Taylor Little Theatre Project Project Progression and Timeline

MIAC
Mercyhurst Institute
for Arts & Culture
Taylor Little Theatre Project
The Taylor Little Theatre Project is a multidisciplinary interior design project that will repurpose the Taylor Little
Theatre lobby into a contemporary space, one that preserves the history of the lobby while bringing it into the
modern era. As a celebration of the history of Mercyhurst University, the project aims to honor the legacy of the
Sisters of Mercy, and to heighten awareness of the cultural history and values of the institution as well as its
academic achievements. In celebration of the school’s transition from a college to a university, Mercyhurst’s newly
established digital archive will serve as the foundation for the research that will be integrated throughout the
project.
Students and faculty will work together on conceptualization through completion of form to final designs,
under the guidance of artist/designer Todd Scalise.
The project provides students with an experiential learning opportunity in which they can apply what they
learn in class to a real-world project. Areas of learning include, but are not limited to, visualization and design,
marketing, fundraising, merchandising, and licensing.
To further celebrate the collective spirit of the project and promote the university’s history, project merchandise
will be conceived from the project’s artwork. The installation will act as a model for future professional artistic
collaborations at the university as well serving as a point of pride for the community, students, faculty, and alumni.
Key Collaborators
Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture
Jamie Grady, Director, Institute for Arts & Culture
Christine Olivier, Assistant Director,
Institute for Arts & Culture
Todd Scalise, Art Director
Academic Departments: Arts Management,
Interior Design, Art-Graphic Design, Fashion Merchandising
Estimated Project Costs:
Design and creation of installation artwork $17,500
Merchandising licensing buyout
$3,000
Materials$30,000
Contracting$22,000
Marketing and public relations materials
$1,500
Initial merchandise inventory
$6,500
Total estimated cost:
$80,500
University Departments and Offices:
Library Archives; Marketing and Public Relations; Advancement
Project Progression and Timeline
Spring 2013:
Project Development, Student Engagement
Mr. Scalise and Mercyhurst students created preliminary designs through a
charrette process, with a focus on repurposed design materials. Known well to
architects and designers alike, a charette – in its simplest form – is a period of
intense design and planning for solving a design challenge. The charrette has
become one of the most powerful and effective tools for creative and collaborative
problem solving. The soul of a charrette is found in bringing together design
expertise with a broad and diverse segment of the community to address their
challenges collaboratively.
With these initial design ideas in mind, an outside contractor was brought on
campus to assess structural concerns. From there, an estimated budget was
created to serve as the foundation of the project.
Fall-Winter 2013:
Donor Campaign Launch
This project will draw upon the support of granting organizations, local businesses and individual support.
The university will assist the project not only through the participation of its faculty and student body,
but will provide in-kind services and materials.
Students in the arts management program will design and implement a crowd funding campaign to be
distributed electronically to the local community, friends and family of project participants, and university alumni.
Contributors will be given small momentos created by the fashion merchandising students in recognition
of their gift, which will reflect elements of the design project. Arts management students will work with
the university’s Advancement team and learn about donor acknowledgment and stewardship.
Project Construction
Construction will begin once sufficient funds have been secured. A concrete timeline will be determined
based on the complexity of the project’s final designs. Mr. Scalise will work with a select group of Mercyhurst
students to implement final design with the assistance of professional contractors and businesses. The
fundraising efforts conclude, and focus shifts to revenue generation through merchandise sales.
Spring 2014:
Project Completion
The Mercyhurst and Erie communities will be invited to a grand reopening
upon the project’s completion. Participating supporters, business partners,
community members, students, staff, and faculty will be invited for the official
unveiling of the project at this special event.
Residual income in the form of merchandise created in conjunction with
project artwork will help to cover any additional overrun costs as well as to
establish a fund for future multidisciplinary projects. It is our desire that this
project will serve as a prototype for future collaborations between local artists,
entrepreneurs, and visionaries, and the Mercyhurst community.
Meet the Artist
Todd Scalise
A graduate of Mercyhurst Prep, Todd Scalise is a visual artist with a passion for applying his artwork onto almost
anything. Developing “application for art” is the basis of his professional work. His hand-drawn graphic art is
possessed of an inventive sensibility, a sensibility that is highly accessible and utilized in all manner of applications.
Currently residing in Erie, PA, Todd Scalise is best known for establishing regional brands such as Erie P()P, The Perry
200 Commemoration, and Let’s Move Outside. In 2012, Todd completed a 1,200 sq. ft. mural and merchandising
project entitled, ‘HIGHERGLYPHICS’, now permanently installed at the Erie Art Museum’s annex stairwell. In
2010 Scalise moved to Europe, where he exhibited textiles in Paris, licensed helmet designs in Amsterdam, and
painted a 50-foot mural at one of the inauguration parties for the new Pompidou Center in Metz. Previously, he
served in higher education for institutions in Pennsylvania and New Mexico and further distinguished himself by
receiving two Heinz Endowments and three artist residencies. In 2009, Todd designed The Dennis Hopper Lifetime
Achievement Award in Independent Film, which was included in Mr. Hopper’s permanent art collection.
814-824-3000 • miac.mercyhurst.edu