Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will christen its $15.3 million addition to the Art and Design Building Thursday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m. The event will be open to the public until 6:30 p.m.
SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe, Interim Provost Ann Boyle and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Aldemaro Romero will be in attendance and preside over the ribbon cutting.
SIUE’s international flavor will be featured as artist Gonz Jove will return from Bolivia to display his work and make a presentation. Pieces by the late Cuban artist Emilio Sanchez also will be on display.
The renovation and addition to SIUE’s Art and Design Building is, in itself, a work of art. The joining of the renovated existing building, built in 1991, and the new addition bring the studio arts together with art history, art education and art therapy under one roof. Faculty, staff, students and community members will have the chance to experience the University’s artistic culture in a modern, sustainable space.
“This addition provides a safe, modern and inspirational environment for faculty and students to do their work and express their creativity,” Romero said. “It also gives the public the opportunity to admire exceptional pieces of art.”
“The art and design department is active and alive,” said Barbara Nwacha, associate professor of Art and Design and chair of the department. “The creative atmosphere can only escalate with the new facilities.”
The project adds 29,000-square-feet of space including a new art gallery, additional office space, graduate student studio space and classrooms. The addition is located to the west of the existing Art and Design Building An enclosed bridge joins the existing building and the addition.
College of Arts and Sciences: Central to SIUE’s exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences has 19 departments and 85 areas of study. More than 300 full-time faculty/instructors deliver classes to more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty help students explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our region’s workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.
Exterior of the SIUE Art & Design addition.