Hesston College alumni, students, faculty, staff, plus members of the Paul Friesen family, and donors will attend the dedication of the new Friesen Center for the Visual Arts at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, September 27. Weather permitting, the dedication service will be held on the Northlawn lawn next to the Friesen Center on the campus of Hesston College. The public is cordially invited.

The Friesen Center is named after Paul and Wilma Friesen of Hesston, and honors their contribution to visual arts at Hesston College and in Mennonite congregations throughout the U.S. Paul, faculty emeritus in art, started the college’s Art department back in the spring of 1957. He retired in 1978, but continued teaching part-time at nearby Bethel College until 1989. He also taught ceramics classes at Hesston College from 2001-2005.

Friesen graduated from Hesston Academy in 1942 and from Hesston College in 1944; Wilma (Wenger) is a 1944 graduate of Hesston College.

Construction on the $2 million facility was completed this summer, and art faculty and students began using the facility when classes started August 25. Located between Northlawn (music and theatre) and Charles Hall (the sciences), the new building provides teaching space for ceramics, painting, print-making, and drawing; a computer lab for graphic design and digital photography; an art gallery; and faculty offices.

“The quality of light and the volume of space in the new Friesen Center for the Visual Arts opens one’s mind to creative possibilities,” said Lois Misegadis, chair of the Art department. “Students, freshmen and sophomores alike, are nearly giddy with excitement. They are grateful for the ‘awesome lighting’ and how modern and clean the new facility is.

“It’s rare,” she continued, “for a college to build such a wonderful facility for the visual arts.”

The dedication program includes reminiscing about the history of the college’s art department by John Blosser and Robert Regier. Later in the program, three former students of Friesen who are artists today-Phil Hershberger ’73, Topeka, Kan., Marena (Leichty) Nachtigal ’01, Kalona, Iowa, and Brittni Wegmann ’03, Tallahassee, Fla.-will share words of appreciation for Paul Friesen, describing ways he has influenced their lives, or sharing examples of his legacy.

Blosser, who chaired Hesston’s art department from 1978-1999, serves as chair of the art department at Goshen (Ind.) College. Regier, professor emeritus of art at Bethel College, North Newton, Kan., collaborated with Friesen whereby both professors taught art classes at Bethel College and Hesston College from 1965 to 1978. Regier retired from Bethel College in 1992.

Following the dedication service, an open house and reception is planned for the Friesen Center for the Visual Arts, featuring a retrospective art exhibit of ceramics and sculptures by Paul Friesen in the facility’s Student Gallery. The show will be open until October 22. A catalogue of his works will be available. In one classroom, video clips of Friesen during his teaching career can be seen.

During the open house, students will display art projects in progress, while others will be available to answer questions.

During the reception, full pottery set made by and given as a gift by Paul Friesen to Hesston College for this reception and others in the future will be used. This functional set consists of a punch bowl and ladle, 50 mugs, 50 coffee cups with a creamer and sugar bowl, and several serving bowls and platters.

Meanwhile, an alumni art exhibit involving 19 alumni has been planned in connection with the dedication of the Friesen Center. Located at the Hesston College Gallery in Smith Center, this exhibit will be open until October 22. A reception for the alumni artists will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday.

In addition, you can find links to websites by alumni artists on the Art department page .