Fine Art Building construction underway, makeover to add
much-needed space
by Courtney Bullard, co-news editor
Like the works of art created in it,
the Fine Arts Building will soon be a masterpiece in itself.
Construction, now underway, will be
divided into three phases. The first phase will be on the
west side, which is the back of the building. There they
will add four art studios, including a stand-alone ceramics
classroom, a stand-alone jewelry lab, a drawing and painting
room, and a drawing and design room. New men’s and women’s
restrooms will be added, while a covered kiln yard will be
constructed outdoors. The choir room will be expanded into
a rehearsal hall, and, storage will be added for the
theatre.
“In the past, we had to teach so many
different kinds of things in one space,” said Jon Johnson,
chairman of the Fine Arts Department. “It would be like
teaching history and in the same room bringing in an art
class, and then bringing in a P.E. class after that.
Essentially, that’s the way we have been operating.”
The construction will not only separate
the classrooms but also accommodate the growth of students
in the future.
“We’re still operating in pretty much
the space we operated in 1975,” Johnson said, “so we are
really pleased about what the possibilities are in every
area, particularly art, because it is so long over do. When
the building was originally built, a big class in art was 10
people. Most classrooms were designed for the maxim of 10
or 12 people. Now we have 15 or 20 students,” added Mr.
Johnson.
“Just 10 years ago, there were offered
an art appreciation class and two music appreciation
classes. This semester, here and at Reese, were offering
six art appreciation classes and 11 music appreciation
classes.”
The new classrooms will also allow many
instructors to teach closer to their offices.
“A lot of the fine arts classes were up
on the third floor of the Library, and we have a lot of
faculty members going up there,” said Dr. Kelvin Sharp
president of South Plains College. “By renovating this
space, we are hoping that they will be able to stay down
there with their offices.”
Some other benefits of the new
classrooms are that the proposed stand-alone ceramics and
jewelry labs will allow students to be able to come in to
work on their projects Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.
“Having a stand- alone studio will
enable me to teach continuing education classes and short
classes like workshops over a week or weekend for students
who can’t commit an entire semester, so it will be good for
the community,” said Allison Black, instructor of art.
Phase Two will be the east side, which
is the front of the building. There they will build a foyer,
which will connect the whole complex and a new lobby. There
will also be a gallery for the Marjorie Merriweather Post
Collection, which includes works from the 17th
century through the early 20th century. It was
donated in 1966 through 1968 and is now in the Library and
the Fine Arts Building.
“I would get several calls in the
summer about the painting collection we have,” Johnson said.
“The prospect of having a nice place to put it will bring
people to the community.”
The third phase will consist of
renovations within in the building. Phases One and Two will
take six months each, and hopefully the project will be done
by the fall.
“It will take some time, but we’re
excited to get started,” said Dr. Sharp.
Many students are excited about the
improvements as well.
“The building needs to be expanded,”
said Desiree Perea, the classes are kind of small, and I
think it will be good for the school.”
The students and the faculty are
eagerly awaiting the completion of the building.
“We are excited about what can be
happening a year from now,” Johnson said, “particularly what
we might be able to offer students and to get more students
on campus and in our programs. It’s good a thing for the
community, it’s a good thing for the college and it’s good
for the whole area.”
