Maude Kerns Art Center

Eugene, OR

Founded in 1950, Maude Kerns Art Center (MKAC) is Eugene, Oregon’s only nonprofit community center dedicated exclusively to the visual arts. Housed in a converted early twentieth-century church, MKAC offers exhibitions, educational programs, artist services, and affordable cooperative studios, serving thousands annually. Its multigenerational programming spans exhibitions by emerging and established artists, including annual traditions like Día de los Muertos and the Mayor’s Teen Art Show. Alongside classes and camps for youth and adults, MKAC’s programming emphasizes equitable access to the arts, professional development, and lifelong learning. The Center also stewards the artwork of its namesake, Maude I. Kerns, an internationally recognized figure in the non-objective art movement.

With a seventy-five-year legacy and a growing role in Eugene’s urban fabric, MKAC is committed to reducing its carbon footprint while preserving the architectural integrity of its historic facility. This FCI-supported project will engage a local energy and mechanical engineering firm to conduct a scoping study of the building’s aging heating systems, which are still largely reliant on gas. The study will assess energy performance, identify high-impact upgrades, and offer phased recommendations for transitioning to high-efficiency, electric systems—providing a strategic foundation for decarbonization while improving comfort and resilience.

Milestones

• Conduct energy study of primary historic building

• Evaluate balance of conservation and system upgrades

• Identify opportunities to transition from gas to local electric utility

• Prioritize improvements for heating, ventilation, and air stratification

• Apply recommendations to plan future decarbonization phases

• Share outcomes as a community model for small nonprofit facilities