The 51��¥ reached a historic milestone raising more than $109 million with the UCA Now campaign.
Remarkably, the campaign, which ran throughout the uncertainty of a pandemic, was able to not only surpass its ambitious goal but also successfully finish 10 months ahead of schedule.

The triumphant ending of the UCA Now campaign came as part of a three-part announcement on Thursday, Sept. 7.
“When we set out to raise $100 million by June of 2024, we knew that we were raising the bar for UCA,” said UCA President Houston Davis.

The UCA Now campaign was originally set as an aggressive $100 million, eight-year comprehensive fundraising effort beginning with a quiet phase in fiscal year 2017. The campaign was framed around four primary fundraising objectives – or pillars.

Campaign Pillars

A study of the campus identified and prioritized needs that included growing endowed scholarships and faculty support, new buildings for fine and performing arts, as well as health sciences, along with strengthening unique programs and partnership opportunities. These top needs became the four pillars of the campaign: Success, Culture, Wellness, and Excellence.

In 2019, UCA announced its largest-ever gift of $20 million from the Windgate Foundation to jump start fundraising for the fine and performing arts building that would eventually be named in their honor.

A year later, Conway Regional Health System made a $2.5 million commitment in support of the Integrated Health Sciences Building followed by a $1 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation.

The initial planning and execution of the campaign, including securing the historic gift from the Windgate Foundation, was led by Kale Gober ’09, former vice president for University Advancement. Following his departure in early 2020, Mary Bane Lackie was appointed to the role and led the team to a historic fundraising record.

“The pillars helped us focus our fundraising efforts,” Lackie said. “We knew that the fine and performing arts had outgrown their space and integrating the health sciences would better prepare our graduates to make a positive impact in their fields after graduation. We also wanted to focus on building support with the future in mind. Strengthening endowments, unique programs and partnerships were key to that success.”

Fundraising through the Pandemic

“We learned very quickly that we had to be extremely flexible with everything we did in 2020 and 2021,” Lackie said. “It was the resilience of our whole advancement team that allowed us to carry on.”

By May 2020, university officials recognized that the kickoff planned for September needed to be rescheduled. Seven months later, the pandemic lingered, but with safety protocols in place, UCA went forward with the public kickoff outdoors at the Harding Centennial Plaza in April of 2021.

“A lot of schools shut down during the pandemic, and we launched the public phase of our campaign,” Lackie said. “When we did events, we had a lot of protocols and we always had to be extremely flexible.” Face masks and pre-packaged snacks were key features of the 2021 public kickoff.

UCA’s fundraising, and overall donor participation, continued to be strong throughout the pandemic as more than $10 million was raised each year and the number of donors continued to grow.

“I realize, looking back, how generous people were during the pandemic, even in the face of uncertainty,” Lackie said. “It was phenomenal that people still came together to care about our students and support UCA.”

Surpassing the Goal

In May of 2023, after learning about an institution-defining program that UCA was nearly ready to launch, the Windgate Foundation provided a gift of $10 million to help launch the program in fall 2024. The program, “UCA Commitment,” is a last-dollar scholarship program aimed at creating a debt-free pathway for Arkansas students whose household income is less than $100,000 annually.

“We are making careful choices about the budget we have,” Davis said. “At the same time, there has been a collective dialogue on our campus about the fact that we know families are struggling to pay for higher education and there is great discouragement that comes when someone sees they cannot address that unmet need for one year, let alone four years.”

Since his arrival in 2017, Davis has led the university in a careful financial planning strategy called the Resource Optimization Initiative, which makes certain that every dollar that flows through the budget has a name and a function.

As Davis and university leaders built a plan that would not only leverage the university’s existing resources to meet budgetary demands but also make certain that students are claiming all of their eligible aid, the Windgate Foundation liked what they saw and decided to invest in the program.

“The Windgate Foundation’s gift of $10 million in fiscal year 2023 was not about pushing the UCA Now campaign over the goal,” Davis continued. “Their gift was the wind in our sails that prompted us to immediately launch this vision for a debt-free degree pathway. The fact that it helped push UCA Now over its goal and allowed us to end the campaign nearly a year early was just a bonus.”

