Red Schoolhouse Becomes Art Centre
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Volume 24 Number 38 80 11 06 Red schoolhouse becomes Art Centre The little red schoolhouse at the corner of Today, Sir William would be impressed. Gordon Street and College Avenue becomes Although renovations have been achieved on the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Friday, what the Centres director, Judith Nasby, November 7. Ontarios premier, William describes as "a tight budget," facilities are Davis, and the president of the Macdonald ideal for housing and displaying the finest Stewart Foundation, David Macdonald Stewart, international exhibits, and she points with will take part in opening ceremonies. pride to the Raymond Moriyama touches If Sir William Macdonald, the buildings which have produced an interior of quiet, original benefactor, is there in spirit he may understated elegance. find the occasion more to his taste than one he In transforming the old school into a attended in 1904. Back then, Sir William drove modern art gallery, architect Moriyama has up College Hill from the railway station to shown restraint: the neo-classical facade has open the building as Macdonald Consolidated been restored, the original roof-line maintain- School, one of six such schools he endowed in ed and the exterior wood trim repaired. Eastern Canada. But when he saw the schools But there are surprises, too. Inside, the plain exterior, he refused to alight from his old stairwell has been opened up beyond the carriage. He left Guelph two hours later, entrance gallery to rise a full three storeys, never to return. Sir William was unhappy and two old windows near the roof have been about modifications made to the buildings joined into one arched window that floods the design without his knowledge — modifications entire shaft with light. made necessary because the trustees underesti- Ivory-white display walls are hung on mated costs and corners had to be cut. exterior walls, furthering the illusion of airy lightness, and on the third floor, the dips and slopes in the original ceiling have been repeated in the top edge of the hanging walls, creating a First diploma in applied statistics pleasing effect. The hanging wall has practi- Guelph has become the first Ontario university ing company, but who finds himself weak in cal as well as aesthetic value as it acts as a to offer an undergraduate program leading to statistics and hopes to become a biostatisti- buffer, along with the installed vapor barriers, a diploma in applied statistics. The program is cian, and a person in the data analysis section between the art works and the main exterior expected to have appeal to people in industry, of a chemical company who simply has promo- walls of the building. in government jobs or to those who are seek- tion on his mind. The program is also ideal Silver disks set into the mottled grey ing to upgrade their value in the workplace. for students who complete undergraduate carpeting turn out to be electrical outlets for Devised and taught by faculty in the programs in other areas and who wish to standing displays; arched doorways and arched Department of Mathematics and Statistics in obtain statistical skills before entering the windows in interior walls give unexpected and co-operation with the University School of job market. dramatic glimpses into other areas of the Part-time Studies and Continuing Education, gallery. Two large, portable display walls do The diploma program, which is open to the program gives students a technical rather double duty as coat racks on their reverse anyone who has taken an introductory course than a theoretical competence in the use and sides, and the attendants desk in the entrance in calculus, consists of 10 courses. The first application of statistics. It is designed for gallery, complete with alarm and control four — Elements of Calculus II (63-208), those whose area of expertise is not in mathe- system, looks like a piece of modern sculpture. Applied Matrix Algebra (63-215), Statistical matics and statistics, but who feel the need to Methods 1 (89-200) and Statistical Methods II be able to use modern statistical techniques. 1904 Not Forgotten (89-320) or equivalent courses — are obliga- Diploma students can choose to com- tory. Students then complete their require- But if the gallery interior is modern, the plete their course requirements in less than a ments by choosing six from a list of 12 others. 