Phase 1 Construction Gallery

CAE Build Our Vision Book

Download a pdf copy of our photo journal book of this event: CLICK HERE

Full month by month Photo history

Below, in reverse chronological order, you can see the progress of this project over the course of 1 1/2 years from launch to completion of phase 1.

Final works and Move-in - September 2017

  • Items from the old building start arriving - 9/2/17
  • Construction of moveable walls to allow the gallery to hang many pictures - 9/2/17
  • The moveable walls get skinned with drywall - 9/5/17
  • Volunteers paint the moveable walls to get ready for our opening - 9/9/17
  • Volunteers install a new Microwave oven in the kitchen - 9/2/17
  • The oven gets installed to finish up the kitchen - 9/2/17
  • The front of the building starts to look tidy awaiting the sign and landscaping - 9/2/17
  • Volunteers tend to some of the exterior landscaping - 9/9/17
  • The parking area has base laid down in preparation for paving - 9/9/17
  • Another sculpture from the old home arrives - 9/12/17
  • Curator Becky Guy prepares to hang the Watermedia opening exhibit - 9/11/17
  • Volunteers grade out the front yard - 9/11/17
  • The first plantings of the landscaping - 9/11/17
  • Asphalt arrives in our parking area - 9/11/17
  • The first sculpture is placed on our entry rotunda - 9/11/17
  • The parking area is being paved - 9/11/17
  • Director Steve Sumner overseeing the move-in details - 9/11/17
  • With paintings hung, Ms. Guy adds placard descriptions - 9/12/17
  • A heavy sculpture needs to be welded down for safety - 9/12/17
  • The front yard is a bevy of activity - 9/12/17
  • Stone is delivered for the final landscaping - 9/12/17
  • The parking area paving is complete - 9/12/17
  • Volunteers place the new sculpture prominently - 9/12/17
  • A new sculpture arrives carefully slung for travel - 9/12/17
  • Our reception desk is decorated and staffed for the grand opening - 9/12/17
  • Volunteers coordinating final details - 9/12/17
  • The official sign begins to take shape - 9/12/17
  • Each letter is meticulously positioned and wired for lighting - 9/12/17
  • The sculpture is carefully positioned and bolted down - 9/12/17

photography by Tom Goldberg ©2016-2017

Our New Home Takes Form - August 2017

  • The stage lighting is completed - 8/5/17
  • Forms go in to create a sidwalk around the building - 8/5/17
  • The gallery is ready for artwork! - 8/5/17
  • Hallways cleaned and ready for move-in - 8/5/17
  • Excavation for final landscaping grade in process - 8/1/17
  • Excavation and cleanup in the parking area - 8/1/17
  • Concrete at the entry is complete with the top of the wall in process - 8/1/17
  • The hot water heater and plumbing infrastructure nears completion - 8/14/17
  • Networking and Fire Panel installed and ready to go - 8/14/17
  • Classroom sink an cabinets are in - 8/14/17
  • Reception now has an illuminated display case - 8/14/17
  • The sidewalk around the building is done - 8/14/17
  • Exterior Art display cases line the side of the building - 8/14/17
  • A concrete walkway now rounds the building - 8/14/17
  • Rear entrances have sidewalks, the upper area is trimmed out with original building lumber - 8/14/17
  • The view from the front includes the almost finished wall - 8/14/17
  • Work ongoing in the stage area including a new projection screen - 8/21/17
  • Saturday volunteers taking a break - 8/26/17
  • Saturday volunteer painting a doorway - 8/26/17
  • The first class is held in the not-quite-finished classroom area - 8/21/17

