What happened to the Broad Art Lab?

THURSDAY, March 24 — The Michigan State University Broad Art Lab has suffered the same fate as the former Taco Bell next door: empty and for sale. 

But, Monica Ramirez-Montagut, the MSU Broad Art Museum’s executive director, still considers the lab to have been a success. 

After its establishment in December 2016 through funds provided by MSU Federal Credit Union, the Art Lab,  565 E. Grand River Ave. in East Lansing,  served as an incubator space for local artists and community members. The space was originally intended to be a five-year project that was to "sunset" later this year, explained Ramirez-Montagut. The purpose of the lab was to serve as a space for art and culture exhibitions, workshops and events outside of the MSU Broad Art Museum. 

When the pandemic hit, the Art Lab had to close its doors, since most of its programs and workshops were hands-on, in-person experiences. The lab opened its doors again in September 2021, but then the omicron variant of the coronavirus caused it to close once more in December 2021.  In January,  Broad officials began discussing options surrounding the Art Lab — closing and other possibilities.  Ramirez-Montagut said the final decision to close the Art Lab was made on March 14. 

Ramirez-Montagut has served as executive director for almost two years. Her entire tenure has been during pandemic times, and she said that the pandemic ultimately impacted the decision to close the Art Lab. It wasn’t generating much revenue — if any at all — during the prolonged closure.

“The Art Lab was a great success,” she said. “We really met that goal of engaging our own community through the arts and through creativity.”

The Art Lab recorded over 25,500 visitors since 2018, Ramirez-Montagut said. She added that many of the programs and workshops offered at the Art Lab will continue across the street at the museum, seeing as the efforts of the museum and lab often overlapped.

“What’s happening is not a lot of that engagement is currently taking place at the museum, but it’s anchored in a lot of the strategies that we developed at the Art Lab,” Ramirez-Montagut said. “So that Art Lab did serve as a jumping board for us to learn and to then incorporate in our own building (at the museum).” 

As the Broad Museum becomes a “more maturing organization,” Ramirez-Montagut said it will refocus and reflect the efforts of the Art Lab — mainly, she hopes the community continues to participate in the arts and creativity.

The Broad Museum canceled or postponed events and workshops that had been planned for 2022. Events like Spartan Upcycle Fridays and Print Club have been canceled. The Embroidery Workshop is set to be rescheduled, but a date has yet to be announced.