University of Arkansas – Fort Smith: Windgate Art & Design

 Windgate Art & Design

PHOTOS © RACHEL PUTMAN, UAFS PHOTOGRAPHER

With 58,000 Square feet and state-of-the-art facilities for visual arts students, Windgate Art & Design at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith (UAFS) in Fort Smith, AR, is a centerpiece of both the UAFS campus and the Fort Smith community. Opened in September 2015, the $15.5 million facility was constructed through a private gift from the Windgate Charitable Foundation.

The three-story building, designed by WER Architects and constructed by CDI Contractors, complements UAFS architecture and the campus setting as a visually engaging design. A Bauhaus-influenced window design on the building front, nocturnal choreographed light elements on the east wall, and strategically placed exterior sculptures complete this vision. Interior windows look into studio spaces and allow observation of the creative process. A wing of faculty offices and workspaces promote unity and accessibility for faculty and student interaction.

An industrial aesthetic pervades the building through exposed utilities in the ceiling and concrete floors. Modern and contemporary art and furnishings greet visitors entering the first-floor lobby. A large commissioned mural in the entryway adds to the university’s collection of drawings, paintings and sculptures by regional, national and international artists. The main gallery features exhibitions by noted artists, and a second gallery offers additional exhibition space.

Art programs housed in the building include Studio Art and Graphic Design with accommodations for papermaking, letterpress, printmaking, drawing, painting, 3D design, photography, motion design, web design and art history. Extensive hallways on all three floors of the building include panels and spaces to showcase student work.

Dedicated art history classrooms and a 150-seat film theater have multipurpose use for teaching, presentations, readings, lectures and film. A small library and study provide additional resource for students.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • New Jersey PreK–12 School Breaks Ground on New STEM Building

    Saddle River Day School (SRDS) in Saddle River, N.J., recently announced that it has broken ground on the new Dr. Kristen Walsh Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship, according to a news release. The school partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the design of the new facility, which will provide the school with space to expand its STEM and business education classes.

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Pangram Secures Funding for AI Detection Technology

    Pangram, which provides technology that detects AI-generated text, recently announced that it has secured nearly $4 million in pre-seed and seed funding, according to a news release. The most recent round of investments, totaling $2.7 million, come on top of the pre-existing seed fund of $1.25 million.

  • old university building with visible aging signs, overlaid with digital data graphics like thermal maps, charts, and system icons

    Modernizing Higher Education Infrastructure: Why Smarter Facility Management Is Essential to Protecting Aging Schools

    Schools now have the opportunity to adopt smarter, more strategic approaches to futureproof operations and enhance the on-campus experience.

Digital Edition