Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons
Located in the Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood of campus, the Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons is a unique community space for all Carnegie Mellon students, faculty and staff to build community and connection.
Location & Address
The Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons (5128 Skibo Dr.) is located on the ground-level within the footprint of Hamerschlag House. The entrance to the Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons is located uphill and between the Boss and McGill Houses.
Hours of Operation
common AREA and Program Spaces
7:00 a.m.- 2:00 a.m., Daily
The Commons' Spaces
The Hearth
The Hearth serves as the focal point and gathering point of the Commons equipped with an operable fireplace and comfortable seating.
Active Wellness Studio
Creative Collaboration Space
Multi-Purpose Room
Amenities: 14 tables; 50 chairs; two flat-screen TVsCapacity: 50
Media Room
Small Music Room
Study Rooms
Policies
Access
Who can access
- All Carnegie Mellon students, faculty and staff can access to the space with their CMU ID.
- Guests are permitted only when accompanied by a CMU affiliate. The CMU affiliate is responsible for the actions of their guest.
how to access
- All users must tap to enter the space.
- Exterior doors and doors to programming spaces are to remain closed at all times; no propping of doors is permitted.
Reservations
Advanced reservations are suggested for all programming spaces. The following spaces are available for reservation via 25Live with no advanced reservation required:
- Media Room, Small Music Room, and the Active Wellness Studio.
When not in use, these spaces are available for free use:
- The Media Room may be booked for up to four hours, once daily per user.
- The Active Wellness Studio may be booked for up to two hours, once daily per user.
- The Small Music Room may be booked for up to one hour, once daily per user.
Reservation Window - Reservations within the Media Room, Small Music Room, and the Active Wellness Studio are encouraged to use the express scheduling function on 25Live and may reserve up to 60 days in advance.
Users reserving space through traditional scheduling on 25Live can reserve rooms during the reservation window. Reservations are made available on the first business day of the month for each following month (e.g. On September 1, reservations for the month of October are made available).
The Multi-Purpose Room requires reservations 72 hours in advance via 25Live. When not in use for an approved event, the multipurpose room will be closed.
The Study Rooms require no reservation and is available for free use.
Any and all spaces within the Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons may be reserved for various functions. Accordingly, any and all spaces may be closed to the general public with advanced warning.
To inquire about reservations for spaces outside of the programming spaces, or to reserve the entire facility, please email NeighborhoodCommons@andrew.cmu.edu
The Neighborhood Commons staff reserves the right to reschedule or cancel events for any reason. The staff may choose to limit the duration, frequency, or number of bookings for an individual, group, or organization if it is deemed that others are not being given equitable access to the space.
General Rules for Programming Spaces
- No food or drinks, except water in a resealable container, are permitted in the Small Music Room, Media Room, and Active Wellness Studio.
- No food or drinks, except water in a resealable container, are permitted in the Multi-Purpose Room unless part of an approved event.
- Approved events in the Multi-Purpose Room must do their own event setup and return the room to its default setup once event concludes.
- All furniture/equipment must remain in designate room. Return all furniture/equipment to original location when finished.
- Any damage incurred will be the responsibility of the student(s) and/or organization responsible.
Student Art in Creative Collaboration Space
STUDENT ART APPLICATION: Apply via TartanConnect
Art Content:
Art submitted for the consideration of installation in the Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons (MMC) is encouraged to reflect the diversity of thought and identity that exists within the student population at Carnegie Mellon University. Art depicting profanity, violence, nudity, sexual content, political speech, or any other objectionable content will not be considered for display.
Art Form:
2-D art pieces and 3-D art pieces can be supported in the MMC. Any multimedia art that requires the use of electricity, fire, water, etc. is not supportable. Art pieces intended for the wall installation location must have a hanging apparatus attached, such as a hanging wire or sawtooth hanger. The MMC will not be able to provide artists with such hanging fixtures.
Important Information:
- MMC is not responsible for the safety of art after installation, and is not liable for any damages or loss that may occur.
- Art must be completed 2 weeks prior to installation.
- Any art installed will be displayed for a minimum of 25 days, and a maximum of 90 days.
- Art Dimensions
- The maximum dimensions of wall art installations are 9 feet in width and 4 feet in height. Pieces that are larger than these dimensions will not be considered. Multiple pieces may be hung at one time within the provided dimensions.
- The maximum dimensions of shelf art installations are 22” width, 26” depth, and 15” height, with one spot available for a piece as tall as 20”. Pieces that are larger than these dimensions will not be considered. Multiple pieces may be displayed at one time within the provided dimensions. Five total shelves are available.
Guidelines/Procedure:
Application Process:
- All artists must complete the Student Art Application via TartanConnect. This application is for both the wall and shelf spaces.
- Artists may submit as many proposals as desired, for either of the locations (wall and shelf).
Approval Process:
- A board of MMC and Residential Education representatives will review and determine whether the artist’s submission aligns with the Art Content Policies outlined above.
- The review board will make all attempts to ensure equity and variety in the art selected to be displayed.
- Once reviewed, the artist will receive communication to inform them of their status. If approved, the artist will be provided with an anticipated installation and removal date.
Installation Process:
The Art:
Preparation and Attribution:
For 2-D art, the piece(s) must have a hanging mechanism (wire or sawtooth hanger) pre-installed.
For 3-D art, the piece(s) must be able to stand on a flat surface.
No part of the installation can be hung from sprinkler pipes or the ceiling; only from the designated hardware. Art installations may not take up floor or ceiling space.
No nails/holes/paint on walls, ceilings, or floors.
Use of spray paint, fixative, spray-mount, processes that create high levels of toxic fumes may not be done within the Commons space; art must be in its completed state at the time of installation.
An attribution placard will be created in tandem with the Commons, including the artist(s)’ name(s) as well as the installation’s title; the artist is only responsible for providing this information in the application, not for creating the placard.
Installation/Removal:
The Commons will determine the start and end times of the exhibition, based on the artist’s completion date as provided in the application.
Installation will be conducted by the Commons, not by the artist. A meeting between the artist and a Commons representative will be scheduled to ensure that installation occurs in accordance with the artist's vision.
The artist may be present during installation, and will be notified of when installation will occur. Installation will be scheduled regardless of the artist’s availability.
The artist MUST be present to take the art at the time of removal. This will be scheduled with the artist. Abandoned artwork will be donated or discarded.
Direct any questions to: NeighborhoodCommons@andrew.cmu.edu