By the Numbers

Impact in Action

The UCA Now campaign has impacted every area of the university, bringing positive historic change of which everyone can be proud.

In the Health Sciences, the new Integrated Health Sciences Building (IHSB) has provided the needed space so that an additional 50 future nurses can enroll in that school each year, allowing UCA to graduate 125 nurses annually.

The Community Care Clinic along with the Speech-Language-Hearing Center inside IHSB serves more than 1,000 clients annually and provides more than 7,000 hours of therapy, screening and evaluation. These centers also provide health sciences students with countless experiential learning opportunities.

The Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts has state-of-the-art performance spaces that foster new, collaborative partnerships. UCA has a thriving Artists in Residence Program and Public Appearances Series that now includes shows in the Windgate Center as well as Reynolds Performance Hall.

The new facility is strengthening the creative economy by attracting more students, faculty and patrons, all while elevating the cultural experience in Central Arkansas.

UCA built on its foundation of excellence by strengthening and expanding unique programs and partnerships that set the university apart. The nationally recognized Honors College expanded into two programs: the Schedler Honors College and University Scholars Program, further developing citizen-scholars ready to lead social change.

The university expanded internship and service-learning opportunities with business partners and organizations throughout the state, ensuring our students are well-prepared for success after graduation.

Additionally, support for student-athletes helped them succeed on the field and in the classroom, continuing a tradition of excellence that makes all alumni proud to be Bears.

The UCA Foundation’s endowment grew by more than $17 million over the course of the campaign to an incredible $52 million. This includes the establishment of 114 newly endowed scholarships and 15 new faculty and programmatic endowments.

The success of UCA Now means more than $1.5 million in privately funded scholarships are awarded annually.

Just the Beginning

While there was no doubt that the UCA Now campaign would meet, and likely exceed, its $100 million goal by June 30, 2024, the launch of UCA Commitment provided an exceptional opportunity to celebrate the ending early.

“Fundraising at UCA will certainly continue,” Lackie said. “We continue to have many needs across all areas of campus and continuing to build our endowment will only make the university stronger and allow more students the opportunity to fulfill their educational and career goals and dreams. As President Davis said on Sept. 7, ‘This is just the beginning.’”

Endowments for scholarships and faculty support open many doors. With more than $1.5 million in privately funded scholarships awarded each year, students are able to pursue their passions and thrive. Many of these hardworking students face financial challenges and support is critical in changing their lives, generating lasting impact for our campus, our community and beyond.

A first-generation student, Holloway Hicks Scholarship recipient, and senior marketing major, Takari Glover ’23, knows the lasting effects of scholarships for students. When coming to the 51��¥ after COVID, she knew finances would be a worry. “I was going to have to pay out of pocket for everything. So getting that scholarship really put me in a better position to not have to worry about finances because I was also trying to get a work-study job. It really helped me to find balance with finances and with being able to study and focus on academics.”

Another first-generation student and Baxley Family Foundation Scholarship recipient, senior nursing major, Kiara Williams, agreed that being awarded the scholarship was a game-changer. It allowed her to more fully experience college life and get involved on campus. “Receiving this scholarship was a huge blessing. It lifts the burden of worrying about how I’m going to get tuition and books paid for. It has allowed me to focus on my studies and be more involved in organizations on campus such as Women of Excellence,” Williams said.

Another positive impact is support for students who often work multiple jobs to attend college. Senior history major Dylan McCay also received the Baxley Family Foundation Scholarship during his sophomore and junior years at UCA. The impact he felt was, “In a word, ‘huge.’ I remember the day I got awarded the scholarship. I was working two jobs during the summer to pay for tuition. I didn’t know exactly what the amount was, so when I found out it paid it all, the financial burden was taken away.”

The funds for student scholarships and faculty enhancements remove barriers to success and offer experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for leadership roles in the community, nation, and around the world. Every gift truly matters.

