Grand Opening

Students, alumnae/i, faculty, parents, staff, trustees and local residents were all part of the November festivities celebrating the culmination of the College’s successful $75 million campaign and the grand opening of the Monika A. and Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Visual Arts Center. Activities during the sunny fall weekend included a gala dinner for 200 campaign donors, organized by Trustee Suzanne W. Wright ’98 and her committee that included Margot Bogert ’75, Amanda Foreman ’91, Monika Heimbold ’85, Caryn Mandebach, Joan Marks ’51, Wendy Samuel ’71, Ruth Seigel ’50, Ann Tenenbaum ’83 and Caryn Zucker ’87; “An Art Party” cabaret directed by Shirley Kaplan and including student and faculty performers; the grand opening of the Barbara Walters Gallery and a special appearance by Jon Avnet ’71, who presented his new film, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, to a capacity crowd.

At the Heimbold Center ribbon-cutting ceremony, Charles A. Heimbold addressed the crowd of some 600 people. “Monika said that this building was not only necessary to current faculty and students,” he said, “but would attract many more talented students and faculty, who see a solid commitment by Sarah Lawrence to their own personal commitment to the arts.” While Monika Heimbold was unable to attend, her daughter, Joanna Heimbold ’85, M.S.Ed. ’90 read remarks prepared by her mother: “I want to thank all who turned our need into a desire, and then the desire into a reality. The new center vaults Sarah Lawrence to the top of its league in visual arts facilities.”

The crowd got to view those facilities— already hung with student artwork—throughout the afternoon.