Second-floor gallery opens in DeKalb's Nehring Center

DeKALB - A year ago, it was no more than long-vacant office space in the heart of a downtown that had seen better days. But while DeKalb's oldest business district may still have some empty storefronts and trouble attracting steady foot traffic in an increasingly mall-dominated region, the renovation of the second floor of the Nehring Center for Culture and Tourism into gallery space is another sign of hope for the downtown. In an invitation-only event Thursday, the gallery opened with an exhibit of work by Midwestern photographers. The public will be able to get its first look at the gallery, located at 164 E. Lincoln Highway, in open houses from 6-8 p.m. today and Saturday. "Bringing this building back to life has the potential to revitalize downtown DeKalb," said Harold Kafer, dean of Northern Illinois University's College of Visual and Performing Arts and chairman of the committee set up by the DeKalb Park District - which owns the Nehring Center - to run the gallery. Kafer and park district officials envision a museum that can accommodate painting, photography and possibly even some sculpture. It is likely to be staffed by NIU graduate students enrolled in the university's new program in museum studies. The current show runs through May 21 and features work by Larry Gregory, Joe L. Davis, Michael Johnson, Philip Melnick, Richard Quinney, David Plowden and Paul Clark. Exhibit hours are 4-6 p.m. Thursdays and 2-5 p.m. Saturdays. Appointments also can be made to see the exhibit. There is no admission charge. Kafer said future shows have not yet been booked but that organizers are working on one for the fall. The park district used city grant money and its own funds to pay for the approximately half-million-dollar renovation of the second floor, as well as the addition of an elevator and stairwell and work to repair wiring and structural components of the 112-year-old building. Aside from a few minor renovations, that work is now finished, according to Brad Garrison, the park district's assistant director. Formerly the First National Bank, the building was donated to the park district in 2001 by Shirley Nehring, whose late father-in-law owned the bank. It had been shuttered from 1966 until 2001, when renovations to the first floor were finished. "We tried to maintain the historic character of the building," Garrison said of the three-year project. With about 3,800 square feet of space, the second floor features a series of rooms as exhibit space and boasts refinished hardwood floors and new windows. A temperature control system was installed to better protect the art that will be displayed there. Garrison said the park district is in the process of looking for tenants for the two office suites at the front of the building. Since 2001, the first floor has been home to the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and Main Street DeKalb, a group that advocates for the downtown. Kafer and park board member Matt Volk said gallery administrators hope to partner with downtown businesses on promotions that will draw people to both. A tour of an exhibit coupled with a discount coupon for a downtown restaurant was one possible example of such a partnership, said Kafer, who hopes the gallery can become a "catalyst for cultural tourism." "We made it to be a showplace for the community," Volk said, with room for art and educational programs aimed at the public at large and school groups. Nehring, who was at the gallery's opening, said she was "very happy" with the changes to the building. "It's beautiful," she said. "They did a wonderful job." Chris Rickert can be reached at crickert@pulitzer.net.