Downtown arts district potential home to the graduate arts program

Photo by: Jaime A. Varela

       The masters of fine arts program may soon have a new facility constructed in the downtown East Village Arts District. The new campus would be built at the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and East Broadway, where there is currently a parking lot and the abandoned Bertrand Smith's Acres of Books bookstore. 

       According to an article written by the Daily 49er, Long Beach's Redevelopment Agency (RDA) has set a March 15 deadline for accepting a Request for Qualifications/Proposals. Developers will work to design a building on a 75,000 square feet site that includes classrooms, studios. a printmaking lab, ceramics studio and student housing.

       Information on the funding for this project is currently unavailable until a developer is chosen.

  

       Barbie Clark, the downtown development project manager with the RDA said this project will be a good way to link two different aspects of the city.

       There are currently 80 students in the graduate program and it is expected to increase to 100-120 students in a couple of years. Although all the current graduate students will graduate before this concept becomes reality, most are excited about the new opportunities future students will benefit from.

Photo by: Long Beach Redevelopment Agency