Now in its 24th year of curating and delivering a variety of arts-related experiences at Durham Tech, founding members Lou Rollins, Bonnie V. Stone and Irene Laube saw the need for the college to be at the forefront of bringing art to the community.
The committee was tasked “to serve in an advisory capacity for activities which expand the interests and knowledge of students and area residents through celebrating diversity, sharing the arts and varied cultures and increasing community awareness.”
“Starting as Vive/Viva the Arts, the committee first focused on author and literary events,” said Julie Humphrey, director of the Durham Tech library and a Viva the Arts Chair since 2006 and 2024 Co-Chair. “The first events were held during National Library Week and then expanded from there.”
Literature-focused programming began to include other types of arts in 2001.
“The committee plans arts events for the Durham Tech community and the public,” Humphrey said. “We strive to bring everything from theater performances, music, films, artist workshops and lectures, Crafternoons, or poetry slams. We look forward to bringing emerging and local artists to engage with our College and the committee welcomes ideas and suggestions for events.”
In 2023, Viva the Arts committee merged with the Arts on Campus Task Force whose job it was to create the Jaynes Art Gallery. The task force was to oversee exhibits in the gallery and work to get public art on campus. The current version of the committee combined the two committee names to form Viva the Arts on Campus.
“The committee is ever-growing, changing. We want to challenge and yet appeal at the same time. Just like art itself,” said Tom Jaynes, who retired from Durham Tech as executive vice president in 2022, serves as Viva the Arts committee member and is an artist in his own right. “The committee works to not only bring art to campus, but to increase the number of musical concerts on campus, student art shows, Crafternoons -- basically all forms of art that add to the sense of fellowship, beauty and creativity on the Durham Tech campus.”
Jaynes, whom the Durham Tech art gallery is named after, wears many hats as an artist and likes the fact that the committee and its charge has changed and grown over the years.
“We consider all forms of art, and we have so many talented students and employees who provide us inspiration and learning,” said Jaynes. “We, as the committee, are just the base or the beginning of disseminating, sharing, all these talents. We see our job as just that and, through a separate committee, promote what is going on art-wise around campus.”
Viva the Arts has both historically and currently had strong support from the College’s administration.
“Viva the Arts is important at Durham Tech. It began under former President Dr. Phail Wynn and J.B. [Buxton], our current president, is very supportive of the arts at the College,” Humphrey said. “J.B. is a champion for the arts. He hopes to expand and enhance our arts curriculum and courses. He was instrumental in bringing the beautiful public art installation “The Dancers” by artist Guy Solie to campus. I think he greatly values and appreciates the work and impact of this committee.”
Jaynes said it has been exciting to see the evolution of Viva the Arts.
“What was once, in a sense, extracurricular, now is a legitimate committee with impact throughout the College and is embraced through programming and fundraising,” he said. “I am quite proud of Durham Tech for this.”
Both Humphrey and Jaynes see the committee’s impact through the students’ appreciation of exposure to a multitude of art forms, and both said they take pride in the thought that some students might be experiencing art at this level for the first time.
“Ever onward, we envision enhancing the lives of our campus community through engaging programs in the fine, visual, creative and performing arts,” Humphrey said. “What our founding committee saw as important. We just want to do it on a larger scale to reach even more people. Art builds community and our culture at Durham Tech is one of community.”