WICHITA, KS.-As the calendar year comes to an end and as my "second stint" as the Interim Director of the Ulrich is close to concluding, I am motivated to offer a few brief thoughts and comments.

First, I am excited about the talent, energy and leadership that Dr. Patricia McDonnell will bring to the director's office on January 16, 2007. I encourage you to take advantage of several events that are planned after the first of the year to welcome Patricia to the Ulrich and the Wichita arts community.

I also want to recognize and thank Sharon Miles for her past support of the Ulrich and the unique talents and skills she brought to the museum's fundraising (and friend-raising) efforts. We also look forward to working with Ms. Diana Gordon, who comes to the WSU Foundation from Nashville, Tenn., where she was the director of philanthropy at Nashville Public Radio. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Ohio University and has earned the designation of Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). I encourage you to get to know Diana and help us welcome her to Wichita and Wichita State University.

Speaking of fundraising, our efforts to support acquisition of the work by Tom Otterness for the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection and to fund the 2006-2007 exhibition schedule of the museum continue. I want to thank all of you who have pledged and/or given funds, and I particularly want to recognize and applaud the Student Government Association, which earlier this fall voted to continue the long-standing student tradition of supporting the sculpture collection by allocating $150,000, from the student fees fund, over a period of three years.

Katie Geha is finishing work on the catalog for Poets on Painters and we will send it to print January 1. If you are thinking of an end-of-year contribution, I would encourage you to support what promises to be an exciting exhibition, and we can still give you recognition in the catalog.

Finally, I want to thank the Ulrich staff for pitching in and working hard to keep the Ulrich Museum operating at the highest of levels following Dr. David Butler's departure. I want to publicly anknowledge their continuing professional and personal efforts on behalf of the Ulrich; Linda Doll certainly deserves a special commendation for her leadership and all she does for the museum. It has been a pleasure for me to again be associated with the Ulrich and to be more closely engaged with so many of you. I also thank Dean Rodney Miller for inviting me back to, as he said, "reprise" my role.

Best of the holidays to each of you. Thank YOU for your support of the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art and Wichita State University.