Coming Soon: The Year of the Arts
Frequenters of the Chase Fine Arts Center may be wondering what has been going on with the construction that been taking place all year.
The good news is that the renovations are more than just something that can make students late for class. They’re the beginning of a year-long celebration and focus that will make next year unlike any other.
The 2017-2018 school year has been declared the Year of the Arts. The Chase Fine Arts Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary and much excitement is coming with it: a renovation and rejuvenation of the Fine Arts Center has been underway.
Since Fall 2015, construction crews have been expanding and repairing the Kent Concert Hall, Morgan Theatre, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, and Caine Performance Hall Plaza, as well as working on many other projects including the addition of an entirely new building.
“The planets aligned and the completion of our renovation occurs 50 years, almost to the day, of when the Chase Fine Arts Center opened,” said Dr. Craig Jessop, dean of the Caine College of the Arts.
He said the main concern is bettering the program’s resources while still maintaining the historical integrity of the building itself. It’s speculated to be a project worth over $25 million by the time it’s finished.
The Year of the Arts will begin June 2017 with the 50th anniversary of Lyric Repertory Theatre company and end September 2018. To finish off the celebration, internationally renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty will be brought in to create a masterpiece made of natural materials that will reside on campus for its life-span of one to two years.
The theme for the year of festivities is Art Elevated, Dr. Jessop said.
“Every single event of the year will be branded as a celebration of the art,” he said. “There will be a definite integration and focus on the arts.”
Stan and Joyce Albrecht, Adrienne Larson and many other members of the Caine College have been instrumental in helping with their project of growth and improvement, he said.
“I’ve been amazed at how successful we’ve been,” he said, “I didn’t do this on my own.”
Dr. Jessop also said the project owes much of its success to the many donors that believe in the success of the arts.
“My goal has never been to be the largest college of the arts… but to be the best.” said Dr. Jessop. “We’ll never stop striving to improve.”
The improvements don’t stop with the Year of the Arts.
“I’m gonna put in my brick, and someone else will come and put a brick on top of that, and then someone else on top of that,” Dr. Jessop said. “Collectively, over generations, we’ll build an institution that will stand forever and be a real model for the arts in the world.”
— savannah.lund@aggiemail.usu.edu
@savannah_lund