Buffalo State will celebrate the opening of its new Dr. Margaret Eschner Bacon Student Gallery with a dedication ceremony in Upton Hall, Monday, October 25, at 5:00 p.m.

Bacon, '41, a longtime supporter of the college, recently donated $300,000 to furnish the first-floor space, which will be devoted exclusively to the display of student art. In addition, a portion of the funds from the gift will be used to bring noted artists to campus to share their insights with students.

“I took a tour of the Art Department, heard about all of the great things that are happening here, and decided that an art gallery would be a wonderful thing for the students,” said Bacon, who celebrated her 90th birthday in August. “This gallery provides an opportunity for students to really broaden their experience. They can see each other’s finished work in a formal setting and find out how their art fits into the larger world of art.”

After graduating from Buffalo State with a degree in art education, Bacon went on to become one of the first women to receive a doctorate in education from the University at Buffalo. She spent much of her professional career as a faculty member in the Art Department at Daemen College, including serving as department chair.

Bacon and her late husband, Paul, ’42, are generous benefactors to Buffalo State College. They established the Drs. Paul A. & Margaret Eschner Bacon Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Drs. Paul & Margaret Bacon & Family Athletics Rehabilitation Room. Margaret Bacon is also a member of the Peterson Society.

“I’m particularly honored that this new gallery is located next to the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall,” Bacon said. “I was one of Dr. Stanley Czurles’s art education students at Buffalo State. Seeing his name reminds me that my husband and I both gained so much out of our Buffalo State educations. When we graduated, we both felt prepared to do anything. I hope this new gallery helps give today’s students that same feeling.”