1904 personality of the old school has not year or, over a period of years. Such flexibility been forgotten. The pinky tones of the practi- makes the program ideal for a number of For further information contact Richard cal, rubber floor in the entrance-way echo people in different situations. Examples are: Leavens, Part-time Studies, Ext. 3494, or those of the exterior brickwork. The interior the employee who takes several courses a year Professor John Hubert, Mathematics and brick walls of the additional wings containing at his companys expense; the honors wild- Statistics, Departmental co-ordinator of the life biology graduate employed by a consult- program, Ext. 3136.q Continued on page 2. Art Centre Continued from page 1. mechanical space and stairs have been left from the Centres permanent collection repre- exposed — a warm contrast to the ivory-white sents 200 years of Canadian art. It will be on Meeting of October 30, 1980 elsewhere. A broad, unpainted wood lintel view until January 11, 1981. Children and A detailed accounting of the Universitys financial over the stairway exits and an arch in the adults alike may also be interested in a slide/ position as of April 30, 1980,was provided to the Board at their recent meeting. The financial state- grey carpet, as it meets the russet-toned stair sound presentation, "Anatomy of a Childrens ments indicated a small operating deficit of $122,000. carpet, tell visitors, not only that they have left Tour," created by assistant curator, Lynn The Board also approved Guelphs budget strategy the gallery, but remind them of the build- Barbeau, which introduces younger visitors for 1981-1982. President Donald Forster explained at ings vintage. to the artistic terms they will encounter on a Mondays information session that there will be no tour. Accents of "Adam pink" as Mrs. Nasby further cuts in the budget base for the next fiscal year, Notices of other events at the Centre describes it, color the stair rails and the third but the Universitys $3.9 million reserves will have to this month appear in "Next Week at Guelph." q be used to buttress the operating budget. He added floor office ceiling, from which the schools that a University planning committee will be busy over original 1904 acorn lamps hang on refurbished Tour guide training the next year working out an overall system of pri- chains. Two of the old school pedestal foun- orities for this University for the remainder of the tains have also been restored, and an especial- An important part of the art education 1980s. "All universities will have to put their houses ly elegant touch is a brass handrail on the program at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre in order," he said. "Its inevitable unless the level of stairs. will be the tours of exhibitions offered to funding to universities is increased significantly." various groups. A People Place University Centre Specially trained volunteer tour guides The University Centres financial statements and its Since it is to be a people place, flexibility will be conducting these tours. The guides annual report for 1979-1980 were also approved by the and usefulness have been priorities in design- will have the opportunity to lead tours for Board. The Centre ended the year in a reasonably ing the Centre, according to the director. primary students, secondary students and healthy state. However, the President said that the Offices, board room, gallery lounge and adults, and will learn the various approaches Centres reserves will have to be used up for replace- kitchen occupy the third floor. On the second, for the needs of each group. ments and renovations. the lecture room has movable seats and one Tour-guide training will begin at the Capital Projects wall treated to act as a screen for audio-visual introductory meeting Wednesday, November The Macdonald Stewart Community Art Centre is presentations, while the studio down the hall 12 at 2 p.m. in the lecture room at the Art completed and Guelphs Chancellor, Dr. Pauline Mc- has a "feelie board" of textures for children Centre, when there will be an explanation of Gibbon, will represent the University at the official and a large bin of cushions in the corner for the schedule and requirements. opening ceremonies November 7. (See story on front their use. The flooring and facilities in both All those interested are invited to attend page.) The bio-control laboratory for the Department rooms allow for all kinds of activity. this initial meeting. For further information, of Environmental Biology is expected to be completed On the ground floor, final preparations telephone Lynn Barbeau, 837-0010. q by November 15. The building will be officially open- ed in January. Construction has begun on the renova- are in progress for a large gallery gift shop tions to the Gross Anatomy area in the OVC. This is which will be staffed by volunteers and offer a expected to be completed by the end of January. wide selection of items and an art rental Student referendum Design work is also in progress on the Land Resource service. Science extension. University of Guelph students go to the polls Outside, a newly created and landscaped November 17, 18, 19 and 20 to vote in a Other Business bourn cuts out traffic noise and provides a referendum seeking financial support from President Forster also reported to the Board on the secluded, shady spot under the trees for a students for the proposed athletics facilities.