At Cerritos College, the Fine Arts building is being prepped for take down.

It is scheduled for demolition in February 2017.

The new building is set to be ready for students, faculty and staff for the Spring 2017 semester.

Associate Professor of Art History James MacDevitt, is on the board of directors for a non-profit arts advocacy called Foundation for Art Resources.

Due to the fact that FAR is a non-profit organization, it functions without a permanent exhibition space. It is also all volunteer and artist run.

The organization is known for big projects from the 1990s called “FAR Bazaar.” In these events the organization takes over condemned buildings to put on temporary exhibitions.

MacDevitt explains that with the upcoming 40 anniversary of FAR they are going to bring back the event to the old Fine Arts building.

“Each classroom and faculty office and administrative space will be given over to local professional art collectives, artist-run spaces, and university MFA students to transform the rooms into temporary exhibition space for their members and/or immersive walk-in installations,” he said.

The event will be held on January 28 and 29, which is expected to be an all-day event according to MacDevitt.

Besides the art exhibitions there will also be panels.

“There will be a food truck festival, a video art screening, and a series of scholarly panels covering topics such as alternative arts groups in LA and the plight of crumbling modernists architecture,” he said.

He is working on confirming the number of groups attending and needs about 50 more spaces to fill.

MacDevitt shared art groups that have confirmed to participate in the Bazaar in the old building which include:

· Biomythography

· Monte Vista Projects

· Rough Plays

· Jaus Gallery

· FA4 Collective Slanguage

· Motherboy

· Finishing School

· Ave 50

· South Bay Contemporary

· Improvised Alchemy

· Hinterculture

· Daniel & Tida

· Shed Research

· Tilt: Export

· Fallen Fruit

· Elephant

Lisa Boutin Vitela, art history professor, has been teaching in the Fine Arts building for five years.

She hopes that the FAR Bazaar promotes the art program and art exhibitions provided at Cerritos College.

“I’m looking forward to having many artists from different groups and universities come to Cerritos College. The FAR Bazaar will offer artists a unique opportunity to curate a space within the soon-to-be-demolished FA building. The large scale of the FAR Bazaar is impressive,” she said.

Vitela keeps fond memories in the old Fine Arts building, which includes the annual student art show and award ceremony held at the gallery. With these memories she is also excited to continue teaching in the new building.

“I have enjoyed teaching in my classroom and have many amazing memories there working with students, but the classroom is not in great condition. I look forward to teaching in a new, updated setting that will be more conducive to learning and group collaboration,” she said.