İMMIV
The Illusion Academy, LLC

Reprinted from the Pyramid June 7, 2002

Old Industrial Arts Building to be Turned into "Illusion Academy"

Editor's Note: This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council highlighting restoration and renovation projects in Sanpete County and along U.S. Highway 89.

MT. PLEASANT -- Dean Kleven's dreams are filled with illusions, and he has every intention of making them come true. Kleven, a computer illustrator who has worked for Disney and DreamWorks, moved to Mt. Pleasant from California 18 months ago.

He recently purchased the old industrial arts building that was once part of Sanpete County's local high school. He and four partners, Bo Landsem, Keith Averett, Jason Quinn and Bryan Spencer, are turning the 10,000-square-foot building into a structure that is the stuff that dreams are made of.

They plan to open a two-level "high tech center" that will house a new business, The Illusion Academy, on the top floor and a high-speed, indoor/outdoor "Internet Cafe" on the main level.

The building will also double as a community classroom where Kleven and Landsem plan to teach free courses two nights a week on computer illustration, web design and the Internet.

"All of our plans are very community-based," says Kleven. "We want to teach the community about the things that we will be doing inside the building every day."

Those inside "goings on" include computer design and illustrations that are used in children's books, as well as high tech digital imaging and three-dimensional graphics, the kind that were used to make movies such as Toy Story.

"We are hoping to work on special effects and make some movie shorts, and, eventually, a full-length feature movie. That is our five-year goal," Kleven says.

The five partners are doing most of the renovation work on the old arts center themselves, including a lot of painting and floor sanding. They hope to begin moving into the building in the next couple of months.

Kleven, who says he moved to Mt. Pleasant from busy Southern California to "chase the dream" and raise his family, says he also hopes to recruit and train employees.

"We know a lot of people who like it here, but have trouble making it and end up commuting or having to leave. Seeing if we can find local talent and utilize it is another one of our goals."

Eventually, The Illusion Academy hopes to purchase property located in front of the building and construct a community park that will feature cartoon-like characters and a shallow water pool that will be used a skating pond in the winter.

"Again, it will all be designed with the community in mind," Kleven says.