If you’ve been at Westtown for some time, then you may remember the South Lawn from last school year. It was a big open field near the Art Center where students could hang out when the weather was nice. It also featured a tree that many students found iconic to climb and be around. This year however, the entire field is closed off due to construction, and the captivating tree has been cut down. This is because the entire Arts Center is being renovated, all according to the plan of a major project that began even before major construction that we see today.
“There were some problems with the space: There was no air conditioning, It wasn’t very well maintained, and it was really outdated, said Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Teacher Alex Ates. “So they started a three-phase renovation.”
Teacher Alex continued by explaining that the ceramics and band rooms were originally renovated in 2019, followed by the Barton-Test Theater in 2022. The third phase of this renovation is meant to expand the lobby of the theater to connect to other gallery spaces. In order to do this, many structures have to be taken apart, space has to be created by digging through the ground.
As a teacher who spends lots of time in the Art Center, Teacher Alex’s work is heavily affected by this construction, as the Art Center spaces are much more reserved and restricted compared with last year.
“It’s difficult trying to write the program in tandem with major renovations,” Teacher Alex said.“But what’s really good is that we get to maintain our program, because there’s as little disruptions as possible.”
Teacher Alex was referring to the movement of many art classes to the Science Center, along with other locations in order to make the Arts Center less crowded and easier to work in. Other students and faculty have also shared their opinion and experiences related to the Art Center.
“I think it’s gonna be great, said Teacher Justin Baker. “During the beginning of the year it turned everything upside down a little bit, but they have their protocols in place so we can operate as normal as possible.”
Baker also explained how the construction used to block exits, making it hard to enter and leave. Fortunately, this issue has been better resolved as the year continued. “It’s cool that the art center is getting renovated,” Baker said.
“It’s a new space and I’m excited for that when it gets there,” said Nick Fabricatore ’25. “The in-between time is not super awesome, my room is like right outside and it hasn’t been so bad recently, but I used to get woken up by the construction and hear it throughout the day.”
Fabricatore, an avid artist, continued to explain that, although there are minor setbacks to the construction, they are mostly outweighed by the idea of having a brand new Art Center.
“I feel pretty good about it,” said Will Bradley ’25 regarding the rennovation. “It doesn’t really affect me day to day, and I feel like we’ve done a good job at working around the difficulties with it.” Bradley is a member of Scenic Art Design (SAD). Similar to Teacher Alex, Bradley continued to describe how his work in the theater is benefitted by the construction, as other students do not often enter and interfere.
Senior students also gave their remarks on the construction, with Tim Gatto ’24 claiming that he is “excited to see the improvements in the rest of the building.”
“At the moment, the longer pathways into the building can be frustrating, especially with the effects on the theater,” Gatto noted. “The lobby to the theater being under construction makes the musicals, plays, and assemblies more of a hassle to set up, and getting people settled into the space takes longer.”
Lily Diamond ’24, noted that the construction is “essential for the growth of our arts program.” Unfortunately, she expressed sadness about the disruptiveness: “However I am a bit hurt that it’s happening during my senior year, because the construction has made it more difficult to enjoy my time in the art center.”
Overall, students and faculty are mostly excited by the idea of a new Art Center, even if the construction process creates temporary problems.
