On track to be demolished late in 2023, Fine Arts Building 06 has limited days left on the SFCC campus. The vintage structure is one of the last two remaining original buildings first built as part of the original campus in 1967. Building 05, The Spartan Theatre (Playhouse) is the other.
Monitoring the Fine Arts overhaul transition is CCS Capital Projects Construction Coordinator, Teresa Lumberg.
“The current Fine Arts Building 06 demo project, bid pack 04,” says Lumberg, “will go out to bid for the demolition work after we get the current folks all moved out of the building. Work may start late 2023 to early 2024. We work with the state Department of Enterprise Services (DES), for bids and contracting, so with this project still a way out, we don’t have set dates yet.”
Since its start in 1967, Building 06 has been home to various factions of creative programs, including interior design, photography, and fine arts.
Professor Carl Richardson has taught his creative courses in Building 06 for nearly 27 years.
“It started as a music building first,” Richardson said, “then once music got their building, art and photography and interior design was in here. Eventually photography moved out, photography moved out and interior & graphic design moved out. When I started here in ‘95 there were still a couple of graphic design instructors who were in this space because that building was just new. So, it was around the early 90’s when it became exclusively Fine Arts.”
In addition to its educational courses, the Fine Arts Building is well-known for its gallery, hosting a plethora of art installations from numerous artists with a variety of mediums over the years.
Also serving as art faculty and dually as the Gallery Program Director is professor Cozette Phillips.
“We have about roughly two shows per quarter.” said Phillips, “and I research in-person by traveling to different museums and galleries, but I like to represent a broad range of artists in terms of cultural, social differences and interests that reflect the students and the community of Spokane and their interests. I also look towards the gallery as a teaching tool, to reflect the disciplines that the artists and faculty members are working towards here.”
While the current Fine Arts Gallery will always hold a special place in many artists’ hearts, the transition to a modernized and updated gallery will both mirror and magnify the legacy of arts and culture that Building 06 is leaving behind.
