Jenkins spent decades piecing together makeshift workshops from scrap lumber, salvaged auto parts, and locally-sourced clay so students had a place to build, shape, and experiment.
The hall that was named in his honor was a major step forward: a purpose-built space that originally housed a machine shop, a weaving studio, and Jenkins’s greatest passion—a ceramics studio.
At the time, then-University president Cornelius Siemens called it “the best built and best equipped industrial arts structure on the campus of any California state college,” according to a January 1951 article in The Lumberjack.
Now, 75 years later, a $12-million renovation funded by the CSU Chancellor’s Office has transformed the building once again, bringing sculpture and ceramics back into a modern, intentionally designed home for hands-on arts.
Jenkins Hall re-opened to students in fall 2025 and includes dedicated areas for metalwork and woodwork, a clay-mixing area, an electric kiln room, a gas kiln patio, a sculpture classroom, and a fully equipped foundry. The spaces echo Pop’s commitment to giving students the tools and room to create.
Jenkins, who joined the University just two years after it opened in 1915, championed hands-on learning long before it became central to Humboldt’s identity, helping shape the early program and inspiring generations of students. Known for his ingenuity and ability to stretch a slim budget, he built a pottery program that relied on locally and regionally sourced clay. He and his students collected it from places like Table Bluff and Mendocino County so the program didn’t have to purchase materials. That tradition is one that the campus community continues today.
Jenkins’ emphasis on craftsmanship and community remains central to Cal Poly Humboldt’s arts programs. With its renovation complete and students back in the studios, Jenkins Hall continues the legacy he helped establish—providing a modern home for the hands-on, creative work that has defined the building for generations.
To celebrate the newly renovated spaces and student work, the Department of Art + Film will host an open house on Friday, Dec. 5, from 3-6 p.m. Visitors can explore the newly renovated studios, view student work, browse a mini holiday makers market in the Martin Wong Room in ART B, and enjoy student films, animations, and refreshments.