Illinois Wesleyan University officially celebrated the opening of the Petrick Idea Center Wednesday afternoon.
It’s designed as an interdisciplinary space filled with equipment for arts, 3D printing, culinary study and more.
Several loaves of bread were on display in the test kitchen. Enclosed study rooms are tucked into corners and there are multiple open-air spaces for students to occupy.
In the foyer where the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, a counter on one wall held 3D printers, laser cutters, and prototyping devices. The center also boasts embroidery and sewing machines, power tools and audio-visual equipment.
While the center will host an entrepreneurship class, it is not exclusive to business or finance majors. IWU’s School of Music, Thorpe Center, and athletic department have plans to use the space in 2026, among others.
“It’s a greenhouse for ideas,” said Petrick Idea Center Director Ben Hage. “Students come here curious, sometimes uncertain, and they are exposed to art, science, literature, finance, music, technology and to people and ideas different from their own.”
Several of the speakers ahead of the ribbon-cutting shared the idea that any major could eventually lead to entrepreneurship.
The interdisciplinary nature is central to the Idea Center concept and its namesake.
The center is named for alumni David and Ellen Petrick, who met at IWU. Ellen studied English. David studied political science and became a lifelong entrepreneur. Both graduated in the late 1960s.
David also was a former member of the IWU board of trustees. The couple supported scholarships and funded two group study rooms on campus.
David Petrick died in December 2022 from cancer, but his wife and son, Mark, attended the opening ceremony on his behalf.
“The spirit of Dave Petrick is alive and well with us today,” said IWU president Sheaon Zenger, “and will continue well into the future.”
The 14,850-square-foot center was completed as an addition to the Ames School of Art and Design about 17 months after the university broke ground on April 15, 2025. Zenger said it was the first time in 13 years the university had new construction on campus at this scale.
CORE Construction managed the project, with assistance from IWU construction project manager Troy Steidinger. The center was designed by Decatur-based BLDD Architects.
“What incredible partners,” Zenger said. “They promised it would be done on time and on budget. It was.”
The space also features an indoor amphitheater that leads to a second-floor balcony housing the Talluto Center for Applied Entrepreneurship.
Marc Talluto is a current board of trustees member who currently teaches on campus. He and his wife, Noel Talluto, provided the founding donation for the center.
“I’m not giving to the university, I’m giving through the university,” Talluto said. “I see the direct effect it has on students.”
The Talluto Center will support pitch competition and angel investing programs to support students building businesses while pursuing their degree. Students can collaborate with alumni through the Titan New Venture Challenge.
The Tallutos also funded the Fruition Garden that was dedicated to Marc’s parents.
