UT Tyler Longview University Center Dedicates Courtyard and Sculpture

October 12, 2001

The University of Texas at Tyler Longview University Center will hold a ceremony to officially present a new courtyard and sculpture, UT Tyler President Rodney H. Mabry has announced.

The ceremony will be 4 - 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 at the UT Tyler Longview University Center, which is located at 3201 North Eastman Road in Longview. The courtyard, which is directly in front of Garland Hall, features a sculpture that was commissioned for the facility.

Dorothy R. Kennedy sculpted the life-size bronze statue, which she, her brother John Robbins and sister Betty Lloyd donated to the center. They also are responsible for the creation of the courtyard.

The statue, titled The Student, shows a young woman sitting on a bench reading a book. The sculpted individual represents the typical student attending the center.

President Mabry requested the statue after seeing Kennedy's sculpture titled "Study Bug" at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts' Best of the Southwest Exhibit. It took Kennedy one year to complete the piece.

"Dorothy Kennedy is an artist of the first order. When I saw her 'Study Bug,' I instantly fell in love with her style. She produces images that sparkle with life, and that's true of her student sculpted for the Longview University Center as well. It is a stunning art piece," Mabry said.

Kennedy, who owns Kennedy Gourmet of Kilgore, began sculpting items for use in packaging the company's products.

"My husband realized how much I loved sculpting those bottles shaped like tomatoes, peppers and strawberries and encouraged me to take classes in sculpting," Kennedy said.

Kennedy has studied with Earlene Heath-King, Bruno Lucassi, Lincoln Fox and Bobbi Gentry.