The Rededication Ceremony sparks reaction from Students and Faculty

The Doudna Fine Arts Center will have a ribbon cutting ceremony for the rededication of the fine arts building.

Theatre professor Christopher Mitchell said he is excited about the rededication ceremony.

“We have all been waiting with breathless intent,” he said.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. today in the building and will allow faculty, staff and students to come together and reflect on the steps it took to create the new facility.

Antoine Predock, who designed Dounda, was the winner of the 2006 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement and the 2007 Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Design.

Predock is a famous architect that is internationally known.

The facility contains a proscenium-staged theater, which seats 300 people; a black box studio; the Dvorak Concert Hall, which seats 600 people; a Recital and Lecture Hall and a number of art galleries.

Mitchell said students who are not in class during the ribbon-cutting ceremony should come and celebrate the occasion.

“This is a celebration for the entire community,” he said.

Mitchell said the building is not just for the fine arts students and faculty members, but a gift for everyone.

“It’s everyone’s facility,” he said.

Mitchell said he hopes everyone participates in the various building activities.

“They can participate in the sharing of its energy and radiate the enthusiasm beyond EIU borders,” he said.

Theater Professor Jean Wolski said she hopes people from the community come to the rededication ceremony today.

“This is a nice formal rededication of the building,” she said.

Wolski said there are many opportunities to be offered with the new facility.

“There is just a lot of enthusiasm,” she said. “This building has become visible and accessible to everyone on campus.”

Wolski said it is great to see people come to the building and get involved.

“It’s terrific to see people coming out and getting exciting about the arts again,” she said.

Megan Evans, a freshman vocal education and music major, said she loves Doudna.

“I feel like royalty,” she said. “This is great to come to something this amazing.”

Evans said she also enjoys the family atmosphere when it comes to being a part of the music department.

“I had like 30 friends from Facebook the first week from people in the music department,” she said.

Josh Farmer, a junior vocal education music major said the music department is as close as family.

“I think we all became tighter when we were in McAfee,” he said. “We had nothing to work from, and had to work from the ground up together.”

Farmer said overall, he enjoys performing his artistry in Doudna.

“In theory, you can do music anywhere in here,” he said

Farmer said the new facility gives everyone a chance to be connected with other fine art majors such as music, art and theater.

“Instead of being close to Wal-Mart or at Art Park West, we can be a part of the campus,” he said.

Mitchell said Doudna is not just about the extra space given to students and faculty.

“It is not about the size, but about getting our connection back,” he said.

“We were separated and had to seek out each other, but now we have to cross each other’s paths all the time.”

Mitchell said there are ranges of spaces that can be used now.

“The range is quite incredible,” he said.

Mitchell calls the new space a “splendid burden.”

“We have this incredible state of the art facility, but it’s a burden to do challenged and innovating works,” he said. “But it will be done.”

Mitchell said once others find out about how amazing the Doudna Fine Arts building is, he thinks the various departments are going to grow.

“There will be leaps and bounds,” he said. “We are only beginning.”

Jessica Leggin can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmleggin@eiu.edu.

Students congregate in the main corridor of the Doudna Fine Arts Center on Thursday evening. Doudna will be rededicated this afternoon. (Robbie Wroblewski/The Daily Eastern News)

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