As Keene State College is in the works for creating a ten-year plan to expand the campus, one very hopeful possibility is the merging of the Media Arts Center and the Thorne-Sagendroph Art Gallery into one building. What is now the Media Arts Center was once known as the college’s dining commons.
However, in 2006, KSC decided to create a building dedicated towards film studies, graphic design, communications and journalism fields.
In order to do this, the college planned to take on a temporary building while the creation of a new building would be set to build within the next several years.
Emma Contic / Graphics Editor: With such vague discussion on the idea of the potential merging of the two buildings, there is no definitive layout or plan.
Located directly behind the Media Arts Center is the Thorne Art Gallery.
Originally it was located in the Mason Library, and was a gift to the college and the community in 1964 by artist Beatrix Sagendorph.
The gallery then moved into its own building in November 1993 and continues a year round exhibition for students and the public.
The master planning committee has created a plan for not only the Media Arts Center and the Thorne Art Gallery, but expansion for the entire campus.
The Sasaki Associates, located in Watertown, Massachusetts, have taken on the role of the college’s master planning committee.
The association provides architecture, interior design, planning, urban design, landscape architecture, strategic planning, civil engineering and graphic design.
Instead of a ‘North to South’ feel that the campus currently displays, the idea is to produce a wide-ranging atmosphere.
And, with help from Sasaki Association, the creation of this new building (MAC and Thorne collaboration) just might join the larger plan.
Dean of Arts and Humanities, Andrew Harris, said the combining of both buildings is, “One preliminary alternative that has been presented by the master planning committee and I believe the master planners are still gathering data about what this will mean, what the implications would be in terms of campus impact, the size of the building, the programming that will go into it.”
According to Harris, the building of a new visual arts center was actually proposed in the last master plan.
However, that plan had only gotten to the extent to transform the dining commons to what is now the Media Arts Center. Therefore, the plan of a new visual arts center was going on before the planning cycle was started last year and will hopefully be completed during this cycle.
Three years ago a sketch for the combination of the two buildings was designed.
Because the sketch was created a while ago, “It will probably look different than the original sketch because we will need to redesign the building and talk to the architects,” Harris said.
Although Director of the Thorne Art Gallery, Maureen Ahern, said she has not yet seen the original sketch of the building, she is eager to hear all about the plan.
When asked about her opinion on the assimilation of the two buildings, Ahern seemed interested.
The Thorne’s director said, “It depends on how well the building will look, it should attract attention and with a good location, it will be a good place for the arts.”
As for the location of the new building, there are a few possibilities but nothing set in stone.
Though the Media Arts Center building and Thorne building collaboration have been spoken about, “there might be other locations that yet have emerged but I can’t predict that,” Harris said.
To receive the funding needed in order to create new facilities such as the new visual arts center, Vice President for Finance and Planning, Jay Kahn said, “The master plan provides a basis upon which the college would seek state capital appropriations for facilities.”
Capital appropriations help address academic and administration needs for the campus.
Also, grants and private contributions will be welcomed for the school’s expansion. This process is in the beginning stages and does take time.
Kahn said, “This process comes down to the master planners synthesizing the data, making their best recommendations to the campus with pros and cons, back to the committee and for the committee to share that information back with the campus.”
However, Kahn said he is expected to hear back by the master planners at the end of this semester.
Even though shovels haven’t broken ground yet, Andrew Harris is already looking forward to the completion of the building.
“I’m just so excited to see what this building will do for our students and our programs and for the community, I can’t wait to get to that stage,” Harris said.
Deanna Caruso can be contacted at dcaruso@keene-equinox.com