The Center for The Visuals Arts (CVA) held their grand opening ceremony for the new building on Friday, which included guest speakers, building tours and student exhibitions.

 “I am excited to see how this event unfolds and everyone’s reactions to the building” said Samantha Sullivan, a graduate student in the library and Information science.

Christine Havice, director of the school art spoke to start the program, the dean of college John Crawford-Spinelli followed, Linda Allard Green spoke at the ceremony about her time here at Kent State, and Dennis Eckart chair of the board of trustees spoke and the speeches were ended by Beverly Warren speaking to the audience.

According to its website, The CVA “unites all School of Art disciplines under one roof,” including major programs in “art education, art history, ceramics, drawing, glass, jewelry/metals/enameling, painting, print media and photography, sculpture and textiles, as well as the cross-disciplinary foundations program.”

 Alumni, donors and students gathered in the lobby of the new building to celebrate the grand opening alumni from all different classes of Kent State.

Patt Knotts, a Kent State graduate in 1972 had majored in art education, and attended the event.

“I wish this (building) would’ve been here when I was here, everything was so spread out at the time” Knotts said.

Dennis Knotts, Knott’s husband who graduated in 1971, majored in visual design during his time at Kent State. He came to the event to see perspective people in his field.

“I want to see some students who are in visual design and see how things have changed,” he said.

Attendees of the event then walked around the building to observe the renovations made to the new home for the School of Art.

Jailyn Menefee is the social sciences reporter for The Kent Stater, contact her at [email protected]