Georgia Southern University to Open Center for Art and Theatre on March 2

February 21, 2008

The visual and performing arts at Georgia Southern University and the surrounding region will enter a new era when the recently completed Center for Art and Theatre opens to the public on March 2. The Center includes a new Black Box Theatre with seating for up to 150 and three exhibition galleries, including a permanent gallery for the Betty Foy Sanders Georgia Artists Collection. The public is invited to an open house at the Center, located behind Hendricks Hall and adjacent to the Fine Arts Building, from noon-2 p.m. on Sunday, March 2.

‘This new facility brings the visual arts and theatre together in a way that will not only benefit Georgia Southern University, but will make a wonderful addition to the Statesboro community and our region,” says Bruce Grube, president of Georgia Southern University.

Guests to the galleries and theatre will be greeted by a new public sculpture, Ascend, commissioned by Betty Foy Sanders, wife of former Georgia Governor Carl E. Sanders, and created by artist Marc Moulton. The Georgia Artists Collection, a gift that has been developed by Betty Foy Sanders since 1967, will be a primary feature of the new venue and will be located on the main floor. An adjoining sculpture garden, the first on the Georgia Southern University campus, will offer a fourth exhibition space for three-dimensional works of art.

Patricia Carter, chair of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art said, ‘The galleries will be open to the public, allowing more people the opportunity to see the students’ work, the faculty’s expertise, and a variety of exhibitions that will be possible as we host visiting artists from around the world.”

Inaugural Gallery Exhibitions

The inaugural exhibition in the Center’s Contemporary Gallery will be Romancing the Stones, featuring recent work by arts advocate Betty Foy Sanders, a Statesboro native and namesake of Georgia Southern’s visual arts program. Sanders is a renowned artist who uses elements of the earth in her paintings: minerals, rocks, stones, and geodes, adding depth and texture. She served seven years on the board of the Georgia Council of the Arts and Humanities and received Georgia Southern University’s first doctorate in fine arts in 1997. The University renamed its fine arts department in her honor in 1999.

The University gallery will feature Sacred Journey, the work of Betty Foy Botts, daughter of Betty Foy Sanders and former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders. Botts expresses her love of color and texture with bold brush strokes that depict subject matter found in nature. Through her artistic talents, Botts has transposed her faith onto canvas as a reflection of her spirituality.

Georgia Southern University Black Box Theatre

‘The new Black Box Theatre is a unique addition to our region and will be a simple and unadorned performance space that places an intimate focus on the playwright’s story and the actors’ interpretation,” says Pam Bourland-Davis, chair of the Communication Arts program. ‘Audiences attending performances at the new theatre will have an up close and personal experience with the performance as the flexible seating arrangements will be tailored to the individual performance.”

The first production planned for the new Black Box Theatre is William Shakespeare’s epic tragedy, ‘King Lear,” Feb. 29-March 8. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. except for the Feb. 29 inaugural performance, which begins at 8 p.m. King Lear will be portrayed by Georgia Southern University professor emeritus Mical Whitaker, an actor and director who is regionally recognized for his work in presenting ‘Blessed Assurance,” ‘Black Nativity,” and many other local productions.

Tickets for ‘King Lear” along with tickets for all future performances at the Black Box Theatre are available by contacting the Theatre’s Box Office at 912-681-5379.

– See more at: https://ww2.georgiasouthern.edu/news/pressrelease.php?id=1061#sthash.1pg2eDiZ.dpuf