Facilities

Fine Arts Building
Located in the center of the University Arts District, the Fine Arts Building is home to School of Art undergraduate programs in art, design, and art history as well as the art history graduate program and the Blaffer Art Museum.  The design of the building – four distinct quadrants built around a courtyard with mature trees – is as open and multilayered as the activity within it.

The Fine Arts Building has spacious, well-lit classrooms, fully equipped specialty studios and labs, collaborative and individual workspaces, exhibition galleries and lecture facilities. It is a short walk to metro bus and train stops, with free campus shuttle and ample parking.

Elgin Street Studios
The new Elgin Street Studios building, located on the northeast corner of the Arts District and a few minutes’ walk from the William R. Jenkins Architecture, Design & Art Library and the Fine Arts Building, is home to both the MFA program and sculpture facilities. Stellar resources include private studios and open classrooms, fully equipped wood and metal shops, ample covered outdoor workspace, a digital lab, exhibition spaces, and common indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.

Exhibition Spaces

Elgin Gallery 1
Located on the first floor of Elgin Street Studios, this 300 square foot gallery space is used primarily for graduate student exhibitions and occasional shows involving the expanded School of Art community. The space is equipped with state-of-the-art projection and sound. Programming is organized in concert with graduate students and the School of Art Exhibitions Committee.
Elgin Gallery 2
Also on the first floor, this 500 square foot gallery space is dedicated to experimental projects, initiated by individuals or collaborative groups. Programming is organized in concert with graduate students and the School of Art Exhibitions Committee.
Sculpture Installation Space
Located in the Fine Arts Building just off of a loading dock for easy access, this installation space functions as a private space for students to reserve when they want to work out complex and large-scale art works over several days. It also can serve as a white cube when our students need to see how their work translates to a conventional exhibition format. The room has proximity to the Ceramics Studio and the Fundamentals of Sculpture shops
Third Space
The 400 hundred square foot graduate student-run experimental art space for exhibitions, performances, talks and events throughout the year.
Project Gallery
The Project Gallery is a 380 sq. ft. gallery space used for mounting individual or collaborative special projects and exhibitions specific to the painting department.
Blaffer Art Museum
The 13,747 square foot museum presents innovative, challenging exhibitions and programs that bring the university and the extended community into closer engagement with important cultural issues of our time. The contemporary art museum exhibits national and international artists as well as the annual student show and MFA Thesis exhibition.

Community Spaces

Louise J. Moran Fine Arts Courtyard
Our open courtyard creates a sense of place and adds to the rhythm of the student experience. It is a flexible and dynamic setting for lively annual events, social-gatherings, art installations, performances, screenings, and class meetings. It is the home to YardWorks, a new collaboration between the School of Art and UH Public Art, that activates the space with public artworks made by regional, emerging artists. With mature trees spanning four stories, lush plantings, and ample seating, the courtyard is also a place for quiet study, rest, and respite in nature.

Student Lounge
The Student Lounge in the Fine Arts Building (FA 102) offers students a warm and inviting place to study, relax, eat lunch or hold meetings. With plentiful tables and chairs for workspace, students are welcome to take a break in the Student Lounge between classes, or read in one of the comfortable Womb Chairs (after the mid-century design by Earo Saarinan).

Graduate Community Area
Central to Elgin Street Studios are the common meeting and social areas designed to bring MFA students together for casual meet ups and gatherings. Comfortable seating for relaxing, dining or studying as well as a ping-pong table make this the go-to spot for grad students looking for a break from their studios.

Object Study Room
In the Object Study Room, students receive professional training in the handling and care of objects. It also provides a space to explore the latest technologies in object documentation and study.