"We wanted to make a place where STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) can meet the arts," said Calhoun Community College Dean of Fine Arts and Executive Director of the Alabama Center for the Arts (ACA) Kim Parker. "A lot of the time we're very focused on, 'This is the degree, and these are the classes that are in it,' and we don't realize that a lot of the times that tech and art, they hold hands."
Parker said they are combining three areas that are currently at Calhoun and making a new degree, Design Innovations. The new program will include classes in the arts, computer systems information and additive manufacturing.
"Students are going to get some coding and things like that, but they're also going to get 3D printing, how to draw plans for architecture," Parker said. "What those previously technical-only classes gave the students, they weren't getting the artsy background. Similarly, with our art students, they aren't always getting those super-technical courses.
"So, we thought, by combining these three things, we're exposing them to a lot more skill sets than they were getting previously."
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, who helped obtain funding for the center, said students will be able to create art in a non-traditional way with computers.
"It will add a unique component to the ACA offerings by using technology to help students learn skills related to that technology, such as animation, digital art, design and similar type programs," he said.
The STEAM Imagination Center will be in the 10,000-square-foot former Eyster Key law firm building located at 402 E. Moulton St., on the corner of Fourth Avenue Northeast. Orr said the building was purchased by the Alabama Community College System, which still owns the building, about two and a half years ago for about $900,000. He said the $3.2 million for renovations was secured during last year's legislative session.
Parker said demolition inside the building was completed at the end of 2023.
"Basically, we just gutted the building," she said. "The inside of the building had a lot of small offices and stuff like that, so they just got rid of all of that and made it completely open so that we can go in and put the spaces we need."
Parker said they are currently signing the contracts to begin the renovations. She said work will start soon, perhaps this month.
"The building's going to contain one large fabrication lab, and then a smaller fabrication classroom area," Parker said. "We're going to have some high-speed computer labs. ... We can do 3D modeling and animation, and that's what will take place in those labs for now."
There will also be flexible spaces, Parker said, for students to give presentations.
"The rooms are going to be modular so that we can move the furniture around and do setups for them to be able to do project pitches and maybe have mock presentations to give them practice for doing pitches for clients and things like that," she said.
Calhoun President Jimmy Hodges said the the new program is a significant addition to the ACA.
"We visited the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, to take a look at what they've done to build a successful arts college," Hodges said. "We're attempting to incorporate some of those ideas into the ACA and we believe the new offerings will be a draw.
"We'd like to be the premier arts college for our region and without a doubt we're headed in the right direction."
©2024 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
