Marshall Set to Open Visual Arts Center

Marshall University will open a new visual arts center in the fall in downtown Huntington.

Since purchasing the 112-year-old building in downtown Huntington for $750,000, the university has issued $9 million in bonds and raised more than $4 million in private money to renovate the facility. The former Anderson-Newcomb Company building that housed a department store of the same name, later becoming the Stone and Thomas building will now house students starting in August.

College of Arts and Media Dean Don Van Horn is excited about the prospects of the 66,000-square-foot building.

“One of the things that excites me the most about it is the opportunities that it presents us to have our students in the visual arts become engaged and interactive citizens with the rest of the community,” Van Horn said.

The 6-story building will house art and design subjects like:

• Textiles and Fibers
• Art Education
• Print making
• Photography
• Graphic design
• Electronic media
• Drawing
• Painting

Currently approximately 200 Marshall Students are majoring in various visual arts programs, but according to Van Horn, the space will allow them to more than double that number. He said it offers them something they haven’t had before, nearly everyone in one place.
“One of the things that this facility does it brings almost everybody together under one roof and the synergy that allows is something that you really long,” Van Horn said.

The building was set to be torn down because of water damage and rot. Once the school purchased the building the renovation work began, which required reinforcing the facility with 65 tons of steel.

The facility which has classrooms on 5 floors and a gallery and commercial space on the first is 8 blocks from campus. The Center will open in August before the start of the fall semester August 25^th.