Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

Arts center at BGSU to be named after couple
New facility funded in part by local pair

BOWLING GREEN - The Bowling Green State University board of trustees yesterday agreed to name a proposed $10.5 million campus arts facility in honor of a Perrysburg couple who donated an undisclosed amount of money, which officials described as significant, for the structure.

The exact amount of the donation from Frederic and Mary Wolfe will not be disclosed until an announcement Feb. 24.

The building, which will provide space for all the university's arts programs, will be called the Wolfe Center for the Arts. Neither an exact location for the building nor a construction start date has been determined.

The state awarded an $8.7 million capital grant for the project in 2002. The Wolfes' donation will be added to that amount, and the university continues to raise additional funds from private sources, Teri Sharp, a university spokesman, said.

Ms. Wolfe has been involved with the BGSU art program for more than 30 years. She is a BGSU graduate, a former art history instructor there, and is a former director of the university's McFall Art Gallery.

Mr. Wolfe is the current president of Kingston Residence of Sylvania and a former chairman of the Health Care & Retirement Corp.

The Wolfes have made donations to other area institutions.

In 1997, they donated $1.5 million to the University of Toledo to help build the $33 million Wolfe Hall, which houses the college of pharmacy and laboratories for the departments of biology and chemistry.

They also provided $1 million in 2000 to an endowment campaign for the Toledo Symphony.

The Wolfes could not be reached for comment yesterday.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 77/-1/NEWS

Maybe her BA in Fine Arts will help land a job in the new center when I need supplement to my pension. ô¿ô

Gotta pay for the travel to those away games somehow!

This has created little response so I'll jump in.

I consider this a big advance for BG. It is another step in putting BG in the first rank of Ohio universities in the arts--visual arts, music, theater, and film. The arts, like athletics, is a major way of attracting non-students to campus and impressing them with BG's facilities and programs.

I am so happy that BG recognizes the importance of the arts and is investing considerable resources to promote them. By doing this, BG stands out from the typical path that most universities, especially public universities, are following today. When I see the recent choices that BG is making in developing itself, I am very proud.

BRAVO to BG!!

Is a new Student Services Building in the master plan as well?

As the husband of a classically trained musician, I'm thrilled! It certainly will make it easier for her to see her little boy heading off to BG after graduation ... in 11 years!