Sisson Art Gallery renovation nears completion for a fall reopening

Steve Glazer standing in the middle of the gallery with his arms outstretched.

HFC Faculty Chair of Fine and Performing Arts Steve Glazer stands under the newly-installed LED lights of the Sisson Art Gallery, which has being undergoing major repairs and renovations since early 2023.

The long-awaited renovations, upgrades, and repairs on the HFC Sisson Art Gallery are nearing completion. The gallery is schedule to reopen during the Fall 2023 semester.

“It’s nearly finished,” said HFC Faculty Chair of Fine and Performing Arts Steve Glazer, who is overseeing the project.

In early 2020, the Technology Investment Fund (TIF) Committee approved a TIF proposal to update and repair the Sisson, which is on the first floor of the MacKenzie Fine Arts Center (Bldg. F) on the main campus. Before the TIF proposal could be approved by the Board of Trustees, the coronavirus pandemic effectively shut down operations.

In late 2022, the Board approved the TIF proposal. Work began on the Sisson in January 2023. The last major exhibition in Sisson was in February 2020.

How will it be different?

Some of the renovations and upgrades to the gallery include:

Replaced carpeted floors with polished concrete
Installed new LED lights and track lighting
Covered the walls with a blue-gray carpeting
Removed and replaced metal slats over the sunken area of the ceiling
Added an upper border around the area of the gallery with raised ceiling
Added a projector and a pull-down screen to display contemporary digital artwork
Installed a computer station

“I can’t wait to see the finished product,” said Glazer. “I can’t wait to start putting on exhibitions again.”

The Sisson has showcased the artistry of student and professional artists since it opened in 1979.

“An overhaul was long overdue,” said Glazer. “I’m grateful the TIF Committee allocated the money to facilitate these repairs.”

Showcasing professional artists from all over the world, right on campus

An exact date for the reopening hasn’t been determined. Opening exhibitions are likely to be small. Glazer is hard at work on the 2024 schedule. He is working on several exhibitions in the Winter 2024 semester.

Once Sisson is open again, one of Glazer’s goals is to host at least one exhibition per year to showcase artists from outside Metro Detroit or outside Michigan. He would like to have a faculty exhibition that showcases the artwork of HFC faculty and the artwork of faculty at 4-year colleges and universities.

“Most students don’t go to professional art galleries, so they don’t get to see such amazing artistry and what a professional exhibition looks like,” said Glazer. “Exhibiting artwork at Sisson not only exposes them to artwork from professional artists from all over the world, but also their peers. They get to see their peers’ artwork finished and gallery-ready. It’s an honor being part of the annual Student Art Show in Sisson. I have a feeling it’ll be back with a vengeance once Sisson reopens.”