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April 10, 2017
The Art Barn’s uncertain future
THE MERCURY | UTDMERCURY.COM
Qurans found in SU bathroom UTD PD involved in investigation of incident
Growing resources for art at UTD raises questions about necessity of longtime work space
Greg Metz, a senior lecturer in ATEC, said the Art Barn has served an iconic role for Dallas-based artists since 1978 by offering a place to work, study and teach.
STORY BY : DONIA BOSAK-BARANI | MERCURY STAFF PHOTO BY : ROMAN SORIANO | MERCURY STAFF
SAMMY LUTES | COURTESY
Student Government Senator Jonathan Schuler found Qurans in the toilet in a bathroom on the lower floor of the SU on March 28. SG reported the matter to UTD PD immediately. SAMEE AHMAD Mercury Staff
A group of Student Government senators found copies of the Quran inside the toilets in the bathrooms adjacent to the Galaxy Rooms. The Quran is the holy text in Islam, and it is considered sacred by Muslims around the world. Jonathan Schuler, the head of the SG legislative affairs committee, discovered the Qurans in the bathrooms after the Student Government meeting on March 28. Schuler came to the office and asked the senators what they were supposed to do. “I was appalled. It made a lot of the hate I had been hearing and seeing on national news real, and very present,” he said. Sammy Lutes, a neuroscience senior
→ SEE QURANS, PAGE 14
New LLC to focus on women in STEAM University Housing to launch program in fall 2017
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rt students may soon have to seek alternative spaces to create, as the Art Barn faces an uncertain future. The space was threatened with closure for years, but student activists postponed it, said Greg Metz, an ATEC senior lecturer. However, recent developments in art resources around campus have led to speculation from professors and students alike that it may close, but there is no definitive decision or timeline. Metz is consulting with architects regarding a new gallery space, but he is concerned about leaving the Art Barn behind. The building has hosted a number of film festivals, avant garde theatre, galleries and electronics. “It’s a cultural icon for Dallas. Almost every artist who is showing in Dallas has showed, certainly in midcareer, in this gallery, or have taught here or have used this space or have attended seminars,” Metz said. “This is a major work for Richardson, since 1978 when they built this building. This has been a nucleus, an art hub, a cultural hub for Richardson.”
If there is no recognizable art des- things will happen.” One such resource is the Makerspace tination on campus, the ATEC program could lose its competitive value on Waterview, which includes a fabrication lab, studio as an art school, spaces and woodMetz said. The shops for students program needs the There is no desto use in lieu of space in the Art ignated space on the Art Barn. Barn to conduct its mandated courses campus that is avail- Nonetheless, students who paint and foster creativable to any student and sculpt are ity, but that room almost completely is growing harder who needs a workrestricted to using to secure. ing studio space. ... the Art Barn, said “We’ve just Nothing possesses David Rake, an been dwindled ATEC sophomore. down to not a lot. that unique feature “What I do at It’s hard to sell on campus that the the Art Barn, I can a program when do at Makerspace. you’re bankrupt Art Barn does. They have mostly of space, and we have done so — Amanda Marder, the same equipment. But (the much with so ATEC graduate student Art Barn) is more little to maintain for other students our presence combecause there’s no petitively with the other universities, so we hope other outlet for painting to that scale,” that those efforts would grow the he said. The Makerspace is not suitable program,” he said. “We have great potential, but it has to be a destina- for every art student because it tion for them, so hopefully good focuses more on the engineering
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to consider proposed changes to ATEC, EMAC programs MIRIAM PERCIVAL News Editor
The Edith O’Donnell School of Arts and Technology may undergo a restructuring of the school’s two degree programs. The proposed change would merge ATEC and EMAC and bring additional changes to the graduate program. Final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board could come as early as May. “We’re anticipating it’s going to go very well at the state level. We’re not going to on day five of fall semester
say, ‘All classes are cancelled.’ We’re not going to do that. … We’re moving forward anticipating approval,” said Eric Farrar, associate dean of undergraduate studies, at the town hall. On April 5, ATEC faculty and staff held a town hall for undergraduates, the first public forum since the changes were announced a month ago. After a short presentation discussing details and dispelling rumors, Farrar, Senior Associate Dean Todd Fetcher, ATEC Dean Anne Balsamo and Associate Dean of Academic Administration Lisa Bell, as well as other advisors and faculty
SRIKAR BASKARA | MERCURY STAFF
NATHAN STEINLE Mercury Staff
→ SEE LLC, PAGE 14
→ SEE ART BARN, PAGE 14
ATEC awaits degree reorganization
Mary Jane Partain, director of University Housing LLCs, said the program will offer 28 females a slot for fall 2017.
To advance female representation in the STEAM fields and help foster connections among those female students, University Housing is piloting a program in fall 2017 called Women in STEAM, which will be a new Living Learning Community on campus. From the LLC website, “Living Learning Communities are groups of freshman students who share academic goals and interests … live in designated
aspect of ATEC, rather than the art aspect, Rake said. The space is shared with a variety of other students, including engineering and UTDesign students. If the Art Barn closes, students who depend on it will be forced to seek the resources at Makerspace, which would lead to overcrowding of the already small space, Rake said. Amanda Marder, a graduate ATEC student, manages the digital fabrication lab on campus and used to work at the lab in the Art Barn. “There is no designated space on campus that is available to any student who needs a working studio space,” Marder said. “There are students who have had the privilege of being assigned a physical studio space. There are students who have had the privilege of working with certain professors who have had some studio space that they allow access to, but unless you know someone who knows someone, nothing possesses that unique feature on campus that the Art Barn does.”
NOAH WHITEHEAD | MERCURY STAFF
Eric Farrar (left), the associate dean of undergraduate studies, and Todd Fetcher, the senior associate dean of ATEC, spoke at a public forum on April 5 to detail the changes students can expect in the degree programs offered.
members answered questions about the professor positions, the statewide hiring freeze is delaying the process. future of ATEC. “We have to wait until August for The plan is to fuse ATEC and EMAC into one unified program our new hiring plan. … The entire state named Art, Technology and Emerging is under a hiring freeze so we’re very Communication. The update would also lucky we got a lot of our jobs posted implement a portfolio review and incor- before then,” Balsamo said. “Our next phase is as soon as porate five pathways, the hiring freeze is or specializations, for (We wanted to lifted. … We hope to students to choose make) a larger more have people lined up from: animation, so once the jobs are games, critical media cohesive program posted we can start studies, design and and the other thing taking applications.” production or mediAnother difficulty ated communication. ... is the ability of ATEC faces in hiring “(We wanted to the current degree faculty is recruiting make) a larger more program to pick and experienced industry cohesive program and the other thing … is choose and not dive professionals who have an academic the ability of the curdeep into a particubackground or are rent degree program interested in teaching to pick and choose lar topic. at a university. and not dive deep into any one par— Eric Farrar, “Finding qualiticular topic,” Farrar Undergrad associate dean fied industry professionals that also said. “It doesn’t do have the academic the students service if they’re not forced to get deeper into a credentials that allow them to teach at the university level, it’s hard,” Farrar particular topic.” A common theme among students said. “People that are in production at the town hall was concern about the number one are not necessarily looking availability of classes needed to satisfy for academic jobs, or they don’t know degree requirements. Several professors or they don’t think they’re qualified were not renewed for the fall, leaving meaning they don’t have the academic credentials to teach at a university.” courses potentially unavailable. While ATEC could fill as many as → SEE ATEC, PAGE 14 seven tenure-track and 12 non-tenure