Student to design venue for Palmer Arts Council

PALMER — Monique Caron didn’t anticipate her senior thesis project in architecture would be such a whopper.

Caron has been asked by Philip Bess, head of the graduate architecture program at the University of Notre Dame, to design a new, and somewhat complex, arts building for a small town’s art community in Alaska. She wouldn’t be paid and she has six months to complete it.

Caron was ecstatic.

Bess’ father in Palmer, Howard Bess, requested his help. He needed a student to design a new community center on a small piece of property purchased by the Palmer Arts Council (PAC).

“I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to explore the different levels and issues of design,” Caron said. “Plus, Alaska, what a bonus.”

Caron, in her fifth year and final semester at the prestigious Indiana college, has had limited background in design, having spent an entire year in Rome with her class to examine aspects of classic architecture. Regardless, she considers herself to be a modernist, a go-getter and has proven to professors and colleagues to be an architect to watch for in the future.

Caron received a short description of the PAC and a program narrative outlining the group’s wish list for its new arts building. Intrigued, she needed to see the space she was going to be working with and visit the town she’d heard had cute, hometown appeal.

Mimi Pippel, president of the PAC, and the board of directors flew Caron to Alaska and instantly bombarded her with a crash course in history on Palmer. She received a lengthy walking tour and many books, shaping Caron’s vision of Palmer as a historical landmark with a modern arts community.

“I’ve been given excellent tours from members of the city of Palmer and the arts council,” Caron said. “I know so much about Palmer now that I feel like I lived here before.”

Caron went over the program narrative and began sketching, as she was taught to do at Notre Dame.

“I’m trying to understand the relationship of spaces to accommodate the design,” she said. “Spaces seem the least important, but the flexibility is. I looked at the relationship of the building as it works on the entire block.”

Caron’s working space is limited to a 105-by-150-foot plot on Dahlia Street, small in proportion to the big vision PAC anticipates for what will happen inside the arts center.

“It is a modest site,” Caron said. “It is a challenge, but I’ll provide them with a schematic design proposal that will make it the best building possible.”

Fast growth

Two years ago, the PAC was formed under the direction of president Mimi Pippel, herself a fan of the art community and Palmer. Members would meet for coffee and organize upcoming local music, stage and art productions at the Palmer Train Depot, a building that had been previously converted into a community center.

A year later, Pippel and an active board of directors — Pat Chesbro, David Cheezem, Howard Bess and Barbara Gill — started talking about acquiring a space of their own.

“What prompted that was trying to arrange venues for performances because we were limited to the Palmer Depot,” Pippel said. “Not only is it somewhat pricey — $100 a day — setup can be tedious.”

With other organizations within the Mat-Su Valley able to use the Palmer Train Depot for events of their own, and with a mile-long list of events ready to be planned by PAC, having PAC’s own venue was the sensible answer.

“In order for us to do what we want to do, property needed to be accessible,” Pippel said.

Location was key, so Pippel and the board decided if they were to create their arts building, they needed to purchase property and start from scratch.

Pippel went to Juneau last spring and lobbied with everyone with whom she could set an appointment. Thanks in large part to the support of state Sen. Lyda Green, a bill was drafted to allot the PAC with $400,000, Pippel said. The price-tag for the lot on Dahlia Street the PAC had set its eye on was $350,000.

“It was a good start,” Pippel said. “Unfortunately, it was red-taped by the governor in her arts budget cuts. So, we basically shifted gears.”

Pippel and her board purchased the property in May, paid for by the board members.

Pippel said PAC’s vision is for Palmer to be an artistic destination in Alaska and hopes the design of the new Palmer arts community center will bring that vision to reality. Once completed, Caron will present her senior thesis project to the school of architecture at the University of Notre Dame and then return to Palmer this summer to present her vision to the community.

“I had an absolutely awesome time here,” Caron said. “The people have been so warm and inviting that I’m looking forward to coming back. I’m as excited being a part of this project as they are to see it.”

Contact J.J. Harrier at valleylife@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.