Woodwork and Landscaping - July 2017

  • The future office space is the first to get carpet - nearly ready to move in! - 7/6/17
  • Heavy equipment and stone is here to begin landscaping - 7/6/17
  • Trenches have been dug to connect to city services - 7/10/17
  • Landscaping begins to form the entry wall - 7/10/17
  • Kitchen cabinetry is ready for installation - 7/6/17
  • Weekend volunteers install kitchen cabinets - 7/8/17
  • Ready for appliances and cabinet doors - 7/10/17
  • A workman begins to patch the siding to match - 7/10/17
  • Volunteers pull nails from old boards to make new siding - 7/8/17
  • Building the reception area continues - 7/6/17
  • The reception area is nearly completed - 7/10/17
  • Every light in this building is LED! - 7/19/17
  • Electricians discuss the new stage lights with Brian Wagner, the general contractor - 7/19/17
  • CAE staff and volunteers get instructions on the new lighting system - 7/19/17
  • The gallery lighting grid is complete and ready for use - 7/19/17
  • The executive director's office is ready to move in - 7/19/17
  • The foundation for our front wall goes in - 7/19/17
  • Landscaping and front wall start to take shape - 7/26/17
  • The bathrooms get sinks and lighting - 7/26/17
  • The bathrooms get stalls and toilets - 7/26/17
  • A bathroom is almost finished as cleaning staff begin their work - 7/28/17
  • The classroom movable divider wall is installed - 7/28/17
  • Reception is almost ready for a receptionist! - 7/28/17
  • Building water heater ready for install - 7/28/17
  • Kitchen counters installed, cabinet doors on, appliances coming soon - 7/28/17
  • Concrete almost fills the front courtyard, one more load to go - 7/28/17
  • Entryway concrete work is getting a final smoothing - 7/28/17
  • The main gallery is getting a floor wash while the stage lighting gets its finishing touches - 7/28/17

Floors, Doors and Lighting - June 2017

  • Tiling in the bathrooms is underway, fixtures next - 6/23/17
  • In the office area where carpet will go down, concrete stain color samples are tested - 6/19/17
  • Concrete slurry covers the floor from the grinding flat operation, as it is prepared to get its finish coat of stain - 6/19/17
  • The heavy cleaning equipment is out sucking up everything left by the grinders in prep to stain the concrete - 6/22/17
  • Classroom area floor is almost clean enough to get its stain - 6/22/17
  • Dueling concrete grinders take a another pass at getting the floor ready - 6/22/17
  • The classroom area and entryway get their coat of stain - 6/24/17
  • Finally, the stain is being applied to the prepared concrete surface - 6/24/17
  • A final polish finishes the stain job before sealing next week - 6/24/17
  • Brian Wagner, our general contractor checks out the fully stained floor, ready for sealing - 6/24/17
  • ...and already, there's hard working footprints tracking the new floors - 6/24/17
  • Electricians begin to work on the gallery lighting grid - 6/26/17
  • Electricians continue to work on the extensive gallery lighting grid - 6/27/17
  • The lighting grid makes more progress, cabinets for reception are staged for installation - 6/29/17
  • some of the spotlights on the lighting grid can be seen - 6/29/17
  • A craftsman begins installing our new reception desk - 6/29/17
  • New doors staged for installation, with new lighting visible in the ceiling - 6/29/17
  • The first door is installed (of many), complete with it's own fire extinguisher already - 6/29/17
  • A new door frame is getting trued to square for the side entrance - 6/29/17

Drywall and Paint - May 2017

  • A drywaller places the first piece to begin to skin the final west wall of the gallery - 5/4/17
  • The classroom area is fully skinned with drywall and ready for taping - 5/4/17
  • A worker is placing some final pieces and drywall now surrounds most areas - 5/4/17
  • The Reception area is finally taking shape - 5/4/17
  • Worker installs beading around window frames and doorways - 5/11/17
  • Worker applies taping compound to cover drywall seams - 5/11/17
  • The new gallery has been fully drywalled and is getting taped - 5/11/17
  • The stage area is in final stages of taping off drywall seams - 5/11/17
  • The reception area is getting even closer to completion - 5/11/17
  • Drywall sanding in progress - 5/20/17
  • Worker sanding down the walls smooth - 5/20/17
  • Reception all sanded and ready for paint - 5/20/17
  • Gallery area fully taped and ready for paint - 5/20/17
  • Mostly white walls to show off art, blue accent wall for contrast - 5/25/17
  • Starting a primer coat over the old lacquered wood work - 5/25/17
  • A painter starts on the wall behind the stage - 5/25/17
  • Reception is now painted - 5/25/17
  • Primer coat done - 5/25/17
  • The gallery ceiling is finished in black - 5/26/17

Electrical and Insulation - April 2017

  • Electrical wiring now complete, runs everywhere - 4/3/17
  • New Mains Power being brought into the building - 4/3/17
  • All new heavy duty breaker panel going in to support everything the center will need - 4/3/17
  • Viewing down the full length of the gallery to the stage, walls are skinned and the stage area is taking shape - 4/14/17
  • The Gallery end-wall is getting skinned as are the gallery side walls - 4/14/17
  • Backstage we can see the exterior wall insulation about to be covered up - 4/14/17
  • In a view down the entryway all the walls are now insulated - the ceiling is next - 4/14/17
  • So far one room is getting its finish drywall - 4/14/17
  • Waterproof wall board now surrounds new bathroom areas - 4/17/17
  • Fully insulated and ready for interior drywall - 4/17/17
  • Insulation even on interior walls will make for a quite experience - 4/17/17
  • New windows can be seen by the future main entrance - 4/17/17
  • New windows and exterior walls all insulated and ready for drywall - 4/26/17
  • The Stage may not be set... but the floor of it has been constructed - 4/26/17

