I want to share upcoming operational changes that will bring two of our University’s finest cultural institutions together and strengthen the arts at UT through a focused unit within the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. These updates reflect a model adopted at leading universities that recognizes the arts as strategic assets that are central to the academic mission and to innovation, discovery, and societal impact.
First, I want to inform you that Texas Performing Arts will move from the College of Fine Arts to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. Texas Performing Arts (TPA) is recognized nationally as the country’s No. 1 university-based performing arts center by annual audience, level of activity, and size of budget. Under the College of Fine Arts, TPA has thrived, and placing it within the Provost’s Office reinforces its alignment with University-level priorities around public engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, student success, and public trust. Dean Ramón H. Rivera-Servera will continue to lead the College of Fine Arts as it educates the next generation of artists, makers, and scholars and creates a strong pipeline of talent that will ultimately shape what is presented on stages and in galleries such as Texas Performing Arts and the Blanton Museum of Art.
Bob Bursey, who currently serves as the executive and artistic director at Texas Performing Arts and associate professor of practice in the College of Fine Arts, will move into a new role as Vice Provost for the Arts, effective Aug. 1. As vice provost, Bob will continue to lead TPA and expand its public mission, including growing its work in K-12 engagement and civic programming, and broadening access to the arts for our campus community.
Since he began leading TPA in 2020, Bob has transformed the organization. Last season, TPA drew more than 400,000 attendees across 237 performances — up 40% from 2018-19 — while its annual budget has more than doubled since fiscal year 2019.
To further integrate arts teaching, research, and experiential learning across disciplines, Bob will also oversee the Blanton Museum of Art, led by Simone Wicha. Under Simone's leadership, the Blanton has transformed into one of the country's highest attended university art museums and is recognized at the forefront of interdisciplinary teaching and public engagement. Today, the museum attracts 250,000 visitors annually, up 60% since FY2017. Student attendance also grew during this period to 26,000 UT students annually, including students from 300 courses spanning every UT college and school.
Bringing Texas Performing Arts and the Blanton Museum together under provost-level leadership will ensure we have a more cohesive, connected arts ecosystem, and an integrated approach that will advance our academic mission, student experience, and public impact.
I look forward to working with Vice Provost Bob Bursey and continuing to work with Director Simone Wicha to bring greater visibility to the remarkable work in the arts already happening across campus.
Sincerely,
