November 30, 2007
Work crews constructing the Friesen Center for the Visual Arts plan to begin installing masonry and the walls soon for the structure under construction on the north side of Hesston College’s campus. Jim Mason, director of Campus Facilities, says most underground work is complete, as well as the structural steel shell. The last of the concrete floor was poured Monday, November 12, with staining to occur during December.
According to Mason, work on masonry and walls is scheduled to begin in early December. Roofing should start during the second week of December, and be completed by late December.
“Summer rains have pushed the overall schedule approximately three weeks behind,” Mason said, “so completion should occur around the end of April 2008.” Mason said the building should be occupied in late June or early July.
Construction on the $2 million facility began in mid-June 2007 by the general contractor, Walz Harman & Huffman Construction of Kechi, Kan. The architect for the one-story, 9,500 square foot building is Terry Wiggers of Shaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture of Wichita.
The facility is named in honor of Paul and Wilma Friesen, Hesston, Kan. Paul Friesen began the visual arts department at the college more than 50 years ago, starting with his first classroom in the basement of Green Gables in the spring term of 1957. Friesen officially retired from Hesston College in 1978, but was invited to teach the second-year ceramics class at the college during the spring semester 2001-2005. He graduated from Hesston Academy in 1942 and from Hesston College in 1944.
Located between Northlawn (music and theatre) and Charles Hall (the sciences), the new building will provide teaching space for ceramics, painting, print-making, and drawing studios; a computer lab for graphic design and digital photography; an art gallery; and faculty offices.
"We at Hesston College have received strong support from our constituency for the Friesen Center for the Visual Arts, reflecting the great respect held for Paul Friesen," said Yvonne Sieber, the college's vice president of Development. "The college continues to raise funds for the equipment and endowment for the ongoing support of the new facility."
Visual Art department