Great Artists, Great Speakers
Improving educational opportunities for our
students
On the stage, in the gallery, at the concert hall, on television, radio or
in the boardrooms of corporate America, great artists, speakers and
communicators enrich our lives in countless ways. The UWSP College of Fine Arts
and Communication is the leading educational institution in Wisconsin for
training in the arts and communication fields. The college is Central
Wisconsin’s primary source for cultural entertainment in theatre, music, dance,
visual arts, community television and radio. The college is an institution
unlike any other in the state of Wisconsin. Expanding the opportunities offered
by the College of Fine Arts and Communication is the goal of the Great Artists
and Speakers Endowment campaign. The endowment will bring great artists and
speakers from around the world to teach students, interact with faculty and
share their talent with the Central Wisconsin community. The endowment will
provide funds for UWSP students, ensembles and student groups to experience
great art, meet media and communication leaders, perform in the best theatres
and concert halls, and interact with talented professionals in venues across the
United States. The endowment will change lives, on campus and throughout Central
Wisconsin.
A Dynamic, Changing College
When the Fine Arts Center and the Communication Arts Center were being
built and upgraded in the 1960s and 70s, we could never have imagined the kind
of changes that have taken place in education, communication, and the arts.
Because of the leadership of dedicated faculty and administrators, the
enthusiasm of talented students, and the support of generous alumni and
community members the College of Fine Arts and Communication is a dynamic and
growing institution of undergraduate teaching and learning.
That momentum will continue over the next several years as the physical
face of the college changes in dramatic ways. Change is already occurring in the
Division of Communication building, where classrooms are being wired for
interactive teaching using the latest Internet, sound, and video technology.
Over the past year the University has made significant investments to upgrade
the student television station and the graphic design laboratory to meet the
demand for high paying jobs in those fields. We will see more changes in the
fall of 2005, when students begin classes in a newly expanded and remodeled Fine
Arts Center.
These new facilities will continue to transform the way we teach in the
arts and communication fields. For example, all arts programming will be located
in the expanded Fine Arts Center, promoting new opportunities for student and
faculty collaboration across academic disciplines. The new spaces will change
the way students approach their education, and give faculty the room to
challenge their students artistically and educationally.
Our Next Challenge
Our next challenge is to provide the kind of educational programming that
is appropriate for the changing face of the arts and communication fields.
To meet that challenge, the College of Fine Arts and Communication is
launching a $1 million campaign to raise endowment funds for our most crucial
educational priorities. The Great Artists, Great Speakers Endowment is needed to
take our undergraduate education program to a higher level of excellence.
The endowment recognizes that education happens beyond the geographic
boundaries of campus. To be a truly great college our students need to be
exposed to professional artists and speakers from around the world; faculty need
to interact with peers; and student groups and ensembles need to travel beyond
Stevens Point to learn from other great artists and communicators.
The Great Artists, Great Speakers Endowment will:
- Attract premier visiting artists and speakers by helping to underwrite the
cost of travel, honorarium, and related expenses; and
- Enable students to explore the world of fine arts and communication by
providing support for student travel to experience performances, competitions,
symposia and research projects here in the U.S. and abroad.
The Great Artists, Great Speakers Endowment is a crucial part of the future
of undergraduate education in the arts and communication at UWSP. We hope you
will join us in supporting this endeavor. With your help we will change lives by
providing students, faculty and the Central Wisconsin community with the best in
performance, creativity and expression.