A record gift to the arts at Arkansas State University will result in construction of a new building on the A-State campus in Jonesboro.
Representatives from Little Rock-based Windgate Foundation were on hand for the unveiling of their name on the gallery they recently endowed in Bradbury Arts Museum. After that, Arkansas State University Chancellor Dr. Kelly Damphousse revealed to an excited crowd at the art museum about a huge donation. Six-point-seven-million-dollars has been donated to A-State for the creation of a new building named the “Windgate Center for Three-Dimensional Arts”. The new facility will be four times the size of the area that is currently available. Dr. Damphousse tells about the space the new facility will have.
“This new building will be constructed next to the Fine Arts building, and provides students a 21st century building that students to use to collaborate with and create three-dimensional art,” says Damphousse. “It also includes an outdoor display area for new works of art.”
3-D art would be sculptures and ceramics. A 20-thousand square foot facility would be built that would allow for plenty of studio and class space for students. Painting and drawing studios will still be located in the Fine Arts Annex. Board chair of the Windgate Foundation Robyn Horn says she is excited about what this will mean.
“I want to thank the administration for their support of the arts,” says Horn. “We have enjoyed meeting with so many different faculty here and we know the love of the arts is strong here. This is all for the students. So, let’s get this thing built!”
Interim Director of the Fowler Center Les Christensen says this building will help with recruitment and retention at A-State. She explains.
“The problem has been that there has not been enough room for equipment or to allow for students to create the work they want to do in the current facility, but now that obstacle has been removed,” says Christensen
The new building could be open for use as early as the next spring semester. The gift from the Windgate Foundation is among the largest single gifts to an academic program in A-State history.
