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JBU Students Find Room to Grow
New Art Facility Opens in Former Science Building
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

By Amy M. Cotham
SILOAM SPRINGS -- Out of approximately 1,200 undergraduates enrolled at John Brown University, almost 200 students major in arts or digital media. Those numbers make the department one of the biggest on campus, yet until recently all of the classrooms, offices and studios were crammed into a small space above the university's cathedral.

Earlier this year, however, the department's available space grew from just three rooms to 18,000 square feet spread across three floors. The recently renovated facility, which previously housed the science department, reopened the first day of the spring semester and will be dedicated next week.

The transition from stodgy science labs to airy art classrooms began in early 2003 after the science department moved to the new Bell Science Hall, located across campus. No exterior changes were made to the building, which was constructed in 1958, but the interior has been completely updated. Renovations and equipment for the arts center cost $2.3 million, the bulk of which was provided by an anonymous donor.

From floor to ceiling, everything in the arts building new. A computer lab features 24 MacIntosh G5 computers, while 20 Dell PCs are available in a nearby classroom.A small theater is equipped with surround sound for screening student films, and blackout curtains and a state-of-the-art projection system make the room an ideal place for art history students to examine slides. Track lighting and overhead fluorescents were installed in most of the building, and lots of natural light streams through large windows that also provide a nice view of the surrounding lawn. Specially designed furniture in several rooms can be easily folded and moved aside, allowing multiple uses for the spaces. An area on the top floor, previously unused, was left unfinished in hopes an art library and darkroom will be added later.

Professors of art and digital media, who provided input into the design, couldn't be happier with the outcome.

"We are thrilled with the results," art professor Dave Andrews says. "We now have plenty of room, and we're very thankful. Before, we didn't have room to move, much less grow."

'It's a very positive change," art professor Charles Peer agrees. "It's fun to come to work now; every day I look forward to coming to this building. The students seem really proud of it, too, and it's fun to watch them enjoying it. I often see them hanging out on the hallway sofas between classes."

Peer adds that, along with much needed space, there are other things to love about the updated facility. A gallery that can be viewed from the lobby through a glass wall is a favorite feature of many who work and study in the building. Earlier this semester, the gallery was filled with an exhibition of student works. In previous years, the annual student show was displayed in a hallway in the administration building.

"The new gallery provides a wonderful opportunity to show students' work," Peer says, "and it also provides the school with a way to bring in a quality of work you don't see very often." The gallery will often feature the work of guest artists; pieces from Timothy Botts, a calligrapher from Chicago, are currently on display. Earlier in the semester there was an exhibition of personal works by graphic designers employed at DaySpring Cards, a Siloam Springs-based company.

Outside the gallery, students have additional areas to show of their talents. Class projects are displayed on bulletin boards and pedestals in the hallways, and a large plasma screen television in the lobby provides a way for digital media students to exhibit their work in subjects like animation or DVD design.

Neal Holland, who oversees the digital media curriculum, says professors in his part of the department are as thrilled as those who teach traditional arts. Access to the newest equipment and resources is especially important for those who teach subjects like web design, graphic design or digital cinema.

"We're closer to cutting edge," digital media professor David Muessemeyer says.

Larry Mersereau, another digital media professor, says the new building has definitely improved morale. "You can see a real attitude change," he says. "We see a lot more smiles."

A dedication ceremony for the art building will be April 2 at 7:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.


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