Renovation paid for by donation from OSU alumna

The Ohio State College of the Arts honored a former student whose donations made the renovation of a gallery in Hopkins Hall possible.

Jan Dilenschneider, who graduated in the late 1960s with a bachelor's in fine arts education, was honored Friday with a plaque that now hangs in Hopkins Hall.

The engraved plaque hangs outside the student gallery on the fourth floor of Hopkins Hall where nine graduate student artwork pieces are currently displayed in the newly renovated gallery space.

Dilenschneider's contributions were responsible for the renovation along with 45 newly purchased easels for art students, according to department administrators.

"I think the arts are very important because they give us the love of life ... they give us our solace," Dilenschneider said. "They bring a little extra humanity to life."

Dilenschneider, along with her husband, have been patrons to OSU for more than a decade.

Karen Bell, Dean and Professor of the College of the Arts, held an honorary luncheon and gallery viewing to celebrate Dilenschneider's contributions to the school.

Her contributions alone have allowed the College of the Arts to renovate and organize the student gallery where student work can be displayed.

"Having her support really makes things happen," Bell said as she viewed the renovated gallery and said that the gallery was in honor of Dilenschneider's gifts and generosity.

Dilenschneider said she was "very touched and very impressed with the thankfulness and the sincerity ... it must be encouraging to young artists to have a gallery that their work is going to hang up in."

Dan Clemens, a graduate student, who has artwork displayed in the gallery said "all second year graduate students have work up in the room."

Dilenschneider is still involved with the arts and her own artwork. She paints every week, and said art helps balance life and provides the world with important history.

"The arts, particularly painting and sculpture, are what 500 years from now we'll have left, it's where we remember our history and our heritage," she said.

Jennifer Hallquist can be reached for comment at hallquist.2@osu.edu.