July 9, 1999
Purdue trustees approve planning for new arts centerWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue Board of Trustees today (Friday, 7/9) authorized planning for a new home for the university's Department of Visual and Performing Arts.The board also approved five other construction projects, including a new aquatics center and improvements to the Wade Power Plant.
The building will be the first phase of a new Visual and Performing Arts Center on the south campus. The entire complex will include a 2,200-seat performance hall, atrium, rehearsal rooms and an expanded John Purdue Room, a formal dining facility operated by students in Purdue's Department of Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional and Tourism Management. The $75 million needed to complete the project will be raised through private contributions. Purdue President Steven C. Beering said the proposed arts center will enrich the educational opportunities for all Purdue students. "The vision for a new arts center is rooted in the notion that arts are not confined to students who pursue art performance or education as a career. Rather, all students -- indeed all who come into contact with the university -- are enhanced through exposure to and understanding of the fine arts," he said. The Department of Visual and Performing Arts serves more than 500 undergraduate majors and 60 graduate students, and it supports several thousand students enrolled in applied, theoretical or historical art courses each year. In other action, the trustees:
Source: Kenneth Burns, (765) 494-9705 Writer: Beth Forbes (765) 494-9723; beth_forbes@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu Photo Caption: Purdue's trustees have approved planning for a new visual and performing arts center. The portion of the building to the left of the atrium will be built with state funds to house the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. The remainder of the project, which includes the atrium, a performance hall and galleries, will be financed from private donations. Construction will begin next summer. (Architectural drawing by Hammel Green & Abrahamson Inc.) Color photo, electronic transmission, and Web and ftp download available. Photo ID: Visual.performing
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