Dear Members of the Salem State Community,
As part of a university-wide effort to reduce expenses as we face a challenging resource limited environment in the coming years, Salem State must reduce its lease and operating expenses, including those expenses associated with the Enterprise Center. It is therefore, with deep regret that I must inform you that when the Glassworks Studio lease expires on June 30, 2021, it will not be renewed.
The Glassworks Studio was founded in 2005 as a result of a generous grant from philanthropists Ira and Judy Rosenberg. The subsequently-established Rosenberg Institute for Passionate and Emerging Artists brought four national and international glass artists to campus each summer since 2013. During each four-week residency the studio was also open for the community to experience. The university hopes to find a permanent home for its large collection of unique works of glass art acquired through the annual residency program.
The glassblowing courses scheduled for fall 2020 will be taught, and glassblowing courses will be scheduled for spring 2021, after which the university can no longer afford to continue offering glassblowing courses. The weeks between May 17 and June 30, 2021 will be used to vacate the space in preparation to return the facility to the Enterprise Center.
Any attendant adjustments to the curricular offerings in the Art + Design Department impacted by the closure of the Glassworks Studio will be made during academic year 2020-21 following all shared governance policies and procedures.
I can appreciate the disappointment that this news will precipitate, not only within the Art + Design Department but among those who have supported SSU’s glassblowing program, including the many students who presented a petition on this matter earlier this academic year. As powerful an experience as glassblowing has been to those who have had the privilege of working in the studio, the high cost of delivering such instruction makes it difficult to maintain an investment in the space. I am hopeful that in providing notification today of the studio’s future, the Art + Design Department will have sufficient time to make any necessary adjustments to future course schedules and associated curriculum.
I recognize that closure of the glassblowing studio marks the end of a unique era at Salem State. I am hopeful that the students and artists who have had the opportunity to create works of art in glass will carry their experiences with them always.
Sincerely,
David J. Silva, Ph.D.
Provost and Academic Vice President