(Pictured L-R) Dr. Ruth Eilene Sullivan and Dr. Louis Agnese pose in front of the
newly dedicated studios.
The University of the Incarnate Word, officially dedicated the new Ruth Eilene Sullivan Ceramic and Sculpture Studios to a longtime UIW friend and benefactor on Sept. 10. The facility is named for UIW Trustee Chairman Emerita Dr. Ruth Eilene Sullivan. Sullivan, a two-term chair of the board of trustees, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by UIW in 2002.
In her remarks, Sullivan stated that a dear friend opened her eyes to the world of ceramics and sculpture many years ago. She noted that it was her hope that students who come through the doors of the new studio would find the “joy in creating art as much as her dear friend did.”
The Sullivan Ceramic and Sculpture Studios will be made up of one gas kiln, a ceramic studio with 10 pottery wheels, spray booth for glazing and five to six electric kilns as well as a sculpture studio with five metal welding stations, two large portable welding stations for larger pieces, a ban saw, a chop saw and a sandblaster. Each studio can accommodate up to 10 students per class. This is the first time UIW students will be able to do metal work of this caliber. Completed projects will be displayed at UIW locations in San Antonio.
“Every piece is important at UIW but the humanities are the core of every student’s education. It’s from liberal arts that everything else is built upon,” said UIW President Dr. Louis Agnese. “Dr. Sullivan is a longtime friend of UIW and her family is very involved in our history. It is appropriate that this new studio is dedicated to her.”
