NILES — Judith Racht and Jeanne Watson want to bring contemporary art to their Niles community. But before they can do that, they have to find out if there is enough community support to make the dream a reality.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, Racht hosted a Valentine’s Day Tea at her home on Chicago Road in Niles. During the tea, project leaders announced that they are commissioning a feasibility study for the Jacob K. Brown Contemporary Art Museum. The board, the Jacob K. Brown Contemporary Art and Center Foundation, also shared their vision for the project and encouraged the more than 50 people who came to the tea to sign up as a volunteer.

“We had a very good response, I thought, and a lot of enthusiasm,” Watson said. “The purpose was to explain to people what the project was if they had not heard about it.”

Since announcing plans for the project last spring, the foundation has raised about $20,000. Those funds will be used to pay for the feasibility study, which will begin in March and is expected to wrap up in May.

The foundation will cease fundraising until results are returned.

If all goes according to plan, the Jacob K. Brown Contemporary Art Museum will contain space for a gallery and a small café. If the museum is a success, a theater and performing arts center will be created as the second phase of the project. The estimated cost is projected to be about $3.5 million, Watson said.

Watson is donating the land she owns on N. Fifth Street for the project. The museum will be named after Jacob K. Brown, who was Watson’s great-great-great-grandfather and one of Niles’ founders.

Watson said making sure that as many people as possible can visit the potential museum is a goal.

“Any class we give or presentation we give, we want it to be free of charge,” she said. “They can put a dollar in a jar when they walk in, but we want it to be free of charge.”

The feasibility study will include talking with community members and those involved with the project to evaluate whether the Jacob K. Brown Contemporary Art and Center Foundation, a nonprofit, can successfully bring in the money needed for the project.

“We are going to see if these people who know the community think that there will be foundation support and if some of the local foundations will be willing to support,” Watson said. “It’s to get a feel to see if it is possible to raise between $2.5 to $3.5 million.”

Watson said she is optimistic that the feasibility study will show enough support that the nonprofit can move forward with the project. Since announcing the plan last year, she said many had expressed excitement about an art museum in Niles.

“I think it’s possible,” Watson said. “We are very new. We are a year old, and we raised $20,000. I think that’s quite an accomplishment.”

If the feasibility study shows that the project is not viable, Watson said the nonprofit board would have to discuss the next step.

“I do not know,” Watson said. “We will have to play it by ear. I have every hope that it will turn out to be feasible.”

Part of that optimism comes from the support she has seen from the Berrien County community. Last year, Mark Moreno, head of the Architecture Department at Andrews University, had his students create landscaping architecture for the potential museum. Moreno was among those to attend the tea and he shared students’ efforts on the project.

Envisioning the art center open to the public, Watson said she could see it drawing more people to visit the Niles community.

“The younger people really want something contemporary,” Watson said.

After learning more about the potential museum this weekend, about a dozen people signed up to be volunteers. If the project moves forward, they could help with the fundraising aspects of the project.

Watson said the Jacob K. Brown Contemporary Art and Center Foundation is still seeking additional volunteers. Those interested in volunteering can call Watson at (269) 687-6074.