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New home and new name for arts center in Galesburg

Tuesday Cetin, Executive Director of the Galesburg Community Arts Center
Rich Egger
Tuesday Cetin, Executive Director of the Galesburg Community Arts Center

The Galesburg Civic Art Center is now known as the Galesburg Community Arts Center, and it has moved a few blocks down East Main Street to the corner of Main and Seminary.

“It’s been an adventure,” Executive Director Tuesday Cetin said about the move.

“We are (now) in the Odd Fellows building (349 East Main Street), which is the home of the Galesburg Antiques Mall. They’re moving to the Register Mail building and we’re moving in as they transition out.”

She said the arts center was “bursting at the seams” at its long-time location at 114 East Main Street. She said they looked at multiple spaces and multiple vacant lots over the course of the past five years in search of a new home before Mark and Jeannette Kleine donated the Odd Fellows building to the center in late May, 2021.

“The Kleines really stepped forward and made this happen for us,” Cetin said.

Regarding the name change, Cetin said, “We wanted to represent ourselves a little bit better. We do several community programs. We want to be a place for the community to gather and be inspired. It made sense for us now.”Listen to the story

Renovation Plans

Cetin said they are still developing plans for turning the Odd Fellows building into an arts center.

“A cost analysis is forthcoming. We continue to plan, while our exhibition and pop up gift shop are open, and we will work with the Galesburg Antiques Mall as they transition to their new space next month,” she said.

According to Cetin, the arts center has been allocated $2 million from the state through Arts Alliance Illinois to help pay for the renovations, and the organization also has commitments from individuals and members of the business community. 

Cetin said she is looking forward to offering more programming and other features in the arts center’s new home, which will include:

  • Dedicated classroom spaces
  • Artist studios that will be available to rent
  • Flexible gallery spaces for all types of artists. “If someone wanted to come in and perform a skit, you’d have space for that. If a musician wanted to perform one night, we’d have space for it. That’s an exciting prospect for our region,” Cetin said.
  • Jazz every Thursday night featuring the Cherry Street Combo, beginning this Thursday (October 14)
  • A writing group and perhaps poetry slams


“If I could add another floor, I would,” Cetin said.

She said the building’s three floors could include:

  • The main gallery, a children’s interactive area, a gift shop, a kitchen for training in the culinary arts, and other features on the first floor
  • The organization’s offices, artist studios, and more on the second floor
  • Other community partners, event space, and a permanent collection gallery on the third floor. “We have close to 700 collection pieces that we never get to display. We’re really looking forward to having that dedicated space that we can switch out and introduce people to our history and the love that this community has had for the arts for quite some time,” Cetin said.


She said the arts center has been part of the community for nearly a century – it will celebrate its centennial in 2023. She hopes the renovations will be completed in time for that celebration.

Opening Exhibit

The Galesburg Community Arts Center enjoyed a strong turnout for the first exhibit in its new space.
Credit Rich Egger
The Galesburg Community Arts Center enjoyed a strong turnout for the first exhibit in its new space.

  

The arts center unveiled its news space Friday, October 8, with the opening reception for the “Members & Friends 2021” exhibit, which features more than 60 works.

Tyler Hennings, Director of the Western Illinois University Art Gallery, judged the art exhibit. His choices:

  • Best in Show – “Emergence” by Janis Mars Wunderlich
  • Three-Dimensional Award – “Mishima Jar” by Chris Dokolasa
  • Mixed Media Award – “Prehistoric” by Bob Moberg
  • Photography Award – “Frozen Falls” by Tim Schroll
  • Painting Award – “Wild Fire #2” by Dan Spahn
  • Fiber Award – “Sean” by Ellie Pinzarrone
  • Works on Paper Award – “Two Vases” by Julie D. Nelson
  • Juror’s Choice Award – “Hot Sun Set” by Susan Carson
  • Juror’s Choice Award – “Puzzled” by Candace Moulton
  • Juror’s Choice Award – “Bowl and Branch” by Linda Sickmon


In addition, the Linda Lytle Memorial Award was given in honor of long-time friend of the Arts Center, Linda Lytle. Her husband Tom Lytle and daughter Laura Lytle chose the winning piece, “Major Chord” by Larry Jon Davis.

The exhibit remains on display through November 27. The arts center is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

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Copyright 2021 Tri States Public Radio. To see more, visit Tri States Public Radio.

Rich is the News Director at Tri States Public Radio. Rich grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago but now calls Macomb home. Rich has a B.A in Communication Studies with an Emphasis on Radio, TV, and Film from Northern Illinois University. Rich came to love radio in high school where he developed his “news nerdiness” as he calls it. Rich’s high school had a radio station called WFVH, which he worked at for a couple years. In college, Rich worked at campus station WKDI for three years, spinning tunes and serving at various times as General Manager, Music Director and Operations Manager. Before being hired as Tri States Public Radio’s news director in 1998, Rich worked professionally in news at WRMN-AM/WJKL-FM in Elgin and WJBC-AM in Bloomington. In Rich’s leisure time he loves music, books, cross-country skiing, rooting for the Cubs and Blackhawks, and baking sugar frosted chocolate bombs. His future plans include “getting some tacos.”