The art museum envisioned by Vernon and Mimi Filley may be closer to reality than at any time in the past with the last physical obstacle to the site about to be removed, but planners are still cautious.
“It’s a delicate thing, (but) I’m quite optimistic,” said Stan Reimer, president of the Vernon Filley Art Museum Foundation Board.
Work on a contract that will spell out just what art from the Filley collection will be donated to the museum is in progress, Reimer said.
Negotiations are also under way with an anonymous charitable foundation that could provide the museum with an annual contribution for operating funds.
Those two events, the intiation of the art contract and talks with a potential benefactor, have revived hopes that the Filley’s dream will be realized.
“Mimi’s goal is to have the art stay in Pratt and have it accessible to school children,” Reimer said.
The late Vernon Filley was a Pratt surgeon. He and Mimi collected much of their art while living in the Southwest.
The museum, if it is constructed, will occupy about 4,000 to 5,000 square feet next to the Pratt Public Library, which is donating the land.
A house on the site has been sold and should be removed by month’s end.
