After several years of planning and a year and a half of construction, the Snyder Center for the Visual Arts was dedicated on May 15, 2016, following commencement. A festive crowd of trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends gathered for a few brief words and a ribbon-cutting, followed by tours of the new facility.
“This addition to the campus includes studios and two classrooms, one of which we will hold open for non-art classes,” said Tim Segar, visual arts faculty member. “This magnet classroom will insure that students from across the curriculum will enjoy this new structure and come in close contact with the work of art students.”
With a total area of nearly 14,000 square feet on three floors, the Snyder Center now stands south of South Road, behind Apple Tree, forming a small quad with the adjacent Woodward and Baber art buildings. The new building includes a gallery space, a digital media lab, welding area, ceramics studio, and sculpture studio. A welding area named for long-time professor Gib Taylor, and once part of Perrine sculpture building, was incorporated into the new structure.
The visual arts center was made possible thanks to a generous donation from loyal and long-time supporters Charlie and Sue Snyder, who were present for the ribbon-cutting (pictured right, at center, joined by Dan Cotter, director of plant and operations, former chair Dean Nicyper ’76, former president Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, President Kevin Quigley, and visual arts faculty member Tim Segar). Their son Dave, also present, is a former student at Marlboro College and their daughter-in-law Sara Coffey is a graduate and former board member. Also present was former president Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, who was instrumental in stewarding the Snyders’ generosity and supporting the vision for the arts center.
“On behalf of all the Marlboro Community, of today and tomorrow, I thank Sue and Charlie for their generous gift,” said President Kevin Quigley. “I am confident that this building will have a transformative impact on the college. I know it will be well used, providing a powerful and inspiring new locus for the visual arts on campus, and thereby significantly enriching our learning community.”
