Buildings in downtown DeKalb will greet the second half of the decade with lively murals.

Streetscape, a program coordinated by Main Street DeKalb, Inc., 164 E. Lincoln Highway, will continue its program by painting murals in the area.

The goal for the program is to paint one mural for each of the next four years, said Jennifer Groce, executive director of Main Street DeKalb.

The committee has a budget of $10,000 per mural, which is funded by the city, Groce said.

Murals have been a part of the five-year Streetscape program since it was created and presented to city council in February 2003.

With the program now in its second year, plans for this year’s mural have begun.

Because of insurance reasons, volunteer painters are not allowed to apply, but Groce said all interested individuals should take part in planning.

“It is just as important, if not more important … to choose the art work theme and where it would go,” Groce said.

The committee is working under a time crunch to make sure the mural is finished by the end of the summer, she said.

It is important for murals that are painted in the Midwest to be done between July and September when the weather is dry and warm, said Dan Grych, owner of DeKalb Gallery, 161 E. Lincoln Highway.

The location and theme for this year’s mural will be determined by the committee and approved by the city council.

All locations will be reviewed by Main Street’s Architectural Improvement Committee to ensure the buildings’ facades are in good condition to support the murals.

“It’s a lot of fun to help choose one of the themes and locations and get to review the artists’ renderings of them,” Groce said.

There will be another meeting to discuss further steps in the mural plans. For more information, e-mail Jennifer Groce at [email protected].