An Arts District for Notre Dame

The Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park is part of a larger vision for the southern entrance to the University of Notre Dame campus.

Creating an Arts District.

The DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, the Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park, and the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture are in place; the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at Notre Dame , constructed within the Sculpture Park; and the Department of Art, Art History, and Design will one day be located within the Arts District. Peer institutions, such as Stanford University, have created arts districts because they understand important cultural offerings are necessary to attract and retain the best students and faculty. They also understand that contemporary careers require creative thinking and visual literacy.

Creating a literal gateway to the local community

In addition to sharing arts resources with the local community, this sector of campus features parking, retail, hotel, and dining options found within Eddy Street Commons. The Compton Family Ice Arena has one rink dedicated to regional youth hockey, and Innovation Center makes connections between Notre Dame researchers and regional entrepreneurs.

Creating a “greenbelt” at the southern campus entrance

Driving west on Angela Boulevard, one sees the meadow that circles the Compton Family Ice Arena, the natural landscape within The Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park, the Irish Green lawn, tree-lined Notre Dame Avenue, and Cedar Grove Cemetery. This “greenbelt” creates a gracious, natural southern entrance to campus.

Creating a sacred space

The title and theme of the Sculpture Park exhibition is Reclaiming Our Nature. This title refers not only to the creative transformation of a historic landfill to wetlands and prairie but also to the selection of some sculptures to express humankind’s universal desire for spiritual transcendence. For example, the Life of Christ/Cycle of Life sculpture pathway was created to encourage prayer, reflection, and meditation.