I was recently reminiscing and wandering through Google street view, when I decided to look at my old visual arts building at UTD. I know things change and the campus has grown substantially, but I never thought my inability to locate the building was due to its demolition. The “Art Barn” as it was dubbed by later classes, was a modern mecca of a place I spent countless hours in back in the 90s. Most of my classes were in that building and the studios were available to us around the clock. It had a great, lofty feel inside and it was in a constant gallery state with its inner walls lined with student work. I remember all those days in the printmaking room. I was obsessed with making mono prints and using that gigantic press they had.
I remember all the critiques and the scorching hot days when we would step outside for some special installation to see. I recall one student using shards of mirror to reflect that big ol’ Texas sky.
Supposedly it had structural issues that were too expensive to fix. Everyone fought to keep it but they razed it a few years ago. Always wanted to go back and visit. The end of an era. :(
