Art Department has designs on Longfellow

By Jenni Beaver–Longfellow Elementary School was recently acquired by Morningside College, and the decision wasn’t spur-of-the-moment.

Provost Bill Deeds says, “We became aware that Longfellow might be available for sale a long time ago. We’ve used it for temporary things in the meantime. So we’ve always been interested in it.”

While the building itself will be of use to Morningside for now, Deeds says it isn’t the brick and concrete that holds value. “From a college point of view it’s more valuable to us from a piece of land point of view and not so much the building… we also didn’t want a bad neighbor.”

Instead of letting the building sit empty, Morningside acquired it for various uses. Deeds says several queries have come across his desk. The marching band is interested and the track and field team may be taking over some space as well. However, it’s Morningside’s art department that has nailed down a use for five of the classrooms.

Professor Terri McGaffin says the rooms will allow the department to expand in ways the Annex never did. “When students in our photography program or class want a certain atmosphere for their photographs, it’s good for them to have control of the light.”

While the Annex has been a good place for taking photos, the rooms are too small for students to work in groups and achieve the perfect environment for their shots. Longfellow will allow spaces for white-walled and black-walled photography studios. It will also have space for motion photography, product photography, and bonus spaces for laying matte and preparing photos for student presentations.

“Longfellow will allow students to experiment and work together and create,” said McGaffin.

While Morningside hasn’t figured out what will happen to Longfellow for the long-term, it will be a happy home for art students to create anything they desire.