Art building renovation set to begin

By Nick Massie
Photo by Andrea Huls

With in the next few weeks, those on the Flagler campus will be noticing a lot of construction and remodeling going on. Aside from the new Student Center, renovations for the art building are scheduled to begin this summer.

With the recent addition of a bachelor of arts degree in Fine Arts, the remodeling of the art building means more opportunities for art students on campus.

When asked to sum up what this means for the art department, Dean of Academic Affairs Paula Miller said, “It’s like we’re moving from the late 1960s to the 2010s.”

With strong support of former art department head Donald Martin and the current head Chris Smith, the reconstruction will put Flagler’s students at a competitive edge against other schools.

The art building and adjoining steam dynamo boiler room on Valencia Street will undergo a complete renovation for the college’s fine art and graphic design programs. The renovation will showcase the original interior details of this Flagler-era structure, which was once used as studios for such renowned artists as Martin Johnson Heade.

The art facilities will also become modernized, with the additions of new computer and drawing studios. The addition of these studios, among other classrooms will allow for more courses to be offered, as well as more open room time for the demanding art curriculum.

The construction will also provide the art department faculty to have their offices in the building. This will allow the students easier access to meet with their advisors.

The boiler room will be converted into a lobby/gallery with three drawing and painting studios, and there will also be space for design, sculpture, photography, painting and graphic design studios once it is completed.