Heating installed, Walls go up, Electrical and Plumbing installed - March 2017

  • Workers cutting studs to length and erecting new walls - 3/2/17
  • New metal studs start to define the locations of our new walls - 3/2/17
  • New ducting brings HVAC into the gallery area - 3/2/17
  • New heat distribution ducts get installed in the gallery space - 3/2/17
  • A big truck hoist is needed to lift the new heating unit into place on the roof - 3/17
  • Up on the new back roof, HVAC equipment is being installed - 3/2/17
  • Studs frame out the new stage area at the back of the new gallery - 3/10/17
  • A new wall will cover the stained glass from the inside so art can be viewed in proper light - 3/10/17
  • Cutting steel wall studs makes for a sparkly scene - 3/17
  • All exterior walls are getting an inside skin to allow for insulation and finished interior surfaces - 3/10/17
  • A worker on stilts fastens the upper end of each stud - 3/10/17
  • A plumber starts to run the cold water supply lines (no longer copper, plastic is now the thing for modern plumbing) - 3/10/17
  • Plumbing lines, drains and electrical feed into the new bathroom area - 3/10/17
  • View from Break room through kitchen to the south, electrical boxes abound - 3/10/17
  • The reception area is taking shape - 3/10/17
  • A view from the new classroom area to the north - now a beehive of activity - 3/10/17
  • Drywall material has arrived, finished walls are coming - 3/17/17
  • More drywall stacks in the gallery, along with some new windows all staged for the next steps - 3/17/17
  • The first wallboard goes up to start wrapping the stage - 3/17/17
  • Volunteers get ready to install art hanging boards everywhere - 3/25/17
  • Saws are set up to cut material to length with volunteers in the background - 3/25/17
  • Horizontal chunks of wood between all the steel studs will make it possible to easily hang art everywhere in the building - 3/25/17
  • Volunteers mounting 2x6 art supports - 3/25/17
  • Mark Johnson hard at work - 3/25/17
  • Capital Campaign chairman becomes stepladderman as part of the volunteer cause - 3/25/17
  • Uh oh, be careful with that drill, Anne - 3/25/17

Flooring and Plumbing Work Begins - February 2017

  • Evergreen Water District workers clear the supply lines to our building with some heavy vacuum equipment - 1/22/17
  • Old concrete floor has been sawn to make room for new plumbing and drainage - 2/2/17
  • A trencher is digging out a route for new water and sewage access - 2/8/17
  • New sewage pipe is ready for installation as a trencher in the background digs it's access way - 2/8/17
  • New doorway cut in for the main gallery - 2/16/17
  • A bobcat has brought in many loads to get ready for the big floor pour - 2/16/17
  • A huge amount of fill was needed to bring the old baptismal area up to grade - 2/16/17
  • New drains throughout the building will ensure there are no plumbing problems under our new floor - 2/16/17
  • A plumber assembles drainage fittings - 2/16/17
  • The concrete snorkel routes through the trees to deliver concrete throughout the building - 2/22/17
  • The concrete pumper snorkel feeds into the back door - 2/22/17
  • The concrete pumper hose snakes in to deliver the slurry - 2/22/17
  • All dirt surfaces have a moisture barrier and reinforcement steel ready for the concrete - 2/22/17
  • The concrete team directs the pumper flow to start filling the east end of the building - 2/22/17
  • Workers go around the edges to ensure coverage and start to level - 2/22/17
  • This guy really knows how to smooth out the pour - 2/22/17
  • The concrete pour is completed awaiting a final leveling pass - 2/22/17
  • The gallery floor is continuous now, no pit at the north end- 2/22/17
  • A view towards the east where the floor awaits a final surfacing - 2/22/17
  • Our rep Mark takes advantage of the concrete to make some statue stands for the future - 2/22/17