Jase Wicker, a junior business major, has one less thing to worry about as he pursues his degree thanks in part to the H.B. Hardy Jr. Scholarship.

A longtime administrator, alumnus, Sig Tau member, and philanthropist, the late Dr. H.B. Hardy Jr. ’48 understood the value and importance of giving back to students.

“The H.B. Hardy Jr. Scholarship has allowed me to focus more on my courses by lessening my workload,” said Wicker. “This scholarship is very appreciated and will definitely help with my future success, and I am very grateful to have received it.”

Soon, the scholarship will be able to help more students thanks to a planned gift that Hardy left in his estate plans.

After spending four years as a student and graduating in 1948, Hardy worked at the 51��¥ for 36 years. Originally hired in 1956 as director of placement and English instructor, Hardy quickly moved through the ranks.

He was promoted to associate professor and director of General Studies in 1966, and then became dean of Undergraduate Studies in 1969. He served as dean of the Graduate School for 16 years beginning in 1972. Additionally, he served as interim vice president of Academic Affairs in 1975 and was appointed interim president of the university in 1988. He also worked as assistant to the president from 1988 to 1992 before retiring.

In addition to being a member of Sigma Tau Gamma, Hardy later became its adviser during his career at the university. The fraternity, having entertained the idea of establishing a scholarship, established the H.B. Hardy Jr. Scholarship in Hardy’s honor in 1986. However, the scholarship was not awarded to any students until 1995, after it had reached endowment.

Hardy was pleased when the scholarship attained the level of endowment. He was quoted as stating, “If a scholarship is not endowed, then before you know it, all the funds have been used up, and there is nothing left for those who come along later.”

Having been an annual contributor to the scholarship that bears his name, Hardy’s donations have proven to be a crucial component in ensuring the success of scholarship recipients. After his passing in 2017, Hardy left his estate to his scholarship fund to continue providing aid to students.

“I get a lot of satisfaction just from knowing that I helped someone,” said Hardy in a 2017 interview. “People who have had opportunities should help provide opportunities for those who come after them.”

When asked about the impact and legacy of this scholarship on future students, Wicker said, “Scholarships like these can have a positive impact on students’ mental health, their grades, and their ability to manage their time. It alleviates a lot of pressure, allowing students to focus more time on their studies, which is why scholarships like these are so vital to students’ future success.”

Alums Tyler ’14 and Caitlin ’13 Rodgers chose the 51��¥ because of its location in central Arkansas and so they could move just far enough away from home to gain independence while still getting to stay in their home state. What the couple discovered was not only a campus but a home they could come back to and engage with after graduation. They donate their time and funding to the college they feel has given them so much.

The Rodgers actively give their time and efforts to continue the tradition of giving back at UCA. Tyler, having just finished a term as president of the UCA Alumni Association Board of Directors, felt that giving back is a way to keep the connection with his alma mater.

“It really wasn’t a choice. I’m a big believer that we are in the place we are today because of the people who have contributed to our lives. When we first got out of college, we didn’t have a ton of money to give, so I felt like I needed to contribute with time, partnerships and relationships,” Tyler said.

Caitlin agreed that 51��¥ is more than a college campus. “The things that we’re talking about that we took away the most from our experience at UCA has to do with people. It’s about the people that are there and how they invest in you and I think that’s important to know. It comes down to those who are willing to give and who want to give their time because it’s something that impacted them. And that they want that impact for somebody else as well.”

To the Rodgers, giving back, no matter the amount, is an important part of supporting UCA students. With giving, “You’re bringing it back. You’re helping the people that are coming behind you. You preserve tradition … and you can change and make things better,” said Tyler. Caitlin also saw giving as a way to “put funds where the biggest need is, those stories that spoke to our hearts and we felt it would be important. It’s investing in someone’s potential.”

The family culture at UCA inspires the Rodgers to keep coming back and giving. “Straight out of college, we were still local and we still had people and friends that were attending the university. We had professors that reached out and wanted to stay in contact just like you would with family,” Caitlin said.

