Texas State Art Students Lose Access to On-Campus Studios due to COVID-19

By Megan Wehring

Assistant News Director

SAN MARCOS, Texas – While Texas State students can now finish their spring semester classes in the comfort of their own home, some don’t have access to the same resources provided on campus.

The coronavirus outbreak led University President Denise M. Trauth to announce last month that all courses would be moved to remote or alternative delivery until the end of the spring semester. Cancellations of other university events and trips followed. Some campus services have also remained open with limited hours.

After an extended two-week spring break, students and faculty were expected to transition their courses from a face-to-face environment to an online platform. Metalsmithing senior Sid Nyman said the lack of access to the art studio on campus has reflected in their inability to complete projects assigned prior to the transition online. 

“The only resource TXST has provided is Zoom and even that is nothing helpful,” Nyman said. “Shutting down the art building and eliminating all card access to the metals studio has made it impossible to complete my metals course/major that I paid for.”

A studio space on campus allows for more creativity and accessibility to resources for course projects. Nyman said they had to adjust their art pieces to fit the tools they have at home as they solely rely on the studio as a work space. 

“Having a studio that is dedicated to getting work done was my safe space and now working from home is a huge and abrupt shift,” Nyman said. “In the studio, I have access to torches, acids and an endless supply of tools but at home, I only have a few hand tools so I am having to adapt and simplify my art.”

Adjusting from constant in-person instruction to remote delivery can be difficult. Some students thrive off having a consistent schedule of commuting to campus at the same every day. Nyman said it’s been challenging to stay motivated to complete their coursework without having a designated work space like the studio on campus.

“Being at home is a completely different mental environment than being in a studio so it has made it extremely difficult to focus and complete schoolwork.,” Nyman said. “I have been trying to get schoolwork done in the morning so I’m motivated to finish and I can eat breakfast.”

Nyman hopes to have studio access again soon. 

Though it may be a vacation from the typical college setting, some students have lost the opportunity to be creative with projects they could have used for their portfolio.