ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Staff at The Baum School of Art were all smiles Wednesday afternoon when, alongside officials, they announced $1 million in grant funding.
But Baum School Executive Director Shannon Fugate said the atmosphere was nothing like when the office got the call saying the school got the money — the first large donation to its renovation project and the first from the state in more than two decades.
"We might have screamed. We were all jumping and dancing..."Baum School Executive Director Shannon Fugate
"We might have screamed," Fugate said with a laugh. "We were all jumping and dancing..."
The project is estimated to cost $5.5 million, she said.
It will add three stories on the Southeast side of the building, expand galleries, add more classrooms and upgrades existing ones.
Other miscellaneous items need updates too, like the kiln or wash sinks in painting rooms.
"So a lot of different projects to sort of open up some new possibilities for creativity too," Fugate said. "So it's all super exciting."
Renovations could potentially add space for up to 3,000 students annually, Fugate said.
Growing enrollment
Enrollment at the school has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, both in child and adult students, but the nonprofit needs upgrades to continue to facilitate that growth, officials said.
"From winter '23 to winter '24, our adult enrollment grew by 40 percent," Fugate said. "So a lot of people are prioritizing some time for that personal, creative time. And we love that."
Last summer, the art school saw record-breaking numbers with more than 1,200 students enrolled in summer camp, she said.
Painting and ceramics classes are the most popular, Fugate said.
She said the art school is "running out of places to go." They've even had to make waitlists for their programs.
Fugate said she feels that fundraising efforts will be "so much more effective," since the first large donation came from the state.
She said the school received funding for its last capital expansion, but that was in 2001.
'The power of our partnerships'
State Sen. Nick Miller and state Rep. Josh Siegel, who helped secure the funding, presented Fugate with a mock check and spoke about the impact the LSA grant money would have on the community.
Siegel said he views the grant award as a demonstration of "the power of our partnerships." He later noted that "successful cities always have complementary assets, not competitive ones."
"It's really been a phenomenal asset. They're not just my family, but my community."State Sen. Nick Miller
"Institutions like the Baum school are vital to the cultural fabric of the Lehigh Valley and more importantly, to our efforts in Harrisburg to ensure that all students, all of our students, have access to every possible educational experience they deserve," Siegel said.
"I think there is so much to be excited about in downtown Allentown and Allentown in general. And I think sometimes the most exciting partnerships are the ones that are organic or perhaps even unexpected."
Miller shared that the announcement hit a little closer to home — he and Fugate sharing that he used to attend the art school as a child.
"It's really been a phenomenal asset," Miller said. "They're not just my family, but my community."
Fugate said construction is expected to begin this spring and wrap up by 2026 — just in time for The Baum School of Art's centennial anniversary.
"With this centennial expansion, we'll ensure that this mission continues to thrive for the next 100 years and beyond," Fugate said.
"Together, we will continue to create a legacy that will inspire and uplift our community for generations."
