Friends, Family, Classmates Dedicate Painting Commemorating SOM Alum

By Kris Imherr

A dedication of artwork given to The School of Management (SOM) in memory
of the late Nancy Perry, EMBA 2003, drew family, friends, fellow
classmates, faculty and administrators to the reception area in SOM's
Executive Education wing last December 6 for a commemorative unveiling and
reception.

Cedar Park, Texas, artist Anne Heinrichs, creator of the mixed-media
painting titled "Too Soon Tomorrow," also attended the event at the
invitation of Mrs. Perry's friend and classmate, Michael Grant, EMBA 2003.
A certified public accountant and senior vice president of internal audit
and chief privacy officer of the Dallas, Texas-based Wyndham International
hotel and resort chain, Mr. Grant led fundraising among Class of 2003
alums to purchase the piece. He also spearheaded a committee to find an
artist.

The efforts began after the November 22, 2004, death of Mrs. Perry from
complications following surgery.

Before deciding on Ms. Heinrichs, whose work Mr. Grant first encountered
at the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival last year, the committee
borrowed some of her paintings as well as some from a gallery in the
Uptown neighborhood of Dallas. The group had the paintings hung in the
Exec Ed reception area, and passersby were polled on which they preferred.
Results led the committee to commission Ms. Heinrichs.

"I think the size, and the media and the color [are] really what made
Anne's pieces speak to us," Mr. Grant says.

The 4-by-5-foot "Too Soon Tomorrow" incorporates a tree that symbolizes
education, life, growth - all of which were important to Mrs. Perry, Mr.
Grant believes.

An interior and graphic designer who had shortly before her death started
her own design firm, Mrs. Perry "was one of those lifelong learner type
people and threw herself into everything," Mr. Grant says.

"Attire-wise,...she'd come to class in real textury, chunky, folksy type
sweaters and jewelry," Mr. Grant recalls. "So that kind of incorporated
itself into the artwork as well."

What Mr. Grant didn't learn until the unveiling was that as a young woman,
Mrs. Perry had done two paintings similar in color and texture to what Ms.
Heinrichs created. Her widower, Bruce Perry, and two daughters, Laura
Duckworth and Kristi Means, "thought that was so cool that I knew that,"
Mr. Grant says, "but I didn't know it."

Mr. Perry calls the Class of 2003 efforts "extremely nice." He adds that
"Nancy loved UTD and her time there."

"As far as the painting," Mr. Perry says, "the painting was fantastic.
Down through the way the artist named it... It's really a very good
painting."

Ms. Duckworth adds that the dedication in her mother's honor was very
special to her family. "..to see the painting...it was beautiful. It was
very much like my mother. The artist captured some of her personality with
the details," she says.

Her sister, Ms. Means, echoed Ms. Duckworth's sentiments. "Giving a
painting in Mom's memory .. would surely make [her] happy to know she had
inspired a contribution to UTD because she enjoyed her time there very
much. She always enjoyed learning and moving on to new challenges and
achievements. It was a blessing to me, to finally meet some of those
people who had meant so much to Mom at UTD. I would like to thank those
who shared stories of how she touched their lives."

Mr. Perry and Mr. Grant gave brief remarks at the dedication, as did SOM
Dean Hasan Pirkul, Ph.D., and David Springate, Ph.D., SOM's associate dean
for executive education.

Because not all the money raised in Nancy Perry's honor has been spent,
Mr. Grant says there may be occasion to gather again. He and fellow
fundraisers were considering using the remaining $3,500 to underwrite a
seminar, speakers series or other program in line with Mrs. Perry's belief
in continuing education.