PFW breaks ground on new fine arts gallery

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Purdue University Fort Wayne’s College of Visual and Performing Arts broke ground Thursday on the Dorothy and Paul Shaffer Fine Arts Gallery.

The ceremony was held at 10 a.m. at the university’s Visual and Performing Arts Building, where campus leaders and faculty shared remarks about the $1.3 million project’s purpose. Donor Dorothy Shaffer was also in attendance.

Dean John O’Connell said the new facility will strengthen the university’s ties to the region’s arts community.

“This gallery represents our deep commitment to the arts, not just on campus, but throughout our region,” O’Connell said. “We are creating a space where creativity flourishes and where the voices of our students, faculty, and alumni can resonate throughout northeast Indiana and beyond.”

The gallery will feature student, faculty, and alumni artwork, along with design projects and senior theses, while also providing additional room for the university’s growing Art and Design programs.

It will also serve both the campus and the wider community by creating a dedicated venue for exhibitions and artistic engagement.

The university says the gallery is expected to open in November 2027.