As the city locked in on social media surrounding the planned fall of the Broadway Bridge on Tuesday morning, some University of Arkansas at Little Rock administrators and benefactors put their muscle into breaking ground on the UALR Windgate Center of Art + Design.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department's plans for bringing down the bridge didn't go off as scheduled, but the dirt churned under shovels at UALR and there was much handshaking and back-patting for a job well done. The event was preceded by a festive reception at the home of Janessa and UALR Chancellor Andrew Rogerson.
The new 65,000-square-foot visual arts building was made possible by a $20.3 million donation from the Windgate Charitable Foundation. The gift is the largest single donation to a specific academic program at the university and the second-largest gift in the history of UALR, said Tom Clifton, interim dean of the UALR College of Arts, Letters and Sciences. The center is slated to open Jan. 8, 2018.
An updated project design -- including dimensions, details and features -- as well as the most recent artist renditions, were also made available. The center brings under one roof the applied design program, the graphic design program and the visual arts program, now scattered among existing UALR buildings.
"A building of this magnitude will help the already outstanding visual and applied design programs of this institution reach new levels of excellence, influence and significance," Clifton said.
Rogerson, who took over as chancellor Sept. 1, said, "imagine my delight to learn that almost next door to my residence will be the new Windgate Center of Art and Design." The admitted "frustrated artist" chose science over art for his career path 38 years ago but still remains a dedicated fan of the arts.
"Research today confirms the need for both science and art to truly educate," the chancellor added. Simultaneously with the groundbreaking, officials announced a campaign to raise $3 million for endowed scholarships for UALR arts students.
High Profile on 10/16/2016