澳门老奇人论坛

澳门老奇人论坛 celebrated the opening of its new Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity with a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on Sept. 5.

The new center, which opened to students at the beginning of the 2024 fall semester, is a state-of-the-art complex that fuses the arts, health sciences and technology in modern teaching environments tailored to stimulate creativity and innovation. 

鈥淪tudents will experience classroom settings that are tailored to their needs, designed for maximum learning and exchange 鈥� and where they can still find that out-of-the-way nook for a late-night study or a group practice session,鈥� 澳门老奇人论坛 President Bret Danilowicz said at the sunny Thursday afternoon ceremony. 鈥淲e are only just beginning to understand the Artis Center鈥檚 full potential, but the possibilities are endless.鈥�

The 178,000-square-foot Artis Center is the largest academic building on Radford鈥檚 campus, as well as the largest capital construction project in the history of the university. The Artis Center is home to the university鈥檚 College of Visual and Performing Arts and benefits students in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services and the College of Nursing. Additionally, the Artis Center is a destination for regional K-12 school groups and community members.

The Artis Center houses a 500-seat proscenium theatre, a 200-seat studio theatre, a performance hub with learning stairs and a courtyard with an amphitheater. 

Educational spaces include a group clinic space with six clinic spaces and observation rooms, a large active-learning classroom for nursing, a recording studio, photography and ceramics labs, makerspace, fashion and interior design studios, active-learning classrooms, dance studios, theatre studios and shops, drawing and painting studios and classrooms for music education and music therapy.

In his remarks, Danilowicz expressed appreciation to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for continued support and investment in the Artis Center project. He acknowledged and thanked elected officials in attendance, including U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, Virginia State Sen. Travis Hackworth, Virginia Del. Jason Ballard, Radford Mayor David Horton and members of the Radford City Council, as well as representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Mark Warren and Va. Del. Chris Obenshain. In attendance, too, were members of the university鈥檚 Board of Visitors, including rector and alumnus Marquett Smith 鈥�85, who also addressed the gathering.

鈥淭he Artis Center will be a central gathering place. A place where the arts and health sciences are elevated to the stature they deserve,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎 place where students will perform for and interact with residents of our region. A place where faculty will have the tools and space to thrive as educators. Radford students and the entire community will Find Their Place. Here.鈥�

Those last four words are the 鈥減erfect way to describe the 澳门老奇人论坛 experience,鈥� said Onajae Edmond, a senior from Hampton, Virginia, who serves as the student representative to the Board of Visitors and is working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance this spring of 2025.

Edmond said his 鈥渇irst taste of what makes the Artis Center special鈥� happened two weeks ago as the fall semester began. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 open to the rest of the university and open to my peers. The entertainment industry is all about collaboration,鈥� said the aspiring choreographer, dance teacher and performer. 鈥淗ere, we have a real-world experience. We get to share our work with other artists. They can see me practicing in the dance studio. And I can see their paintings, hear their music and watch their monologues.

鈥淲e can have everyday interactions here that will inspire new ways of thinking and make us more well-rounded,鈥� Edmond continued. 鈥淚 can walk through the Artis Center and know that I鈥檓 surrounded by future studio owners, professional performers, therapists and teachers. We are destined to be successful people.鈥�

Edmond said he and fellow Radford students feel cared for by Radford administrators, professors and staff members. 鈥淎s a scholarship recipient, I get to benefit from generous gifts that make my education possible,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know that Radford is preparing me to fulfill my dreams and make a positive difference in the lives of others.鈥�

The Artis Center is named for H. Pat and Nancy E. Artis, the latter a 1973 Radford University graduate and the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the university in 2021. Pat Artis serves as an educator in Virginia Tech鈥檚 Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering.

Pat and Nancy Artis 鈥渉ave been extraordinary supporters of 澳门老奇人论坛 in all ways 鈥� volunteering together on the TOGETHER Campaign steering committee; serving as role models to inspire others to both give back and pay it forward; and providing philanthropic funds in support of facilities, student scholarships and more,鈥� Danilowicz said.

鈥淧at and Nancy,鈥� the president continued, 鈥渢hank you for all you do for 澳门老奇人论坛! You are creating a legacy at this institution that will live in perpetuity.鈥�

The Artises have made numerous trips to campus since construction began, Pat Artis said, 鈥淲atching the building come out of the ground.

鈥淓ach visit has filled us with pride,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e want to thank everyone that has contributed to this building, whether it be laborers, architects, site engineers, managers, university personnel, our delegates and senators in Richmond, our representatives in Washington; we can never thank each of you enough for your efforts.鈥�

Addressing the gathering, Nancy Artis said the new center is built to educate Radford students toward bringing positive change to society.

鈥淚n an era characterized by ever more wicked problems, this building breaks down the traditional model of academic silos to encourage collaborative solutions to the problems faced by the community, the commonwealth and the world,鈥� Nancy Artis said. 

The Artises concluded their address to the gathering by offering a 鈥減iece of advice鈥� for current and future students who enter the Artis Center. 鈥淵our dreams are not large enough,鈥� they said in unison. 鈥淕o for the higher.鈥�

As the ceremony ended, the couple was presented with an original oil painting of the Artis Center, painted by Associate Professor of Art Brent Webb.