Purdue University Calumet Art Gallery Holds Grand Opening in 2016

PUC-gallery-opening-2016-01The Purdue University Calumet art gallery officially opened its doors on Thursday, March 3 in the Hessville area where the photography of the students who traveled to Paris was recognized.

The gallery is located at 6725 Kennedy Ave., and the space is leased from owners Jocelyn and Tom Prue and their partners who work the White Ripple gallery next door.

The opening featured catering, photography from Paris and live music by continuing lecturer of the Communication and Creative Arts department Ken Bronowski and department head Tom Roach.

Grace Wilk, Haley Smith, Erin Lain and Jiayu Yang were the students who were honored for their work as it was showcased under the lights at the gallery. Smith, a student worker of the Communication and Creative Arts department, helped with much of the project and coordinated with the department to ensure the gallery was a success.

“I am so grateful that Tom asked me to be a part of this project. Everyone worked so hard to make it a great night and it truly was,” Smith said. “I have learned so much already and I can’t wait to continue hosting different shows and events in the new space.

PUC-gallery-opening-2016-02Faculty, staff, students and family were in attendance of the opening to support the artists of Purdue University Calumet. Tyler Malec, a graduate student of Purdue University Calumet, said the gallery will present new opportunities.

“This gallery provides opportunities to showcase the talents and creativity of our students, unlike the capabilities of previous facilities,” Malec said.

The space can now be used for events that would normally be hosted at a Purdue University Calumet campus location. Lee Artz, a communication graduate studies professor who has his doctorate from the University of Iowa, said the space holds a lot of potential for events since it is close to campus. One of the upcoming events that could potentially use the space is the spring graduate retreat.

The Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Ron Corthell announced the next event that will be featured at the gallery will be a poetry reading. Corthell said the gallery has been in discussion for over two years and the pleas were heard from the faculty and staff.

“I hope that you get a feeling of what we’re about through the experiences we are having here,” Corthell said.

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