OCC halfway to arts pavilion goal

Danette Goulet

COSTA MESA -- One million down and 1 million to go.

Last weekend’s orange-tie gala brought in $50,000, bringing Orange

Coast College nearly halfway to its $2-million goal to build an arts

pavilion.

“So far we’ve raised in pledges a little over $950,000,” said Doug

Bennett, the executive director of OCC’s foundation. “Our goal is $2

million, with the largest donation coming from the associated students of

OCC for $640,000.”

The students’ funds are taken from student fees and the profits from

the school bookstore, which they own, Bennett said.

“We’re kind of, like, investing in ourselves because the arts pavilion

will house an art gallery that will be used to display student work,”

said Nasser Khan, OCC’s student body president. “And the cafe will be a

spot where students can relax -- a mellow place where students can

study.”

The pavilion will be a companion building to the state-funded,

$15-million arts center the school broke ground on last month.

The arts center will house state-of-the-art studios for photography,

sculpture, drawing, painting and film.

Within two years, 2 1/2 acres on the southern boundary of the campus

will be home to the stunning 70,000-square-foot, three-story facility.

Not since 1994, when the towering technology center was built, has the

52-year-old campus welcomed such a major addition.

But OCC wanted more.

They wanted a gallery with room for both professional and student

work.

And so the vision for the arts pavilion sprung forth. But the state

won’t fund the gallery building because it won’t contain traditional

classrooms, Bennett said.

While architect Steven Ehrlich of Los Angeles has designed both

buildings, OCC has had to go it alone on raising the additional $2

million for the arts pavilion. They plan to begin construction in 2002 or

2003, when the arts center is completed.

Along with the students’ contribution to the 8,500-square-foot

facility, there have been several other major contributors.

Mary Lynn Bergman-Rallis donated $46,000 for the gallery’s book nook,

and for the last two years Mazda Motors has sponsored a golf tournament

that has raised $55,000.

“There’s another tournament on March 19,” Bennett added. “We’re hoping

that will bring another $30,000. We also had some other smaller gifts

from Pepsi, PacifiCare and the foundation.”

With a couple years left until the next groundbreaking, OCC officials

say they are confident they can raise the second million.