Due to a lack of academic space on the NIU campus, graduate art students who previously worked in Altgeld Hall art studios now must travel to the Art Annex in Sycamore.

“We were told that this (Altgeld) was our temporary space,” said Carl Hayano, graduate art director.

“There has been a plan for many months to move them out,” said Tony Fusaro, assistant provost for budget and space. Students were moved from Altgeld because of a space shortage and recommendations from safety officers about Altgeld, he said.

Since the closing of the art space in Altgeld, students have experienced problems getting transportation to the Art Annex. The Sycamore annex is a 30-minute bus ride from the NIU campus, he said.

Hayano said he hopes art students who don’t have transportation to Sycamore can utilize space on campus. “The bottom level of Still Hall and Still Gym has been assigned space,” Fusaro said.

Hayano said this space can be used by graduate art students. He said he has received no complaints from students about the move to the Art Annex.

“I didn’t mind giving up Altgeld. We need to use Altgeld for other things. NIU doesn’t have enough space for academic units,” Fusaro said. Altgeld was not built for studios, he said.

Fusaro said NIU expansion without appropriate space is the reason for the lack of space available to art students.

Graduate students working in Altgeld voiced several opinions about the closure and the new Art Annex.

Julie Belanger, graduate art student, said, “the lighting and air was bad” in Altgeld. The building was “frightening” at night and the security was poor, she said.

Belanger said the Art Annex “has much better security (than Altgeld) and you’ve got your own space with your own lock.” The annex provides a better atmosphere for artists to do their work, she said.

“It is a big hassle for students on campus when they have to bring their things off campus because most of their (art) critiques are off campus,” said Otis Richardson, a graduate art student. Most art instructors are unwilling to drive to Sycamore to critique students’ work, Richardson said.

Richardson, who said he does not have transportation to the Sycamore annex, is able to get space in Still Hall to do his work. He said the Still Hall space is “better and more secure.” He said the campus space is private and he is glad it is located on campus.

Hayano said most students are happy with the new space. “We still need on-campus space,” he said.

Besides housing graduate students, the Art Annex houses faculty and is a storage area for the theater department.