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Enjoy the season with TCC at the NEON Holiday Market

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift, stop by the TCC Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Student-crafted glasswork will be on sale. The center, located at, 128 W. Olney Road, will be open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

You can also enjoy two exhibits: “The TCC Revolving Art Faculty Exhibition” and “Barbara Kobylinska: Imaginary Creatures,” through December 31.

Light refreshments and a children’s activity will be offered between 1 – 3 p.m.

The larger NEON Holiday Market is a short walk away at The Plot at Granby Street and Olney Road. More than 30 creative vendors will participate. Live music and food trucks will be part of the afternoon festivities. For information, visit downtownnorfolk.org and neonnfk.com.

The new gallery is just one of the ways that TCC is expanding into the NEON District. The college plans to open the TCC Perry Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management at the site of the former Greyhound station in the fall of 2021. The 47,000-square-foot building will allow TCC to expand its visual arts, culinary arts and hospitality management programs.

TCC Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center hours are Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. TCC will continue to host exhibitions at the Visual Arts Center in Olde Towne Portsmouth.

For information, call Shelley Brooks at 757-822-1878.

TCC Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center’s grand opening set for Sept. 20

The TCC Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center  is featuring two new exhibitions, “The TCC Revolving Art Faculty Exhibition” and “Barbara Kobylinska: Imaginary Creatures,” through December 31.

The artist’s reception and grand opening will be held on Sept. 20 from 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Galleries and events are free and open to the public.

In the first-floor gallery, selected members of TCC’s Visual Arts Center faculty will show their work in a wide variety of styles and approaches. Media include painting, encaustic, sculpture, glass, pottery, drawing, photography, mixed and more. Works will rotate on an ongoing basis.

A display of sculptural work by Virginia Beach’s Barbara Kobylinska is on exhibit in the second-floor gallery. Mixed media animals — a kangaroo, mole, monkey, cheetah, giraffe, fish, bugs and others — are made from found and recycled objects. The colorful and imaginative works portray the artist’s unique and whimsical interpretation of the natural world.

The TCC Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center is located at 128 W. Olney Road in Norfolk.

Gallery hours are Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call Shelley Brooks at 757-822-1878, or visit artsattcc.org.

Grant from Hampton Roads Community Foundation to help TCC build new arts and hospitality center in Norfolk’s NEON District

Tidewater Community College will receive $500,000 over the next five years from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to help build the TCC Perry Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management in Norfolk’s NEON District.

TCC was one of seven recipients of grants from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, which focused on environmental stewardship and vibrant places in awarding funds.

“We’re appreciative of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s generosity, which shows its confidence in what promises to be a transformative facility for the City of Norfolk,” said TCC President Gregory T. DeCinque.

Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander unveiled plans to build the 47,000 square-foot facility during his State of the City address in March 2018. Plans call for it to energize the NEON District and nearby St. Paul’s area by:

  • expanding TCC’s one-of-a-kind visual arts education program;
  • training the next generation of chefs with an expansion of TCC’s comprehensive culinary arts program;
  • creating opportunities for collaboration between culinary and visual arts programs;
  • making a test kitchen available to food entrepreneurs;
  • housing an expanded program in hospitality and restaurant management; and
  • providing dual-enrollment opportunities for Norfolk high school students and workforce education to residents.

The project will be funded by some TCC general funds but mostly by private donations raised through Go Further! TCC’s Campaign for a Competitive Workforce. Norfolk’s Patricia and Douglas Perry are the lead donors in the initiative.

“We are hoping to begin construction in early 2020 with an opening date of Fall Semester 2021,” said Matthew Baumgarten, executive director of TCC’s Real Estate Foundation.

The City of Norfolk is donating the site of the former Greyhound bus station at the corner of Brambleton and Monticello avenues to the TCC Real Estate Foundation to make way for the new project.

For more information about donating to TCC’s Campaign for a Competitive Workforce, contact the college’s Educational Foundation at 757-822-1080 or visit advancement.tcc.edu.

Counting down TCC’s 2018 milestones

What a year 2018 proved to be for Tidewater Community College, which marked its 50th anniversary with a number of milestones.

A few highlights: The college celebrated its new footprint in Norfolk’s NEON District with the announcement of a new visual arts, culinary arts and restaurant management center coming in 2021, and it will benefit from a major gift for its hospitality program. Thanks to the generosity of Pat and Doug Perry, the newly named TCC Pat & Douglas Perry Glass Wheel Studio will also expand TCC’s offerings in the NEON District.

There’s more: TCC opened an academy in Portsmouth dedicated to the skilled trades, launched a technical training center for nonviolent offenders and announced plans for major redevelopment at College Point.

