It is with great excitement that I share with you: Grandview Gallery’s Phase 1 is complete!

Wow! It’s hard to believe after the past few years of planning, in addition to many years of dreaming and countless times of asking the Lord, “What do You want us to do with this building?”, that the first step is finished!

Since it’s relocation six miles east in the 1980’s, Grandview Gallery (previously known as Grandview Township school) has been resting on the temperamental west river gumbo between White River and Bad River. This ground is known for it’s stickiness when wet and it’s toughness when dry. Weather fluctuations cause the ground to move and change, bringing the structure of Grandview Gallery with it. Parts of the floor were sinking and rotten due to the harshness of the earth.

The first step of Phase 1 was to raise Grandview Gallery in order to place a foundation under her.

We were originally going to start in May 2022, but that was pushed back by the first contractor. Then the tornadoes of June came and he pushed us back yet again. In August, I feared we would never see this project started. I’d just finished radiation treatments and was preparing for surgery to remove cancer.

Due to the tornadoes, we had significant damage to several buildings on our property. A local contractor was scheduled to repair one of the buildings and I inquired as to his interest in Grandview Gallery. Little did I know then he has a background in historical restoration and is an artist himself.

Is the Lord not just in the final use of this building but also in the journey of bringing it back to life? As Oswald Chambers says, “His end is the process.”

This is one blessing of the June tornadoes: bringing Andrew Fridley to us to do this work. He has been amazing, detail oriented, and strives to use the materials we already have for the gallery. This will save us in expenses and stretch our dollars further.

One example of Andrew’s resourcefulness is the floor. The first contractor was going to tear it all up and go through the floor to raise the building. Looking back now, he had no interest in trying to preserve the floor. This broke my heart for I love the original floor.

After Andrew took out the original floor (which we plan to reuse as much as possible), we found most of the sub-floor in amazing condition! What was rotten, was replaced.

I have a vision of showcasing the original floor in the center of the main room, in as large of a square as we are able to make with the old wood. Then outlining it with new flooring. Can you see it now, too? It will look beautiful!

So back to August when Andrew came to look the building over. I could tell he was excited. That made me excited all over again! At that point I’d almost given up hope of the future of Grandview Gallery. Andrew was certain we would have a foundation before the freeze.

Four days after Phase 1 was complete, a four day blizzard hit the Northern Great Plains. Grandview Gallery sits snug, firmly fixed on her foundation.

We were able to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 with our first event, Christmas at Grandview! Part of Murdo’s Holiday After Hours on December 12. About 25 people ventured out on the misty afternoon/evening before Winter Storm Diaz descended upon us.

We are only beginning in this vision of bringing art to the prairie. The main reason for the gallery is to bring art opportunities to our community to enrich, enjoy and thrive. Communities with art are thriving communities! A more detailed concept of the future of Grandview Gallery is written out on the webpage.

Windows were ordered about 12 weeks ago and I’m eager for their arrival, hopefully by the end of January. Andrew will continue with Phase II at that time, which will include windows, roofing, and siding (weather pending).

Phase III will include the interior, new drywall, insulation, electricity. Phase IV is proposed for ADA accessibility (mainly wheelchair ramp).

Each time I receive an email with a gift, or a notification from the bank, I cry. Your kindness and generosity towards Grandview Gallery’s vision of bringing art to this rural community has already blessed so many! Thank you for joining us in this process!

If you would like to be part of Phase II-IV, please check out Grandview Gallery’s webpage on ways to give.