Will County Board pledges $50,000 to USF effort
University to use funds to build an art gallery in downtown Joliet
Comments (...)JOLIET — The Will County Board recently presented the University of St. Francis with a check for $50,000 to support the construction of an art gallery in the heart of downtown Joliet. The project seeks to revitalize the area and provide a space to celebrate art and expression. The money comes from a host agreement that Will County has with Waste Management and does not use any tax dollars.
“This project is important to the education, tourism and culture in Will County,” said Chairman Jim Moustis.
“We are proud of the partnership we have with the University of St. Francis and the great role educational institutions have played in the successful downtown redevelopments of Joliet. The fact that we can present this check today to such a valuable program at no cost to our constituents makes this a win-win situation.”
In December, the board approved a one-time grant of $50,000 to the University of St. Francis for the development of an art gallery in the heart of the Will County seat at the university’s Art and Design space in the Rialto Square Theatre complex. The gallery will be housed in a storefront at the corner of Van Burn and Scott Streets and cost an estimated $145,200.
“Chairman Moustis and the District 8 County Board members are very future thinking in their support of the art gallery project,” said USF President Michael J. Vinciguerra. “This is a project that encompasses the arts, education at all levels and community outreach, as well as supports economic development. We are pleased to partner with Will County and very grateful for the board’s support of our downtown art gallery project.”
Some of the University of St. Francis’s biggest supporters were on hand for the check presentation, including Will County Board District 8 representatives, Hebert Brooks, Jr. (D-Joliet), Denise Winfrey (D-Joliet) and Frank Stewart (D-Joliet).
“This art gallery is about increasing economic development and quality of life for our residents,” said Stewart. “Our community benefits greatly from educational institutions like St. Francis taking on such projects and leading the way to increase arts and culture in our county.”
The University of St. Francis has been a fixture in Will County since 1920 and relocated its Art and Design Department to the Rialto Square Theatre complex in downtown Joliet in 2009. This was made possible because of a unique partnership that included the City of Joliet, Rialto Square Theatre, the City Center Partnership, and the university.
“We are here today to support arts in our communities and applaud the University of St. Francis and their partners for this important initiative,” said Winfrey. “This is another great opportunity for the community to be involved in the cultural development of Joliet. I look forward to seeing the gallery open its doors to the public very soon.”
The university committed to a 20-year lease with the Rialto for instructional and gallery space when the Art and Design program relocated. This agreement will generate $5.2 million over its lifetime for the theatre. The Art and Design Department also brings some 200 students and faculty members to the downtown.
“I wholeheartedly support any project that helps to revitalize Joliet and rejuvenate our economy,” said Brooks. “In addition, we must support more funding for education if we want Will County students to lead the way in the global economy. This includes supporting the arts and providing our residents with the benefits of cultural development.”
The board’s financial support for the art gallery was made possible through the Laraway Road Host Fee Agreement that Will County has with Waste Management.
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