Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Mississippi College to Convert Former Junior High into Arts Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/07/21

Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., has announced that it will convert a former junior high school facility into a fine arts building. The college acquired the Clinton Junior High School building in 2010. The complex will be named in honor of Dr. Samuel M. Gore, a former MC Art Department faculty member, to become the Gore Arts Complex.

The Gore Arts Complex will feature amenities like studio space for drawing, painting, sculpture, papermaking, pastels and woodworking; an outdoor kiln in a covered courtyard; an auditorium; and more. Some features from the junior high like cubbyholes, coat racks, and terrazzo and wood floors will be kept in honor of the building’s history.

“It’s so fitting that this facility, where new generations of artists will learn, be named in memory of Dr. Samuel Gore,” said Dr. Blake Thompson, president of Mississippi College. “Dr. Gore lived to share the story of Christ and tell that story through art. There is no better example for future artists to follow. Dr. Gore transformed lives through his art, and his teaching—and MC—will continue that legacy in this building that bears his name.”

The project is being funded partially through a $1-million gift from a charitable organization. The college is partnering with CDFL and Alliant Construction for the renovation and design process. Construction began shortly after Thanksgiving, and the project is expected to be complete by the beginning of the fall 2022 semester.

“The potential of this building is remarkable, because it will have a multidisciplinary effect,” said Dr. Randolph B. Miley, professor and chair of art at MC. “With the new auditorium, we’ll have the opportunity to do outreach to the community with art. Once we get things running, I think the ideas are just going to start generating quickly. And it will attract more artists here to study.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.