LJWorld.com / Van Go eager for addition

Archive for Saturday, April 14, 2007

April 14, 2007

Where Lynne Green stood Friday night was a cold, damp, dimly lit warehouse that had insulation peeling from the ceiling.

Green, the executive director of Van Go Mobile Arts, was on the site that will someday become the arts-based social agency's new studio.

"Next time you stand in this space, it's not going to look like this," Green said. "And it's going to feel a lot warmer."

Green addressed an audience gathered in the dank warehouse. Thanks to a successful $1.5 million capital campaign, Van Go will start construction in two months to build an addition to the building at Seventh and New Jersey streets that will add workspaces, offices and galleries.

On top of announcing plans for a new building, Van Go unveiled a massive mural that a group of 20 art apprentices from JAMS - Jobs in the Arts Makes Sense - created as a project.

The mural will be placed at the headquarters of Hill's Pet Nutrition, a pet food company in Topeka, which was a major contributor to the Van Go capital campaign.

The new building, which should take about a year to complete, will be a marked improvement for the arts program.

"We wanted to be able to serve more kids in a more expanded way," said Heather Hoy, events manager for Van Go. "It gives them an opportunity to showcase their artwork."