Humboldt State University will close its Third Street Gallery in Eureka, a decision that campus leaders describe as difficult but necessary given current budget constraints.
Humboldt State University will close its Third Street Gallery in Eureka, a decision that campus leaders describe as difficult but necessary given current budget constraints.
The closing will not happen immediately. Programs are already set for this summer, and after that the space may be used to serve students in other ways for the duration of the lease.
Planning will now focus on new ways that that University’s art programs can continue outreach to the community, building on successful models of engagement in the departments of Music and Theatre, Film & Dance. As capacity is expanded on campus, efforts may include use of the leased space in Eureka, and faculty and students have already begun developing creative ideas for interdisciplinary programming there.
Closure of the gallery was a budget decision. Maintaining the Third Street Gallery in its current form costs the University more than $200,000 annually, including staff and facilities costs. While there has been donor support over time, the gallery was not able to develop a sustained, diversified funding base.
The Third Street Gallery program closure is part of the University’s effort to address a $9 million budget shortfall over the next two years. A high priority in making the reductions was protecting courses and support that students need to make progress toward their degrees. A final budget for 2018-19 was outlined today in the budget memo.
The Third Street Gallery opened in Eureka in 1998 to provide hands-on experiences for students while also bringing exhibitions to the public. Its exhibits have focused on contemporary arts, and featured artists from the local area as well as national and international artists. The exhibits were able to attract many visitors each year, and they were especially popular during monthly “Arts Alive!” events. According to Lisa Bond-Maupin, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, “There is great pride at HSU in the contributions the gallery has made to growing and enriching the art scene in Downtown Eureka. We are confident that this vibrancy will continue.”
“The Third Street Gallery program has been an excellent example of our commitment to experiential learning and hands-on skill development for students in the arts,” says Dean Bond-Maupin. “We are excited to expand these opportunities by expanding internship sites and involving students from History, Native American Studies, Anthropology, and other majors to participate in our Museum and Gallery Practice certificate program.”
In addition to helping with the University budget shortfall, some savings from the gallery’s closure will be used to offer similar hands-on learning experiences at galleries on campus and in partnerships in the community. Toward this end, the University is investing in a new tenure-line faculty member with this expertise, who is expected to start in the Fall 2018 semester.