An effort to turn Niles into a destination for fine art and rich history has taken a large step forward.

On Monday, the Niles City Council approved the appointment of eight people to the newly formed Niles Public Art Commission.

The new commissioners are: Elizabeth Alton, Kathleen Alton, Betty Knoll, John Lidecker, Candace Skalla, Jeanne Watson, Pat Young and Fredda Zeiter.

“Our goal is to make Niles a destination for people interested in great art and history,” said Watson. “I think it will redefine what Niles is about and help bring people into our community.”

The first thing on the commission’s to-do list is to purchase and place Tuck Langland’s “Generations” sculpture in front of the Niles District Library on the corner of 7th and Main streets.

Watson said professional fundraiser Jack Strayer is in the process finding a donor to pay for the sculpture.

After that is done, the art commission will focus on relocating the Richard Hunt sculpture to a more prominent place near the new Main Street Bridge. Next, the commission would work on acquiring 10 sculptures for placement in Riverfront Park. Each sculpture would represent a piece of Niles history, like Ring Lardner or the Dodge Brothers.

“I think if we do this, it will help our downtown businesses and our businesses in general,” Watson said, explaining that the new art could attract tourists to downtown Niles.

In addition to its goal of creating art and history destinations in Niles, the art commission will encourage and support all of the visual arts and provide art and history information through public presentations.

The art commission’s first public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 3 in the lower level of the Niles District Library.

The commission plans to solidify its bylaws, vision and mission statements, which will be presented to the Niles City Council for final approval. Commission officers will be elected at the meeting and the regular meeting time and location for future art commission meetings will be decided.