will have a roof of its own

The 25-year-old Carbondale Community Arts organization promotes the arts in southern Illinois and has never had office space or a permanent home for gallery use.

But Gary Kolb, the group’s vice president, said that is about to change.

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“Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, we were given a gift that allowed us to begin looking for a permanent home,” he said.

The group has been sharing space with the Carbondale Park District in Hickory Lodge on West Sycamore Street since 1987, Kolb said. Nancy Stemper, the group’s executive director, said they needed to find a place to operate independently to expand their program.

The gift allowed them to purchase the building situated at 304 W. Walnut St.

“We sought a space that would be convenient to the public and that would complement other development in downtown,” she said. “We became aware of 304 and that seemed to be the perfect location to engage the public and continue to pursue our mission to cultivate and celebrate creativity in the community.”

The building was ideal for the type of art projects they wanted to sponsor, Kolb said, and can house ongoing exhibitions, potential arts contests for area students and Big Muddy Film Festival screenings.

Kolb said the 5,000 square foot, one-story building was constructed in 1957 and housed the Carbondale Public Library until 1984, when it was sold to the First Church of Christ Scientist to house their church and reading room.

Gail White, of White & Borgognoni Architects in Carbondale was a charter board member of the arts organization before resigning to become lead architect on the project, which has a working title of “304.” He said “304” will undergo a major renovation before becoming the home for the organization.

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White said parts of the renovation include making it more energy efficient by upgrading the electrical system, installing a new roof, a new ventilation system and new double-pane windows. It will also undergo removal for asbestos and a new floor plan to utilize more space.

“The concept for the main gallery is that it will be a flexible space that will allow them to set up a wide range of art exhibits both two-dimensional and three-dimensional, perhaps incorporating video components as well,” White said. “A second gallery that is a more enclosed and contained area will be for multimedia performance exhibits.”

Stemper said “304” will also contain office space, workspace for artists and a retail center.

Kolb and Stemper said they hoped the gallery would help with redevelopment in Carbondale’s downtown area.

“Communities with vibrant arts presences often find them to be of importance to economic development in terms of the ability to attract business,” Kolb said. “Oftentimes arts are the fire that starts redevelopment in communities. I think a good example of that would be Paducah (Ky.), where that downtown artists’ area has been a cornerstone of growth and development for the entire city.”

Carbondale Mayor Joel Fritzler said “304” is an important cultural component to the city.

“It makes your town a better place to be and a better place to live,” he said. “Obviously if you don’t have activities people are going to go elsewhere, and I think that’s one of the benefits to Carbondale. The cultural activities that Carbondale has bring people to Carbondale and that also serves as economic growth. It just adds to the quality of life.”

The project is estimated to cost about $1.25 million, including the $400,000 endowment to cover costs of maintaining of the building. They are still seeking another $250,000 to have the project fully funded before construction begins before February. Stemper said she thought “304” would be open by late spring or early summer.

“We have constituencies scattered from the Wabash all the way to the Mississippi and from I-70 all the way down to Cairo,” Kolb said. “So it’s a significant area we serve and there’s a definite need for more exhibition space.”

Kolb said art was pivotal to southern Illinois to both individuals and the community.

“Art is really the soul of what we do as human beings,” he said. “I think it’s important for it to be infused throughout our culture. And there’s a lot of vibrant art going on in southern Illinois in general.”

Stemper said Carbondale Community Arts and the “304” project is meant to bring the community together.

“Creative endeavors help communities grow together. They help us understand each other and communicate with one another,” she said. “They provide us with a sense of place and that’s much of what this is about is a sense of place for people in the community. We are nothing if we are not creative. That’s how we celebrate our existence and demonstrate our culture.”

Carbondale Community Arts was founded by artists Kathy Sanjabi and Bonnie Moreno to produce an arts festival for the community. They also serve as a grant-repurposing agent for the Illinois Arts Council and provide grant money to 22 counties in southern Illinois.