Libertyville High School gallery to become a reality
Supporters of Libertyville High School's fine arts program celebrated the school board's approval of a plan to build a campus gallery with some visual artwork of their own.
Representatives of the Libertyville Wildcats Fine Arts Foundation, a community group that supports arts programs at the school, gave board members an oversized check for $50,000 during Monday's meeting following the panel's vote to hire a contractor for the job. The school's arts club gave the board a similarly gigantic check for $19,000.
Real money is changing hands, too. The foundation already has paid its share of the project, and payment from the club is coming, Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 spokeswoman Mary Todoric said.
The club raised money for the effort through a bake sale, a T-shirt sale, silent auctions and other projects, Todoric said.
"Given the current economy, the art club and the foundation's ability to raise these types of funds for the art gallery is very impressive," she said. "It certainly illustrates the community's commitment to supporting fine arts in our school, as well as the club's and foundation's commitment to making the gallery a reality."
Additionally, the school board has agreed to contribute $50,000 for the project, which is expected to cost more than $117,000. That total is less than half the original $249,000 estimate provided when the project first was floated in April.
The Walter Daniels Construction Company of Chicago will build the glass-enclosed gallery, which will be located near the school auditorium. The board approved a contract with the firm Monday night.
Construction is expected to take about three months.
The gallery will feature the work of students and local artists. An artist-in-residence program, in which a local artist would display work and teach students, also is being considered.
In other action Monday, the board agreed to proceed with plans to improve air quality in the Libertyville High aquatic center. The plan calls for the installation of a new air-distribution and ventilation machine and the construction of a roughly 2,000-square-foot building for it.
The building will have room for storage, too.
That project is expected to cost about $1 million. Improved air quality at the pool will make the environment more comfortable and extend the life of the pool by up to 20 years, officials have said.
On Monday, the board hired a national architectural firm called Fanning Howey to develop bid specifications for the project. Work is scheduled to begin in spring 2010 and be completed in the summer.
Money for the project is included in the current budget.