Leaving a mark
At Seigfred Hall, a construction zone briefly became a canvas. During the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts’ “Make Your Mark” event, students, faculty and alumni were invited to draw directly onto the walls. The drawings continue a long tradition of student involvement in the hall’s design while introducing a new era.
Emma Stevenson BS '27 | Photos by Rich-Joseph Facun | February 19, 2026
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On January 23, visitors at Seigfred Hall were encouraged to do something normally prohibited in a campus building: draw directly onto the walls of a construction zone. During the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts “Make Your Mark” event, students, faculty, and alumni left drawings and signatures on the unfinished drywall in the building while it undergoes renovation.
The renovation is part of a multi-year facilities project aimed at reimagining the arts, including the construction of a new addition to Patton Hall dedicated to arts education. Both are expected to reopen in 2027.
“Allowing our students and faculty to explore the building in such a raw form gave them an opportunity to reflect on their experiences there and revel in the future possibilities.” - said Dean Roxanne Schroeder-Arce.
Siegfried Hall was originally designed by architecture students in the 1960s and student engagement has always been a key part of the college. The Make Your Mark event continued that tradition for current students, allowing them to leave something for future generations.
Cimmeron O’Connor, operations director for the college, said she wanted upperclass students to experience Seigfred in progress before leaving campus.
“Anything we can do to be transparent in what that looks like and help them understand why we're doing [the renovation] is helpful for the community that we're trying to create for the future,” O’Connor said.
During demolition, crews discovered murals and artwork beneath older renovations. Organizers invited visitors to add their own drawing and signatures to the current state of the building so it can be preserved overtime.
The tour also gave attendees a chance to see the building's structure and future layout. Construction staff and college representatives guided visitors through rooms with exposed ceilings and unfinished studio spaces while explaining how the building will change.
When the building is complete, it will include state of the art facilities with a community centered design that will transform the way art is experienced for all the different disciplines. O’Connor expects it to retain the personality that Seigfred has always had, and that the students bring to it.
“I anticipate that even as we move back into the building, that some of that quirkiness will still kind of creep in, which I think is a really good thing because it's really the culture of our college,” she said.
When completed, the renovated building will house multiple arts programs together, encouraging collaboration between the different focus areas. One focus is to allow integration among the different disciplines. College leaders hope that early engagement with the project, through events like Make Your Mark, will help students and alumni feel connected to the space even before its reopening.
“It will still be kind of a blank canvas for students to be able to create and find their home,” O’Connor said. “I hope that they see other people they can work with in a different way that they haven't before.”
