By Naomi Hofferber
Members of the University of Iowa community, a congressman, and a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency came together for the dedication of the new Voxman Music Building on Oct 21.
Voxman, a massive 190,000-square-foot architectural feat, sits on the edge of downtown and features a concert hall, a recital hall, a performance hall, various rehearsal spaces, studios and classrooms, and a beautiful Klais Organ.
The former music building was destroyed in the 2008 flood; since then, UI music events have been held in temporary places, including the University Capitol Center.
UI President Bruce Harreld expressed his gratitude to donors, federal financial support in flood recovery, and all those who contributed to the building of Voxman.
“Watching this past month, the arts coming back to life on our campus has just been amazing,” he said. “Thanks to all of you for making that happen.”
Harreld expressed his gratitude to Beth Freeman, the regional administrator for FEMA Region VII, who also attended the Hancher and Visual Arts facilities dedications. All three buildings were given financial support to be built after the flood by FEMA.
“It has been eight years since the flood. Most experts will tell you it takes 10 years to get to the point of where you can say you’ve recovered from a major disaster like that,” Freeman said. “You’re about two years ahead of schedule.”
Freeman noted mitigation efforts taken by Iowa to prevent flooding by buying out floodplain properties and building in ways that prevent flood damage.
Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, also spoke at the event. In 2008, he brought then-President George W. Bush to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids to see firsthand the damage that took place.
“I don’t think anybody had any notion of what was going to be needed to rebuild this campus,” Loebsack said. “We had to stay on them, that’s one of the jobs of a member of Congress is to make sure federal bureaucracy does what it’s supposed to do. We had to continue to push, but we did it.”
The total project cost of building Voxman was $189 million, according to the UI Campus Masterplan.
“This is the moment that all of us have imagined and looked forward to for eight years,” said David Gier, the director of the UI School of Music. “What was once a dream and then a drawing is now reality. Isn’t it magnificent?”
Several performances took place at the ceremony, including a piece by Chopin performed by music Professor Uriel Tsachor. He selected “Polonaise in G sharp Minor,” which Chopin wrote when he was still a child.
“We know how great Chopin came to be for music, for the arts, for everybody, and how much he is loved,” Tsachor said. “This piece is so young and so great, and this building is so young, and it’s already so great. And we know this building will do equally well, just as Chopin did.”