SFCC board names Daum Museum director

The board of trustees for State Fair Community College named Thomas Piché Jr., of Potsdam, N.Y., the new director for the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art at their meeting at the Sedalia campus of the college Monday.

The announcement came following a year-long search for a successor to Douglass Freed, who retired June 30.

Piché was one of six finalists for the position.

“He is highly respected ... he is well known across the country for his expertise on contemporary art,” said SFCC President Marsha Drennon at the meeting.

Piché will begin work Feb. 1. He is currently the director of the Roland Gibson Gallery at the State University of New York in Potsdam. His salary will be $74,580, said Dana Kelchner, director of marketing and communications for the college.

Drennon said that Piché has experience in getting accreditation, and will help guide the museum through that process. Piché, who has studied both in the U.S. and in France, is well known as a curator and a scholar, she said. Freed will continue to work part-time until Piché begins, according to a release.

In other matters, the trustees approved three change orders and a bid related to the construction of the new science and allied health academic building following a construction update on the project.

“Within a week, week and a half, we’ll have the building closed in and heat in,” said Jeff Harrelson, of Septagon Construction Company.

The plumbing and electrical work on the main floor have been done, he said, and the windows have been framed. Harrelson said he anticipates the glass will come in this week.

The building is about 48 percent complete, he said.

“We’re knocking off at least five to 10 percent as far as our progress, per month,” he said. “We’re tracking to $400,000 work of work completed in the next month.”

The board approved an increase of $6,577 for Laboratory Systems, Inc. for adding fixtures in the labs, and $3,672 to Robert Treuner Masonry Co., Inc. for changes in the exterior stone.

The board also approved a decrease of $18,677 for canceling a planned sign for the college along Clarendon Road.

“We have some signage on Clarendon, perhaps not the best signage, but it seemed best to forego spending $18,000 on a new monument sign,” said Keith Swanson, dean of academic affairs.

The board also approved a $106,287 bid for low-voltage wiring from Service Electric for the new building. While Service Electric was not the lowest bidder for the project, the company served as a consultant for the bid requirements, and would waive that fee if they received the contract, said Swanson.