The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation donated a $10 million gift to the fine arts Department this summer for a new building, expected to be completed by 2007, as well as construction of a student art gallery.Department of fine arts chair Charles McClendon expressed gratitude for the donation.

"The gift is extremely generous and most welcome because it will go toward a much-needed new fine arts building," McClendon said. "The department of fine arts program in both art history and studio arts has far outgrown the current facilities, both of which are also in need of extensive refurbishment."

Scott Edmiston, director of the office of the arts, agreed with McClendon, saying that the donation will contribute greatly to enacting anticipated plans. He said he hopes the building will bring together all sections of the arts department.

"This new building will provide state-of-the-art facilities for our students and faculty and, for the first time, bring together on campus all of the department's creative energy," McClendon said.

According to Edmiston, no concrete plans have been made as to the interior organization of the new structure. Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe will also assemble a community dialogue to discuss how exactly to approach students' needs in this regard.

Edmiston, agreeing with McClendon, said that promoting arts on a campus like Brandeis is important for creating a harmony between important parts of daily life.

"At Brandeis, we believe intellectual excellence and artistic excellence are not only compatible but also inseparable," Edmiston said. "The arts play a crucial role in building our community, nurturing multiculturalism, providing a humanistic balance to modern technology and inspiring creative responses to the complex issues facing our world."

-Jacob Olidort