CVPA Facilities Updates

As part of the University's facilities master planning efforts, UMass Dartmouth is preparing to update the College of Visual & Performing Arts (CVPA) building. While renovations to the exterior envelope of the building have been in the planning and design stage for the last two years, the abrupt withdrawal of state funds that forced the University out of downtown New Bedford created new challenges and opportunities to adapt facility offerings to meet programmatic needs. The following information and report contain long-term plans to support the College's incredible teaching, learning, and creative work.

The architects 

To envision the future of CVPA facilities, UMass Dartmouth engaged the firm of O'Neill McVoy for a programming and space study of all CVPA programs. Members of O'Neill McVoy bring substantial experience in creating stellar educational facilities for the arts, including at the renowned University of Iowa School of Art and Art History, the Glasgow School of Art, and Princeton University.

The process

During a seven-month span, O'Neill McVoy immersed themselves in CVPA to inform and refine their proposals before finalizing their report. They toured the campus and the Art & Design Studio multiple times to survey, catalog, and analyze existing spaces. Importantly, they met with many CVPA faculty individually and held two all-faculty workshops to confirm programmatic needs and solicit input on their preliminary ideas. They also conducted a benchmarking analysis against peer institutions to understand current standards for the type and size of spaces at outstanding higher education art programs.

The report

The report offers two distinct options for reorganizing the CVPA Main Building space. The main findings include:

• Underutilized space within CVPA and the Campus Center can be recaptured for programs.
• More effective teaching adjacencies and efficient use of space can be achieved through rearranging and right-sizing space for each program within the building.
• Locating programs in spaces with characteristics that match program needs leads to more effective teaching spaces and can increase course offerings.
• Bringing MFA programs on campus creates synergies between undergraduate and MFA students.
• Physical and operational consolidation of shared facilities improves access for students and faculty.
• Ongoing facility upgrades can be coordinated to improve the learning and working environment and meet UMassD's sustainability standards.

View the report (PDF)

The future

The Provost is currently reviewing and considering CVPA faculty feedback on each option and will discuss his recommendation with the Chancellor.