Thursday, August 25, 2011
 
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New art institute and think tank opens on the square

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[August 25, 2011]  A new art venue arrived downtown with the opening of Tobey Prang's Lincoln Art Institute and Think Tank at 112 S. McLean St.

"I get tanked and I think," Prang quipped when asked about the name of his new studio.

Lincoln Art Institute and Think Tank will be open during the art and balloon festival each evening until around 8.

"Basically, we'll be hanging out here," Prang said. "After that, we'll usually be open for a couple of hours during the day, or people can call 217-651-8355 for an appointment."

Formerly from Chicago, he and his wife, Polly, purchased the building three years ago from John Woodfield of Chestertown, Md.

Woodfield operated Lincoln Antiques and Furniture in the historic structure, which is also the former home of the International Order of Odd Fellows.

After converting the back half of the first floor into living quarters, the Prangs moved in a year ago. He works for a Chicago company from home, using a computer.

"We had to do something with the front," Prang said of the towering brick building. "We're on the main street of Lincoln. We wanted something that didn't require rigid business hours, something cultural.

"My cousin, Bill Brant, lent me his generous help and expertise, and Denton Wilson, who's local, is helping me finish up.

"Both contributed to helping make a little dream come true."

The new curator said his main goal is to display art in the 1,500-square-foot gallery. His collection contains an eclectic mix from internationally known artists, as well as friends and acquaintances.

There is work by Paul Wunderlich, a German painter who often created works referring to mythological legends. Carolyn Wogan Durieux, a New Orleans native of Creole descent is represented, as is Karl Appel, a Dutch artist known for his frenetic style and vibrant colors.

Rockford native Morris Henry Hobbs has work in the new gallery. So do Pablo Picasso, the internationally known painter and sculptor famous for co-founding the Cubist movement; R.C. Gorman, who was called the "Picasso of American Indian art" by the New York Times; and M.C. Escher, a Dutch artist known for mathematically inspired pieces.

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Prang himself is inspired by Brian Bonebrake of Chicago, who makes his living selling his paintings of such mundane objects as candy apples. Locally produced gallery pieces include paintings by Lee Dowling and high-definition photographs by Randy Washam.

Prang has included some of his own paintings and wood sculptures.

"I enjoy making things from recycled materials," he said. He is working on a tabletop formed of three pieces of glass sandwiched together. The center section is broken into small fragments that will be accented with paint. The frame for the glass was made from one of the window frames Prang removed when he remodeled the front of the building.

Prang said he hopes the Lincoln Art Institute can become "an interesting other little stop in town."

"It would be nice to promote anything going on with the arts. I think it would be nice to have a little art community in Lincoln," he said.

"This could possibly be a place for showings by local artists here in Lincoln."

Prang said the new gallery might also give the next generation a new point of reference. He's hopeful that youngsters will come to know the building as the "Art Institute," just as their parents now refer to it as the "Lincoln Furniture store."

He intends to put up a website "sooner or later" and would welcome assistance from someone in the art community who knows how to complete the project.

"Deep down inside, we're all artists," said Prang, who holds a degree in philosophy.

[By NANCY SAUL]

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