Starting next year, Osborn Hall will be an arts live-in community for students involved in Fine Arts First-Year Seminars (FYSem).

The idea to turn Osborn into an arts residence hall is an expansion of the Artspace, a current resource that provides donated art supplies and musical instruments to all Hamline students free of charge. Created in Fall 2017, the space serves as a place for all students to engage in creativity regardless of their major.

Administrator for Fine Arts and Art History Professor Aida Audeh initiated the idea for Fine-Arts housing with Assistant Dean of Students Javier Gutierrez. The two have been working with Director of Academic Advising, Katie Adams, to officially turn Osborn into a full-fledged residential art community. Professor Audeh says the proposal to revamp Osborn Hall was influenced by the success of Artspace.

“The idea for creating arts themed housing goes back to the creation of ArtSpace in Osborn Res Hall in Fall 2017 as a place for students to create art and music,” Audeh stated in an email interview.

Students interested in art who are not in these FYSems can still find a place in the Arts Living Community. Interests could range digital media arts, traditional and performance art.

“Fine Arts FYSem students will have first choice at selecting Osborn as an arts community, then other students interested in the arts can opt in to Osborn as well.”

Priority housing will be given to these FYSems, but the option is open to all students who want to live in a creative environment.

Audeh says these Fine Art FYSems will include Art History, taught by Audeh, Studio Arts, taught by Professor Allison Baker, Music, taught by Professor George Chu, Theatre, taught by Professor William Wallace, and Studio Arts, taught by Professor Andrew Wykes. Students in these FYSems will share guest speakers and other activities as a community through the course of the semester.

“It started as a test run on one floor with the request coming from Professor Auda,” Gutierrez said. “We met and talked about being able to expand the option to more students and include more FYSEMS.”

Gutierrez says ideas such as this are often discussed a year in advance in order to make sure the option is available to both new and incoming students. In regards to special interest floors, the “pros and cons, logistics and limitations” must be discussed before any decisions can be made.

The Osborn Arts Live in Community will begin Fall 2018, and students can contact Residential Life as more details become available.