Chloe Rose showing off her artwork in the new Wolfe Center. Photo by Caitlin Flack.
By: Caitlin Flack
Bowling Green State University’s Department of Theatre and Film, College of Musical Arts and the School of Art are now under one roof, thanks to the new Wolfe Center for the Arts.
The Wolfe Center was a $42 million project designed by international award-winning architects Snøhetta.
The Wolfe Center for the Arts is Snøhetta’s first completed project in the United States; however, its second project is just around the corner with the opening of the 9/11 museum in New York City.
Chair of the Theatre and Film Department Ronald Shields is excited for not only what the Wolfe Center brings to his department but also to the entire university; in fact he has been waiting for something like this for years.
“Since 1986 they have said ‘Don’t unpack your bags, Ron, we will be moving into a new building’,” Shields said.
Finally the day has come and Shields is not the only one expressing his excitement.
Digital art major Chloe Rose is excited for how the Wolfe Center will accommodate her over the next few years at the university.
The atmosphere of the Wolfe Center and the new technology can only help to improve my artwork, Rose said.
“I absolutely love the Wolfe Center; it’s awesome and it has the potential for awesome things,” Rose said.
The Wolfe Center has a lot more room compared to the Fine Arts Center, Rose said.
The Fine Arts Center, Moore Musical Art Center, and the theater in University Hall are going to be saved and used, according to project manager Ryan Miller.
“Capital planning is still trying to figure out what to do with the old theater in University Hall, but there is talk of turning it into a biology lab,” Miller said.
One thing that the old buildings don’t have compared to the Wolfe is new technology.
From the sound equipment to the lighthing everything that was being used to put on performances in the old building was outdated and falling apart, but that is not the case anymore.
“From using epuipment from the 1950s to getting the best technology that is around, it gets no better,” Shields said.
With brand-new equipment and new performing theatres, the University is preparing to put on top-of-the-line performaces such as the musical “Chicago” and the play “The Arabian Nights.”
The Wolfe Center isn’t just for the performing art students; it is for every student regardless of their major, Miller said.
“ Our goal is to get people from other majors into the building,” Miller said.
Tags: arts, BGSU, Caitlin Flack, Wolfe Center