Tyler continued, “I think giving in general contributes to that sense of family and culture. We moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2020, but every time I go back to UCA, it feels like I’m going back home even though we were born and raised in Northwest Arkansas. There’s a culture of family at UCA, and it creates a sense of belonging to the community that goes way past the four years or six years or eight years that you’re at the university.”

For Tyler, “It’s an easy call. I was carried through college because of scholarships. For me, it’s just something that has deep meaning, and I was deeply impacted by it.”

Giving to students who need it the most is at the forefront of the Lewis family legacy. Derek Lewis ’78, ’80, and his son Derek Lewis II ’97, have made giving a family tradition. Established more than 30 years ago, the Derek Lewis Foundation supports community health through education and prevention. It has also awarded hundreds of scholarships since its inception.

When asked about his family’s passion for giving their time and donations to scholarships in addition to establishing the Derek Lewis Foundation supported by the 51��¥, Lewis said, “Somebody helped me along the way, so I need to find a way to help someone else and this is my way of giving back.” He passed this enthusiasm on to his children, who also give their time and resources to those who need it most to support their alma mater and future UCA students.

“Scholarships are important for things like that: supplies like pens or gas for the car or money to get home during breaks. You come from a small town in the Delta with no income, and you’d be surprised at what a small amount of money can do. For somebody whose mother gave him $3 a week, that was a lot of money, and it helped me a lot,” explained Lewis.

Growing up in Hughes, a small town in the Arkansas Delta, he experienced the challenges of coming from a financially disadvantaged background when he attended the State College of Arkansas (SCA), now the 51��¥. He learned that every little bit helps students during those years in college.

Derek Lewis II, director of the foundation, attributes the family’s enthusiasm for giving to his father as well as the sense of community, lifelong relationships, and pride found during his own experience at UCA. “Dr. Lewis instilled that in us, all of his children. That where we are is not a right. It is a privilege, and we did not get here by ourselves. One of our sayings is ‘give back to the community that gave to you.’ It’s lifting as you climb but also reaching back to help those behind you. I met my wife, Karen ’96, of 25 years at UCA. I met my best friend at UCA. Two lifelong relationships came out of my experience here. It’s also about pride; pride for the school. I’m very proud of UCA.”

For this family, giving as a worldview continues to be their lasting legacy at UCA. Derek Lewis II said, “I think it’s just part of our family DNA. If you have a student who is excelling, a student with a lot of potential, money shouldn’t be why they can’t attend school. As a community, we need to find those resources and the means to get those to the students.”

Without seeing all the immediate results, Lewis and his family knew giving back had a purpose. Lewis explained, “Somebody gave to me, now I want to go back and give to somebody else so they can go on and make it. That’s the whole spirit of it – to keep giving. And, if we do that, we just keep growing and growing. We put it where it will be used and where people need help. You’re planting seeds, and you never really know the whole impact. You don’t know all the variables, but the result of saying that folks matter is what it’s all about.”

Sue Voegele’s ’62 commitment to giving back to the 51��¥ spans several decades. Her passion is giving back to UCA’s Athletics department annually.

Voegele knows that every gift matters in UCA’s campus community. Her journey at UCA, then Arkansas State Teachers College, began when she came on a journalism scholarship. Voegele worked various jobs on campus to pay her way. Therefore, she understood the importance of scholarships for students.

As a student at UCA, she was a cheerleader who met her future husband, football player, and track standout, Buddy Voegele, who was inducted into UCA’s Sports Hall of Fame in the fall of 2010. “Best of all,” she fondly remembered, “I met my future husband. We had our first date on October 31, 1959. The rest is history.”

Her passion for giving back to athletics springs from her 35 years of teaching and coaching. As she continued to stay connected to UCA, she served on the Alumni Board of Directors, specifically the scholarship committee, furthering her affinity for giving to other organizations on campus for 30 years.

