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Long-awaited groundbreaking for art building is Thursday

May 10, 2005

KALAMAZOO--Ground will be formally broken for the new James W. and Lois I. Richmond Center for Visual Arts in a ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 12, next to the Dalton Center on the main campus of Western Michigan University.

Remarks by WMU graduates James and Lois Richmond will highlight Thursday's ceremony. The longtime Kalamazoo residents made a $2.5 million gift toward construction of the new center. Also making comments will be WMU President Judith I. Bailey, Trustee Ken Miller, Dr. Margaret Merrion, dean of the College of Fine Arts, Phil VanderWeg, director of the School of Art, and architect Carl Roehling of SmithGroup.

The long-planned facility will be located on the Fountain Plaza between the Dalton Center and the Miller Auditorium parking ramp and will be connected to both by enclosed walkways. The new building, which will take about 18 months to complete, will be used primarily as exhibition space and will be connected to Kohrman Hall, which eventually will be renovated to house classroom and studio space for the School of Art.

Following the ceremony, there will be a reception in the Grand Tier lobby of Miller Auditorium.

Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu

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