University of Southern Maine plans $15M building for visual arts on Gorham campus
Rendering / Courtesy WBRC Inc.
The design consolidates programs, accommodates installations visible through the glass facades and provides exterior surfaces that can host projected art and murals.
The University of Southern Maine is planning a $15 million building for the visual arts at its Gorham campus.
Designed by Bangor-based WBRC Inc., the 36,000-square-foot building will use a pre-engineered metal system to maximize program space while staying within budget. Some 24,000 square feet will be completed during the initial construction phase, with the remaining space reserved for future expansion.
Great Falls Construction is slated to break ground in early January. The building is expected to open to students in the fall of 2027.
“The arts are central to who we are at USM,” said Jacqueline Edmondson, president of the university. “About 86% of our graduates stay in Maine, often entering high-need fields such as health care and education. The arts provide a strong foundation, helping them develop additional skills like empathy and creativity, which are valued by many employers.”
The University of Maine System board of trustees approved the project in November.
USM's announcement comes nearly a year after the opening of the Crewe Center for the Arts, a 43,000-square-foot, $63 million building on the main campus in Portland.
Cultural life
The visual arts project is expected to help meet the projected growth of the department, to integrate the arts across disciplines and to prepare students for the workforce by strengthening their creative, critical-thinking and communication skills.
Located at the School Street entrance to the Gorham campus, the building will have studios for sculpture, ceramics, drawing, design, photography and woodworking, as well as a digital lab and faculty offices. Those programs currently operate in several sites that no longer meet the needs of students or the programs, according to a news release.
The design will accommodate large-scale installations visible through the glass facades and exterior surfaces that can host projected art and murals.
“Beyond supporting our academic mission, this facility will strengthen the cultural life of our campus and neighboring communities,” said Kelly Hrenko, professor of art education and associate dean of the college of arts, humanities and social sciences.
The last major building constructed on the Gorham campus was Upper Class Hall in 2006.
A smaller esports facility of 2,020 square feet was unveiled earlier this year.
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