History of Art Has New Home in Pomerene Hall
The Department of History of Art recently moved into newly renovated space on the second and third floors of the majestic Pomerene Hall, a towering stone and brick structure built in the early 20th century overlooking Mirror Lake. “We love our new ‘home’ here,” said Andrew Shelton, chair. “I think the faculty members are really happy, particularly after our nomadic existence over the past few years.”
The department left its long-time home in Hayes Hall in 2010, spent a transition year in an unrenovated Pomerene Hall, then spent two quarters in Smith Lab before finally landing in the revitalized Pomerene. The historic building originally housed the university’s women’s union and is comprised of huge rooms (including a gymnasium) and architectural features such as arched entryways, detailed ceilings and lots of oak woodwork.
“The architects and contractors had to figure out how to reconfigure the huge rooms into functional offices, while still maintaining the original architectural integrity of the building, especially seeing that we are scholars of art and history,” Shelton said. “They did a great job partitioning off offices and letting in more natural light. And we have some beautiful views of Mirror Lake.”
The HVAC system was also overhauled to add air conditioning, two seminar rooms were created, and an immense graduate student reading room is currently being furnished.
Renovations were funded by the College of Arts and Sciences. An open house is planned this fall in conjunction with the department’s second annual Patrons’ Circle Lecture.
