The Capital City Weekly recently did a great article on UAS' blossoming art department, which brings to mind a question we've been pondering - why, with so many art students and in such an artistic community, is there no permanent student art gallery at UAS?

Currently there's a ceramics display in the hallway between the Soboleff and Hendrickson building. Picturesque, yes. Accessible, yes. Permanent no.

In past years, student artwork has been displayed in the Lake room adjacent to the cafeteria for maybe a day or two before it had to be taken down.

Now, that room is not even accessible to students as it's been integrated with the cafeteria.

Other areas of the school have tried to step up to the challenge. the Bookstore is starting first Friday exhibits which currently feature Robin Walz but over the summer also featured the artwork of Elise Tomlinson.

And The Beatniks, UAS' English club, are working with the REC Center to put on a student art show there later this semester.

So why no art gallery in the main group of buildings?

Space really isn't an issue. If the University really wanted to, it could find space for a student art gallery that we can also be proud of.

Take for example the Fireweed room, the room on the side of the cafeteria that was just renovated. What is it used for? Most of the time, to hold air. Occasionally a group like Study Away will have an event there or there will be a meeting in the room, but that shouldn't stop the room from having a fulltime purpose.

A permanent student gallery doesn't have to be completely dedicated to art or even always be in the same place. Just because there's art in a room doesn't mean you can't have class there or use it to conduct your meetings. And even if the gallery rotated between different rooms as availability necessitated, there would still be a constant art gallery.

Would it really be so difficult to find a space that could hold student works?

The Bookstore has the right idea. First Fridays are an integral part of the art scene in Juneau and so far they've been dominated by the downtown area.

It's time for UAS stake it's claim as a new artistic hub in this town, not only by generating new artists but by displaying them.