Not-so Fine Arts Studio

By Patrick Loch

Seen from I-94, Metropolitan State’s St. Paul Campus has an impressive and stylish look. The grounds most prominent building, New Main, gives a breathtaking first impression of what one can expect from the various classrooms and libraries the school has to offer. From the lofty professionalism of New Main to the massive campus library, the buildings display a strong commitment to Metropolitan State’s students learning.

However, if you walk out of the library and head east, you will find yourself in front of a lesser known structure. It’s the not-so-often used and seldom talked- about building sitting on the corner lot, next to the busy intersection. It’s that old brick construction with the haggard look, not quite matching the other campus buildings. In fact, if it weren’t for a sign labeling its existence, the everyday passerby wouldn’t even know it had any association with the school. If you’ve taken a humanities class at Metropolitan State (and with every student being required to, I’m sure you have) then you know exactly which building I am talking about.

The Fine Arts Studio. So what happened here? Why are students still required to attend classes in this inadequate space? This question needs to be asked, because the amount of students affected is no small number.

“Most studio classes fill to capacity,” said Erica Rasmussen, Associate Professor in the Writing and Arts Department. “We offer about a dozen classes a year. About five of these are held in the FAS.”

Rasmussen went further to say that she believes there is “room for curricular expansion in Studio Arts” and that a new facility could accommodate more than the current studio arts students. A possible upgrade could provide “enough space to house another one or two studios—one for fibers and bookmaking, another eventually for a digital photo lab.” Sounds pretty good, and this expansion is not just a pipe dream.

Discussions regarding the need for a new Fine Arts Studio are already taking place, according to Rasmussen, and with an update to the Facilities Master Plan —the long-term plan that looks at all of the campus land, locations, facilities and infrastructure needed for the University to serve students—due in 2010, the talks are happening at the right time.

But with the recent talks concerning the Fine Arts Studio, some may wonder whether or not studio arts enrollment is large enough to justify a new building.

According to David Means, an associate professor in the Writing and Arts Department, “That depends on whether you are evaluating the need based on economic or academic standards; from the standpoint of academics, there’s never enough students.”

And right now, the problem seems to be more economic than academic.

Sue Hammersmith, president of Metropolitan State University, stresses that a new Fine Arts Studio is needed, but a plan to address this need is not yet “in the works.”

Hammersmith also noted that, “The projects that MnSCU will take forward as funding requests in the 2010 legislative session have already gone through the process of being proposed, reviewed by a team of evaluators, prioritized and are pending Board approval.” So what does this mean for Metropolitan State students?

Well, with the next chance to propose funding for construction not coming until the 2010-2011 academic year, the facilities used for fine arts classes will, unfortunately, remain as is for now. Even if the funds necessary for the construction/renovation of the Fine Arts Studio were approved by legislation, it would be a couple years beyond that before any changes would be made.

On this note—and to not undermine the improvements currently (and quietly) being made at Metropolitan State —it should be mentioned that there are several other building plans/proposals in the works. These include:

•Construction of the Metropolitan State University Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Education Center, located in Brooklyn Center, which will be open for classes in the fall of 2010.
•The replacement of a condemned building sitting between St. John’s Hall and New Main on the St. Paul Campus. According to Hammersmith, the building would provide high-tech classrooms, faculty offices and seminar rooms. It is also necessary to offer protection to the heating plant (located directly under the building) from the elements. The building replacement has been vetoed by the governor four times and Hammersmith is “hard pressed to say why.”
•A request to provide funding for a Science Education Center on the St. Paul Campus which, if approved and funded, would (by best estimates) be open to students in 2014.

With the current Facilities Master Plan being ‘current’ as of 2002, it is easy to see how the Fine Arts Studio has gone unnoticed for so long. But hopefully, with a little student feedback and a lot of necessary discussion, the studio arts future stands a fine chance of improvement.