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Gift to name gallery
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Through a gift from Martin and Susan Solomon of Vienna to Youngstown State University’s College of Creative Arts and Communication, the Bliss Hall art gallery will be named for Judith Rae Solomon.
Judith is Martin Solomon’s sister, and the naming of a gallery after her was a surprise to Judith.
“You aren’t supposed to surprise me,” she joked, thanking the gallery full of family, friends and university supporters.
Martin Solomon said the gift was to honor Judith and her “lifelong dedication to the arts” and to invite more “of our friends and acquaintances to see what goes on at YSU.
“It’s world-class,” he said.
Judith Solomon serves as a patron, volunteer and board member on many arts organizations including YSU’s John J. McDonough Museum of Art.
YSU trustees previously approved a resolution naming the gallery and acknowledging the Solomons’ $150,000 donation. It says that since 1994, the couple has donated $200,000 for the Andrews Recreation and Wellness Center, the Williamson College of Business Administration and the Watson and Tressel Training Site.
The latest gift is for improvements to the Bliss Hall second-floor gallery and to establish an endowment for programming at the College of Creative Arts and Communication.
Susan Solomon said her sister-in-law’s soul and spirit always have been nourished by the arts, and she hopes the gallery inspires others.
Bryan DePoy, dean of the College of CCAC, said the Solomons’ latest contribution is another indication of their devotion to the arts and to the college.
“This gallery has become an important exhibition space for the university as well as the community,” he said. “This donation ensures our continuing ability to provide a professional-gallery experience in Bliss Hall.”
Martin Solomon is a principal with P&S Equities. The couple donated a painting and an outdoor sculpture to CCAC.
Paintings by YSU student Joy White of Warren, who will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studio art, were displayed during the gallery dedication Monday. White enrolled at YSU after a successful career as an owner-operator of a visual-marketing company.