The DCCCD Foundation hosted a special reception on May 7 at DCCCD’s District Office to kick off the current Founders’ Foyer Rotating Art Exhibit and to honor students whose art works are featured.  The district’s chancellor, Dr. Wright Lassiter Jr., welcomed guests and presented a cash award to each art student who attended.

Dr. Wright Lassiter (left) with Brenda Mattioli of North Lake College, whose watercolor painting titled "Spanish Steps," which he purchased from the current DCCCD Founders' Foyer Rotating Art Exhibit.

DCCCD Foundation board member Lynn McBee, who chairs the art committee that selected the 19 art pieces from among 124 entries, also participated.  She said, “The current exhibit features an interesting and eclectic collection of art pieces created by some of our outstanding visual arts students from all seven colleges.  We are pleased to showcase this current collection as we endeavor to elevate the artistic vision that Margaret McDermott wished to bring through her support of the Founders’ Foyer.”

The Founders’ Foyer and its rotating art exhibit are made possible by a generous gift from McDermott, who served as vice chair of the district’s first board of trustees and who also is a long-time supporter of the DCCCD Foundation.

Junko Otsu of North Lake College proudly displays her painting, which is part of the DCCCD Founders' Foyer Rotating Art Exhibit in Dallas.

Student honorees who attended were:

n Claire Christian and Nicolas Gonzalez from Brookhaven College;

n Mary Wester from Eastfield College;

n Brian Powell from El Centro College;

n Reyna Flores and Irving Segovia from Mountain View College;

n Richard Martin, Brenda Mattioli, Cristina Nava, Junko Otsu, Alena Reindl and Cooper Safford from North Lake College; and

n Robert Strauss from Richland College.

Several visual arts faculty members and administrators also attended the event: Christina Medina, Mountain View College art instructor; Melodee Ramirez, North Lake College art instructor and daughter of honored art student Richard Martin; and Eddy Rawlinson, interim executive dean of arts and sciences at El Centro College and curator for the Founders’ Foyer Rotating Art Exhibit.

Lassiter recently purchased Mattioli’s water color painting titled “Spanish Steps,” which currently is displayed in the foyer space.

For more information, contact Eddie Miranda, director of marketing and communications for the DCCCD Foundation, at (214) 378-1541 or at emiranda@dcccd.edu.