“It was one way I could give back because I had been given so much. It was something I could do that would keep me connected with UCA. I have reconnected with friends, and we have stayed connected,” Voegele said as she recounted the comfort found in friendships at UCA during the loss of her husband, Buddy, last year.

Voegele’s determination to give goes to the heart of the university: its students. While serving on the scholarship committee, Voegele saw the impact of scholarship funding. “It goes to the students and it’s amazing. Some of the stories the kids write about why they need a scholarship are heartbreaking. So the main thing to know is that it will go to the students, and anything could help. That’s my number one priority — for the students to get it.”

Through volunteering and giving to multiple causes on campus, such as Purple Circle, Voegele actively keeps watch for more ways to help students in the future. After hearing about UCA’s Food Pantry, she also decided to give there. “I heard a talk about it last year and said, ‘Oh! I want to help with that!’”

Be it her time as a student, teaching athletics, or making lifelong friendships and connections, Voegele is happy to give, knowing that every gift matters and makes a difference in a student’s life. To her, 51��¥ is a special place where “You feel comfortable. You feel wanted and needed. It’s a family. It really is – a family.”

When he arrived at the 51��¥ as a first-generation college student, Gary Bunn ’88 wasn’t sure what to expect. Having grown up in the small town of Crossett, Arkansas, without any sort of connection to college life, he was admittedly overwhelmed when he first set foot on campus.

“I was intimidated,” Bunn said. “I won’t even say ‘a little’ intimidated. I was a lot intimidated. I didn’t have any idea of what it meant to be a college student.”

“One of the things about my experience as a student that I still share with others is just being willing to ask that simple question of ‘what do I do next,’” Bunn said.

Now, he encourages current students to keep that same question in mind during their time on campus. Having been a part of the College of Education for 16 years, Bunn is a shining example of the fact that there is plenty of help to be found at UCA.

In his current position as director of the Office of Candidate Services, Bunn guides College of Education students through all phases of their journey to become highly qualified educators. He assists students with everything from admission into the teacher education program to gaining practical classroom experience as student-teachers. He also helps students throughout the entire process of earning their teaching license.

His goal is to be able to give back to UCA in a way that helps students who are aspiring educators and students who are willing to take on leadership positions. While working through his estate plans, he realized that he could make a much larger impact with a planned gift, which is a charitable donation that allows a donor to plan a gift now that will be realized in the future.

When he passes away, the gift will help fund two scholarships: the Gary O. Bunn Educator Leadership Scholarship and the Gary O. Bunn Fraternity Leadership Scholarship. The first will provide scholarship support for undergraduate students in the teacher education program while the second will do the same for undergrads in fraternity leadership positions.

Bunn hopes his legacy will benefit the students of tomorrow who demonstrate principles like excellence, dedication and service to others.

“In some ways, this gift is my way of both paying it back and paying it forward,” Bunn said. “Paying it back because UCA not only provided me with a great education but also played a big part in shaping the person that I am. And paying it forward because UCA will always have students who are ready to give and grow and contribute to society. Hopefully, my gift will make a difference to future UCA students at a time when they are preparing to make a difference themselves.”

Prior to the grand opening of the 51��¥ Windgate Center for the Fine and Performing Arts on Sept. 21, students and faculty were taking advantage of the enhanced spaces designed for acoustics, creativity, lighting and performance. Made possible by private support, including a $20 million gift from the Windgate Foundation along with a bond initiative approved by the 51��¥ Board of Trustees, this innovative space’s impact places central Arkansas on the map as a thriving cultural arts center and as an innovative educational center that will inspire future students and the community.

As a venue supporting the Conway Symphony Orchestra in addition to UCA’s music students, the Windgate Center offers generous rehearsal and performance spaces. The new concert hall is not only aesthetically pleasing, it also offers amazing acoustics to enhance sound quality and added seating to accommodate a larger audience while providing an intimate feel for smaller performances such as recitals.

