Star Store closing? Artists protest. UMass Dartmouth readies Bed Bath & Beyond

Seth Chitwood and Matthew Ferreira, The Standard-Times
·5 min read

NEW BEDFORD — A petition to Save the Star Store is just shy of 5,000 signatures, as the fate of the building is still unknown and local artists are still reeling about the Aug. 14 announcement.

In the meantime, clean-up personnel at the former Bed Bath & Beyond retail location in Dartmouth confirmed Tuesday that the space is being prepped to become a new home for UMass Dartmouth art programming.

The New Bedford art community was shocked when the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) made the announcement that their long-standing relationship with the Star Store in downtown New Bedford would be no more.

A man rides his bicycle up Union Street in New Bedford past the Star Store building downtown.
A man rides his bicycle up Union Street in New Bedford past the Star Store building downtown.

This news was met with immediate disappointment, as the Star Store space serves as a significant hub for student and staff creative work and expression.

Lily McGuirk, who created a petition on Aug. 15 via Change.org, wrote that the Star Store has been a safe, creative space for the CVPA community and taking it away would be a real loss for students, faculty and New Bedford.

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Now, McGuirk is hosting a rally outside of the Star Store at 715 Purchase Street on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 5:30 p.m.

“We are still working to make our voices be heard and spread awareness of the astronomical impact that this decision has on so many people, including students, staff, and New Bedford residents and business owners,” she wrote.

Why the Star Store means so much to New Bedford artists

For more than 20 years, the Star Store has provided not only workspace for CVPA students and faculty, but also a connection to the New Bedford community through transformative events like poetry and music nights, art shows and educational seminars.

“Many people, including students, faculty, and residents of the city have greatly benefited from the presence of the Star Store as it not only provides crucial studio and classroom space for the university’s art classes,” McGuirk added. “But also aids in creating a strong sense of community in New Bedford.”

UMass Dartmouth third year MFA ceramics student, Fallon Navarro, packs the pieces she has created at her Star Store campus studio in downtown New Bedford, as students are forced to move out.
UMass Dartmouth third year MFA ceramics student, Fallon Navarro, packs the pieces she has created at her Star Store campus studio in downtown New Bedford, as students are forced to move out.

As of Aug. 29, the petition had reached 4,875 signatures with thousands of comments.

“I am very disappointed at this decision. Our artistic students always get the short end of the stick and that's not fair,” wrote Sandra Lopes. “This building was an important part of the downtown area especially for the artist students. Don't take this away from them.”

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“The Star Store is an important member of the Galaxy! The loss of the students and faculty and many visitors it is galleries into its arts programming will be in irretrievable loss and terrible backwards step for downtown,” wrote Carolee Matsumoto.

“It was the primary reason that my daughter chose to attend UMass Dartmouth,” Ann Marie McCabe wrote.

“As an alum of the grad program in the CVPA, this is heartbreaking. I can hardly believe it’s real. This building provides inspiring gallery space and ideal studio space for the arts. Eliminating it is shortsighted and will be regretted in the future,” Marylena Sevigney wrote.

“Current students and faculty should be outraged, as this decision was hastily delivered. Students will surely leave the programs due to this decision. And the impact on the downtown area will be felt.”

What's going into Dartmouth Towne Center's Bed Bath & Beyond

On Monday, it was announced that a space within the Dartmouth Towne Center business plaza will soon serve as a provisional residence of the "Art & Design Studio" of UMass Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts.

While the university has yet to confirm it, staff from Alliance Restoration who were inside the former Bed Bath & Beyond at the plaza on Tuesday — preferring not to be named — told The Standard-Times the job they were doing was in fact in preparation for UMass Dartmouth's art programming to move in. They said their work there began on Monday, removing cash registers and other remnants from the former store.

Staff from Alliance Restoration were inside of the former Bed Bath & Beyond location at the Towne Center plaza in Dartmouth on Tuesday. They confirmed their work at the site started Monday for the purpose of preparing the space to house UMass Dartmouth art programming.
Staff from Alliance Restoration were inside of the former Bed Bath & Beyond location at the Towne Center plaza in Dartmouth on Tuesday. They confirmed their work at the site started Monday for the purpose of preparing the space to house UMass Dartmouth art programming.

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The location will consist of graduate student studios and space for textile, jewelry/metals and ceramic programs, according to UMD's announcement.

McGuirk said students received an update on locations where they will be having classes and studios.

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“Such a situation can have an immense effect on how the students progress in their studies, impacting their portfolio and senior collections,” McGuirk also wrote.

In a separate Monday announcement relative to the reconfiguration of art programming, UMass Chancellor Mark Fuller wrote:

  • UMD's Art Education program and personal workspace for Interior Architecture and Design majors will be housed in customized modular classrooms, however, those won't be in operation until mid-October;

  • UMD's fashion design program will move to the Marketplace North meeting room at main campus;

  • An existing CVPA studio space will house the undergrad ceramics course;

  • And two classrooms on the ground floor of UMass Dartmouth's textile building "will accommodate some CVPA courses that need more traditional classroom space."

Other major questions raised so far have been the safety of the students' belongings, how the classroom will be temperature controlled, and if these classrooms would be able to provide the same space and amenities that were available at Star Store.

A woman walks into the UMass Dartmouth Star Store campus in downtown New Bedford past a sign to Save the Star Store.
A woman walks into the UMass Dartmouth Star Store campus in downtown New Bedford past a sign to Save the Star Store.

Moreover, with most art specialties requiring extra space and resources, it is not feasible to perform art practices in a typical classroom.

“These are only temporary, hastily thrown together solutions that will certainly not be suitable for the College of Visual and Performing Arts long term. We are left devastated and confused as to what this means for all of our futures, and the University should be too,” McGuirk wrote.

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: UMass-Dartmouth art program fights as New Bedford studio closes