Retired MCC art history professor Dr. Carole Drachler. MESA, Arizona – May 1, 2018 – Mesa Community College invites the public to join in the dedication of the Dr. Carole Drachler Library of Art History. The ceremony and ribbon cutting will be at 6 p.m. on May 3 in the Art Gallery on MCC’s Southern and Dobson Campus, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa.

Retired MCC art history professor, Dr. Carole Drachler and her husband Dr. David Drachler generously donated $250,000 to launch a one-of-a-kind library of art history for students, instructors, staff and community members. The Drachler’s gift, commemorating their connections to MCC, includes over 3,000 art and art history books collected during years of extensive world travels. The donation includes a rare collection of historic items from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

“Art history connects you to the history of the world through pictures and buildings, instead of words in a textbook,” said Dr. Carole Drachler. “Art elevates us. It makes us feel like we’re immortal. It opens up the world.”

Professor Carole Drachler taught art history in Maricopa Community Colleges for nearly 40 years, retiring in Spring 2009 after 34 years at MCC. Her classes were some of the most popular on campus, packing the lecture hall with 70 students in each of the five sections she taught each semester.

As a lecturer for the Arizona Humanities Council, Dr. Carole Drachler has educated thousands of Arizonans in the love and appreciation of art for more than three decades. She has always considered the advancement of the arts in Arizona to be of paramount importance to ensure that future generations may continue to enjoy and benefit from the well-documented pleasures and advantages of an art education.

“The room will be a little treasure, an artistic experience when we’re done,” Dr. Carole Drachler said. “Books have been my passion, after family and teaching. I’m happy that generations of students will use the books I enjoyed.”

Light refreshments and appetizers will be provided during the ceremony. Guests are encouraged to use parking Lot F.

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Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu or 480-461-7892

Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for service-learning, career and technical programs, civic engagement and innovative approaches to higher education. The college serves as a resource for career readiness, transfer education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to more than 30,000 students annually, MCC offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations. MCC is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution with a diverse student body that enriches the learning experience. Renowned faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to compete locally and nationally. MCC, located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, is one of 10 colleges comprising the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information visit mesacc.edu.

Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) http://www.ncahlc.org.

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