The University of Guam’s Fine Arts building continues to deteriorate and is in dire need of repairs.
While it is included in UOG’s Vision 2025 Master Plan, a list that identifies buildings considered as priorities for construction or renovation, the Fine Arts building sits at third on the list. Ahead of it are the Student Success Center and Engineering Science Annex and Triton Engagement Center.
The Fine Arts facility houses the University’s programs in 2D and 3D art, music, and theater. The building lacks some necessary materials, adequate space, and a decent elevator for its students to use.
UOG Art Professor Lewis Rifkowitz, who has been teaching at UOG for about 30 years, said the facility was number one on the priority list in 1989 but has gone down to number three as the years passed.
Just recently, air conditioners were installed in Rifkowitz’s classroom. Wooden lockers located outside of Rifkowitz’s classroom, which infested with termites, were removed and replaced with metal lockers. Rifkowitz has also had to dig deep in his own pockets every semester to buy any supplies needed for the students to use.
“There’s only so much I can do in that situation,” Rifkowitz said. “For me, it’s students first and I just want them to have a great experience.”
Space has always been one of the facility’s limitations, as new studio and sculpture spaces are needed. Currently, the facility only has one 3D space and three 2D spaces for their photography lab, print studio, and painting studio.
According to Vice President of Admissions and Finance Randall Wiegand, funds for the University are tight due to the Trump tax cuts, leaving UOG $5 million short.
“The University is aware that the Fine Arts building continues to face complications but we’re caught in this dilemma of the elevator,” Wiegand said.
The University is working on a loan application for a new Fine Arts facility but the question remains to either put $500,000 into a new elevator or if it is more frugal to wait to take down the facility entirely in 2-3 years and build a brand new one.
Rifkowitz believes that if the University builds a state-of-the-art theatre, performance space for music and gallery, in addition to having classroom studios, this would attract more visiting artists, performers, musicians, theater groups, and dance groups to use the space.
“We’ve been languishing as having an art building, or any maintenance happen. It’s only when students complain that action is taken towards the building,” Rifkowitz said.