Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Eastern Michigan University to Start Construction on New Arts Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/20/23

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

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.