William M. Schuster, longtime patron of the arts and Gannon University, left an endowment in 1997 to benefit the arts on campus. These funds go toward the school’s theatre, gallery as well as a couple of scholarships.

Schuster’s namesakes – the Schuster Art Gallery and the Schuster Theatre – provide creative outlets for students and local artists alike. The gallery is located on the third floor of Nash Library and hosts four to six exhibitions each year. “Autism: A Mexican Adventure,” a series of mixed media works by Craig Matis, is showing now through Oct. 30. Over at the theatre, students will soon perform David Ives’ “Lives of the Saints.”

The endowment helps offset the cost of tuition through two scholarships. The Schuster Patron of the Arts Scholarship, formed in memory of his wife Frances, is a $2,500 annual scholarship. It is awarded to up to 10 students who make art an integral part of their lives by actively creating, composing or performing. The Schuster Memorial Music Award encourages students to continue to making music while pursuing their academic degrees. Fifteen of these $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually to those who demonstrate talent with brass, percussion or woodwind instruments.