Notes from the Streetscape Committee Chair Dan Grych:
The Parks and Recreational mural theme was actually selected by community input seven years ago during the planning stages of the DeKalb Community Mural which is located on North First Street and Lincoln Highway. The DeKalb parks and recreation system is truly an attribute providing our fair city a more enjoyable place to live. The Parks and Recreation mural will be located on the new back entrance, the south wall, of the Nehring Cultural Center. There are already murals that face east, one that faces west and now a mural that will face south.
Because of this mural’s theme the mural committee decided that “sketches” instead of “computer renderings” would be more appropriate because the theme requires a certain liveliness and spontaneity that can be more easily achieved by the human hand. One of the requirements was to include the band shell in Hopkins Park, an image first and foremost associated fondly in most peoples’ minds principally because of the successful concerts in the park every summer performed by diverse and talented musicians in the DeKalb Municipal Band conducted by Dee Palmer.
All of the parks in DeKalb have notable images either of history, art, state-of-the-art playground equipment and always fantastic flower plantings. The DeKalb Park District maintains River Heights Golf Course, The Nehring Cultural and Tourism Center, the Ellwood House Museum, Haish Gym, Hopkins Park Community Center, and the Sports and Recreation Center. The Kiwanis is responsible for the bicycle and nature paths around town. The Park District and The DeKalb County Master Gardeners in conjunction maintain all of the flower beds in all of the parks and planters along Lincoln Highway through DeKalb’s historic downtown. Personally, I have been on the paths many times and I have seen deer, blue heron, early morning mist rising from the river, dew laden grasses and whore frost that can take your breath away. Imagine the chore it would be to successfully illustrate ALL of these attributes in one mural.
The mural committee decided not to go with the collage type of composition because the images could be rather confusing and the concept is somewhat dated, which was popular about thirty years ago. Discovering the parks and the recreation systems in DeKalb is actually more exciting. The committee selected an artist, Paul Dilworth, to best illustrate the energy of this theme, Parks and Recreation. His past murals are phenomenal, only he has never set foot in the Midwest, let alone DeKalb.
Not only does DeKalb have a wonderful park and recreation system, but the city also provides excellent research resources that are loaded with images that even a non-resident can feel the ambiance of the city. The committee provided resources that include The Daily Chronicle Newspaper, the DeKalb Public Library, The NIU Regional History Center, the Lincoln Digitization Project, Re:New DeKalb Inc., Steve Bigolin and the Joiner History Room at the Sycamore Public Library.
Mr. Dilworth is British living in Los Angeles, and submitted a lively rendering of the DeKalb Municipal Band in Hopkins Park. The committee, seizing the opportunity, decided that more than one mural was necessary to better depict the theme. With the Park District’s permission and Mr. Dilworth’s willingness, the committee suggested a second panel to illustrate the bike path, and third panel, a sport activity. Within a couple of days Mr. Dilworth provided two more lively renderings, which is being presented today. So, what you will be witnessing today are works in progress and a concept of how the three panels may be arranged on the south wall of the Nehring Center. These renderings are no way to be considered finished paintings for the mural. Because of the time crunch there are still some minor revisions to be made. Please understand, too, that his images are more painterly and quite different from the tromp l’oei style Mr. Halverson used in the Sesquicentennial mural. If approved by City Council in April Mr. Dilworth is anxious to come to DeKalb in June to experience a concert in the park to better illustrate the most popular summer activity.
Public and city input is welcomed.
Regards,
Dan Grych – DeKalb Gallery