Simon Podsiadlik, a full-time UCA student double-majoring in music and physics/engineering and a member of the Conway Symphony Orchestra, has experienced the move to Windgate and immediately felt the difference the new facility made. “I’m just very excited to make music in a really nice, new rehearsal space, and I think the new concert hall has so much potential for guest artists or clinicians or things of that sort that can go in that new space,” Podsiadlik said.

Windgate Scholar and fine arts student Anna Sharp agreed that Windgate provides more space for students and faculty to work, “The biggest way that the new facility has affected me personally, and a few of my peers as well, is the studio space. We get 24-hour studio spaces that we can go in anytime so we can make art. We have more space for our kilns and it’s easier for the professors to navigate. So that’s been a huge game changer.”

Both students see the impact this center of the arts will have on future students and the community. “One of the big things is inspiration for students who come here and maybe that will make more students want to be a part of the music program. If you get to go see a concert in a super nice concert hall, it’ll make you want to be a part of that. It’s going to be something that is really special for years to come,” Podsiadlik said.

Sharp is also looking ahead to the possibilities for the community. “We’re hoping in the future to do more community activities. Specifically with the ceramics club. We’re planning on having a lot more community-building activities, and we’ll be able to do that more now because we have a much bigger space,” Sharp said.

This cutting-edge facility benefits and stimulates current students, faculty and artists of today and will continue to inspire students of tomorrow while building community and connection at UCA’s Windgate Center for the Fine and Performing Arts.

When asked to emcee the grand opening of  the 51��¥ Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts in the fall of 2023, KATV news anchor and UCA Alumnus Ryan Houston ’10 was excited to return to his alma mater for the historic event, bringing his time with the university full circle.

Houston grew up in Pine Bluff as the oldest of four brothers. But when it was time to decide on a university, he wanted something a little different. “I had heard good things about UCA, and I wanted to see what it was about,” Houston said.

While he is an experienced investigative journalist and news anchor, mass communication was not his first choice as a major. Houston had tried education and psychology but didn’t find the right fit, when a shocking incident on campus presented him with a unique opportunity. He noted that there were several news agencies covering the story, and he approached a reporter.

“I remember all the networks showing up, and I just walked over to a local reporter. I asked her if I could job shadow her, and the rest is history. I job shadowed her, and I ended up changing my major, and I’ve been loving it ever since,” said Houston.

He credited his professors in his major for his preparedness and success in his career. “I had a lot of professors who talked to me as if I was already a journalist, and they would give me little tricks of the trade. So, there wasn’t any point where I felt broadcast journalism would not happen for me. Some students in the major don’t actually end up in the field, but I knew with the help of my professors at UCA, that was not going to be me.”

After graduating from UCA in 2010, Houston worked as an investigative reporter and anchor in various news outlets in Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 2023, he returned to his home state as a news anchor for KATV’s Daybreak, a job that, for him, has “been a dream come true. It’s surreal because I grew up watching Channel Seven. I remember watching with my mom or my grandma, so it’s a full circle moment.”

This moment included his emceeing the grand opening and seal-breaking ceremony at the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts on Sept. 21, 2023, which was a celebration of the arts at the university, funded in part by the largest gift in its 116-year history of $20 million from the Windgate Foundation.

“This new building and all the technology and new things that come with it will better prepare current students. It will elevate the future of fine arts and communications. Technology is so important, and it’s constantly changing, especially in what I do. So current and future students will be ready for tomorrow, and what better way to celebrate than with the opening of this new building? This new building is going to put us on the map in terms of what we can offer our fine arts students,” Houston said.

Coming home to his alma mater for the opening ceremony brought Houston full circle as he reminisced on his time as a student. “Being at UCA challenged me to grow. It challenged me to think outside the box. I learned that I had more in me than what I’d originally thought: that I could be more or do more than I thought I could do. I’m just so grateful for my time there.” Being asked to return for such a momentous occasion, Houston felt, “was truly an honor.”

When thinking about UCA’s current and future students, Houston advised, “Enjoy the process. Enjoy the experience. You’re going to learn so many different things about yourself. You’re going to learn so much about different types of people, and you’re going to walk away a better, more well-rounded person, ready for whatever life brings.”

