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What does it say when a university replaces their last on-campus art gallery with a seminar room, forcing fine arts students to move their yearly Senior Show off-campus? Nothing good, that's for sure. Students at Loyola are up in arms about this. See also savemygallery.blogspot.com.
Loyola closes gallery, kicks student artists off-campus
loyolaphoenix.com - 3 weeks ago - 282 views
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Being a former fine arts major, I can understand the uproar. Students want their hard work shown, especially seniors, who feel like this is their chance to show what they have accomplished.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like their going to get new space. If you read President Rev. Fr. Garanzini's response on savemygallery.blogspot.com, you'll see it basically comes down to "I'm sorry, but too bad." And Loyola isn't much of an activist campus, so I doubt the art students will be able to get enough support from the rest of the students to make anything change.
Well, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one to make mistakes. I'm not clear on one thing: is this the campus on Sheridan in Rogers Park (sure seems like it)? The article says there's money in the budget to rent a space. Shouldn't there be some storefront or other property on Sheridan or close by that they could use?
Hi Disaffected. To clarify, this is the campus in Rogers Park on Sheridan Rd. Although there is money to rent a space off-campus for the senior showcase, students here are upset because 1) The Senior Show will get a lot less foot traffic and student attention once it's moved far from campus and 2) It sets the tone that arts are somehow less important at this university. How is the program to grow in the future if students visit and find there's no outlet to display their work? If I were a prospective arts major touring Loyola, I'd probably turn around and leave knowing this is the case.
I do think you make a good point about an alternative on Sheridan Rd. Rogers Park is a big artists' community, so hopefully the students can find a gallery that's not too far from the Lake Shore campus. But as for university-owned storefront property ... well, we already tore that down earlier this month: http://tr.im/DvEx
Well, at least I'm not the only one making multiple mistakes. It does seem odd that the folks that are displaced are displacing other folks, creating compound displacement.
Related: Loyola Phoenix staff editorial
http://www.loyolaphoenix.com/2.541/discourse/loyola-ends-crown-center-ga...
Also: http://savemygallery.blogspot.com
Father Garanzini has responded apparently:
"So, while I sympathize that this space will no longer be available, it really belongs to other departments in Crown, and Fine and Performing Arts has its own terrific new space in Arnold and Mundelein Center. And, more space will become available for Fine and performing Arts in the years ahead as we continue to renovate that building ($56 million of investment thus far.) I wish we had more room but sadly we do not. Again, however, I appreciate your disappointment with losing the space. I'm not sure what else I can do accommodate all the growing programs."
thanks for highlighting this, adelle. I believe that Fr. Garanzini also suggested in his reply that he's tried to get the arts department to display student work in other random, non-gallery nooks & crannies around campus. This was so laughable to me -- we're not slapping up finger paintings on a fridge here. Loyola needs an actual gallery with the proper lighting, ventilation, amount of space, and security features to not only give due regard to student work, but attract professional artists.
I want to highlight this because it's in the Staff-ed but not in the news story: Loyola is apparently going to continue with plans to build a CAFE in a nearby building while TIF-funded renovations in that same building that would create a theatre and gallery are on hold indefinitely. Even more food for thought.
Loyola is hungry for money.
LUMA is a a nice edition to Loyola, and you pay to get in. They are closing the senior gallery because it is free.
I'm sure money has something to do with it. To boot, my friend who works at LUMA told me she has hardly ever seen students show their work there. They tend to want to reserve it for the professionals.
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