The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the opening of the Windgate Center of Art + Design on Friday, Feb. 16, with a signature scholarship fundraiser for art and design students presented by Affirmative Risk Management.

The event begins at 7 p.m. and honors the Windgate Charitable Foundation for its generosity in making the new visual arts facility possible and its ongoing support of UA Little Rock’s Department of Art and Design.

UA Little Rock students and faculty members will conduct art demonstrations throughout the evening, and libations and hors d’oeuvres, sponsored by Trio’s and ROXOR Artisan Gin, will be located throughout the building to encourage exploration.

Tickets are $100 for general admission, $50 for lifetime members of the Alumni Association and UA Little Rock employees, and may be purchased at ualr.at/cre8. A VIP reception for sponsors will take place from 6-7 p.m.

The 65,000-square-foot center brings all programs in UA Little Rock’s Department of Art and Design under one roof. The department currently has the broadest art and design course offerings in Arkansas, including the only programs in furniture design and metalsmithing.

All proceeds from sponsorships and ticket sales will go toward the $3 million goal to endow art student scholarships.

UA Little Rock has raised more than $1 million for endowed scholarship funds for art and design students since 2016, said Tom Clifton, interim dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences.

Scholarship funds raised will substantially enhance the 10 existing scholarships dedicated to art and design students. The increased scholarship opportunities are expected to help attract the most talented and promising art students to UA Little Rock.

“The Windgate Center for Art + Design scholarship initiative is an incredibly worthy endeavor, and all Little Rock citizens have an opportunity to be part of this legacy by helping students achieve success and by helping the university gain national attention as a great art center,” said Mark L. Pollack, a 1988 graduate of UA Little Rock and founder of Affirmative Risk Management.

“Giving back to those who have helped my wife Patricia and me reach our goals in life is one of the most rewarding things we’ve had the honor of doing,” Pollack continued. “UA Little Rock has provided us the underpinning that enabled us to reach a point in our lives where we are able to give back and help other students reach their goals through higher education.”

Other event sponsors include Mark and Patricia Pollack, Thompson Electric, Arvest, BK Moulding & Mainframe Artworks, Glass Erectors, Anne Mourning, LaRand Thomas, Hogan Taylor CPA’s + Advisors, and WER Architects/Planners.

For sponsorship information, contact Joseph Lampo, director of development for the arts, at 501-569-8326 or email jwlampo@ualr.edu.