Glittering Gund Gallery
The Graham Gund Gallery throws open its doors to the Kenyon community on Thursday, and the party includes the first glimpse of the inaugural exhibition, Seeing/Knowing.
The gallery and the North Campus Apartments, to be dedicated in ceremonies during the week, are part of the bounty of the historic capital campaign We Are Kenyon: The Drive for Excellence. The College Board of Trustees will meet in Gambier and will join the public celebrations during the week as well as toast the success of the campaign at a dinner on Friday.
The campaign generated $240,015,332, topping its goal of $230,000,000. Affirming their confidence in the College and their loyalty, alumni and friends provided $61 million for new and renovated facilities, $60 million for financial aid, and the means to enhance and expand the learning experience.
"At this meeting of Kenyon's Board of Trustees, we are celebrating many things - the success of the most ambitious campaign in Kenyon's history, and in the history of private colleges in Ohio; the dedication of the Gund Gallery - a beautiful facility that will benefit not only our student body but our surrounding community; the opening of new student housing; the doubling of endowed financial aid, and much, much more," President S. Georgia Nugent said.
"In a time of financial austerity and uncertainty, an astounding 15,000 individual donors responded to the call from Kenyon during this campaign," she said. "Even more important than the gifts themselves is the outpouring of support and commitment to the College. That is what will sustain our future."
New facilities include the Gund Gallery and the cluster of townhouse-style apartments that at once elevate the visual arts and the quality of student life. Both projects were designed by the Gund Partnership of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and architect Graham Gund '63 H'81, who will take part in the opening celebrations on October 27-29.
The Gund Gallery, home to the Department of Art History and to more than 6,000 square feet of exhibition space, promises to amplify visual literacy and link the exhibitions and programs it initiates to the curriculum. "The Gund will foster ongoing intellectual engagement as well as enhance opportunities for both teaching and learning," gallery director Natalie Marsh said.
The North Campus Apartments are being built in phases, with four townhouses open this semester, housing forty students. Two more will open in January, providing housing for another twenty-four students. The first phase will conclude with a group of nine townhouses sheltering ninety-six students. A planned second phase would add twelve more buildings.
Events to be enjoyed by the entire Kenyon community include:
Thursday, October 27
- ·4:10 p.m. Middle Path procession to Rosse Hall for the academic dedication of the Graham Gund Gallery. Ceremony includes comments by Barry Schwartz '70, chairman of the College Board of Trustees; Nugent; Gund; Marsh; and others.
- 5:30 p.m. Gund Gallery open house, including Seeing/Knowing, the inaugural exhibition.
- ·6:00 p.m. Brief program in the gallery lobby, welcoming Gund.
Friday, October 28
- 4:15 p.m. North Campus Apartments dedication in front of the Craft Center and open houses with a Trick-or-Treat touch. Open houses conclude at 7:00 p.m.
- 9:30 p.m. Peirce Pub celebration, with dancing for faculty and staff.
Saturday, October 29
- ·1:00-5:00 p.m. Graham Gund Gallery community open house. Gallery tours available.