Take a look back at our top 10 highlights from a very good year.

10. No wonder vets feel at home at TCC, where about one-third of enrollment is military-related students. Military Times named the college “Best for Vets,” and tops in Virginia among two-year schools. Gov. Ralph Northam visited TCC in March for a Women’s Veteran Roundtable. In the fall, TCC received a fourth federal grant to help veterans transition into trucking careers.

9. TCC welcomed its second class of STEM Promise Program scholars – 19 students who will receive tuition and fees for two years while working toward an associate degree. Our inaugural class of STEM scholars will graduate this spring.

8. Joined by Priority Automotive and the Norfolk Sheriff’s office, TCC opened the Priority Technical Training Center in September, a state-of-the-art facility that offers nonviolent offenders a pathway to good careers after their release.

7. TCC’s Early Childhood Education program earned its own milestone. Last summer, the program achieved first-time accreditation from the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children.

6. Students at the Regional Automotive Center teamed together to finish a project car on behalf of their classmate, Jordan McNair, who died in a fatal automobile accident before graduation. Priority Automotive established a scholarship in his name.

Jordan McNair’s Honda PACT classmates who completed his project car are (standing left-right) Demian Rose, Demetrio Gallegos, Zack Kronske, instructor David Lee, Christian Benner, Dominique Martin and Eric Carmel. Not pictured, Drew Isom.

5. A new partnership between TCC and Old Dominion University allows students to receive credit for knowledge, training and skills achieved in the workplace. TCC’s Associate of Applied Science in Technical Studies with a Specialization in Technical Supervision allows students to earn an associate degree in as little as three semesters.

4. New businesses along with residential and green space will be part of a dynamic new center with stunning water views thanks to the TCC Real Estate Foundation developing what’s been called “the last and best property available in Hampton Roads.” The northern Suffolk site, known as College Point, was TCC’s original home.

3. Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Bobby Scott joined TCC President Gregory DeCinque for the dedication of a unique academy in Portsmouth that provides short-term workforce training for in-demand construction and maritime trades. The 20,000-square-foot facility will teach students everything from welding to pipe fitting to marine coating and pipe laying.

2. A seven-figure donation from a Virginia Beach restaurateur will pave the way for the Houston “Hu” Odom Jr. School of Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management in the NEON District. Odom is president and founder of BOTH, Inc., a franchisee of Golden Corral restaurants. President DeCinque (right) with Mayor Alexander, Evie and Hu Odom, and Noëlle Gabriel, chair of the Norfolk School Board. His gift will also be used to provide scholarships for students from Norfolk Public Schools who plan careers in restaurant management.

1. TCC made a splash @NEON in a big way! The Patricia & Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management will be a jewel and a gamechanger. Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander announced plans for the innovative, 47,000-square-foot center during his State of the City address last spring.

The transformative project will expand TCC’s visual arts program, train the next generation of chefs with a comprehensive culinary arts program, inaugurate a program in restaurant and hospitality management in Norfolk, provide dual-enrollment opportunities for Norfolk high school students and create a wealth of opportunities for collaboration.  Patricia & Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management rendering

See more TCC news.

Find a TCC-inspired unique gift at NEON Holiday Market on Dec. 8

Tidewater Community College will bring its homemade gingerbread houses and student-created artwork to the NEON Holiday Market, a holiday shopping event sponsored by the Downtown Norfolk Council.

Come to the newly named TCC Pat & Douglas Perry Glass Wheel Studio, 128 W. Olney Road in Norfolk, between noon and 5 p.m. on Dec. 8 to bid on a house or artwork by silent auction. Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies while you browse indoors.

TCC’s culinary arts students created the gingerbread delights loosely based on a Dickens theme. Assorted confections, colorful icing and other edible goodies make each home unique.

The artwork includes prints of paintings, graphic design, printmaking and photography.

All proceeds benefit TCC’s Studio Arts and Culinary programs.

The larger NEON Holiday Market is a short walk away, at The Plot at Granby Street and Olney Road. More than 30 creative vendors will participate. Live music and food trucks will be part of the afternoon festivities. For information, visit downtownnorfolk.org and neonnfk.com.

TCC@NEON had its debut in October at the NEON Festival. The TCC Glass Wheel will house the college’s public art gallery and ceramics and sculpture programs.

The Patricia & Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management is also coming to the NEON District in 2021. The 47,000-square-foot building will allow TCC to expand its visual arts, culinary arts and hospitality management programs.

