University of Arkansas landmark set to reopen
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Photo: Philip Thomas/Novo Studio/Courtesy of the University of Arkansas School of Art
The University of Arkansas School of Art will reopen its Fine Arts Center on Thursday after a $38 million restoration of the midcentury building designed by Fayetteville native Edward Durell Stone.
Why it matters: The project preserves one of the campus's defining buildings and reinforces the university's growth as a regional and national arts school.
Backstory: The center opened in 1951 as an ambitious interdisciplinary building, uniting art, architecture, music and theater in one location.
- Its inaugural exhibition included loans from major museums, including MoMA, the Whitney and the Art Institute of Chicago, bringing works by Pablo Picasso and Edward Hopper to Fayetteville, School of Art director Rachel Debuque told Axios.
State of play: The restoration was led by TenBerke of New York in collaboration with Fayetteville-based firm MBL Architects.
- Stone's original design divides the facility into three blocks — a concert hall, classroom wing and theater — tied together by a lobby-gallery space.
- To preserve Stone's vision, designers removed decades of alterations, restored the architect's original sight lines, reopened the lobby-gallery space, upgraded the concert hall and doubled the size of the Fine Arts Library.
- The original teal accent color was used throughout the exterior and picked up in key interior locations, Debuque said.
What they're saying: "The Fine Arts Center was conceived as a place where the fine arts converge under one roof, and that exchange remains central to how we educate today," Debuque said.
- MBL president Roger Boskus told Axios the job carried personal weight because he used the Fine Arts Library himself while in school.
The team tried to restore Stone's original design intent, allowing for collaborative "cross-pollination" of the arts while also making the building work for current needs, MBL architect Steven Jones told Axios.
Behind the scenes: The toughest parts of the restoration were structural issues, Boskus said.
- The building was designed efficiently, leaving little room to add modern systems, he said.
- That was especially true in the concert hall, where the team had to improve acoustics and lighting without tearing into the roof. They used an electronic acoustic enhancement system and carefully integrated structural upgrades.
The big picture: The reopening also shows the School of Art's growth since its 2017 transformation from the Department of Art following a $120 million Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation gift.
- The restored building will now anchor art history and art education, while most art practices have moved to the larger Windgate Art and Design District.
What's next: An exhibition, "The Fine Arts Center: The First Years," runs through July 10 in the teaching gallery.
Worth's thought bubble: I've spent my share of time hiding from the world near the koi pond in the courtyard; it's as serene as ever.
- Anyone familiar with the building should be delighted with the renovation.