The Flood of 2008 – An Update

The University of Iowa will be back in business in the fall, and that will include the departments most affected by the flooding -- the School of Music, Theater Arts Department and School of Art and Art History, all of which are located next to the Iowa River on the arts campus.

University of Iowa President Sally Mason noted, “This University is known for its commitment to the arts, and we will honor that commitment to the fullest.”

While conditions are not yet fully known in the Theatre Building, it is now certain that Clapp Recital Hall and the Voxman Music Building will have to be closed in the fall. Currently, the division staff is housed in Halsey Hall with the Department of Dance. Their primary mission this summer is to identify locations on and around the UI campus for classes that have been displaced by the flood damage.

Kayt Conrad, director of operations for the Division of Performing Arts, commented: “There is much to be grateful for. We were able to save much of our costume collection, many of our musical instruments and the majority of our technology from the floodwaters. “Insuring the continuity of our academic missions in Theatre Arts and the School of Music is our highest priority. As of today, no classes in the Division of Performing Arts have been canceled, and there are no plans to cancel any classes due to flooding. Scheduling staff in theater and music are working on relocating fall classes, performances and recitals, a process that will take several weeks to complete. The Dance Department was largely unaffected by flooding and will continue classes as usual in Halsey Hall. “We plan to have a full schedule of School of Music, Theatre Arts and Dance events posted on departmental Web sites and on the ArtsIowa Calendar in August. We ask students to check ISIS for information on classes that have been relocated from arts campus buildings.”

The extent of the damage to the Theatre Building is still not clear – though it gets clearer every day. That is because the building sits several feet above the level of the river, but the parking lots and lawns are at a lower level. As of July 1, the building is, as it were, on an island surrounded by water. As a result, only a few workers have been inside so close inspections have not yet been possible.

Before the river flooded, Theatre Arts faculty, staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to move nearly everything from the basement and first floor to the second floor, where it was safe from the water. Volunteers also filled thousands of sandbags. Even though the bags couldn’t stop the water from surrounding the building, they did eliminate the fast current from hitting it and that should limit damage.

Water flooded the basement. It has damaged the walls, the floors, and the equipment that had to be there. The full extent of damage to the building’s power, heating/air conditioning and wiring is not yet known. It is likely the entire basement will have to be re-constructed and will be unusable for several months. Fortunately, water did not get onto the first floor of the Theatre Building. This is excellent news because it will make recovery of the building go much quicker.  But until more is known about the damage to the HVAC system and power, it is unknown if the building can be occupied for the fall semester. Right now, it looks unlikely, but recovery crews are moving quickly.

All classes will be held in the fall . The Theatre Arts staff has already begun arranging alternative spaces. If they prove necessary, it’s likely that Theatre’s classrooms and main office will be in a single building so that students can move easily from class to class and we can retain our sense of community. Many, if not most, productions will continue and will likely be performed in alternate performance spaces around Iowa City.

If you would like to make a donation to assist the Department or the University, you may, send your donation to the UI Foundation (Leavitt Center, Iowa City IA 52242. You may also give on line – just go to http://www.uifoundation.org/ .

For anyone who would like to contribute specifically to a department that has been impacted, such as the School of Music and Department of Theatre Arts, you may 1) send a check made out to the UI Foundation and indicate in the comment line that the gift is for a specific department's flood relief (i.e. Theatre Arts-flood relief), or 2) make a gift online by going to http://www.uifoundation.org/ . During the process of making the online gift there will be a comment box and you should indicate in the comment box that the gift is for flood relief.  

The address for the UI Foundation is:
The University of Iowa Foundation
P.O. Box 4550
Iowa City, IA  52244-4550
www.uifoundation.org