SAN MARCOS — Rebekah Porter is a sculpture senior on a mission. She’s mapping every piece of public art on campus.
Porter says that in such a hilly campus as Texas State University, public art either “gets overlooked or a lot of people just don’t even know it exists because we have it tucked away in some places.” Her map idea would take people on a scavenger hunt to go to the public artworks to show where they are and learn about their context and backstory. With art galleries, there’s a plaque that displays the creator’s name and a description of their work. With public art, she says people have to take what they get, and an interactive map would represent that plaque.
Porter was inspired by a Texas Tech public art tour she took with a friend on March 25, 2023. She went on a 30-minute walking tour around Texas Tech’s flat campus, stopping at each public artwork for the tour guides to explain who the artist is, why the art was commissioned, and how it functions. “I was giddy about seeing all their public art in general because they have a great collection. But it was cool to see this walking tour, and that made me realize, ‘Wow, we have such a good collection here at Texas State. I would love some kind of system in place that allows it to be celebrated and represented.'”
Porter is part of the Texas State University System’s (TSUS) Committee of Public Art, acting as a student representative since her nomination on February 3, 2023. It consists of students, faculty, and community members who evaluate artists for public art projects and endorse proposals for its institutions. Every time there’s a new building, part of that grant goes toward public art. The committee would put a call for art, and it sifts through and nominates applicants for a final interview. The artists would present their project and give a render and example, with the committee eventually confirming about five artists. Porter says it was cool to be a part of that process, which happened last year. “I’m very interested in public art, in making my own and then also just enjoying it, and that was kind of my first introduction to the public art process.” Karly Schlievert, committee member and working artist, says “I think what the committee is doing is important as far as building public art and different national [and] international artists to the Texas State campus. And then they’re teaching opportunities for art, historic references or architecture, or even outside of the art building different majors can relate to.”
This audio clip will discuss a couple of Buck Winn’s artworks in or near the Texas State campus. As of November 2024, some of his works remain on campus, and others were removed years ago.
I spoke with Special Collections and Archives Librarian Jason Crouch and former Hays County Historical Commission chair Kate Johnson about Winn’s “The History of Ranching” mural and the Morning Glories sculptures, respectively. For time’s sake, I excluded describing the histories of the Flowers Hall mural (still on campus) and the original base for the “Fighting Stallions” sculpture (demolished in 1979).
Schlievert heard about Porter’s idea a few months ago while being on the committee together. She says, “I think it’s great that Becca is encompassing all of that information and putting it somewhere super accessible to students so that they can know and be able to reference it.”
According to TSUS, the first higher education system established in Texas including seven colleges and universities in its collection, over 350 permanent public artworks exist starting from the early 1900s. At least eight of these are on the Texas State campus, including three from this year including Adam Smith Parker’s Minerva in front of the JCK Building and Adrian Aguilera and Betelhem Makonnen’s untitled (in the beginning was the photon) near Live Oak Hall.
Due to Texas State’s nature, Porter believes it would be more of a hiking tour than a walking one. She would like to set up two parts for her idea: a website to book a hiking tour for the artwork and the physical pamphlet and digital map accompanied by a self-guided tour. Porter says, “I would love to have some kind of feature where you press on that sculpture on your phone, and it gives you all the information, whether it be text or video, but that part of the project is going to take some time.” She believes people would work to celebrate art, but it hasn’t been much of a priority with a lot happening on campus.
Porter mentioned her map idea to Joey Fauerso, an associate professor and her thesis advisor who suggested the school could commission it. Fauerso says, “I told her that it would be a great idea, that there are a lot of pieces of public art throughout campus.” The map as a wayfinding system for students, faculty, and staff to know about the art resources on campus and having better education and communication about them interested her. Her comments encouraged Porter to pursue her map idea: “My thesis professor told me it was a good idea, so I’m just gonna take her word for it.”
For this video, I looked at two murals near Texas State University’s Quad, the Flowers Hall and “One of a Kind” murals. Both of them involved students in their creation.
I spoke with Special Collections and Archives Librarian Jason Crouch and School of Art and Design professor Joey Fauerso, a faculty advisor for “One of a Kind.” We discussed each artists’ plan for the murals and how they represent student life at the university.
As for what comes next, Porter would like to put pen to paper next semester. She says, “I have no physical plans, but it’s not like it’s just an idea.” Porter calls herself an idea person, having many ideas floating in her head at once. But with her graduating next May and holding herself accountable to follow through with her ideas, she knows this is one idea that will need the right timing to go for it head-on. It will take finding the right administrator and funding to pursue it. After being nominated again to be on the Committee of Public Art, she plans on starting the conversation about an eventual map tour.
