Weld County Seal

October 19, 1973

Dr. Robert Turner has been appointed chairman of the Department of fine arts, according to Dr. Frank P. Lakin, vice president for the university.

The appointment was approved Thursday by the UNC Board of Trustees. Turner replaces Herbert C. Shumacher, as chairman and the late John Mariani on the faculty.

Turner comes to UNC after serving since 1970 as associate professor of art and coordinator of graduate programs in art at California State University, Sacramento. He has also taught art courses at the University of Oregon and in elementary schools in New York state.

He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo where he earned a B.S. degree in 1952. Further education includes an M.S. in art education from the University of Oregon in 1969 and an Ed. D. in art education from Oregon in 1970.

Turner has had numerous exhibitions and has authored a number of publications.

He and his wife Martha E. Van Lorn, a professional painter of national reputation, reside in Greeley.

Greeley Tribune - July 1, 1976

Congressman James Johnson, Gov. Richard Lamm and the Weld County Centennial family, Mr. and Mrs. W.D. Farr are among those scheduled to attend the Saturday dedication of the Weld County Centennial Center.

The public ceremonies immediately after Saturday morning's Independence Stampede parade will take place on the Centennial Center plaza area between the courthouse and the new center.

County officials announced all county offices and courts will close at noon Friday in participation for the Centennial Center dedication.

County Commissioners' aide Christine Kavalec said keynote speaker for the event will be Rep. Johnson, with Gov. Lamm, the Farrs, Weld state legislators and county elected officials slated to attend.

Also attending will be representatives of the center's architectural firm, CNC-NHPQ, and construction management firm, Hensel Phelps Constructors, plus the two students submitting winning entries in a contest to name the Center, Susan Jacoby and Debbie Sondrel, Adams County Commissioner Pete Mirelez and Greeley resident Clyde Brundy, author of the historical novel "High Empire."

A new county government seal, designed by University of Northern Colorado fine arts department Robert Turner, will be unveiled, as will a new county flag featuring that seal. Flag was designed by David Rosentrator of NHPQ.

Also made public will be a bicentennial commemorative quilt, featuring blocks on each of the 50 states, all governors' signatures and the signature of President Ford. Volunteers of the area Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) spent 2,000 hours making the quilt.

Scheduled to sing during the ceremonies will be a trio of Brenda Packard, Dalyne Pike and Jill Brawner.

Mrs. Kavalec said no open house will be held at the Center Saturday, but will be scheduled at a later date.

Greeley Tribune - July 6, 1976

By Ron Tollefson, Tribune Staff Writer

With Congressman James Johnson, Gov. Richard Lamm and Weld County and city officials present, the new $4.5 million Weld County Centennial Center was dedicated Saturday before a crowd of about 200.

In a brief dedication talk, Johnson pointed out that he and county board Chairman Glenn Billings last year had accepted Weld's designation as an official centennial-bicentennial Stampede celebration.

Johnson said the year's celebration now was being ended with another major event, the dedication of the new county structure.

Said Lamm in brief remarks, "I am here to pay the official respects of the state to a very dynamic county and community." The governor, referring to the new county building, also pointed to Weld's role as the first home rule county in Colorado.

In addition to the governor and congressman, those attending the event included Weld County Centennial Family, Mr. and Mrs. W.D. Farr, most Weld state legislators, and county officials, representatives of CNC-NHPQ and Hensel Phelps Constructors, architectural and construction management firms for the Center.

Also, city representatives of Greeley, Dacono, Erie, Evans, Firestone, Fort Lupton, Frederick, Gilcrest, Nunn, Pierce, and Severance, UNC President Richard Bond, Weld Budget Management Director Barton Buss and Adams County Commissioner Pete Mirelez.

Speaking briefly during a program moderated by Billings were Farr, Greeley Mayor George Hall and C Neal Carpenter, president of NHPQ and CNC-NHPQ.

During the event, Billings paid special tribute to the work of commissioners' aide Christine Kavalec, chairman of the Weld Centennial-Bicentennial Committee, for Weld's active role in centennial-bicentennial activities during the year.

