SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas at San Antonio and the Southwest School of Art will combine their art programs at the SSA campus downtown.
Both schools signed a letter of intent for the agreement, and it will be considered by their governing boards in November, UTSA announced Monday. The first semester of the combined program could start in fall 2022.
SSA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, assets and resources will be folded into the new UTSA school, which will fall under the university’s College of Liberal and Fine Arts. UTSA said the partnership could later create an interdisciplinary school.
“For many years, UTSA and Southwest School of Art have benefited from a strong relationship and a variety of connections,” SSA President Paula Owen said in the release. “This new partnership responds to the societal need for creative problem solvers with multiple skills who readily adapt to the velocity of change in the 21st century.”
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UTSA President Taylor Eighmy called it “a strategic opportunity for both institutions.”
SSA will continue offering its community classes, events, lectures and exhibits at its downtown campus near the San Antonio River. The campus includes the Ursuline Convent & Academy, which was built in 1851.
The SSA name will remain but UTSA will take over its historic building and grounds. SSA students will be able to enroll in UTSA when the merge is finalized.
Since SSA first offered its BFA program in 2014, 36 students have graduated. Just more than 30 students are currently seeking their degrees.
The school has eight arts faculty members, and UTSA has 17 professors, three bachelor’s programs, two master’s programs and two minors programs.
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