Buffalo Rising recently received a copy of a proposal that was submitted to the Nichols School by Elizabeth Demakos and Kyle Winnick, two former Nichols Fine Arts students. The proposal suggests turning the former Moot science building into an arts facility in order to bring the caliber of the school's arts curriculum up to par with that of its other departments. This, in turn, would benefit the student population by helping promote creative learning and diversity in the curriculum, thus better preparing these students for the competitive undergraduate application process.
"I believe that this initiative would benefit not only the school, but would support the burgeoning arts scene here in Buffalo by providing a public space for their work," said Michael Stenclik.
This proposal shows the motivation that these individuals have to take advantage of this space as a means to expand the school's arts program and potentially change the face of the campus. It also shows their interest in expanding the arts community here in Buffalo by providing it with a stellar art venue for up-and-coming young artists to showcase their talents.
Below is a copy of their proposal:
To whom in may concern:
It has recently come to our attention that there is a debate regarding the future of the Moot facility. As two former Fine Arts students at Nichols School and as continuing enthusiasts, we implore you to consider turning Moot into an arts facility. Such a transformation would benefit not only the Nichols community, but redefine the arts curriculum at Nichols to make our school a formidable arts institution in Buffalo.
The current art studio space is dwarfed both in size and in resources by its surrounding departments. While the current facilities have sufficed thus far, it would be greatly advantageous to the Arts programs to capitalize on Moot's availability. It would effectively mean larger studios, potential for exhibition space, and proper lighting among other benefits. Studio space could be diversified to accommodate such genres as printmaking, pottery, sculpture, and architecture. The range of studio courses offered would be unparalleled by neighboring schools. This would irrefutably increase students' experiences and facilitate a more vast and profound immersion into the artistic world.
The Arts promote creativity - a characteristic that, when honed, is valuable for both a student's education and future career. A better experience will help students fully realize their creativity, benefiting them in myriad ways. Moreover, the Arts offer students a way to diversify themselves and stand out in an increasingly competitive college applicant pool, especially among liberal art colleges. Proper facilities and sufficient space are critical to achieving a desired end-product in an artistic endeavor. Many schools have a vibrant arts program that will propel the Nichols student to the top of the applicant list should he or she achieve that body of work. Expanding the Art space into Moot hall, it follows, could allow for greater independent work space to develop individual portfolios. A masterful body of work would undoubtedly increase the strength of that student's application and better the overall chance of acceptance.
We realize that funding is a considerable issue; however, we believe the potential benefits are immense. The arts department would match the caliber of the remaining campus. Our own Nichols experiences were defined by a positive artistic development under excellent teachers. We can only imagine how much more rich that experience would have been in a first-rate facility envisioned for Moot.
Please recognize our support for this change.
Very cordially yours,
Elizabeth Demakos '05 & Kyle Winnick '05
For more information on this project, visit the Facebook page.
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"I believe that this initiative would benefit not only the school, but would support the burgeoning arts scene here in Buffalo by providing a public space for their work," said Michael Stenclik.
This proposal shows the motivation that these individuals have to take advantage of this space as a means to expand the school's arts program and potentially change the face of the campus. It also shows their interest in expanding the arts community here in Buffalo by providing it with a stellar art venue for up-and-coming young artists to showcase their talents.
Below is a copy of their proposal:
To whom in may concern:
It has recently come to our attention that there is a debate regarding the future of the Moot facility. As two former Fine Arts students at Nichols School and as continuing enthusiasts, we implore you to consider turning Moot into an arts facility. Such a transformation would benefit not only the Nichols community, but redefine the arts curriculum at Nichols to make our school a formidable arts institution in Buffalo.
The current art studio space is dwarfed both in size and in resources by its surrounding departments. While the current facilities have sufficed thus far, it would be greatly advantageous to the Arts programs to capitalize on Moot's availability. It would effectively mean larger studios, potential for exhibition space, and proper lighting among other benefits. Studio space could be diversified to accommodate such genres as printmaking, pottery, sculpture, and architecture. The range of studio courses offered would be unparalleled by neighboring schools. This would irrefutably increase students' experiences and facilitate a more vast and profound immersion into the artistic world.
The Arts promote creativity - a characteristic that, when honed, is valuable for both a student's education and future career. A better experience will help students fully realize their creativity, benefiting them in myriad ways. Moreover, the Arts offer students a way to diversify themselves and stand out in an increasingly competitive college applicant pool, especially among liberal art colleges. Proper facilities and sufficient space are critical to achieving a desired end-product in an artistic endeavor. Many schools have a vibrant arts program that will propel the Nichols student to the top of the applicant list should he or she achieve that body of work. Expanding the Art space into Moot hall, it follows, could allow for greater independent work space to develop individual portfolios. A masterful body of work would undoubtedly increase the strength of that student's application and better the overall chance of acceptance.
We realize that funding is a considerable issue; however, we believe the potential benefits are immense. The arts department would match the caliber of the remaining campus. Our own Nichols experiences were defined by a positive artistic development under excellent teachers. We can only imagine how much more rich that experience would have been in a first-rate facility envisioned for Moot.
Please recognize our support for this change.
Very cordially yours,
Elizabeth Demakos '05 & Kyle Winnick '05
For more information on this project, visit the Facebook page.
I am not sure there is need for more arts space in Buffalo; however, I do think this space could be an pioneering learning lab for arts/education, the likes of which is not currently offered in Buffalo.
Yeah, but would this be an arts space for Joe Schmo? Or is this an arts space specifically for the students of Nichols? If it's the latter then it doesn't really matter what else there is in Buffalo. Tell UB they didn't need a performing arts center because there are plenty in the area.
What are these students offering towards this proposal? If they aren't offering to back this expansion or any suggestion with how to fund it then what's the use and why are we reading this story. Anyone can throw out ideas. I think Nichols should open a hot air balloon factory.
Louis - Greatly appreciated points. This building would ideally serve as classrooms for Nichols students and public space for local area artists. We hope that by opening up the venue to local area artists we can inspire the minds of students beyond just the classroom, while also providing a legitimate space for artists to present their work.
At the moment we are assessing the cost of remodeling the vacant facility in conjunction with Nichols and getting an understanding of how students and alumni can contribute. Until the costs have been assessed we will not be able to provide more detail.
Regarding funding, if you are interested in donating money to the effort it would be very much appreciated: https://www.nicholsschool.org/give
As for your hot air balloon factory proposition, I am very interested. If you present the seed money I can guarantee long term profits (with an understanding that in the short term we will incur high costs in procuring talent and establishing a market presence).
LOL at your last paragraph. I appreciate your response, as I assume you are one of the individuals mentioned in the project. I didn't intend for any of my comments to be insulting. Not much can happen without money and it was only mentioned once, briefly, in the story. Also, I didn't know the building was vacant. A result, I assume, of the newly opened science building.
I'm interested in the thoughts of bringing in local area artists. Nichols is a pretty exclusive institution, it doesn't seem like the public ventures much onto campus. It seems like a fine idea, and a way for students to expand their learning, I'm just curious in what the response will be to "randoms" showing up on campus. Nichols isn't Bennet or McKinley, or even your Kenmore West or NT.