Join TCC at the 2018 NEON Festival, Oct. 19

Jammin’ jazz. Tasty tidbits. Glass demos. Join Tidewater Community College at the 2018 NEON Festival on Oct. 19 from 6 to 10 p.m.

The two-night festival Oct. 18 and 19, a celebration of energy and light in Norfolk’s arts district, was started four years ago by the Downtown Norfolk Council.

For the first time, the Friday night of the festival will feature TCC, with music by its Blue Moon Jazz Ensemble, bananas Foster from culinary arts students, displays of student artwork, and demos of glassblowing and ceramics at the Glass Wheel Studio, 128 W. Olney Road.

The NEON District is anchored by the Chrysler Museum of Art and Harrison Opera House and extends to The Plot on Granby Street. Soon it will welcome TCC@NEON.

TCC Goes NEON, Sponsor: Tidewater Community College

“TCC is joining the party because we’re excited to be coming to the NEON District,” said Matthew Baumgarten, executive director of the TCC Real Estate Foundation. “It’s all thanks to Patricia and Douglas Perry, who are donating the Glass Wheel Studio to TCC and enabling us to expand our Norfolk Campus north of Brambleton Avenue.”

The Glass Wheel will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. In addition to enjoying music, dessert, wine and beer, visitors will be able to preview the college’s plans for a new building, the Patricia and Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management.

The 47,000-square-foot building, to be built on the site of the former Greyhound bus station, is planned for 2021. In addition to housing TCC’s respected academic programs, it will enhance the community by offering dual-enrollment and workforce-training opportunities for area residents. “This is a game-changer, not only for TCC but for the City of Norfolk,” Baumgarten said.

The free festival welcomes everyone. For additional information, visit the festival website.

Norfolk City Council approves purchase agreement with TCC for Greyhound property

The City of Norfolk took another step Tuesday toward establishing the NEON District as a premier destination when City Council approved Tidewater Community College’s acquisition of the Greyhound station site at 701 Monticello Ave.

The council approved an ordinance authorizing City Manager Doug Smith to complete the purchase agreement with the TCC Real Estate Foundation.

“Norfolk is building a global reputation as a destination for the arts,” said Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander. “This joint venture between the City of Norfolk and Tidewater Community College will bring new opportunities to thousands of students and visitors, while establishing the NEON District as Hampton Roads’ premier area for creative professionals.”

The TCC Real Estate Foundation’s acquisition will allow for an expansion of the downtown Norfolk Campus and the development of the Patricia and Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management.

The city will relocate the current Greyhound operation to the Downtown Norfolk Transit Station.

“It is fair to say that the construction of TCC’s Norfolk Campus in the ‘90s brought new energy to downtown,” TCC President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani said. “And now history will be repeating itself. We are proud to partner with Mayor Alexander and the City of Norfolk to light up the NEON District with this project. As one of the anchors in the NEON District, we will be creating a destination not only for students, but for visitors as well.”

“Through a generous gift from Patricia and Douglas Perry, this new center for visual and culinary arts will not only create new workforce and dual enrollment opportunities for students throughout the region, but will also become a prime dining destination for visitors and tourists,” Mayor Alexander said.

In addition, the Perrys are gifting their Glass Wheel Studio to the college. TCC plans to locate its public gallery and studio arts programs there, while creating vibrant new partnerships with the Chrysler Museum, the Perry Glass Studio, Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University.

Mayor Alexander said the new TCC centers will create opportunities not only for students, but also for Norfolk residents through workforce and dual enrollment programs.

The Perry Center will:

Allow the expansion of TCC’s visual arts programs to include fiber arts, jewelry and papermaking, among others.

Expand TCC’s nationally accredited culinary arts program from two kitchens currently to five, tripling enrollment and offering opportunities for public cooking classes and new programs.

Create a student-run restaurant on which culinary and visual arts students will collaborate.

And become the home of a new Restaurant Management program being introduced by TCC this fall.

“This offers a unique opportunity for the next generation of hospitality professionals in what is a fast-growing segment of Norfolk’s economy,” Mayor Alexander said. “Our employers will welcome this program.”

TCC opened its Norfolk Campus in 1997, thanks to a substantial contribution from the City of Norfolk and start-up funding allocated by the General Assembly. It brought new life to former stores like F.W. Woolworth and Smith & Welton, and transformed the old Loew’s theater into the TCC Roper Center for the Performing Arts.

Mayor Alexander announces major new addition for TCC in Norfolk’s NEON District

Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander announced today at his annual State of the City address an innovative new partnership with Tidewater Community College that will transform Norfolk’s NEON District by providing increased educational and economic opportunities for the community and all of Hampton Roads.

