Blaffer remodel will close gallery from July to December 2011. | Nine Nguyen/The Daily Cougar
In an effort to provide a more functional and attractive space for students, faculty, staff and visitors, the Blaffer Art Museum is scheduled to begin a $2 million remodel to include renovations for the north-side entrance of the Fine Arts building and courtyard.
The addition of a sleek, modern café/lounge will also be part of the remodeling project, according to Jeff Bowen, the museum’s assistant director of external affairs.
“We are reinventing and rethinking the entire space,” Bowen said. “We’re talking about moving the main entrance to the street side and having some sort of attractive way of getting people in the museum.”
The 38-year-old facility’s remodel is headed by WORK Architecture, a company based in New York. The redesign will showcase the museum’s mission of showing emerging and underrepresented artists’ work.
Renovations include replacing light fixtures with urban lighting within the building and incorporating them in the new café.
The courtyard will undergo a tremendous transformation, making the space more inviting and event-friendly.
“This will be good for when we have a gala,” Bowen said. “If we have openings we can have a bartender to serve drinks at the café and make it a place for social events.”
The coming café has students excited, because it means fewer long walks to the UC for coffee breaks and snacks.
“It would be really nice to have a little café area,” Farah Hasnie, graphic design sophomore, said. “It would be very convenient since we (students) have so much work to do and barely have time to take a break to eat. It (the renovations) would add some life to the area.”
Students feel that Blaffer has been in need of a remodel for aesthetic and safety reasons.
“Our building is shouting for it,” Amber Salim, communications senior, said. “This building is depressing and it lacks inspiration for art students. Art is about not just brown walls, so it would be great to see a change. And it’s really scary to walk through here at night.”
Funding comes from University support, private donations and corporations. Bowen said donating to the museum gives people the opportunity to name some of the galleries.
Other students feel that those donations would be better directed towards other projects.
“I think there are bigger issues that need renovations,” Lindsay Callier, a fine arts junior, said. “I mean I would love for there to be a café, and I think students would really appreciate it, but there are things like the heating and cooling systems that need fixing.”
Renovations are scheduled to take place between July and December 2011. The museum will be closed during the construction period and plans to reopen its doors January 2012.
