Our Daily Show Interview! Jacoby Arts Center MOVING TO 208 State Street!
ALTON - Jacoby Arts Center has a new building.
Jacoby will now be located at 208 State Street in Alton, the former site of State Street Market. Executive Director Rachel Lappin and Operations Manager Chantel Morrigan shared that the new space will open soon, with the goal to start programming in the spring.
“We have keys to a building,” Lappin said. “Now we’re Jacoby Arts Center at State Street Studios.”
The Jacoby Arts Center board has been looking for new locations since May 2024. Lappin and Morrigan said they had ten “very solid, viable options” in the Alton and Godfrey area.
The owner of the building at 208 State Street — an artist who has had her work displayed at Jacoby — reached out to them and suggested they look at the site. At first, Lappin and Morrigan were hesitant. But they quickly realized the 4,000-square-foot space would be a good fit.
While the new Jacoby Arts Center won’t be exactly like the original space, Lappin and Morrigan believe it will accommodate them well. They noted that the commercial kitchen will be a great space for their kiln and clay program, while the big windows in the front of the building will allow them to display their classes more prominently.
“The right person stepped forward at the right time,” Morrigan explained. “The space is not what we had before, and the public needs to know, things may look a little different. Programming will have to flex around the new space. But as far as aesthetics, it’s a beautiful space, beautiful light. It’s right downtown with lots of foot traffic. We’re very excited about what we can offer.”
The Jacoby Arts Center board issued a survey to the community to see what programs were most important to Riverbend residents. Kids’ programs and clay programs stood out, and Lappin and Morrigan are happy to report that they will prioritize these programs in the new space. They also plan to utilize the building’s patio, with “Poetry on the Patio” nights and other similar community events.
They have a lot of cleaning and renovation to complete before they open at 208 State Street, including refinishing the floors. They are currently looking for sponsors, donors and volunteers to help them complete these tasks. But they hope to open Jacoby Arts Center at State Street Studios in the next few months.
“We probably won’t be ready to open the doors to the public until April,” Morrigan said. “We’re shooting for that. We’re hoping for that. It may take longer. But we’d really like to have at least a little bit of programming this spring so people can get inside and see what we’re all about in this new space.”
Morrigan and Lappin noted that they’re pleased to be located in downtown Alton. They reached out to the Jacoby family, who donated the original building, and the family was “thrilled” to learn they still wanted to use the Jacoby name.
As they look toward the future, Morrigan and Lappin are optimistic about this next chapter in Jacoby Arts Center’s legacy. They encourage people to get involved with the center going forward and continue to show support.
“We’re here. Show up. We are so excited to be bringing this forward into 2025,” Morrigan said. “As soon as we are ready to open the doors, even before, if you’re able to sponsor, if you’re able to partner, if you’re able to volunteer, here we are. We’re ready.”
For more information about Jacoby Arts Center, including how to donate, visit their official website at JacobyArtsCenter.org.