The City of Norfolk is donating to the TCC Real Estate Foundation the site of the former Greyhound bus station at the corner of Brambleton and Monticello avenues to make way for a dynamic cultural and academic building in the heart of the NEON District.

The 47,000-square-foot Patricia & Douglas Perry TCC Center for Visual & Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management will be a jewel, he said.

president-kolovani-mayor-alexander-city-address-2018
President Kolovani and Mayor Alexander at Norfolk’s State of the City.

“This is an incredible opportunity to build on the vibrancy and opportunity that is being created in the NEON District,” said Mayor Alexander. “We are extremely grateful for the support of the Perry family, and their ongoing efforts to make Norfolk a destination for the arts and culture.”

The project, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2020, will be funded entirely by private donations raised through Go Further! TCC’s Campaign for a Competitive Workforce. Norfolk’s Patricia and Douglas Perry are the lead donors in the initiative.

The Perrys were early patrons of the NEON District. They created the Glass Wheel Studio on Olney Road and supported the Hurrah Players’ move to their new headquarters on West Wilson Avenue in 2017.

As part of the TCC project, they have agreed to donate the Glass Wheel Studio to the college, which will house its renowned glass-blowing program, newly developed glass fusing program, ceramics, sculpture and public exhibition spaces there. The TCC Pat and Doug Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center @ NEON could open as soon as summer 2019.

The collaboration among the city, the Patricia and Douglas Perry Foundation and the college is “a transformative moment for TCC and Norfolk,” said college President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani. It will further energize the NEON District and nearby St. Paul’s area by:

  • Expanding TCC’s one-of-a-kind visual arts education program
  • Training the next generation of chefs with a comprehensive culinary arts program
  • Creating opportunities for collaboration between culinary and visual arts programs
  • Providing, among five culinary program kitchens, a test kitchen open to the community and prospective entrepreneurs.
  • Inaugurating a program in hospitality and restaurant management
  • Providing dual-enrollment opportunities for Norfolk high school students and workforce education to residents
  • Creating a vibrant and inviting dining and arts experience for students, residents and visitors

“TCC, the Perrys and the City of Norfolk share more than a vision for the arts,” said President Kolovani. “As wonderful as this new building will be, this is a venture that relies on community engagement and collaborative partnerships that are all integral to the effort to revitalize the NEON District.

“Nothing we have talked about today would be possible without the generous support of the Perrys.”

TCC has long sought a new home in which to expand its culinary arts program, the only nationally accredited one at a public institution in Hampton Roads. Currently located in the Stanley Walker Technology Building at 350 Granby St., the program currently has 224 students.

The two-story NEON location will allow the college to house a student-run restaurant open to the public, act as an incubator for start-up culinary businesses to rent kitchen space, offer open-enrollment culinary courses and host local and national culinary competitions. Additional programs are planned in baking and pastry and food science/dietetics. Five fully-equipped kitchens will be part of the new space, which will allow TCC to serve nearly three times more culinary students.

TCC’s visual arts program will bring studio arts and graphic design to downtown Norfolk in a new location that is in proximity to the TCC Pat and Doug Perry Glass Wheel Arts Center @ NEON and the Chrysler Museum, with its Perry Glass Studio. Offerings include drawing, painting, photography, film and video production, printmaking, advertising and print design, and web and multimedia design.

Chrysler Museum director Erik Neil said, “The Chrysler Museum is very excited to welcome Tidewater Community College as our neighbor, and we look forward to the many opportunities to expand our existing partnerships, particularly with our glass programs.  All of us in Hampton Roads, including the Chrysler, are enormously grateful to Doug and Pat Perry for their incredible generosity to our community.”

TCC will also establish a hospitality program geared toward restaurant management in Norfolk to meet growing workforce demand and attract new students. The college currently houses a lodging and food service management program on its Virginia Beach Campus.

President Kolovani said the college is also exploring options to grow its dual enrollment program with Norfolk Public Schools in culinary arts and restaurant management.

“We are putting community members first in how we approach all of the possibilities today’s announcement brings,” President Kolovani said.

TCC taking a lead role in downtown redevelopment is nothing new. In 1997, the college started a chain reaction that brought businesses, artists, entrepreneurs and tourists to a revitalized Norfolk by locating its Norfolk Campus along Granby Street. The Norfolk Campus Student Center opened in 2011.

“This is such an exciting moment for us,” President Kolovani said. “The City of Norfolk and Pat and Doug Perry are providing us with ‘a perfect storm’ of opportunity. I am grateful for their partnership and their trust in TCC.”