Construction Continues - the interior space takes shape - January 2017

  • A Bobcat hauls off concrete that used to divide the old schoolhouse area from the central section -1/10/17
  • The view from the corner shows how big this space will be now that all the old construction has been cleared out -1/10/17
  • Worker begins to work on a door frame -1/10/17
  • Workers figuring out the existing water supply pipes in preparation for starting the plumbing work -1/10/17
  • Workers bringing new materials in to start the build-out of the interior -1/10/17
  • New heating ductwork awaits installation in the newly reinforced ceilings -1/10/17
  • New heating duct can be seen installed in the rafters - 1/12/17
  • The Bobcat is leveling off the East end of the building readying it for flooring that will be one level throughout the building - 1/12/17
  • Workers continue to prep the rear of the building in preparation for the HVAC equipment - 1/22/17
  • Heating and ventilation work proceeds in the rafters - 1/22/17
  • Yet more heat ducting arrives ready for installation - 2/8/17

Construction begins - Support Structure for HVAC - December 2016

  • Workers cleaning up after completing the reinforced roof support structure - 12/15/16
  • Our parking lot now has a big dumpster,saw horses, materials and you can see the remains of our new beams after being cut to length - 12/15/16
  • Serious lifting was required to install the all the new rafters and beams in our reinforced roof - 12/15/16
  • new "Microlam" beams and doubled and tripled rafters and joists throughout will ensure our new home is totally sturdy - 12/15/16
  • A section of the existing roof was completely removed to allow for reinforced beams and rafters - this area is now all ready to support our new HVAC - 12/15/16
  • The opened up roof is now sealed up and ready for the heating equipment that will live up there -1/10/17

Interior Demolition Begins - September 2016

  • From what will become the office, looking across the small gallery space through the rest of the east wing - 9/20/16
  • From what will become a bathroom, looking across the small gallery space through the rest of the east wing - 9/20/16
  • East side of the interior being removed to make space for new classrooms - 9/20/16
  • Looking out over the area to become studios, our demolition lead with his crowbar - 9/20/16
  • Old construction materials are being removed and loaded into the the dumpster - 9/20/16
  • A worker removes copper pipe in former bathrooms area - 9/23/16
  • View of old dimensional lumber and old interior siding - 9/23/16
  • Overlooking the tear-out of the east wing interior (former old schoolhouse) - 9/23/16
  • Workers using a winch to tear up carpet for future main gallery - 9/23/16
  • Stage area demolition - 9/23/16
  • Main gallery area getting stripped to the core - 9/23/16
  • Excavated flagstone stacked for storage and later use - 9/23/16
  • Walkways torn out to make room for construction and future landscaping - 9/23/16
  • Pathway to southeast entrance removed - 9/23/16
  • Progress continues on the central section - 9/27/16
  • Stage removed, ready to pull out the baptism tub - 9/27/16
  • North end of the East wing is fully cleaned up and ready for new-build - 9/27/16
  • The construction team meets with our architect in the future galley space, planning the next steps - 9/27/16
  • Now the east wing is completely empty except for the studs holding up the roof - 10/10/16
  • The main gallery is empty except for the baptismal tub, waiting for anyone to come collect it! - 10/10/16
  • Yet more meetings - it takes a lot of discussions to figure out how to remodel an historic site - 10/10/16
  • Rome Chelsi gets ready to haul a load of copper and aluminum pulled from the building down for recycling - 10/10/16
  • The old boiler furnace needs to be disassembled to remove it from the building (enlarged from 9/27/16)
  • It was quite a chore, this beast was a big load of heavy iron - 12/5/16

Asbestos Mitigation - June 2016

  • Mitigation Crew Arrives - it takes a lot of equipment to make all this happen
  • Chapel Staging Area - equipment and workers can use this part of the building while the sealed area is being mitigated
  • Main Airlock - this entrance to the contaminated area has multiple layers of plastic to keep dirty air in
  • a manometer keeps track of the pressure differential ensuring that nothing escapes
  • Exhaust unit - all windows and exterior doors are taped off to keep contaminants in
  • Fan Units - two blowers exhaust filtered air out of the contaminated space
  • Former Kitchen - everything is torn out in preparation for removing the contaminated floor
  • Back Airlock - worker exiting the building from the second airlock
  • Workers Suited Up removing asbestos laden flooring
  • Workers Suited Up Taking a break in the hot dirty classroom
  • all dangerous material removed and down to bare wood
  • Asbestos Mitigation Done -looking back over office and bathroom areas, the bad stuff is gone

Previews of New Building - Spring/Summer 2016