BOONE, N.C. — After a $26 million renovation, Appalachian State University reopened Herbert W. Wey Hall for classes this fall, followed by the opening of the facility’s new Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery in late September.
The newly renovated and modernized Wey Hall provides state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technology and essential resources for App State students, faculty and staff in their learning, teaching and creative pursuits. Home to App State’s Department of Art, the building officially reopened on Aug. 18, the first day of classes for the fall semester.
“This building will continue to advance the legacy of former App State Chancellor Wey, the legacy of students and alumni such as Cathy Walling and the legacy of so many others who believe in the power of education and its ability to change lives and the world for the better,” App State Chancellor Heather Norris said at the Sept. 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility.
App State Chancellor Heather Norris speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of Wey Hall, held Sept. 9 on the Boone campus. Wey Hall underwent an approximately $26 million renovation and modernization that included aesthetic improvements to the building, in addition to addressing all major building systems. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Norris also thanked state leaders — North Carolina Sen. Ralph Hise, North Carolina Rep. Ray Pickett and former North Carolina Rep. Jeffrey Elmore — for their work to secure more than $20 million in state-allocated funding support for the Wey Hall project. Both Pickett and Elmore attended the ribbon-cutting.
“If not for their efforts, we would not be standing here today, celebrating this incredible step forward,” said Norris.
Faculty leaders in the art department said the upgrades will help recruit and retain talented students and faculty, deepen experiential learning across disciplines and strengthen community engagement through public exhibitions and events.
App State faculty and students are pictured in one of the newly renovated spaces inside Wey Hall on the Boone campus. The fully renovated and modernized Wey Hall officially reopened to students, faculty and staff on Aug. 18 — the first day of fall classes at App State. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Frankie Flood, professor in App State’s Department of Art and area coordinator for metalsmithing and jewelry design, teaches Beginning Metals and Advanced Metalsmithing classes in the newly renovated Wey Hall metalsmithing studio. Photo by Chase Reynolds
“From 2D foundations, print, fiber and art education, and art management studios on the second floor, to the painting, drawing, graphic design, and senior studios on the third floor, every space has been designed to foster the kind of intensive, focused work that transforms talented students into sought-after professionals and innovative thinkers,” said Department of Art Chair Amy Johnson.
Additionally, the facility’s first floor offers a dynamic and expanded environment for artistic exploration, featuring dedicated studios for advanced work in metals, sculpture and ceramics, as well as 3D foundations classrooms and the Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery — a professional space for student exhibitions. Enhancements include a larger ceramics studio with kilns relocated to a covered outdoor pad, a metals studio equipped for enameling, etching, casting and forming, and a sculpture studio with a spray booth, forge and casting areas.
In addition to state leaders, the reopening ceremony was attended by faculty, staff, students and university leaders, including representatives of the App State Board of Trustees and App State Foundation Board of Directors. Also in attendance were Chancellor Wey’s daughters, Brenda Wey and Buddie Wey-Wetli.
On Oct. 3, App State held an opening reception for its new Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery, which is located inside the renovated Wey Hall on App State’s Boone campus. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition, “RE: WEY HALL,” which was on display to the public from Sept. 22 to Oct. 22, featured 42 works by Department of Art alumni. Photo by P.J. Wirchansky
‘RE: WEY HALL’ showcases 4 decades of Mountaineer art
“RE: WEY HALL,” the inaugural exhibition of App State’s Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery, was on display to the public from Sept. 22 to Oct. 22. Organized and curated by alumni, with the support of faculty, the exhibition celebrated the vibrant center of alumni creativity in App State’s Department of Art. Its 42 works spanned four decades of innovation and reflection among the department’s alumni.
“This exhibition served as more than a celebration — it acknowledged the ongoing dialogue between past and present, honoring the artistic journeys that began within these studios and classrooms,” said Johnson. “And it demonstrates the vital thread connecting our department’s history with its evolving future.”
“RE: WEY HALL” brought together works exploring themes of time and reflection, change and regrowth, fear and vulnerability, and place and space, with artists approaching their subjects through multiple lenses — Appalachian culture, family dynamics, environmental urgencies, personal identity and interdisciplinary perspectives.
“RE: WEY HALL,” the inaugural exhibition in App State’s Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery, located inside the renovated Wey Hall on App State’s Boone campus, featured 42 works by Department of Art alumni. The exhibition was on display to the public from Sept. 22 to Oct. 22. Photo by P.J. Wirchansky
The gallery — the first dedicated student exhibition space in the art program’s history — will feature a variety of works across multiple mediums, created by students in App State’s Department of Art programs. Upcoming exhibits include two installations by senior students in App State’s studio art program, which will be showcased in November and early December.
The Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery was made possible thanks to Luke Walling, who gave the first major private donation for the Wey Hall renovation project. Walling’s gift provided funding for upgrades to Wey Hall labs and studio spaces, and it honors the memory of his mother, App State alumna Cathy P. Walling ’78, a lifelong painter and clay artist who passed away in 2014.
Wey Hall’s Cathy P. Walling Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission to the public.
At left: This image, circa 1970s or 1980s, shows the northwestern side of Herbert W. Wey Hall, built in 1976, at Appalachian State University. Photo courtesy of Appalachian State University Historical Photographs Collection. At right: App State’s fully renovated Wey Hall is pictured during the first week of classes for the fall 2025 semester. The facility reopened to students, faculty and staff on Aug. 18. Photo by Kyla Willoughby
Wey Hall: a commitment to creativity and community
Built in 1976, Wey Hall is named in honor of former App State Chancellor Herbert W. Wey Hall, who led the institution for a decade, from 1969 to 1979 — first as president and then as chancellor, when the university became part of the University of North Carolina System in 1971. In April 1979, then North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt came to Boone to preside over the naming of the building to honor retiring Chancellor Wey.
The renovated Wey Hall provides an improved, safer and more effective learning environment for App State students. Renovations for the project included adding fire suppression and sprinkler systems and updating the building’s plumbing, elevators, and electrical, heating/cooling and ventilation systems.
Additionally, the renovation increased the amount of space dedicated to teaching and making in Wey Hall, with some building infrastructure — such as the HVAC system, stairwells and an elevator — moving outside the building’s original footprint, to increase the amount of interior space for studios and classrooms.
Wey Hall’s renovation is one of several major construction projects recently completed at the university, supporting App State’s strategic priorities and the university’s goals and metrics associated with the UNC System’s strategic plan. Visit the App State’s Future website to learn more about campus infrastructure projects at App State.
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Alumni artwork in the “RE: WEY HALL” exhibition in App State’s Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery, located in Wey Hall on the Boone campus. The exhibition was on display to the public from Sept. 22 to Oct. 22. Photo by P.J. Wirchansky
Funds will support space upgrades, establishment of Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery
About the Department of Art
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, photography and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, photography and graphic communications management. Learn more at https://art.appstate.edu.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
Alumni artwork in the “RE: WEY HALL” exhibition in App State’s Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery, located in Wey Hall on the Boone campus. The exhibition was on display to the public from Sept. 22 to Oct. 22. Photo by P.J. Wirchansky
Funds will support space upgrades, establishment of Cathy P. Walling Student Art Gallery
