Donald "Don" Wight

Donald Wight was a student at the college from 1945 to 1947. His focus was architecture, but he also took Weaving 1 and 2 with Mayer in 1946. While a student, he built looms for the weaving department and worked in the art store.

Relationships:

Sister: Fellow BMC student, Earlene Ann Wight

Courses Taken

Fall 1945-1946: Drawing with Albers, Philosophy and the Modern World withLevi, Woodworking with Gregory

Winter 1945-1946: Design with Albers, Problems of Philosophy with Dehn, Descriptive Geometry with Dehn, Woodworking with Gregory

Summer 1945-1946: Design with Albers, Introduction to Music with M. Fax,Woodworking with Gregory, Geometry with Dehn, Problems of Philosophy withDehn

Fall 1946-1947: Weaving II with Mayer, Psychology of Social Issues with Wallen, Introduction to Music with Schlesinger, Chorus with Schlesinger [took leave of absence from school]

Asheville Art Museum Collection

Writings about Don can be seen in digitized college bulletins on Asheville Art Museum's collection website: collection.ashevilleart.org. They can be found by searching these accession numbers:

2017.40.039 March 1947 bulletin,

"Don Wight and Dan Rice, having trekked to California for golf, found Tommy Cutshaw at the piano."

2017.40.214 March 1946 bulletin,

"Dada decorations and costumes, and a Time dance-drama were special business for the Valentine’s Party this year. An elaborate bone-mobile, executed by Vera Baker and Willie Joseph, and an enormous abstract figure in wood, by Don Wight, complicated the ball. The Time dance-drama was very exciting: text by John Reiss, read by Tommie Cutshaw; choreography by Molly Gregory and Patsy Lynch, with the aid of Don Wight and Jose Yglesias; to the beat of Jimmy Tite’s drums."

2017.30.219 November 1946 bulletin,

"Willi Joseph, Joan Sihvenen and Don Wight are working on large looms. Willi has designed a tapestry and Don has done experimental weaving using Christmas tinsel and cellophane thread…..Ray Johnson had an exhibition of paintings in his study. The paintings were composed from sketches done in the Jean Varda painting class in the summer Art Institute. After this exhibition, Don Wight planned record concerts and art showings for Sunday evenings in the art room."

2017.40.246 Exhibit of Evolution of Housing Plans of BMC, 1946

"TRANSITION June 1946 Material Exhibited: Drawings of small study-dormitory unit by Don Wight As a result of plans for a small dormitory designed by Don Wight with the collaboration of several other students, the question of the most appropriate size for a new dormitory was re-opened. It was also suggested that studies and sleeping quarters be combined in small units, as shown in Don Wight’s drawings. After much discussion, the latter idea was rejected, but as the consensus of opinion in the community was strongly in favor of a small dormitory to be built first rather than a large one, the campaign to raise funds for the latter was suspended and the whole matter postponed until a new plan could be made."