Construction on the lovely and state-of-the-art Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building has begun.
Ground has been broken, and a new building has begun to rise: the Edward M. Dowd Art and Art History Building. The blessing of the site and ceremonial turning of dirt took place on April 25. What takes shape now—thanks to a $12 million foundational gift from Ed Dowd ’72—is a state-of-the-art hub for making and studying art. More, it’s the anchor for an arts neighborhood on the north side of campus, including the de Saisset Museum, the Louis B. Mayer Theatre, and the Music and Dance Facility. That neighborhood, in turn, is envisioned by the city of Santa Clara as part of a new arts corridor serving the whole community. “This day has been a long time in coming,” said President Michael Engh, S.J. How long? In his studies as a Jesuit, Fr. Engh took an art class at Santa Clara in 1974—in what was then called a temporary home for art and art history but has, in fact, provided art studio and office space to this day. Of the new digs, he said, “This is all a part of arts coming alive at Santa Clara.”