River Hedgepeth
Arts Annex
Marked by a series of decommissioned satellite dishes painted with colorful murals, an abandoned telecommunications facility situated between Duke’s East and West campuses has become a hub of student creativity. Known as the Arts Annex, this repurposed venue houses studio arts, rehearsal, and programming spaces–free for student use, operated by Venue and Production Management within Student Affairs. River Hedgepeth, Assistant Director of the Arts Annex, describes it as “a non-intimidating art space for everyone to be creative–no matter your area of focus, studies, or career.” He adds, “It’s really about being able to try something new.”
River has taken this invitation to try something new to heart. Since stepping into his role, he has worked to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the Annex’s operations. One of his main goals is to introduce reuse within students’ creative processes. When I visited the Arts Annex to speak with him, the first sign I noticed advertised the “Reuse Corner.” As River explained, it’s “a collection of items to encourage students to reuse materials, use recycled goods or trash, within their creative practice,” with the ultimate goal of reducing landfill waste Most of the materials come from items left by students in the building, supplemented by flyers and donated scrap supplies.
The biggest challenge, River says, is inspiring artists to think about reuse from the start of their creative workflow. To address this, he’s made reuse highly visible, from placing the Reuse Corner at the front of the building, to organizing art programs and workshops that exclusively use these secondhand materials.
In addition to promoting the Reuse Corner, River has focused on increasing the amount of clay the Annex reclaims. Reclaiming clay is labor-intensive: scraps must be collected, dried out, rehydrated, placed on a plaster slab, air-dried again, and finally hand-wedged or put through a pug mill before being usable again. In response to this demanding process, River created a new ceramic studio assistant position. This new student position is dedicated to reclaiming clay and upkeep of the ceramic studios. By reclaiming more clay, the Annex can support more students interested in exploring ceramics, at a lower environmental and financial cost.
Sustainability shows up in smaller operational details as well. In the screen printing studio, for instance, the ink and emulsion are both water-soluble, allowing for a safer disposal. In the studio art spaces, small, individual bottles of paint are being replaced with large, gallon-sized containers to reduce plastic waste.
The ongoing challenge, however, is encouraging artmaking with as few creative restrictions as possible, while still being responsible and sustainable. One way to do that, River says, is to create with intention. “We like to remind students that you don't have to keep every piece you make. You should consider, is this something I'm actually going to use?” Many student creations are eventually abandoned. While the Annex repurposes these, such as painting used canvases with gesso and setting up a “Free Art” shelf, creating with intention remains the best way to minimize waste. This is especially true for ceramics since clay can be reclaimed up until it’s fired; “once it's fired, then it just exists in the world.”
Similarly, River urges artists to consider secondhand materials first. “I think our consumption can really be a challenge as artists.” To create sustainably, reuse becomes essential. River even frames it as an exciting challenge: “one thing you can do is have a little bucket of reusable materials. If you have magazine scraps or wrappers or bottle caps or cardboard, throw it in there. The next time you're sitting down to create, challenge yourself to use some of those materials.”
When I asked River what motivates him to embed sustainability into the Arts Annex, he emphasized responsibility. “I think it's important for us to realize that we do make an impact on our natural environment. We want to hand down the earth in a better condition to future generations.” River focuses not only on what he can do personally, but also on the role he plays as building manager. “If I get caught up in the big picture then I can't, as an individual, make a big difference. But on a smaller scale, I can. So this is my small scale. I would love to do more, but this is mine.”
Regardless of scale, River ultimately urges everyone to contribute in the ways they’re able–to do what they can.
Updated Arts Annex hours:
Monday: Closed*
Tuesday-Friday: 3:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am-6:00pm*
Sunday: 10:00am-6:00pm*
*Dance studio hours differ from regular studio hours
Duke Groups: https://duke.campusgroups.com/ArtsAnnex/club_signup
Instagram: @artsannex