Cupola Studio Renovation

Hello, and welcome to my Cupola Studio Renovation GoFundMe page!  I am Chris LaPorte, a Grand Rapids fine artist and Associate Professor of Art at Aquinas College.  You can learn more about me at www.chrislaporte.com I have recently been offered an unfinished garage space on the campus of Aquinas College to create a new art studio.  The garage is a two stall two story structure with a cupola at the top of the pitched roof.  Because I work in pencil on large sheets of paper and also because of the building codes of active working spaces on the Aquinas campus, certain updates are required in order to turn the raw space into an active art studio.  Climate controls such as heat, air conditioning and humidty control, therefore, are all critical to my ability to draw the way I do.  Lighting (both natural and artificial), insulation and drywall, ventilation, updated electric, plumbing for a sink and drain, and replacing the garage doors with more appropriate access are all important factors in building a productive and safe work environment.  As a current faculty member and as an Aquinas alum ('96), the work that I do is a reflection of the kind of arts education that occurs at Aquinas College.  Having my studio on campus would be a great asset in promoting the school.  Besides having a comfortable working environment, an on campus studio would provide me with a consistant opportunity for visibility, both educationally and professionally.  If you are interested in making a donation to this cause, you may either contact Aquinas College directly to make a tax deductable donation to the "Cupola Studio Fund" or by donating here, where you may receive rewards from me for making contributions of differing monetary levels.  Thank you to Sam Klee for producing the above video.  Also, thank you to Carey Dodson from www.spacealchemist.com for providing schematic renderings and conceptual ideas for Cupola Studio.