Iconic brick ‘star’ mural to be preserved

TWU’s aging patio building is coming down, but a notable work of art that adorns one of its outside walls will be preserved for future use.

The structure, originally the Arts and Sciences Building, will be demolished this summer. Constructed in 1956, the building near Oakland and Third Streets has outlived its usefulness, as maintenance costs have become unsustainable, facilities officials say.

But before the building is razed, a masonry specialist will remove the brick mural attached to the structure’s west-facing façade. The iconic artwork, designed by Coreen Mary Spellman, incorporates a star motif using variations of protruding and receding bricks, predominantly red and sand colored. 

Some Spellman enthusiasts have suggested that the star designs were a nod to the artist’s love for Texas.

Spellman, a revered Texas artist, was a former Texas Woman’s assistant professor who taught at the university for 45 years. She was a member of the so-called ‘Forgotten Nine,’ a group of unsung artists who lived in the Denton area from the 1920s to the 1960s and pioneered modernism in Texas art.

Her oil and watercolor paintings, etchings and other works of art have been featured in numerous museums. Spellman also was the founder of the Printmakers Guild, a women’s group that supported female artists so they could sell their works at exhibitions and traveling shows.

Her star-motif mural will be cut into segments, laid onto wooden pallets and stored until a new home for it can be determined, said Alex Thomas, TWU’s director of planning & design services.

“We have a history of preserving extraordinary features of some of our buildings, and this demonstrates Texas Woman’s commitment to preserving some of the character of our past,” Thomas said.

Page last updated 3:22 PM, April 4, 2025