IW’s Art and Digital Media Design department moves into new, ‘professional’ space Ribbon cutting for Hershey West held Tuesday

Hardika Kashyap, a freshman at Iowa Wesleyan University studying Art and Digital Media Design, is looking forward to continuing her studies at the department's new location at Hershey West.

'It's very nice to be in a room meant for students,” Kashyap said. 'Here, we feel appreciated, and students perform better in the new space.”

The department held a ribbon cutting for their new space on Tuesday, Feb. 19. They moved from Hershey Hall, which has heating, cooling and plumbing problems, to the open classrooms at Hershey West, on the corner of West Pearl and North Jackson streets, for the spring semester.

'Art is everything,” Kashyap continued. 'It's my stress relief, past-time, passion. I want to make it my career.”

IW President Steve Titus said last summer the university asked themselves what they can do to create a better work environment for their faculty and students in the Art and Digital Media Design department.

Hershey West was formerly rented out by an outside nonprofit that moved out of the building in 2017, opening up the space for the Art and Digital Media Design department.

Titus said the university will continue to care for Hershey Hall until they decide how to repurpose the historical building. There is currently no one using the Hershey Hall building.

Ann Klingensmith, professor of art at IW, said Hershey West has been a labor of love. Klingensmith said it's nice to be in a building where there is heat and air control and water control.

Dewayne Frazier, dean of IW, said moving the Art and Digital Media Design department from Hershey Hall to Hershey West was 'cost-neutral.” Frazier said the money they saved by moving out of Hershey Hall, a building that was difficult to heat, basically covered the cost of the renovations and move to Hershey West.

Jazmin Rodriguez and Frais Lopez, sophomores at IW, were helping visitors paint coasters to take home with them. Rodriguez and Lopez used linoleum, which they had carved themselves, to put the prints on the coasters.

'We keep getting compliments and most people don't know it's our art,” Lopez said.

Josh McPherson, a senior Art and Digital Media Design student, said while he will always have fond memories of Hershey Hall, Hershey West is more climate- controlled and comfortable.

'Everyone says (Hershey Hall) is haunted, but I've been there for so many late nights, you couldn't scare me,” McPherson said, reminiscing. 'There are a few bats,” he added.

James Barnett, a junior digital media design student, was at the open house talking about his artwork. Barnett said after graduation, he would like to be a graphic designer for a corporation.

From a young age, Barnett was interested in art, making fake magazines for his friends.

'It's a good outlet to clear your mind, focusing on art and taking a break from reality,” Barnett said.

Barnett said the old building, Hershey Hall, felt like it was going to 'fall down” on them someday. Now working in Hershey West, Barnett said he is more comfortable, and he feels safer.

Dhasan Shrestha, a junior digital media design student, said the old building has a lot of historical value, but was not well maintained.

Shrestha stood in the department's new hall during the open house talking about his oil and canvas landscape painting, which was one of many artwork decorating the new space.

'It feels more professional in here. It's not messy,” Shrestha said of Hershey West.