UAAS Hugh McPeck Gallery Faces Closure Amid Budget Cuts, Sparking Student Protests
Anchorage, AK – The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) is slated to close the Hugh McPeck Gallery, a space dedicated to student art for over four decades, following a series of budget cuts and declining revenue. The decision has ignited a wave of student-led activism to save the gallery, named after a beloved former UAA art professor.
A Storied History Threatened
As 2017, the Hugh McPeck Gallery has served as a vital platform for UAA art students. Its impending closure marks a significant loss for the university’s artistic community, raising concerns about the future of student art programs. The gallery, a fixture at UAA for more than 40 years, is now facing its final semester.
The university attributes the closure to financial constraints. Kim Morton, UAA’s executive director of Student Engagement, explained that the gallery “has historically been funded thru consolidated student fees, which include support for efforts to maintain an engaged community on campus through events, student organizations, student facilities and more.” However, these funds have diminished, forcing “Student Affairs leadership to make tough decisions about funding and staffing.”
This echoes a trend seen across many public universities in the U.S., where dwindling state funding and enrollment numbers force administrators to make difficult choices about resource allocation. Similar situations have occurred at institutions like the University of Vermont and California State University system, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by higher education in maintaining arts programs.
Students Fight Back: A Petition and Silent Protest
UAA’s art students and their advocates are not taking the closure lying down. A petition launched on Change.org, seeking to “save the Hugh mcpeck Gallery at UAA,” has garnered significant support, exceeding 800 signatures as of thursday afternoon.This mirrors similar online activism seen across the country, as students leverage digital platforms to voice their concerns and organize collective action.
during the opening reception for the Juried Student Art Show last week, a group of students staged a silent protest, wearing black to demonstrate their solidarity and opposition to the gallery’s closure. This form of visual protest is a common tactic used by student activists to draw attention to their cause and express their discontent.
Deborah Hansen, a UAA alumna who recently returned to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts and won the Best in Show award, emphasized the gallery’s crucial role in her artistic growth. “This is an incubator for artists,” she said. “If I hadn’t had this gallery to learn on, I wouldn’t be here.”
Hansen also expressed her disappointment in the university’s decision to close a space dedicated to the memory of Hugh McPeck, who taught at UAA beginning in 1996 until his death in 2014. “He was an amazing professor here and helped so many students,” Hansen said.”Plus he was an artist in his own right. And to close it when it was dedicated to him, is really a slap.”
the Gallery’s Impact and Alternative Perspectives
Tia Allen, a graphic design student and volleyball player who won the pottery category at the Juried Student Art Show, echoed Hansen’s sentiments. Allen’s winning piece, representing her Samoan culture, was the largest she’s ever completed. Allen expressed frustration with the closure of a facility that has been “well used” for 40 years.
“This space is so vital to so many people,” Allen stated. “it’s hard to be able to showcase your work in places, and so this being here is really a stepping stone and tool for all the artists that come to UAA.”
Kimberly Roth, a senior pursuing a Bachelor of arts degree, whose artwork focused on inclusion and identity, voiced her frustration about the lack of interaction from the university prior to the proclamation. “The first people that we heard from was our educators, not the actual school itself,” she said. “And just to kind of brush under the rug something that is so critically important is ridiculous.”
While acknowledging the difficult financial situation,students are pushing for greater transparency regarding the gallery’s operating expenses and the exploration of alternative funding models. They feel their voices haven’t been adequately heard in the decision-making process.
University Response and Future Plans
In response to student concerns, Kim Morton stated that “there are ongoing internal conversations about possibilities for staffing the space moving forward, but there is no news to share on that front at this time.”
Morton also conveyed that the university is “actively exploring additional space to display and showcase student art” and that more data would be available before the fall semester. Though, students remain skeptical, emphasizing the unique value of the Hugh McPeck Gallery as a dedicated, accessible space for student artwork.
Ashley Jones, an art student, emphasized the gallery’s importance to the broader university community. “This gallery is important to not just art students,” she said. “A lot of people in my classes, they’re not just artists. They’re psychology majors, they’re in business. This is a way for all of us to be able to come together and display our works — pieces that we’ve worked days, weeks, months, preparing.”
The Significance of Dedicated Student Art Spaces
while UAA has two other galleries on campus – the Kimura Gallery and the Arc Gallery – neither are specifically dedicated to showcasing student work. This distinction is critical, as Taylor Bailey-Parsons, a ceramics student, articulated.
“This is it,” she said, referring to the McPeck Gallery.”This is the only one, really, for the students. this is only one that I’ve ever got to show my work in, and I’ve won this juried show this time and once before.It’s just an opportunity for students to show their work to people that walk in off the street. Anyone could see it.”
The accessibility and visibility of the Hugh McPeck Gallery,located in the Student Union,contribute significantly to its value as a platform for emerging artists. Its closure would leave a void that alternative spaces, such as the Kimura Gallery which focuses on guest artists, cannot fill.
Budget Cuts Impacting Universities Nationwide
The situation at UAA mirrors a broader trend of budget cuts impacting arts programs at universities across the united States. Public institutions, particularly, are grappling with declining state funding and enrollment challenges, resulting in difficult decisions about resource allocation. The following table provides a snapshot of recent budget cuts affecting university arts programs:
| University | State | Program Affected | Details of Cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vermont | Vermont | Arts and Sciences | Elimination of several faculty positions in the arts and humanities due to budget constraints. |
| California state University System | California | Various Art departments | System-wide reductions in arts funding, leading to course cancellations and program restructuring. |
| University of Wisconsin System | Wisconsin | Fine Arts Programs | significant budget cuts have resulted in faculty layoffs and reduced course offerings. |
The Broader Implications for Arts Education
The potential closure of the Hugh McPeck gallery raises critical questions about the value placed on arts education within higher education. as Ashley Jones pointed out, art programs enrich the university experience for students from diverse academic backgrounds. They foster creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills that are valuable in a wide range of professions. Cutting funding for these programs sends a concerning message about the priorities of universities and their commitment to providing a well-rounded education. Preserving spaces like the Hugh McPeck Gallery is essential for nurturing the next generation of artists and ensuring that the arts continue to thrive within the U.S.