Shown during the ceremony was a bicentennial quilt made by area Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) workers. It is to go on permanent display in the new center.

Also unveiled were the new county seal, designed by the UNC fine arts department under the direction of Prof. Robert Turner, and the new county flag — with that seal — designed by David Rosentrator of NHPQ. Entertaining with songs during the program was a trio of Brenda Packard, Dalyne Pike and Jill Brawner. Presented bonds for their co-winning entries in a building naming contest were Susan Jacoby and Debbie Sondrel. Awards also were presented to winners of a United Bank of Greeley "Capture the County" photo contest.

Officially dedicating the new center in a ribbon-cutting ceremony were the five commissioners: Billings, Norman Carlson, Victor Jacobucci, Roy Moser, and June Stelnmark.

Greeley Tribune - November 30, 1977

The University of Northern Colorado has been proud of its role in an unprecedented fine arts exchange program with Seoul National University in South Korea. But when Dr. Robert Turner, chairman of the UNC fine arts department, traveled to Korea for the first part of the exchange, he had no idea of the additional honor that was to befall UNC and him.

In addition to the planned 80 piece exhibit of UNC art and a lecture series by Turner, he and the exhibit were invited to participate in the grand opening of the East-West Cultural Center at Keimyung University in Taegu, South Korea.

Following his arrival in Korea, Turner was contacted by Dr. James E. Hoyt, director of the U.S. Information Service (USIS) for South Korea with a message from the U.S. ambassador. Turner was asked if the exhibition schedule at Seoul could be rearranged to permit the UNC exhibit to be hung in the main gallery of the new cultural center.

The details were worked out and the visual arts exhibit from Colorado was hung in Taegu, Korea, symbolizing the bringing together of Eastern and Western cultures. The center at Taegu is the only one of its kind in the Orrient; only two others exist and both are located in the Western Hemisphere.

Turner also presented the first commemorative lecture at the center as part of the weeklong opening ceremonies. His talk, followed by a lecture by the director of the National Museum of Korea, discussed trends in contemporary American art and was supplemented by a showing of a documentary film on Christo's "Valley Curtain" creation in Colorado.

Turner also represented the lecture and film showing at a special reception at the USIS center in Taegu for art faculty members of nearby regional colleges.

The UNC exhibit and Turner returned to Seoul National University where the originally planned program got under way. The opening reception was attended by nearly 1,000 people, Turner said, including the Korean minister of education and ambassadors to Korea from England, Australia, New Zealand and Thailand plus cultural attaches from several embassies.

Turner presented the slide lecture on American trends and spoke informally about the work on exhibit. He also directed a six-hour workshop on environmental sculpture where the Christo film was repeated.

"The response to the overall program went far beyond any expectation I would have had," Turner said. He was especially pleased with the reaction to the film in Seoul, which drew 300 persons per showing and necessitated two extra showings.

The second half of the exchange program will begin Jan. 25 when Korean artists and their work travel to UNC for two weeks. Turner said the outstanding Korean artists in both contemporary and traditional oriental styles will take part in the exhibit at UNC.

ADOPTION OF OFFICIAL COUNTY SEAL OF WELD COUNTY, COLORADO.

WHEREAS, Dr. Robert B. Turner, Chairman of the Department of Fine Arts, University of Northern Colorado, has been previously commissioned to develop an official seal for the County of Weld, and State of Colorado, and

WHEREAS, the said Dr. Robert B. Turner has submitted for consideration to the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, a seal design which is attached to this Resolution, and

WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, upon due consideration, do approve said seal as being representative of the agricultural, industrial and educational wealth and resources of Weld County, Colorado,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of County Commissioners, Weld County, Colorado, that the attached seal be and hereby is adopted as the official seal of Weld County, Colorado, and a permanent copy of said seal is directed to be placed on permanent file with the Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado.

The above and foregoing Resolution was on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by the following vote on this 9th day of August, A.D., 1976.