In 2003, when the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University was in the planning stages, Branson made a substantial financial commitment to the project. In recognition of that commitment, Western and the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education named the building’s central lobby for Branson.
A ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. in the Branson Ultrasonics Lobby of the building, which is on the WCSU Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.
The unveiling of the naming plaque by WCSU President Dr. John B. Clark and Joe Dillon, president of Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, will be followed by a reception.
The 130,000-square-foot center, which opened in August of 2014, features three distinct wings: Theatre Arts, Music and Visual Arts -- all connecting in the Branson Lobby.
The facility has been ranked No. 9 on a list of the 25 Most Amazing Campus Arts Centers in the country, complementing another survey that lists Western’s Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts program as one of the 10 best in the nation.
“At Branson, a lot of the welding technology that we create is focused on the challenge of bringing disparate pieces together into a strong and unified whole,” said Dillon. “So it is a special honor to inaugurate the Branson Lobby at the WCSU Visual and Performing Arts Center."
“Branson’s support was very important to Western as we started on this journey, and we are happy to acknowledge the contributions of the company and its employees in the grand lobby space,” said Clark. “Involvement by corporations and the people who live in our community sustains this university and its students. We couldn’t do our work without it.”
For more information on the ceremony, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.
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