Lyell B. Clay, a Charleston, W.Va. philanthropist and patron of the arts, has pledged $2 million for the renovation of the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center Concert Theatre.
WVU President David C. Hardesty, Jr. today announced thatWVU is extremely proud and honored to name this facility, the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre.
Of his gift, Clay said,It will promote arts education in West Virginia and be a great addition to the state. I hope it also will enable the college to develop a closer relationship with the Clay Center when it opens.
Clay and the Clay Foundation, have made significant contributions to the state including to the Clay Center for the Arts and SciencesWest Virginia, which currently is under construction in Charleston.
Bernard Schultz, dean of the College of Creative Arts, added,Lyell Clays foresight and generosity will create, for the northern region of our state, the finest theatre between Pittsburgh and Charleston. As part of the Creative Arts Center of West Virginia University, the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre will not only be a premier performance space, but it also will significantly contribute to the education of future generations of artistsensuring that the arts will remain a living experience for all of us.
The gift was made to the WVU Foundation in conjunction with Building Greatness Campaign: West Virginia University. The $250 million campaign is being conducted by the Foundation on behalf of the University and has received more than $130 million toward its goal. A five-year campaign, it concludes Dec. 31, 2003.
The Concert Theatre is the premier public performance space at WVU . In addition to all of the musical groups from the College, the Universitys visiting artist series, Festival of Ideas speakers and the West Virginia Public Theatre all use the theatre for performances and events.
The renovations made possible by Clays gift will improve rigging, acoustics, house and stage lighting, pit height, and aesthetics. It will also provide dressing rooms, a green room, a production room, a tech office and ADA accessible ramps. Other improvements will be made to sound and video recording, the lecture/testing venue.
Clay is the retired co-chair and founder of the Clay Foundation, which he and his brother, Buckner Woodward Clay II, established in 1987 to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of West Virginia. He also is the former chairman of Clay Communications, Inc. and publisher/owner of the Charleston Daily Mail.
A songwriter and composer, he wroteWest Virginias Home To Me.Among his many honors are being one of The State Journals”55 best things about WV,” WVU Foundations 2000 Most Loyal West Virginian, 1998 College of Creative Arts Deans Award, the 1993 Spirit of the Valley Community Award, and the Sunday Gazette-Mails 1992 West Virginian of the Year.
Clay earned an M.B.A. from West Virginia University in 1975. He received a B.A. in music education from Williams College in 1944, an LLB from the University of Virginia in 1948, an M.A. from Marshall University in 1956, a Doctor of Letters from the University of Charleston in 1987 and Doctor of Laws from the West Virginia Graduate College in 1993. Clay is also a 1967 graduate of Harvard Universitys advanced management program.
The WVU Foundation, a private non-profit organization that generates, receives and administers private gifts from individuals and organizations for the benefit of West Virginia University.
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