What is the Sculpture Lab?

The Sculpture Lab is a shared workspace, used by undergraduates actively enrolled in sculpture courses, graduate students, and faculty. All users are required to adhere to the following policies and guidelines in order to use this space safely. Failure to follow these may result in loss of lab privileges. For a list of rooms and room numbers that are included in the Sculpture Lab, click here. For a list of machinery and equipment included in the Sculpture Lab, click here.

Cleanliness

Leaving your workspace better than you found it is the key to any communal space, and it fosters a culture of care towards fellow artists and stewardship for the spaces that foster art making. Return all tools, equipment, and materials to their proper locations immediately after use. Clean your workspace and contribute to the general upkeep of the lab. Discard unwanted materials and projects in the appropriate dumpster in a timely manner.

Artwork Storage

The lab does not have dedicated storage for your artworks. For undergraduates, the best place to store your artwork and materials is in a locker where it is safe and contained. Only if your work does not fit inside the lockers provided may you use the storage cubbies inside the sculpture classroom, which are assigned by course. Unwieldy, dangerous, or precarious materials are not allowed to be stored in classroom cubbies. With permission from the Lab Manager, large undergraduate artworks may be stored outside in the undergraduate storage shed following. Please note that this option does not include climate control. Graduate Students should store artworks and works-in-progress in their personal studios. All works stored must be picked up before the end of the semester. Any work left past the sculpture cleanup day will be discarded of. However, please do not rely on the Lab Manager disposing of your work and materials for you. This task is a major physical effort and costly to the department. Please know you can always reach out to the Lab Manager if you need help determining the best way to store your materials.

Tool & Equipment Checkout

The Sculpture Lab offers a tool and equipment checkout service through which students may check out items such as DSLR cameras for artwork documentation, drills, pliers, et cetera. Checkout may not exceed three (3) days. Follow all check-out procedures for tools, materials, or artwork that leave the lab outside of class time. Unauthorized removal of lab property outside class time is considered theft and may result in disciplinary action. In the event that any tools or equipment that were lost or stolen in my possession, please coordinate with the lab manager promptly.

Safe Use of Machinery

The Sculpture Lab contains a wise array of materials and equipment that, if used improperly, could result in bodily harm to oneself and others. 

Only use power tools or machinery that I have been trained to use by a professor, the lab manager, or a designated lab monitor. Do not allow others—even other students within the Studio Art program—to use machinery on my behalf or bypass safety protocols.

Lab Access

The Sculpture Lab has two self-locking doors: one between the hallway and metals room, and one between the wood room and the classroom. Only undergraduates currently enrolled in sculpture courses and graduate students may access this lab. Undergraduates may only access this lab during open hours, posted on the Lab’s doors. Each course has been assigned a unique access code.

Do not give your course’s unique Lab Access Code to anyone outside the course. Only use the Sculpture Lab during open hours and while a lab monitor is present. 

Safety & Conduct

Comply with all posted safety signs and instructions. Report any broken or malfunctioning equipment immediately to the lab manager or attendant lab monitor. Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn when required.

Working Hour Boundaries

Your TA is also a Sculpture Lab monitor and a full-time graduate student. While we want this to be a space where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and asking for help, it’s important to understand that your TA will be using the Sculpture Lab when they are not at work. You are encouraged to ask the lab monitor for help during open hours, even if they are not your TA. Attendant lab monitor hours are posted on the doors to the Sculpture Lab. Seek guidance and assistance from the lab manager or lab monitor on duty. Do not enter the private graduate studio spaces or the private lab manager’s office unless specifically invited to do so.

Critique Spaces

Every class in the Studio Art program uses the Critique Spaces. There are six (6) spaces total, all of which are overseen by the Building Manager, Theron Smith. All spaces are available for checkout through ArtsVision, under the directive of Theron.