ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Bonifas Arts Center is honoring its legacy with a special exhibit for its 50th anniversary.
Now through October 17, the extensive history of the Bonifas is on display at the “50 Years in the Making” exhibit.
“The Bonifas family was big in the area,” said Gallery Director Kate Oman. “William Bonifas was a lumber baron, so when he passed, Catherine decided to donate a lot of the money to the community.”
One of those donations led to the construction of the building at 700 1st Avenue South in 1938. Back then, it functioned as a gymnasium and auditorium.
“That was a part of the parochial school for a while,” Oman said. “Once that school shut down, it laid dormant for a while, and then we came to be.”
In 1974, the facility became the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center. In addition to a few pieces of art—including a Picasso—the “50 Years in the Making” exhibit is filled with newspaper clippings and memorabilia detailing those stories and others throughout the center’s history.
“There’s been a lot of news stories done throughout the years covering the inception of the Bonifas, all the way through to today’s era,” said Oman. “We’re paying homage to those that have come before us.”
Oman says the Bonifas name has impacted countless lives, including her own.
“Having my piece in ‘Youth in Art,’ that was—I thought—my first experience here,” she said. “Come to find out, my parents met at Bay College in the Catherine Bonifas building because my father had a scholarship from Catherine Bonifas. I just wouldn’t be here without the Bonifas family!”
The community is invited to share how they have been impacted by the Bonifas family and legacy at an exhibit open house on October 9, from 3 to 6 p.m.
“We have a very strong foundation of those individuals that are still around, but there are some that have passed,” said Oman. “We’re asking for those stories so that we way we can hold onto those for the next 50 years.”
Oman believes the exhibit will also give guests a deeper appreciation for the people behind the art they see at the Bonifas Arts Center.
“I’ve run into all these people on a work level,” Oman said. “Then I find out later, this person hosted one of our first classes we’ve had or ‘Oh, you come in and help us with the gallery tours’ or ‘I helped sand the floors here.’ There are so many people that put in their time and dedication to make the Bonifas be what it is today that we want to give tribute to them.”
The “50 Years in the Making” exhibit is free to view. The Bonifas Arts Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on this and future exhibits at the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center, visit bonifasarts.org or the Bonifas Arts Center Facebook page.
