Since major construction projects, like ventilation and running water, have been completed in Art Park West, students are diving into art classes in an attempt to make up for time lost during construction delays. However, most classes are still waiting for smaller projects to reach completion before they can return to business as usual.

Art classes, including those in ceramics, were moved to Art Park West in the former Booth West building this semester during the expansion and renovation of the Doudna Fine Art Center, set for completion in 2005. The building was not finished when classes started and many classes were set behind schedule.

Ceramics students are trudging ahead in class, but minor construction projects within the ceramics classrooms still need to be completed and further delays may hinder students learning once again, said Dwain Naragon, a ceramics professor.

Ceramics students’ classwork consists of sculpting and molding vases, bowls and other creations. Students start with a mound of clay, mold it and then bisque, a process that heats the clay and dries it. The bisque process happens in electric kilns. Then, students glaze their sculptures and do a second firing in a gas kiln. The second firing allows glaze to melt into a glass state.

Most students have been hard at work molding

and sculpting, but they cannot take projects past

the sculpting stage because the five electrical kilns have not been hooked up, and two needed gas kilns have not been built, Naragon said.

Glenn Hild, chair of the art department, said contractors and ceramics faculty hoped to have the gas kilns finished by Oct. 21. However, the landlord of Art Park West and administrators have not decided who should be financially responsible for the kilns which is causing delays.

If the landlord builds the kiln and the added needed equipment, the process will take much less time then if the university has to pay for it. The university would have to take bids and find a contractor before construction could begin, but landlords would not have to go through that process.

“When you negotiate things, they don’t necessarily go as quickly,” Hild said.

The two gas kilns need to be built outside and surrounded by a tin shed for ventilation and safety purposes. Naragon said he expected contractors to build the shed a few feet from the Art Park West building, pour a layer of cement to hold the kilns and bring in a propane gas tank.

Naragon said he has already ordered several signs to post, warning students and others of the gas hazard.

“We are trying to be as conscientious about safety as possible,” he said.

Once the cement, gas plumbing and shed are in place, Naragon said he and his students will build the gas kilns. Assembling the kilns will a take week, but act as a valuable learning experience for students, allowing them to get a hands on understanding of how the machines work.

“We’ll be able to (build the kiln) from scratch, and students will be able to see what the process is,” he said.

Hild said he did not know what party would take responsibility for the gas kilns yet.

Naragon said he knew an outside contractor priced the metal sheds and he passed the expected costs to Jim Johnson, dean of arts and humanities.

“I haven’t heard anything since,” Naragon said.

Crews started working on the five electrical kilns last Friday, drilling a hole in the wall for ventilation and assembling parts. Naragon said he hoped crews would be finished by this Friday.

The delay has not affected regular students yet, he said, but if students cannot have access to the equipment by the end of the first week of November, it will start to cause major problems.

“Most students are where they should be right now,” he said. “Pretty soon, if we don’t get things hooked up, it’s gong to be a problem for all the students.”

However, he said advanced students may already be suffering academically.

“Advanced people really need to have access to the equipment as the semester goes on,” he said.

Hild said delays in finishing the electrical kilns may be attributed to the fact the contractor prefers to work on Fridays, otherwise teachers and students complain about noise.

Other than the kilns delay, Naragon said he was happy with his new classroom in Art Park West. The space offers more shelving space, using recycled shelves from the music department.

“We’ll be in great shape after (the kilns are finished),” he said.