In 2008, the Department of Art and Art History will begin an adaptive re-use of the 22,000 square foot space inhabited by the Visual Art Center.
Renovations of the space provide a wonderful opportunity to address important departmental needs: dedicated student exhibition space, art historical research space, art education program space, graduate studios, faculty and administrative offices, and the creation of communal areas.
Renovation plans will redesign the Trinity Street loading dock, which faces the Doty Fine Arts Building, as the main entrance to the Department of Art and Art History, concentrating departmental administrative offices that are currently scattered throughout the facility. The once closed central courtyard will be open to students, faculty, and staff as a gathering and interdisciplinary area. Additionally, the renovated space will house the Mesoamerican Center and graduate studio space.
Funding for the Visual Art Center’s Reconstruction
The cost of the construction is estimated to be $5 million, with an additional $5 million needed for an operating endowment to support exhibitions and programs. Naming opportunities are available for individual spaces within the Visual Arts Center, which overlooks the new addition to the Texas Memorial Stadium and the Texas Exes Alumni Center.
