CSUMB Magazine
New Home for Liberal Arts
Published on Dec. 20, 2019
Achieving another milestone in our comprehensive master plan, CSUMB officially opened the doors to the new home of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 11, 2019.
With the new building, we have redoubled our dedication to faculty, staff, students and our community partners in a signature space that invites innovation and collaboration."— CAHSS Dean Ilene Feinman
“(The building) was designed to function as the heart of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and it’s set up in such a way that the shared spaces are built to engage visitors and become the hub of the college,” CAHSS Dean Ilene Feinman said.
The $40 million, 48,000-square-foot CAHSS building is located on Divarty Street next to the Gambord Business and Information Technology Building. Built to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards, it features an art gallery, amphitheater, and a 200-seat film screening and lecture hall.
“With the new building, we have redoubled our dedication to faculty, staff, students and our community partners in a signature space that invites innovation and collaboration.”
The mural “Skylight: Transmission of Knowledge/Windows to Justice” painted by CSUMB Professor Emerita Johanna Poethig graces the main entrance of the building. University Corporation and Roxana “Rocky” Ruth Earley Keland, a member of the first graduating class of the Visual and Public Art (VPA) department, provided major funding for the mural.
Keland, an unwavering supporter of VPA, died on March 3, 2019. To honor her memory, the building’s VPA Art Gallery opened with “Quintessence,” an exhibit of photographs representing her final body of work.
The building’s RND Amphitheater is named for donor Robert Nathan Danziger. His gift supported a new CSUMB and Monterey Jazz Festival partnership launched in March 2018 to provide a series of jazz education activities.