DeVitt Fine Arts Center dedication set for Nov. 15

by Andy Garvin, news editor

South Plains College is in preparation for a  month long celebration in recognition of the renovations of the Christine DeVitt Fine Arts Center and the Helen DeVitt Jones Theatre. The festivities will include art presentations, concerts, performances, and more.

Sunday afternoon was the official opening of the gallery. Nancy Carr, a well-known artist who attended SPC in the 1960’s, attended and greeted visitors. Carr’s work is featured in the Christine DeVitt Fine Arts Gallery and a reception was held in her honor Sunday, Nov. 9 in the Fine Arts Foyer.

On Nov. 11, the SPC Jazz Band and Symphonic Band Joint concert is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Jones Theatre. On, Nov. 13, the SPC Concert Choir and Brass Choir concert is slated for 7:30 p.m. in the Jones Theatre. Admission is free for both performances.

Nov. 15 marks the formal dedication of the DeVitte Fine Arts Center, Jones Theatre and the Vickie Wilks Wisian Recital Hall. The Fine Arts Music Department will present a faculty recital during the evening’s dedication including a performance by the choir featuring the singing of Ruby Moultrie, Assistant Professor of Music.

All the foundations and  individuals who have donated funds towards the renovations will be recognized as special guests throughout the performance. A pre-dedication reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the DeVitt Fine Arts foyer and a portrait honoring the sister’s foundations, Catherine DeVitt and Helen Jones, will be placed in the foyer.

Vickie Wisian, a former SPC choir student, will be one of the individuals recognized during the ceremony.

“She had a great expeirence with the Fine Arts Department,” said Jon Johnson, chairperson of the Fine Arts Department and professor of music at SPC. “She enjoyed her college years here and wanted to support us. She’s very gracious and will be recognized with her husband next week.”

The week will conclude with the SPC Chamber Ensemble Concert in the Wisian Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. Students and SPC Fine Arts faculty members will also exhibit studio art metals and jewelry in the Jewelry and Metals Studio in Room 127 and the exhibit will run through Nov. 15.

A theatre production is slated after Thanksgiving Break. The play is titled Curious Savage and it is set to open Dec. 4 through Dec. 7. This performance will conclude the month long celebration.

All events are open to the public. However, because seating is limited to 220 in the Theatre, participants will need to request a ticket to attend the Gala Performance and Dedication Ceremony on Nov. 15. Depending on ticket requests, a second performance may be scheduled.

The ceremonys and performances are being held in recognition of the finished renovations. The big renovation was done by outside contractor workers, but the display case and minor construction was done by the SPC maintenance workers.

“The work was done in stages,” added Johnson. “For instance, the display case could not be worked on until the paintings were moved and hung in the gallery, but the paintings could not be moved until the actual gallery was finished itself.”

A company from Dallas came and successfully moved the Marjorie Merriweather Post Collection into the new art gallery sometime last month.

“The company was very knowledgable on how to handle the artwork correctly,” Johnson stated. “It was a great success and the paintings were moved safely and securely to the new gallery.”

The paintings have been on display, spread throughout the Fine Arts Building and in the foyer of the Library of the Levelland campus, for more than 30 years.

“After 35 years of hanging throughout the building, the paintings will finally have a home,” said Johnson.

There are eight paintings on the campus and the whole collection is worth around a million dollars. They were donated by Mrs. Post in 1966 and a second donation in 1968 expanded the collection.

SPC has received two grants that will be used to renovate two of the portraits that need the most attention. Chipped and missing paint is the main problem due to the sun constantly hitting the paintings through the windows.

The building will be used frequently throughout the years. Artwork is planned to be shown consitently in the building, and the building will be  the sight of many performances for years to come. Ippy Greer, the Assitant Professor of Arts has been appointed the director of the new gallery. Greer will be in control of finding artists and looking into future exhibitions from guest artists.

Additions to the fine arts building include four new classrooms, an instrument storage room off the band hall, the art gallery, and the foyer. The recital hall was an extension of a practice room and a total of three art rooms were renovated. One art room was turned into a music room. Another was simply renovated and the third was combined with a restroom and turned into faculty offices for the Art Instructors.

“We’ve had room for people to teach for the first time ever,” stated Johnson. “You couldn’t  have a painting class and bring a ceramics class in right after it. It was too much for the classrooms, themselves to handle.”

A mosaic will also be renovated in preperation for the dedication ceremony. The mosaic sits in the foyer and was done by Don Stroud, Stroud started the fine arts department at SPC.  The mosiac was done by him when the foyer was added and it has faded over time. Missing tiles have also been noticed and a local couple  is now in the process of renovating it. They will replace missing pieces, clean, and polish the remaining tiles. The mosaic will be finished by Dec. 15.

“The renovating was a success,” Johnson stated. “There was a few minor complications just like any process goes throught, but all in all it has been great.”