Fr. Garanzini's Response

Fr. Garanzini addressed the email compiled by students of Visual Communications III with the following:

Thank you and your class for your letter. I appreciate your frustration and concern. The fine arts program is truly one of our wonderful assets at Loyola and perhaps you are not aware of all the improvements and additions that have been made to it over the past few years. In addition, your teachers may not have relayed some of the particulars of this decision to close the Crown Center Gallery as a gallery. If I can, I would like to relay a few of the changes and stresses we are dealing with.

Three years ago we opened up the Arnold Center, near Regis Hall. This effectively doubled the space that fine and performing arts had for several of the arts programs, and added a gallery that was sought by faculty to replace the Gallery in Crown which we knew would not be available once the entire department moved to Mundelein Center and Arnold. With the move to a remodeled Mundelein, Fine and Performing Arts effectively tripled the amount of space it has available to students. As faculty and classroom spaces were moved from Crown where the department existed, the space there was promised to the other six departments in the humanities which effectively have received no additional space. Thus, Theology, Philosophy, Modern Languages, Classics, History and English now have a bit more breathing room. However, recent growth in the faculties in those departments have necessitated the use of former classrooms and seminar rooms for additional faculty offices. Thus, these departments have lost several seminar and classroom spaces.

Over the past three years, I have suggested, without much luck, that faculty in fine and performing arts think creatively about using other spaces for displaying student work. For instance, Sullivan Center has more traffic than Crown and could be used. The cafe and the green house in Mundelein could be used, Terry Student Center's third floor reading room, the libraries, the Gallery in Arnold---all these are spaces where students go and where the displays will be seen.

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.

Sincerely,

Fr. Garanzini, S.J

Open Letter to Father Garanzini

Here's the letter expressing the students of Loyola's Visual Communications III need for a Senior Gallery:

Dear Reverend Garanzini,

We collectively (Visual Communication III class) are graciously writing you regarding recent developments concerning the Edward Crown Center Gallery. It has come to our attention that the center will no longer serve as a gallery space for students, faculty, and the community at large. Consequently, Loyola University Chicago will be devoid of a gallery for the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

The Crown Gallery is home to many exhibitions including the highly publicized Senior Exhibition. The Senior Exhibition gives every graduating art major a chance to showcase their artwork to family, friends, community and the university at large. The administration’s original plan was to provide a new and innovative gallery space housed in Mundelein, yet, there is nothing indicating that this plan will transpire.

As a diverse class writing you — mainly undergraduate art students, some returning adult Certificate students, some parents

reflecting on college funds, and some parents-to-be, we are highly disappointed with these choices made by the administration. What does this communicate to the Loyola community? What does this communicate to the world at large? What does this action communicate to young high school students considering enrollment at Loyola University? What does it communicate to their parents overseeing their children’s study, not to mention tuition dollars?

Art classes and art clubs have been phenomenal sources of learning, self-expression, and development of lifelong arts appreciation; more, they are the beginnings of careers to those who aim to succeed in the arts field. Loyola promises to “provide students with the opportunity to master the skills a

ppropriate to his or her particular discipline or profession.” Eliminating the only campus exhibit space available to students undeniably suggests a lost opportunity for current and prospective students. How can fine arts students realize “the full range of their potential” without the opportu

nity to display their work openly? This action makes the statement that the arts are a disposable aspect of academia. For parents investing in their children’s future, their tuition money would be better invested at colleges and universities who celebrate the arts and its impact, enjoyment, and study.

We encourage you to consider our concerns in this important matter. We invite you to an open dialogue in our classroom. Our voices deserve a chance to be heard, and we would appreciate an answer regarding this invitation. Our class meets Tuesday/Thursday between 10:30-12:30 in Mundelein Room 703. We are more than happy to work around your schedule.

Best Regards,

The class members of Visual Communications III

savemygallery@gmail.com;

Please visit our website of our advocacy work:

http://savemygallery.blogspot.com/

Print Campaign

SaveMyGallery to the Rescue

Save My Gallery (SMG) is a group of dedicated Loyola art students who are looking to save their gallery.

The Edward Crown Gallery is home to many exhibitions including the highly publicized Senior Exhibition. The Senior Exhibition gives every senior art major a chance to showcase their artwork to the university and the community.

The Crown Gallery has been taken away from the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

The administration’s original plan was to provide a brand new state-of-the-art gallery space in Mundelein. Instead, the Crown Gallery will be used to hold administrative meetings.

SMG’s goal is to get the word out on this issue to everyone on campus and get our voices heard in an attempt to provide and preserve creativity and diversity on campus.

Here are some statements from an art student:

“RAISE HELL. That’s exactly what I plan on doing. I’d assume a university of about 15,000 undergrad and grad students wouldn’t just out a few hundred kids. I’m dishing out $125,000 (and let’s be real here, this is generous, I’m positive it’s WAY more) and I’ll CONTINUE to pay for many years” – Katie Murray

SMG suggests:

1.) Write to an administrator. State the problem and open up the issue for discussion through this blog, our twitter account, or our facebook fanpage.

2.) Spread the word. Use your creativity to communicate the problem.

Get involved. Join other students in a common goal: to get Loyola to provide ­a gallery to showcase student art. Most, if not all, universities with thriving art programs have galleries exhibiting student art.

-- Written by Mike Ortiz