Groundbreaking Ceremony for Windgate Hall of Art and Innovation to Take Place September 19

JONESBORO – A groundbreaking ceremony will take place at Arkansas State University (A-State) at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 19, for the Windgate Hall of Art and Innovation. The event will be held south of the Fine Arts Center at the future home of the new expansion on campus.

Windgate Hall is funded through a $25 million grant from the Windgate Foundation, which designates $20 million for construction purposes and $5 million for building maintenance. In addition, $3.2 million from the university's reserve funds will be used to complete the project.

The Windgate Foundation is the university's largest donor in its 115-year history, with total contributions exceeding $40 million.

Speaking at the ceremony will be Chancellor Todd Shields, building architects, and A-State faculty and students. In attendance will be Robyn Horn, chair of the Windgate Foundation Board of Trustees, and Pat Forgy, executive director of the Windgate Foundation.

Once completed, the 38,887-square-foot Windgate Hall will house space for the Department of Art + Design and the College of Engineering and Computer Science, which will be used to support creative and learning activities for students.

The new facility will be located just west of the Windgate Center for Three-Dimensional Art, which was completed in 2021. Following the groundbreaking ceremony, attendees will be given a tour of that building.

The new facility's expected completion date is set for 2026.