Schmidt Foundation Center for Art & Design-Opened Fall 2019
The new $14.2 million Schmidt Foundation Center for Art & Design is located on the former site of Davis Hall at Fort Hays State University. The building connects to the Old Power Plant building, now renovated as the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art. Extending east toward Rarick Hall, the new facility provides closure to the historic quadrangle. The two-story facility is home to all Art and Design programs, with exception to its sculpture program, which is housed in the new Center for Applied Technology, located immediately west of the Art and Design building site. The new, two-story, 43,000 gross square foot facility will provides lab spaces for Graphic Design, Interior Design, Motion Design, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Art Education, Art History, and Photography. The facility also includes departmental office space, a multi-purpose lab, a traditional classroom, woodshop, graduate studios, commons area, and ceramics kiln yard. The adjoining 5,000 gross square foot Old Power Plant has been completely renovated to provide gallery space and gallery support space. The Art Building’s façade, consisting of traditional, coursed limestone veneer and large punched opening windows, is reflective of its neighbors on the historic quadrangle. The steep sloped roof, also reflective of its neighbors, provides significant vaulted ceilings in the second story lab spaces. The building’s two-story commons area, which connects the north and south building bars, is more contemporary, featuring entire walls of glazing, which connects the interior spaces to the campus landscape and now houses the department's mask collection, donated by Sandy Gellis, spouse of the late Garry Rich. Construction bean early 2018, with completion and occupancy in summer of 2019.
The building was dedicated on October 14th, 2019, and was officially named on August 20th, 2021.
Every day on campus is exciting in our new home and we enjoy watching students and faculty alike flourish.