The Journal

Issue date: 3/9/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Lanz Christian Banes A tour of the art building reveals several areas with notable damage, including this water-damaged pipe in the stairwell to the basement.

The Webster University Visual Arts Studio, a work of art in its own way, is an environment in which art students are free to create without restraint. They have the freedom to paint on the walls and use the building as part of their art. The art students, who spend so much time there, feel a real connection to the building, a sense of possession over its messy, overcrowded studios.

Despite its advantages, the art students and professors say there are concerns with the current state of the building. Those include lack of ventilation, especially in the photo darkroom, lack of good lighting in the sculpture studio and water leaking into several of the studios when it rains.

Gil Morales, project coordinator of facilities operations, said he is not aware of any flooding into the studios. He also said the number of repairs to the art building is comparable to the rest of campus and "not more than any other building (on campus.)"

Tom Lang, the chair of the art department, said the leaks in the roof have been attended to, but art students say the building still floods when it rains.

Black mold, which can cause respiratory health problems, was also recently found on some of the piping above the basement stairway. Students must pass this area in order to get to the photo darkroom in the basement. Morales said this problem had not been reported, but facilities would look into it.

The building, initially built as a temporary elementary school in 1960, has been adapted for use as an art building. Lang said the majority of the students and teachers like the character of the building, but lack of space is a concern. He said the art department really doesn't have room to grow in the current building. Every corner of the winding building is filled with art, tools, equipment and storage space.

David Stone, director of facilities planning, said the building will not be replaced for at least the next 10 years, but improvements to the building are in the works.

"We're starting to pull together a list of investments we need to make (in the building) in the next three to four years," Stone said. He said facilities planning wants to have "a plan for the whole building" before they begin making improvements, so that the improvements can be made in the most productive and cost-effective way.

At the Delegate's Agenda March 7, Webster President Richard Meyers said he realized the need for a new art building.

"(The need) for new art facilities are well known and agreed to and you will find no argument from anybody," Meyers said.

However, Meyers said the art building will need to wait until after the university raises $75 million for a new science building and a new business building. After those projects are underway, the university can concentrate on building new art facilities, he said.

Lang said he understood the reasons why the art building was not an immediate priority.

"I wouldn't expect (the administration) to have anything but support for the idea of a new art building," Lang said, "but it's always a money issue."

Stone said a new visual arts studio would have to be funded philanthropically, much the same way the new science and business facilities were funded. He said, unlike dorms, these buildings don't generate new revenue, so fund raising is required.

"It's really hard to make the transition into a professional (artist) from this building," senior Sarah Laurentius said. Laurentius, an art major with a photography emphasis, is the vice president of Webster's art club.

"We're not whining art students, and we're not a joke," Laurentius said. "We're using the space to its fullest potential."

Laurentius said the condition of the building in no way reflects the condition of the artwork or the abilities of the teachers and students.

"We're creating amazing things," Laurentius said.

Robin Assner, a photography teacher in the art department, said the lack of ventilation in the art building's darkroom is a concern. She said the concerns of the Webster art community are "not just cosmetic things." She said she tells her students to come out of the darkroom at least every half hour for fresh air.

"These are almost just necessities," Assner said. "Without getting sick, (students) need proper ventilation."

Laurentius said some of the art students use the darkroom in the media department, but it is difficult to produce art in a darkroom without making a mess.

Senior Ben Beaury, an alternative media art major and president of the art club said he is concerned with the state of the printmaking studio. He said students must walk through the studio in order to get to other parts of the building, so the center of that studio functions as a hallway. He also said students enter the building through a door in that studio, causing dust to come in and settle on the prints.

"(The building's current state) keeps us from being competitive," Beaury said.

Assner said she feels the buildings problems don't affect the quality of the student work, but does affect the potential.

"We have a lot of very talented students," Assner said.

Lang said he feels the art students would not have a problem maintaining a new building. He cites the Hunt Gallery as an example of the students' ability to maintain a space. The Hunt Gallery, used for exhibitions, is located in the art building.

Lang also said, "We've never had any vandalism in our computer room." He said there is a certain amount of security inherent with the art building because there are almost always students in the building working, even at night.

Stone said the art students' ability to maintain the current building is not a factor in whether a new visual arts studio will be built.

"That would have more impact on how we build the new building," Stone said. He said certain considerations may be taken in order to make the building more functional as art studios.

Douglas Beck, a design and art history adjunct professor, is also an architect. He said special considerations must go into designing an art building.

"The building has to be purpose built," Beck said. "An art building is a very specific kind of building."

Beck said an example of a special consideration would be for the architect to use dry wall instead of sheet rock.

The art community is concerned that if a new art building has an antiseptic feeling, it would restrict their ability to create freely.

"We can't just move into a nice Sverdrup building," Laurentius said. "We wouldn't survive."


Lanz Christian Bañes contributed information for this story.

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