The Deborah and Gary Raizes Gallery
There is little at Lesley University over the past half-century that has not been impacted by Deborah Schwartz Raizes, current Chair of the Board of Trustees, alumna, and daughter of the late Jack Schwartz who also served as a Lesley Trustee.
As planning continues for a new Arts Center in Cambridge for Lesley’s Art Institute of Boston, the University will honor Debbie Raizes’ ongoing commitment to Lesley’s students and the outstanding generosity of her and her husband, Dr. Gary Raizes, by naming the student art gallery in the new facility the Deborah and Gary Raizes Gallery.
Raizes has been an active alumna since graduating in 1969, has served on the Board of Trustees since 1991, and in 2009 was named Chair of the Board of Trustees – the first Lesley College alumna to serve as chair. She is a Senior Consultant at Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ltd., an executive search and governance consulting firm serving the education and non-profit sectors, and Dr. Raizes is an internist and a cardiologist.
Dedication to Lesley's Mission
“It’s the most fitting recognition of Debbie’s dedication to Lesley’s mission, and more importantly, to all of Lesley’s current and future students,” said Joseph B. Moore, President of Lesley University. “Throughout her service on the Board of Trustees, she’s always retained a singular focus on the student experience. She values not only ensuring quality classroom instruction towards their career goals, but also the spirit of community and exploration that marks a student’s time here at Lesley, and is an essential component of their overall education. Nowhere is that more evident than in the integration of the arts throughout Lesley’s curriculum.”
The naming of the gallery recognizes a $1 million gift from Debbie and Gary Raizes towards the construction of the new Arts Center. “In the years to come, students will display their work in a gallery bearing their names,” said AIB Dean Stan Trecker. “Expressing who they are, exploring their craft, and joining with each other to discuss, learn from each other and celebrate accomplishments –I can’t think of a better tribute to Debbie’s service to students.”
Raizes served on the Board of Trustees during the merger of AIB and the University in 1998, and has been active in planning for the new Arts Center in Cambridge as well as welcoming AIB students into the Lesley University community through student life, residence life, student government and academics. Over 30% of Lesley’s 8,600 students are engaged in the arts, be it through AIB’s Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in the Fine Arts, or fields such as Creative Learning through the Arts, Art Therapy, Community Arts, and Expressive Therapies.
Education + Arts
“The integration of the arts within a university most known for education continues to open new doors for every student, and bringing AIB from Boston to Cambridge makes the university whole,” said Raizes, “not just in terms of geography, but in the ability of students to explore each others’ work. A student gallery, for all of Lesley and the community, becomes more than a place to display works of art, but a place to connect, to learn from each other, and ask new questions. It continues to be an exciting adventure, and I’m honored to play a role.”
Raizes is a part of a family legacy at Lesley that began when she enrolled and her father, Jack Schwartz, began serving on the Board in 1969. He served on the Board for 26 years, and Schwartz Hall on the Doble Campus is named in his honor.
The new Arts Center for AIB will be located in the heart of Porter Square, adjacent to Lesley’s University Hall which houses the Graduate School of Education.