LCC
Fine Arts Center Adds Color to Campus
Like an artist brushing strokes on a canvass, Laredo Community College has added color to its campus with the addition of a new home for cultural study and performance – the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center.
Welcoming students this fall, the LCC Fine Arts Center is providing state of the art technology for students in visual and performing arts classes to master their skills and showcase their talents.
Located on the north side of the college campus adjacent to historic buildings that currently house arts instruction, the contemporary Fine Arts Center becomes strikingly visible as soon as one enters the campus via the West End Washington overpass.
College administrators and faculty speak with a high sense of enthusiasm as they envision the positive impact the $8.4 million facility will have on student lives. The project was funded with support from community, revenue bonds and student fees.
“The LCC Fine Arts Center is creating excitement among the community and students. Instructors with impressive credentials want to join our team of faculty in the Art and Music and Dance Departments,” noted Dr. Nora Garza, Dean of Arts and Sciences. “The college is also experiencing an increased interest among students who want to enroll in visual and performing arts courses.”
With the new facility, Garza indicated that the College is expanding its program offerings to include more day and evening classes and a wider array of subjects related to the arts.
LCC Music and Dance Department Chairperson Danuta Gazdyszyn and Art Department Chairperson Dale Short agree with Garza’s outlook on the future of fine arts education in Laredo and the region.
“The Fine Arts Center is filled with many innovative features that are available at no other educational institution south of San Antonio,” said Gazdyszyn. “This will be a tremendous advantage for LCC students to realize their potential and fulfill their dreams as they work with highly qualified instructors in a progressive learning environment.”
Short describes the excitement as a new chapter in the rich history of the college’s fine arts programs.
“The college is heading in a positive and upward direction concerning the future of its fine arts education programs. There is this sense in the air that the possibilities for our students are limitless and that is a refreshing outlook for the faculty.”
He mentioned how the centralization of the college’s fine arts programs into one facility will help spark exciting collaborations and generate more student interest.
“I envision the possibilities of visual arts working together in projects tied to music, dance and theater,” said Short. “It also seems that the Center will create more awareness between students by learning together in one facility. This may motivate some students to learn a bit more about other arts programs and encourage them to learn a new skill or talent.”
The LCC Fine Arts Center serves as a hub for students in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, dance, music and theatre production classes, among other related subjects. The facility also features an elegant 752-seat auditorium for college student and community performance venues and a new gallery for visual art presentations.
Sepulveda Associates Architects, Inc. undertook the planning and design of the Fine Arts Center. The general contractor was Leyendecker Construction, Inc.
For more information, contact the LCC Marketing and Public Information Office by calling 721-5140 or by e-mail at publicinfo@laredo.edu.
Office of Marketing and Public Information
West End Washington St.
Laredo, TX 78040-4395
956- 721-5140
Fax 956-721-5443