This fall, Port Townsend High School opened the doors of a brand-new art building, providing students with a modern and accessible space to spark their creativity.   

The $568,000 removal and replacement of the “very run-down building” has been in the works for years, with the district’s facilities team and the school board deciding it was time to invest in and modernize the room, said the school district’s community liaison, Kai Wallin. 

“We got that building used over 25 years ago when it was surplused from another school district,” she said. “There was a ramp but no bathroom, not enough sinks and the electrical system was so old they struggled to run the kiln safely. The roof had issues and the exterior walls had dry rot and there was occasionally a bad smell due to rodents underneath it.”

Funded by a voter-approved capital levy, the district built the ADA-accessible classroom from the ground up with modern heating and cooling systems, ultimately decreasing utility costs and the building’s environmental impact. 

“All in all, the new art building is a huge improvement,” Wallin said. “We are excited to see all the things that students create there.”

The district enlisted the help of its longtime art teacher, Michele Soderstrom, in designing the room to ensure it meets the needs of students. 

“Our new art classroom is large, functional, well-lit, quiet, and inviting as a student creative space,” Soderstrom said. “I already notice a difference in students and their abilities to create being in a safe, pleasant and efficient professional space. I can tell they will grow and flourish here.”

Soderstrom, who has taught art at the high school for nine years, is “thrilled” about several features in the new space.

“We now have the convenience of five sinks, all with clay traps, a proper kiln room, and a new kiln, as the previous kiln was 20-plus years old and its elements were beyond repair,” she said, also mentioning the room’s ADA restroom and the ability to easily step outside the portable, which she said is often necessary for art projects.

The acquisition of a new kiln enabled Soderstrom to resume teaching ceramics, much to her satisfaction. The sunlight streaming in through the windows facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca is an added bonus.

While the school district doesn’t require students to take art, most do, said Superintendent Linda Rosenbury. 

“It’s an elective,” she said. “A very popular elective.” 

The district recognizes that art and creative expression are helpful for students’ mental health and their sense of belonging. 

“As Port Townsend is an arts community, we at the high school reflect that by investing in our arts spaces,” Rosenbury said. “This isn’t just about creating artists, but also creating students who in the future understand how to communicate visually,” Rosenbury said..” 

For the year ahead, Soderstrom’s teaching plans include printmaking using a new etching press, character development, painting with guest artist Jesse Watson, place-based projects with Wearable Art teacher Margie McDonald, 3-D wire work and walking field trips to visit galleries in Port Townsend.