$8,000 in new furniture and speakers for Arts Lounge

By Scott Strasser, August 7, 2014 —

Arts students will enjoy a refurbished Arts Lounge in the fall with the space set to receive $8,000 in new furniture this August.

Plans include adding more sofas, coffee tables, book shelves, student art and a new sound system.

The Arts Lounge opened in Feb. 2013 on the first floor of the Social Sciences building. These are the first upgrades to the space.

Students’ Union arts representative Kirsty McGowan said the upgrades will make the space more hang-out friendly.

“The whole purpose of the Arts Lounge is to create a sense of community within the faculty,” McGowan said. “We want arts students to feel valued by having this space and right now, we feel it’s under-utilized.”

McGowan hopes the new speaker system will encourage students and clubs to host movie screenings and live music events in the Arts Lounge.

“I know a lot of clubs had talent shows in the lounge last year, so a sound system will make the space better for events like that,” McGowan said.

Fourth-year history student Melissa Glass said she supports the upgrades.

“Obviously it’s nice to have more amenities for students to enjoy,” Glass said. “Especially arts students, who often seem overlooked.”

The Arts Lounge will remain open during the renovations.

The funding comes from a Quality Money grant and the faculty of arts.