Shifting Plans: Construction of New Art Building Canceled
Reported By: Shelby McCormick
Photo Credits: Adam Long
In his closing remarks at the all-employee meeting in October, George Fox University (GFU) President Robin Baker announced that the university would no longer be moving forward with the construction of the Art Annex building, which was set to be completed in the fall of 2023.
Those in the art department were not informed of this news prior to the meeting and found out about this decision alongside the rest of the GFU employees.
After spending a week considering the best way to communicate and process this information, the Art and Design faculty moved forward with a public art display.
The display featured red flags outlining the space on campus where the building was supposed to be built. The red flags have a double meaning: “thinking about the metaphor of a red flag. It’s a red flag that they are taking down the building,” said Adam Long, assistant professor in the Art and Design department.
Along with the red flags, the faculty put up a large sign, made to resemble official work permit documents, to reflect the avenues of official communication.
Being tasked with relaying the news of the canceled construction, the art faculty decided how to proceed. Eventually, they landed on the decision to move forward with the red flags and the sign. “We were the vehicles to be disseminating this information. And for me, that was the final green light,” said Seth Van Der Eems, assistant professor in the Art and Design department.
Art students also found a way to use their voices to protest the decision. Art students wrote letters to be distributed to their peers so each student could personally share their concerns over the decision. These letters were gathered and printed out for students to go physically to Baker’s office and deliver them to him personally.
Another group of artists also found a way to use their craft in demonstration. Various potters, including alumnus Benjamin Cahoon, threw 70 tumblers to be handed out in the coming weeks to individuals in the GFU community to carry around until a solution is found.
On Nov. 15, students in the art department were forwarded a letter from Baker in the first communication between Baker and students directly on this issue. In his opening, Baker wrote, “At the recent Board meeting, the Board was concerned with what is projected to be a significant recession. Given the costs of construction, they asked that we carefully look at our plans and make sure that what we spend will advance the University programs.”
On the topic of the Art Annex, Baker wrote, “We will spend more money on the needs of both programs than was originally designed in the construction of the one-story facility near the maker space. This was the most important thing to me -- that we try to spend a little more to accomplish our space goals for the coming several years.”
Despite moving away from these plans, the GFU website still features a George Fox Journal segment about the art annex as part of their new construction plans.
“The pathway isn’t terribly clear, and I think that’s the thing that sets students off their easiness,” said Long. But Long is hopeful that the conversation can move in the right direction. “There could be things that come out of this that are very useful.”
On the other hand, Van der Eems said, “The facilities do not make an art department, the students and faculty do.” The art faculty also wants students to have access to the best equipment so that they are familiar with whatever they come across in the workforce. “We’ve seen the results of that in students getting hired and getting put into great positions because of innovations in curriculum and additions to facilities,” said Van Der Eems.
While there is frustration felt among the students and faculty with how the communication has been handled in this situation, the art faculty wants to assure students that the art department is still strong and supported