BY CORIE LYNN
PHOTOS BY ALEX JUAREZ
Fort Hays State University’s Center for Art and Design has been open for over a year, but last week it finally had its dedication day.
Jason Williby, president and CEO of the FHSU Foundation, hosted the dedication held at the newly-christened Schmidt Foundation Center for Art and Design.
The building was named for the late Pat Schmidt, co-founder of the Schmidt Foundation and lover of the arts.
The foundation’s board of trustees attended the dedication, speaking of the pride Schmidt would have felt about allowing future generations to learn the arts through the new facility.
FHSU Foundation President and CEO Jason Williby 
Art and Design Department Chair Karrie Simpson Voth 
FHSU President Dr. Tisa Mason speaks at the dedication 
Attendees of the Schmidt Foundation Center for Art and Design Dedication 
Art on display inside the building
Members of the Art and Design Department attended the dedication, including Department Chair Karrie Simpson Voth and graduate student Thomas Giebler.
“There is no doubt the Schmidt Foundation Center for Art and Design has been a definite game-changer,” Voth said.
Prior to moving into the new building, the department was housed on the first floor of Rarick Hall, where space was cramped and students had to share a smaller number of tools.
Giebler spent his undergraduate years studying out of Rarick with his fellow students and explained that they “found ways to make the space work.”
The dedication concluded with FHSU President Tisa Mason receiving the check to fund the next round of full-ride Schmidt Foundation scholarships. She then thanked the Schmidt Foundation for its impact on FHSU’s students and campus.
“My heart is filled with so much gratitude right now,” Mason said.