BEVERLY — Two years ago, Montserrat College of Art was marked by declining enrollment, low morale and a main building on Essex Street.
Now, four newly built residence halls create a quad. Anchored by the Hardie Building, the Beverly Common and the Beverly Public Library, it's brought to life President Helena Sturnick's goal to rebrand the institution, creating a nationally recognized small arts college.
"We couldn't have done it without her," said Jo Broderick, dean of college relations. "She was the one with the passion, and she got everyone to follow it."
The $7 million residence halls will be named the Helena J. Sturnick Village in her honor. She was hired to revive the college and after doing so announced she'll be leaving in December. The college is searching for a president to replace her.
"The fact that it came together has become such a validation," Sturnick said.
It's been evident not only in the completed construction, but in the response from the community and those attending the school, she said. In August, 198 students will return to what has become a campus, and about 145 new students will start their freshman year.
"We will have the largest number of students in the history of the college," Sturnick said.
The village was designed with input from students. The architects spent days studying the old residence halls before they were torn down, recording how, when and where students gathered. Now, there are boulders and will soon be benches and picnic tables in roughly the same spaces.
Students also weighed in with what they wanted: two-, three- and four-bedroom suites — not dorms — equipped with a living room and kitchen, laundry on site, lots of studio space, places to hang their artwork and an environmentally friendly building.
The residences are LEED-certified, meaning they meet federal standards for green construction and include elements like energy-efficient light bulbs, light sensors, heating and cooling sensors, extra insulation, and a green roof.
The bricks from the chimneys of the old buildings were used to create paths and patios. And each of the four buildings is painted a different historic New England color designed to blend in with the rest of the neighborhood.
In contrast, the glass hallways connecting the four buildings, the off-center architecture and the interesting, intersecting angles give it a contemporary feel.
"The building itself is a work of art," Sturnick said, pointing out that each floor is a different color ingrained with different designs, but they're all complementary.
"I think it helps having a woman president," she joked.
Come August, students will move into the residence halls, and Sturnick, along with the rest of the teachers and staff, are curious to see the decorative enhancements they'll make as they turn the rooms into their "homes."
"It's such a reoccurring phrase that it's haunting," Sturnick said. "It means our students have a new home here."
Despite the addition, Sturnick said they've been careful to maintain an intimate feel. A strong sense of community in the college and throughout Beverly establishes the foundation for the school.
"If we lose that," Sturnick said, "we lose the spirit of Montserrat."
Staff writer Cate Lecuyer can be reached at clecuyer@salem news.com.
If you go
What: Open house and tour of Montserrat College of Art residence halls
Where: Essex Street
When: Wednesday, Aug. 19, noon to 2 p.m. or 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Free and open to the public
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