Renée Samuels Center
The new Renée Samuels Center at the Hartford Art School
Standing outside the new Renée Samuels Center are Bob and Renée Samuels (third and fourth from left); their sons, Steven Samuels (far left) and Michael Samuels (far right); and President Walter Harrison.
Hartford Art School Dean Power Boothe speaks at the dedication.
Overview
In April 2007, the University dedicated the new Renée Samuels Center at the Hartford Art School. The $5 million project, which included renovations to Taub Hall, allows art school students to fully explore the new media of digital technology in a space that promotes interaction among a variety of artistic disciplines.
New Realities of the Art World
Digital technology has found its way into nearly every aspect of our lives, and it is having a dramatic impact on the world of art and design. HAS Dean Power Boothe describes this impact: “The new media are breaking down barriers among disciplines because it’s so easy to collaborate. Sculptors still make three-dimensional art, but they’re also doing installations that involve video or projection. Printmakers are printing with lithography, but they’re also using digital printers. We are living in a media-dominated world.”
About the Center
The project encompassed a 15,000-square-foot, two-story addition that provides a new façade for Taub Hall, where 6,000 square feet of existing space was renovated. In the new complex, studios, classrooms, and galleries surround a common space shared by all of the departments. The central, two-story atrium, the Koopman Commons, is a gathering space with expansive walls for hanging art or projecting images—a flexible space that promotes interaction among students and faculty from all disciplines.
Donors Are Building Momentum
Approximately $4 million has been raised, including a leadership gift from West Hartford couple Robert and Renée Samuels. The Renée Samuels Center, named for the long-time University regent and Art School trustee, houses the HAS’s photography and media arts programs. The University continues to seek support from HAS alumni, parents, friends, and other University supporters to reach the $5 million goal, to complete funding for technology and other equipment needs and to endow the new buildings' maintenance.
A Pressing Need
With the new center, the media arts and photography departments finally have the facilities they need to explore cross-disciplinary opportunities. Expanded and renovated space also allows the painting and drawing department, the printmaking department, and the foundation studies program to continue to excel.
For More Information:
Contact Grant Smith at 860.768.2436 or gsmith@hartford.edu.
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The new Renée Samuels Center at the Hartford Art School
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Standing outside the new Renée Samuels Center are Bob and Renée Samuels (third and fourth from left); their sons, Steven Samuels (far left) and Michael Samuels (far right); and President Walter Harrison.
)
Hartford Art School Dean Power Boothe speaks at the dedication.
In April 2007, the University dedicated the new Renée Samuels Center at the Hartford Art School. The $5 million project, which included renovations to Taub Hall, allows art school students to fully explore the new media of digital technology in a space that promotes interaction among a variety of artistic disciplines.
New Realities of the Art World
Digital technology has found its way into nearly every aspect of our lives, and it is having a dramatic impact on the world of art and design. HAS Dean Power Boothe describes this impact: “The new media are breaking down barriers among disciplines because it’s so easy to collaborate. Sculptors still make three-dimensional art, but they’re also doing installations that involve video or projection. Printmakers are printing with lithography, but they’re also using digital printers. We are living in a media-dominated world.”
About the Center
The project encompassed a 15,000-square-foot, two-story addition that provides a new façade for Taub Hall, where 6,000 square feet of existing space was renovated. In the new complex, studios, classrooms, and galleries surround a common space shared by all of the departments. The central, two-story atrium, the Koopman Commons, is a gathering space with expansive walls for hanging art or projecting images—a flexible space that promotes interaction among students and faculty from all disciplines.
Donors Are Building Momentum
Approximately $4 million has been raised, including a leadership gift from West Hartford couple Robert and Renée Samuels. The Renée Samuels Center, named for the long-time University regent and Art School trustee, houses the HAS’s photography and media arts programs. The University continues to seek support from HAS alumni, parents, friends, and other University supporters to reach the $5 million goal, to complete funding for technology and other equipment needs and to endow the new buildings' maintenance.
A Pressing Need
With the new center, the media arts and photography departments finally have the facilities they need to explore cross-disciplinary opportunities. Expanded and renovated space also allows the painting and drawing department, the printmaking department, and the foundation studies program to continue to excel.
For More Information:
Contact Grant Smith at 860.768.2436 or gsmith@hartford.edu.