People stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they witnessed the official opening of APSU’s Art+Design Building on Tues, Sept. 12. This project took two years from groundbreaking to completion, resulting in a building with fresh technology and facilities to benefit APSU students and the Clarksville community.
Barry Jones, Chair of the Department of Art and Design, was the first to speak.
“It is a tough task to build a structure large enough to hold all the ambition, fear, giddiness, self-doubt, self-confidence, and audacity that make up the Department of Art and Design” Jones said.
Although rain moved the ribbon-cutting inside that day, a large crowd gathered to see APSU’s newest building.
“This is a testimony to how important the arts are to our community,” APSU president Alisa White said. White has seen many art buildings and has also helped program some. She said she is especially impressed with APSU’s.
“We are standing in what I believe to be the best-programmed art building that I have ever seen,” White said.
The students are also enjoying the new space. Rachel Price, senior art and design student, spoke at the ribbon cutting.
“I remember hearing rumors two years ago that were getting a new building, and I remember how thrilled my friends and I were that we were finally getting a new space to work in,” Price said, “and now that it is here, it is honestly more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be.”
Price said that the new building gives her inspiration every day she walks in.
“I know it sounds cliché, but I really do feel like the sky is the limit here,” Price said.
Groundbreaking on the Art and Design building was two years ago, followed by a busy period of heavy construction. “The wait wasn’t always easy for the art and design faculty,” Jones said.
The period of construction created minor problems.
“Last year, the faculty did not have offices and things like that; last year was a really tough year for us.” Jones said. “[Now] we have offices and these great studios, morale in general is just way up around here.”
The new building isn’t just for art and design students. Several departments, such as Languages and Literature and the Music Department have made use of the 92-seat theatre in the Art and Design building.
“The new gallery is museum quality”, Jones said. “The new building with all its facilities will bring a lot of people to APSU in the future.”
