Mississippi College Gore Arts Complex

The Gore Arts Complex sits on Mississippi College's East Campus and is home to the Department of Art, the MC band, and the Institute for Southern Storytelling.  

In 2019, during the Mississippi College master planning process, one of the university's major needs was a new home for the art department. They had previously been housed in Aven Hall with severely limited space. Their new home was found in the historical Clinton Junior High School building on the East Campus. The school was originally built in the 1940s but had fallen into disrepair after several roof leaks damaged the wood structure. The building had been stabilized, but without air conditioning and with limited power, it was only being used as a storage repository. We saw potential in the building's high ceilings, large windows, and terrazzo floors. 

In 2020, Alliant Construction started work on the renovation including finish upgrades, restoration of wood floors and ceilings, the addition of HVAC throughout, classroom technology upgrades, the creation of a lounge and gallery space, the total renovation of the auditorium space, and the addition of an outdoor building to house the departments kilns and other equipment. 

The complex consists of three buildings - the main school building, the band hall, and the arts annex (previously the school's library). The buildings were designed and built at different times and lacked visual cohesion. To create the feel of a unified complex and to accentuate the entrance to the auditorium, a cor-ten steel screen wall was added with signage and lighting. The central sidewalk was rebuilt to further emphasize the main approach from the street. 

The facility was named in honor of the late Samuel M. Gore, the founder of MC's art department and a celebrated sculptor, whose bronze sculptures can be found around campus. His legacy will inspire generations of art students to come.