Breaking: College of Visual Arts and Design to discontinue fibers concentration
The College of Visual Arts and Design, CVAD, is discontinuing the fibers concentration at the end of the 2018-2019 school year, according to an email sent to CVAD students on Aug. 15.
The closure will be phased throughout the next year to help students make adjustments to their degree program. Twitter user the @MangoBurt, whose girlfriend is in the fibers program, tweeted out the email from Greg Watts, CVAD dean.
@ntdaily @DentonRC Hey while @UNT @UNTCVAD are wrapping up construction on that new $70 Million art building, they just canceled a degree plan with active students in it, Fiber art. The Fiber arts program was told last year they wouldn’t even be in the new building once complete. pic.twitter.com/kxpClc2Sit
— theMangoKing (@MangoBurt) August 15, 2018
“It is heartbreaking to close any arts program, especially one that clearly holds an important and influential role in history across cultures and the lives of women, from textile and weaving arts to contemporary research and arts practice,” Watts wrote in the email.
The discontinuation is due to space issues. The college was provided funding to build a new $70 million facility, which provides 181 classrooms and teaching areas.
Despite this, there was no way to create needed space for the fibers program, according to the email.
“We cannot, in good conscience, offer a program without also being able to dedicate to it the appropriate space,” the email stated.
The fibers curriculum offered classes on surface design, weaving and processes to create 2-D and 3-D installation.
Associate Dean Denise Baxter and Studio Arts Chair Lauren Lake will be at the current CVAD location on Welch Street on Aug. 20 and 21 to answer any questions from fibers students. They will also come to fibers classes at the beginning of the semester to address the issue.
“All students with degree plans on file for a fibers concentration will be accommodated and will be able to graduate with the degree for which they have a degree plan,” Watts stated.
Featured image: Courtesy Facebook
This is ridiculous. UNT is blaming this on space but it’s clearly because they want to kill the fibers program. It’s unfortunate that fibers, traditionally mistreated because of its association with “women’s work”, will be axed. It was a major strength of the arts program to have this unique and challenging discipline for their students. Hopefully the new administration will realize that in following art world fads they are killing something of real value, and change their mind about closing the program.