Give students a wall

The University of Texas is obsessed with excellence, even in their students’ artistic hobbies. Those who indulge casually remain in the confines of dorm rooms and empty classrooms, pursuing their passions out of sight. In terms of expression, our campus remains empty, with only flyers covering our sterile walls. Students need a place to be inspired by others’ work, and a place to display art born from that inspiration. 

We have exhibits, we have a museum, but where is the space for the hobbies we aren’t great at? Where’s the representation for students who create just to create? What makes art worth seeing? What makes it worth being displayed somewhere? Students deserve sanctioned spaces to express themselves without the fear that they won’t measure up. Having a place to display the art they make would inevitably foster a sense of community between these students, and would give them experience in sharing their passions — no matter how we define objectively good art, and whether it meets that criteria. 

“It’s through those moments, through expression and learning about yourself, that you can have something where it’s not perfect … there’s no expectation,” said Sarah Bane, assistant curator of prints and drawings at the Blanton Museum of Art. “You can make art one way and make art another way, and it’s both of those ways that might be a perfect masterpiece.”

Public art, like art walls or murals, is known to foster participation, community and identity. Additionally, there are health benefits for students who participate. Research shows that engaging with art in any capacity reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and can create social change by providing spaces for representation and activism. Now, imagine this art is created by students who are simply inspired. There is no pressure to perform or live up to UT’s standard of greatness. Only an incentive to shamelessly create. 

“I think there’s this idea that art … has to be something, like it has to be some form of currency,” design junior Aidan Erik Montes said. “It really doesn’t have to be anything. I think it’s just a thing you do.”

Junior Daria Tanase is studying sustainability studies but is also an artist of multiple mediums. She’s held multiple local student art exhibitions at Calamity, as well as gallery nights where students come and put their art up for display. 

“Having a space that encourages anyone to submit … really supports these artists who are just now getting their work out there, or maybe were way too shy to display their stuff publicly,” Tanase said. “In my opinion, art isn’t that serious, and you deserve to share the stuff you love with people around you.”

While the school’s potential concerns about what is appropriate to display make sense, UT can still provide artistic space without censorship. Give students a wall.

There is no doubt that UT students are exceptional. They are nothing short of talented and ambitious, but our campus lacks spaces for those of us who make art inconsistently and quietly. Those of us who are quickly inspired. We should not have to be professionals to be able to share what we create, and we should not have to wait until our art is impressive enough to deserve a place on the wall. 

Henry is an English and philosophy sophomore from San Angelo, Texas.

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