Eastern Michigan University to Start Construction on New Arts Complex

Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich., will soon begin construction on a new $7.5-million arts complex, according to a university news release. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Windgate Arts Complex, part of the university’s School of Art and Design, is scheduled for Thursday, April 20.

The facility will measure in at 24,000 square feet and is intended to be a collaborative, creative environment for making art. It will play home to spaces for sculpture, ceramics, 3D design, digital fabrication, and metalsmithing. The university will also partner with local organizations like the Riverside Arts Center to offer summer workshops to the community at large.

Funding for the project is coming in part from a $3.2-million investment from the arts advocacy group Windgate Foundation, according to local news.

“The Windgate Foundation and EMU matching grant, along with the initial matching grant, will allow our students and faculty the opportunity to work in one unified 3D Arts Complex,” said Sandra Murchison, EMU professor and Director of the School of Art and Design, in a news release. “The new space will offer sufficient crossover between disciplines to create the types of mixed media works that we aim to teach our students to craft.”

The facility will be located in the northwest corner of campus and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, according to local news.

“It has been a genuine thrill to see this dream evolve into reality for the School of Art and Design and the EMU community,” said Murchison.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

  • Tennessee Tech Starts Construction on New ACME Building

    Tennessee Tech University recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Advanced Construction and Manufacturing Engineering (ACME) Building on its campus in Cookeville, Tenn., according to university news. The $89.6-million facility is the second in a recent expansion of the College of Engineering’s buildings on campus. It’s currently scheduled to open at the end of 2028.

  • Texas State University Completes Stadium Renovations

    Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, recently announced that it has completed a series of additions and renovations to its football stadium, according to a news release. Formerly known as the Bobcat Stadium End Zone Complex, the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center is an 85,000-square-foot expansion featuring hospitality spaces, banquet spaces, exterior concourses, and upgrades to the field house.

  • Kraus-Anderson Completes Improvements at Minnesota Middle, High Schools

    Construction management, real estate, and risk management firm Kraus-Anderson recently announced that it has finished two K–12 renovation projects in Minnesota, according to a news release.

Digital Edition