Reimagining public art spaces

A UTRGV student’s plan would renovate the George Truan Sculpture Garden next to Rusteberg Hall on the Texas Southmost College campus in Brownsville, blending art, nature and public space. 

Sean Hughes, a studio art sophomore on the Brownsville campus, came up with the idea and is sponsored by the UTRGV Engaged Scholarship & Learning  program. 

Hughes, who produces large metal sculptures, had the urge to pursue this project after realizing UTRGV and Texas Southmost College do not have many art spaces for sculptures or any displays for art around the campuses. 

“What we’re doing is revitalizing, but the idea is to sow a seed for the powers that be to say ‘Hey, this is doable in other places,’” Hughes said. 

The UTRGV Engaged Scholarship & Learning program’s mission is to develop, promote and facilitate learning and community initiatives that advance student academic success, which include undergraduate research, service learning, academic internships and community engagement, according to the program’s website. 

George Truan, who died in 1992, was an art instructor for over 20 years at TSC and legacy institution University of Texas at Brownsville and was heavily involved in the community as a member of the Brownsville Youth Council and Patron of the Arts Committee. Truan also served on the TSC Board of Trustees. 

The project is pending approval by TSC since UTRGV is leasing the area for Brownsville art students. 

Hughes’ plan consists of two parts: the bases that the steel sculptures are on and the garden surrounding it.

“The project would basically be taking and removing the sculpture bases … and replacing them with new [bases] because of how poor condition that they’re in,” Hughes said. 

The sculptures are bolted onto bases made of square tubing and flat-plate steel.

“Because of the fact that they’re made of steel and because they’ve been there for so long, they’re rusted and corroded to the point where you can see holes through them and they’re falling apart,” Hughes said. 

There will be 12 new bases for the sculpture garden. The original proposal had plans to create 18 new bases but was reduced to 12 in order to reallocate funds for the garden. Through the program, Hughes is receiving $2,000 for the project from the Engaged Scholarship & Learning program. 

The second part of the proposal is to relandscape the garden using native drought-resistant pollinator plants. 

“You will see milkweeds and honeysuckles and Turk’s Cap, and those things flower almost year-round,” Hughes said. “They are really necessary as an eco-habitat for hummingbirds and bees and the butterflies, especially because we have both local insect population as well as a migratory insect population. So that would give them, basically, you know, a food source.” 

He said the garden currently has some bushes, including a rose bush, which are non-native, with some plants having died out. 

Teodoro Estrada, a UTRGV graduate school alum, will assist Hughes with designing the layout for sculpture bases and the garden.  

Already having a list of volunteers from the UTRGV Sculpture Club and the veterans peer group, Hughes said once things get rolling in the spring after approval, he wants to do a training session with the volunteers to show them how to design and construct the bases uniformly, pour the concrete and plant the garden. 

UTRGV Sculpture Club President Yvette Larios, an art education senior, and Vice President Hannah Cavazos, a studio art senior, told The Rider they both agreed that renovations of the garden will make it more appealing and attract people to the area. 

“I think it’s something that’s long overdue,” Larios said. “A lot of the pieces there can be replaced and new pieces can be put in.” 

She said some members of the club who know how to weld and create sculptures will help Hughes. 

“It was basically, like, if the school is not going to do it, I’ll do it myself, kind of thing,” Cavazos said. “I think that’s really cool of [Hughes] to do.” 

Hughes said the idea behind the project is true to what the Engaged Scholar program is all about. 

“It’s about engagement with our community,” he said. “Whether it be within the university or within the two schools … we kind of occupy this space.” 

Hughes said he is open to interest from any individual within the university who wants to help by volunteering or by sharing knowledge of horticulture, a branch of agriculture that deals with plant cultivation. People who are interested in the project can contact Hughes at sean.hughes01@utrgv.edu. 

Pending approval, Hughes said he wants to start the project within the first couple of weeks of Spring 2023. 

The Rider attempted to contact Stella Garcia, TSC chief of staff for the Office of the President, but was told via email by Paula A. Garza, coordinator of Administrative Services, that since the project is under review, Garcia cannot comment on the proposed plan. 

Asked what he hopes the project will bring to the community, he replied, “It’s such a beautiful place and to understand the history of what the campuses mean to the community.”

“This sculpture garden is kind of basically on the border of TSC and UTRGV, and it’s shared by both student bodies,” Hughes said. “… The potential is limitless. It will be a great community space and a space … that will be able to display art in the future by students. It can also serve as a model for the type of space that can be made within UTRGV campuses. … It’s definitely a proof of concept of how to blend art and nature and public space.”