Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Wesleyan Breaks Ground on New Art Gallery

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/05/21

On the campus of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., officials broke ground this week on a new art gallery. The Davison Art Gallery will be the campus’ first new art building since the mid-1970s. The university is partnering with design firm Peterson Rich Office (PRO) and Newman Architects on the project, which is projected for completion in summer 2023 and to open its doors to students for the spring 2024 semester.

The university found itself outgrowing its existing art gallery, the Davison Art Center, which houses a collection of more than 25,000 works of art. The collection was already relocated to the Olin Memorial Library in 2019. The new facility will measure in at 5,550 square feet and was designed as a long, narrow space to fit between the library and the Public Affairs Center.

“The new gallery presents an opportunity to expand the visual arts from the iconic Kevin Roche-designed Center for the Arts to the very heart of the campus,” said PRO founders Nathan Rich and Miriam Peterson. “The building is deliberately designed for interdisciplinary learning and to expose a range of students to this renowned collection.”

The facility will feature an open, glass-walled lobby space and an exterior of red brick and limestone to blend into the surrounding area. An outdoor teaching courtyard and exterior gathering space will serve as active learning environments for a variety of courses. Sustainability initiatives include a green roof, solar panels, in-flooring heating and cooling, motion-sensor lighting, displacement ventilation and a landscape of native plants. The gallery represents PRO’s first full, ground-up project in the education vertical.

The Davison Art Gallery is being constructed simultaneously with renovations to the adjacent Public Affairs Center (PAC). The gallery will be accessible through the PAC as well as via walkways in front of and behind the library.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.