In 2024, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) celebrates a significant milestone: the 50th anniversary of its School of Art and School of Music. These schools, evolving from the Department of Art & Art History and the Department of Music respectively, have traversed a remarkable journey since their inception.
COLFA is proud to host a number of incredible events that will celebrate this momentous occaision! Read more below on the history of success that has lead our departments to become the schools they are today.
50th Anniversary Events
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Palette of Progress: Collaborations and Community Engagement with the School of Art
The School of Art’s journey has been one deeply entwined with community collaboration.
“When I arrived in August of 1974, there was no base to start from; there was no art history program at UTSA. We had to create that curriculum ourselves,” Professor Emeritus Judith Sobre said, chuckling. “The same week they hired me, we were ordering slides from catalogs and piecing together what would eventually come together as the initial footwork for the future art history program at UTSA.”
In 2022, the Department of Art & Art History transitioned into the School of Art as part of the integration with San Antonio’s Southwest School of Art.
Founding Notes: The Genesis of UTSA's School of Music
The establishment of the Division of Music in 1974 under Director Gordon Lamb marked a new era, offering a range of graduate courses, including music education and conducting. The division expanded rapidly, introducing its first degree, the Bachelor of Music Education, in 1975 and diversifying its curriculum to include various specializations in music education.
"When I joined the UTSA faculty in 1980, there were four buildings on campus and nothing but wooded land at the corner of DeZavala and IH10. Upon my retirement thirty-eight years later, I looked back fondly at all the talented students and colleagues who worked to build a School of Music at a tier-one university." noted Professor Emeritus John Silantien.
The late 1970s and early 1980s were significant for the Division of Music, witnessing the conferral of its first music degrees and the expansion of its academic offerings. This period saw the division receiving accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and introducing new degree programs such as Music Management. The construction of a new building for the Music Department and the renaming of the Music Management program to Music Marketing were key developments during this time. In 1989, Professor Emeritus David Sebald introduced music technology to the program and created one of the first music technology programs in the country. It also provided the foundation for the School of Music’s newest degree program beginning in 2024, a Bachelor of Arts in Commercial and Digital Music.
The 1990s and early 2000s brought further evolution, with the foundation of the Institute for Music Research and changes in degree terminologies. UTSA underwent a major academic restructuring, forming the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and the Department of Music. The introduction of new programs and certificates, coupled with the establishment of a marching band in 2011, reflected the department's growth and commitment to music education. By 2014, the department had greatly expanded its faculty and degree offerings, showing UTSA's enduring impact in music education.
“Quote from Tracy on 50 years of Music at UTSA. Maybe something future forward? We could even include a note about exciting “new” programs such as On-Corps.”
50 Years of Music at UTSA