As this Arkansas native and alumnus reflected on his time at UCA and its legacy, a legacy he is proud to be part of, he said, “I feel it is a legacy that is still being written every single day given how the university is constantly growing, the donations coming in and what is being done with those dollars. Our legacy is still being read, and its message is big and positive.”

While the arts may have suffered a decline in some high school and university curriculums in recent years, the 51��¥ has continued to elevate its arts programs with the most cutting-edge technology and innovative performance spaces in the state and region. The highly anticipated grand opening and seal-breaking ceremony of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts complex on Sept. 21, 2023 showed how UCA’s commitment to the arts is thriving.

This ambitious project was made possible by a $20 million gift from the Windgate Foundation, the largest single gift in UCA history. Significant contributions from the Bridges-Larson Foundation, Sunderland Foundation, the Alice L. Walton Foundation, the Hearst Foundations, and more than $419,000 from more than 121 individual donors helped make this plan a reality for the campus, for the community and beyond.

The 51��¥ Board of Trustees also authorized the university to issue more than $25 million in bonds for the project.

All of this brought to fruition the completion of the building set to exemplify UCA’s dedication to the cultural pillar of the UCA Now campaign, a campaign recently completed ahead of schedule.

UCA President Houston Davis, during the opening ceremony, said, “When we set the priorities of the campaign, we identified ‘Culture’ as one of just four campaign pillars. Our students and faculty have outperformed UCA’s fine arts facilities for years. The Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts is allowing us to reshape the arts experience and usher in new social, cultural and economic opportunities for us all.”

This center for the arts, situated at the corner of Donaghey Avenue and Bruce Street, is sizable with 114,000 square feet of creative, collaborative and performance spaces, including: a concert hall, a percussion suite, a recital hall, art gallery, a photography studio, student studio spaces, sculpture studio, ceramics studio, a 190-seat black box theater, rehearsal and design spaces, classrooms and much more.

This new facility is already making an impact on faculty, students, and the community. This was showcased at the grand opening and seal-breaking ceremony as community members, students, faculty, staff, members of the 51��¥ Board of Trustees, donors and Davis were all in attendance.

KATV anchor and UCA alumnus, Ryan Houston ’10 emceed the event which included opening remarks, musical performances by UCA Natural Slides Trombone Ensemble, 51��¥ Bear Marching Band drumline and members of 51��¥ Bear Marching Band’s brass ensemble. They played a piece by Dr. Gail Robertson specially commissioned for the grand opening, “Gateway Fanfare,” before the breaking of the Windgate Seal.

Following the musical performance, Davis, using a gold-colored mallet made just for the event, broke the seal created by Bryan Massey Sr., chair of the Department of Art and Design. All in attendance were then welcomed to enter the new building to experience more than 30 activities and performances from more than 120 artists.

From guests making their own art, to tasting some of the area’s best food and beverage offerings, this unique and historic grand opening was like no other as it highlighted some of the amazing spaces in this facility.

“I’m thrilled that so many people entered the Windgate Center, where the architecture, design, and events inside will inspire students, faculty, and visitors to create objects of equal magic and majesty,” said Dr. Thomas Williams, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

UCA student, Windgate Scholar and senior ceramics major, Anna Sharp related her experience with the new studio spaces during her remarks at the grand opening ceremony, “I have held a studio space here for the past year and I cannot express how much of a difference it has made in my life. The facilities are amazing. There are projects that I have fulfilled in this facility that I would not have been able to do in the other building. This building – it’s amazing, and it only reminds me of the generosity of the Windgate Foundation and how much they have done for me.”

Amanda Horton, UCA’s executive director of Public Appearances, summarized the historic event. “The grand opening was a true reflection of the purpose of the venue; arts education, promotion, and collaboration. Community, students, faculty and staff came together to celebrate and enjoy the arts which will be taught, presented, and fostered in the Windgate Center for the Fine and Performing Arts.”