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Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016
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Art Walk to feature students’ work Samantha Malone Staff writer
DeKALB | Anna-Marie Zurlinden, first year graduate student, spent hours examining ancient textiles and the movement of water to inspire the artwork she will be showing in DeKalb’s first annual Art Walk.
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If you have a class on Thursday night, maybe this is the class you say ‘we’re all going to the art walk.’ There’s no reason why any student should just sit at home in their [residence hall] or just study. You need breaks and this [would] be a splendid night to come out and celebrate with everybody. ” Billie Giese Art and Design Associate Professor
The DeKalb Area Arts Council is hosting the event on Oct. 6 to celebrate culture and community in the DeKalb area. “This is a way to show my work and make contacts with the community,” Zurlinden said. “It’s a good way to learn the nuts and bolts like networking and preparing art for a show.”
Billie Giese, art and design associate professor, was selected to organize and run this year’s event alongside Alex Nerad, president of the DeKalb Area Arts Council. Giese has been planning the event since May and hopes to achieve several things upon its arrival. “I was asked to head a committee exploring and organizing an Art Walk that would unite or combine our communities of DeKalb and NIU,” Giese said. Giese said the event plans to achieve this by bringing student artists and musicians, including Zurlinden, to DeKalb venues to showcase their talents to the community surrounding them. Several venues across DeKalb will be open to showcase student and local art. Art showcasing will take place 5 to 8 p.m. which will extend the regular business hours of some venues. The restaurant Tapa La Luna, 226 E. Lincoln Highway, will participate by showing the work of Zurlinden. “What I really wanted to do was connect with the artists, to make them feel welcome at Tapa Luna,” said Nancy Proesel, owner of Tapa La Luna. After the art showcase, the event will take a musical turn. The NIU Jazz Orchestra will perform “Art
Infographic by Nick Bosshart | Northern Star
A variety of locations, some on campus, will feature student and community art. Shown above are a few locations and their respective exhibits.
of Swing” under the direction of Music Professor Reggie Thomas at 8 p.m. in the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second Street. Giese is working on negotiating with the NIU Steel Band hoping to showcase its talent in the theatre. “The Egyptian [Theatre] is such a landmark, and it’s such a unique and
historical piece of architecture. That’s truly amazing that we have that here,” Giese said. The concert will cost $15 for adults and $10 for children and seniors, but Giese said it will have the atmosphere of a party. She said she hopes people will come to dance, sing and embrace the culture surrounding them.
“If you have a class on Thursday night, maybe this is the class you say ‘we’re all going to Art Walk,’” Giese said. “There’s no reason why any student should just sit at home in their [residence hall] or just study. You need breaks and this [would] be a splendid night to come out and celebrate with everybody.”
Bookstore opens in Junction Shopping Center Company Background
Sanah Baig Staff writer
DeKALB | DeKalb has not had a bookstore for the past two years aside from Village Commons Bookstore, but that changed on Wednesday when Book World opened its doors. Director of store operations Gregg Belonger said Book World, 858 W. Lincoln Highway, has come to DeKalb largely because of public interest. “There’s lot of interest from the community,” Belonger said. “We have gotten numerous requests from a few different people, and after about a year [and] a lot of research, we decided it was the right fit.” Residents and public officials have voiced their concern about the lack of bookstores in DeKalb.
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If you look at our Facebook page, it’s phenomenal. I mean the amount of people making comments that they’re so happy a bookstore is going to be back at town.” Gregg Belonger Director of Store Operations
The most recent closure was on Dec. 31, 2014, when Barnes and Noble, previously located at 2439 Sycamore Road, closed its doors. “It’s unacceptable in my mind to have a university town without a Barnes-and-Noble-type bookstore in the setting,” said Mayor John Rey during a Student Association Senate meeting on Nov. 16, 2014. Students have also expressed their interest in the bookstore. “As an English major, I read
• Book World has locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota and Iowa. • Illinois has eight locations. • The family-owned company opened for business in 1976.
Khadijah Jones | Northern Star
Junior nursing major Jasmine Dobbs looks at the puzzle books at Book World, 858 W. Lincoln Highway. The store had its grand opening on Wednesday.
books all the time for fun and for class, and it would be great to have another location to get them,” said senior English major Jessica Bell. “I’d like there to be a comfortable atmosphere [in Book World]. Someone in there who you can speak to about books.” Since 2002, DeKalb has been home to Barnes and Noble, The Junction Bookstore, previously located at 822 W. Lincoln Highway, and Borders, previously located at 2520 Sycamore Road, according to a Feb. 11, 2015 Northern Star article. All stores have since closed. “Borders, the whole company just went bankrupt, so that’s the reason they left,” Belonger said. “What we have been told [is that]
Barnes and Noble left [because] whoever owned that building tried to drastically increase their rent, and they said ‘no’ and left.” The Junction Bookstore closed shortly after Barnes and Noble opened, according to a Feb. 21, 2002 Northern Star article. Book World has been working hard for its grand opening this week, Belonger said. It took three months to fully prepare the store, from carpeting to shelving stock. Michael Scott, store manager of Book World, said he is excited about the store’s decision to open in DeKalb and its appeal to students and residents. “We’ve already seen a lot of interest just in people walking by
and looking in and knocking on the door asking questions,” Scott said. “So, like Greg [Belonger] said, there is a lot of excitement in the community to actually have a bookstore here again.” Book World sells tobacco products at its other locations, but will not offer them in DeKalb. The store will not be selling textbooks, but they are available on its website. Regional manager Troy Derrer said Book World will carry a variety of products including adult books, gaming books, all the genres of fiction and children’s literature. What shocked the management of Book World was the feedback from the community, Derrer said. “Most of the people contacted
us,” Belonger said. “Numerous people wanted a bookstore in town and they were trying to get us information. If you look at our Facebook page, it’s phenomenal. I mean the amount of people making comments that they’re so happy a bookstore is going to be back in town.” Scott said the Facebook page had more than 2,200 likes within three weeks, a record for the company. “The number of likes blew us away,” Derrer said. “Our top store has about 250 [likes].” NIU authors have been reaching out to management to arrange in-store events. One author has already spoken to them about a reading, Derrer said. Derrer said local authors should come out to display their work if they would like to work with Book World. “We want to meet as many people in the community as possible,” Scott said. “We want to get to know them by name. It’s just the part of the culture of Book World. [We’re] very community centric in that way.”
Read more Go to bit.ly/2bSgTqY to read more about closures of bookstores previously located in DeKalb.