Painting Project Revamps Lower Forest

Walk into the basement of Forest Hall these days and you will find a transformed space. Thanks to the efforts of a few inspired students, this once stark, industrial area is now the site of an open-ended art project that aims to turn the basement into a viable social venue through weekly Sunday night painting sessions.

The project started out of a desire to reclaim what was once an inviting alternative space, home to dance parties and other late-night gatherings. In years past, it was chiefly the presence of student artwork that set “LoFo” apart from other social areas on campus. But in the summer of 2011, the hall was renovated, and the process destroyed the art that had become a hallmark of the space. When it became clear after the renovation that students would no longer be allowed to decorate the basement, a spate of graffiti protesting the loss of Lower Forest Hall aroused controversy among students and the administration. The conflict was never satisfactorily resolved — since the unauthorized tagging was painted over in early 2012, the walls have remained bare.

Earlier this year, Christopher Batson ’13 and Katy Smith Abbott, dean of students, began to shape the current effort to make use of the area once again. In an email, Batson described his vision of “‘black box’ spaces — common spaces that would be transformed into dance hall-like spaces, where all the walls would be painted black, there’d be strobe lights, black lights and a sweet sound system,” places students could host dorm parties and DJ events.

This notion is part of a broader attempt to expand Middlebury’s weekend scene, and give those who want a different place to gather more chances to create their own events. Though Lower Forest’s walls will not be black, the art that adorns them (currently ranging from a painting of a beach scene to abstract shapes and human figures) serves to create the same kind of “alternative space” that can be used as students see fit. Batson added that the project is not related to last year’s controversy, but is rather a fresh attempt to reclaim the area.

Painting is done from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, and all are welcome to participate. Individuals may express themselves as they wish; the only rules are “no profanity, English words, or inappropriate references.” Students hope to have the space ready for use before the end of the semester, and Dean Abbott has been striving to obtain A/V equipment for Lower Forest and several other places around campus. A year and a half in the making, Lower Forest is close to being fully restored as a special place dedicated to students looking for something different on a Friday or Saturday night.