A Place in Our Hearts for BVU

By Marie Hornecker

Marie Hornecker established a gift to BVU in honor of her late husband, Mac, who helped students find their passion in art at the University for 30 years.

Buena Vista University was home to Mac and me for 30 years. Mac and Dennis Dykema taught together all those years, stretching the students’ artistic potential. This was highlighted by their students always receiving top honors at art student competitions with other universities in the state and many students that have gone on to get there MFA degrees. They both loved teaching and helping their students individually find their passion and potential and watching them bloom during and after their college years.

For Mac and Dennis’ retirement they had a 30-year art reunion. Their former students sent current art works that filled every gallery space at the University, the Whittier Gallery and all over town. So many had jobs in all aspects that related to art, but most amazing was after all the years they were still producing art.

One wonderful part of our 30 years of being part of the BVU family was the students’ wonderful student life experience at Buena Vista University and the importance the school put on the camaraderie between the students. The constant activities were helped with the school’s commitment of a full-time activities director. The school knew the value of promoting the atmosphere of camaraderie between all the students and the students and faculty, no matter what year they were in at BVU. If you have had experience with other schools, you may realize that this is beyond the norm.

The former students and I have such fond memories of the second annual art department dinner parties at our homes that Mac and Dennis would cook themselves. These were 30-year rituals that would go long into the night with all the singing and guitar playing around the fire pit. The wonderful product of this student camaraderie was renewed friendships, no matter where they ended up living all over the country, and great networking and internship possibilities, besides the warm spot in their hearts for BVU.

Because of the warm spot in our hearts for BVU, after Mac’s death, a grant was set up for an annual monetary artistic enrichment award to an art student selected through applications and plans for use of the grant. Hopefully this grant will continue Mac’s work of stretching a student’s artistic potential.