“Parks and Recreation” is the theme of DeKalb’s newest mural, the third in the city’s downtown Streetscape Mural Series.

“We invited the public to submit ideas and suggestions,” said Jennifer Groce, executive director of ReNew DeKalb Inc. “From all of that input, we selected themes for the first four murals.”

The winning themes were sesquicentennial, transportation, parks and recreation and multiculturalism, the theme for the future 2008 mural.

“Around 10 artists applied,” Groce said. “Paul Dilworth was chosen because the committee felt his submission best captured the feel we were looking to create for this mural.”

The mural will be painted on a substrate and attached to the south wall of the Nehring Culture and Tourism Center, 164 E. Lincoln Highway, Groce said. It will be up by the end of the summer.

“We chose this spot for a couple of reasons,” Groce said. “First, the building owner was willing to allow us to install a mural on their building, which, in the past, has proved to be a bit difficult to secure. Second, the parking lot that the building overlooks is widely used during the day and night and seen by all who park there.”

DeKalb budgets $10,000 per year for each mural. Each one is expected to last a minimum of 15 years, Groce said.

“Since Mr. Dilworth is from LA, the committee will work to make him feel welcome and give him lots of opportunities to learn more about our community,” Groce said.

Steve Bigolin, local historian and 40-year DeKalb resident, has witnessed many changes within the city. He was also the project historian for DeKalb’s first mural on the corner of Lincoln Highway and First Street.

“The murals are certainly attractive,” he said. “My one criticism of this new one is its location. Second Street is a one-way going south from Lincoln Highway. Motorists won’t be able to actually see the mural unless they look in their rear-view mirrors.”

Christy Klein, neighbor to the Nehring Center and owner of Glass Gardens Inc., 128 S. Second St., said people will see it.

“People get stuck here quite often because of the trains, so they will see it,” Klein said. “We need to do something down here to clean up the buildings.”

“They just really need to coordinate their placement of the murals to their greatest advantage,” Bigolin said. “It’s a big blank wall that calls for something, but it doesn’t have the visibility that the others do. “

Groce feels the Nehring Center has potential.

“The downtown has many plain spaces, such as the parking lot behind the Nehring building,” Groce said.