Spirit Rocks’ spirit lives on in art exhibition

For one cold evening, Chess Plaza was alight — glowing with projections curated by a graduate class to recreate messages once spray painted on the Spirit Rocks.  

Taught by professor xtine burrough, ATCM 6377, Creativity as Social Practice, invited its graduate students to engage with their community using an artistic display. On Dec. 2 from 5-8 p.m., the class exhibited “The Spirit of the Spirit Rocks,” an installation consisting of messages that had been previously painted on the former Spirit Rocks.  

burrough’s classes often invite a unique degree of student participation, such as last semester’s creation of a Temoc-centric alternate reality game in ATCM 4330. This graduate class was based partially on researching the field of social practice, an increasingly popular contemporary art form in which artists engage with communities directly, often to address local concerns. Its final exhibition is an embodiment of that research. 

“We thought about so many of the things we miss [at UTD],” burrough said. “In the Student Union near the ping-pong tables, there used to be a big bubblegum machine that you used to get ping-pong balls from. I thought that was the coolest thing — it was so whimsical! These little things change, for whatever reason. [We] wanted to remember that.” 

At the heart of the installation lies the Spirit Rocks themselves. Described by the class as “the ever-changing canvas that once captured the creativity of UT Dallas students” in one advertisement, the Spirit Rocks were an open forum where individuals could paint any message “in good taste.” As former UTD biology student Lyna Benhacine said in 2015, painting the Spirit Rocks was “a treasured tradition.” 

Their removal in Nov. 2023 was met with almost immediate calls for their return from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Student Government. A poll conducted in Dec. 2023 showed 92% of over 1,500 respondents opposed the removal of the Spirit Rocks. Both current SG President Giana Abraham and Vice President David Baker have said they would bring back the Spirit Rocks “if given complete control of UTD.”  

“The Spirit Rocks had been a tradition since 2008,” Master of Fine Arts graduate student Alan Yu said. “And suddenly it’s just gone? That doesn’t feel right. Similar to the Art Barn, which was taken down for the new Science Building, it just feels like students have less ways to express themselves on campus as we are moving more focused towards STEM.” 

One of the main goals of the installation was not just to provoke conversation about the Spirit Rocks but also to archive their existence, especially as incoming students are part of a new generation that never personally witnessed the Spirit Rocks. In collaboration with McDermott Library’s Special Collections and Archives Division, students attempted to create a formal record of the Spirit Rocks to be housed. 

“We realized that UTD doesn’t have an archive of the Spirit Rocks and that was the ‘Aha!’ moment that made us pivot to this project,” burrough said. “We wanted to construct something meaningful to understand how this thing happened and why it was important.” 

During the exhibition, observers were asked to share memories of the Spirit Rocks for documentation. Master of Fine Arts graduate students Lainey Tran and Alesandra Bell recorded conversations with community members to build upon their archival documentation, saving memories that may have otherwise graduated without record. 

“I think it’s nice to think the memories that students may have associated with the Spirit Rocks, especially the positive ones,” Tran said. “The rocks were both part of our undergrad experiences, so it’s nice to reflect on that and give people a chance to experience it vicariously.” 

ATCM 6377 is typically offered to graduate students in the fall by burrough. Though the display was temporary, its legacy — like the Spirit Rocks themselves — may continue to live on. 

“We’re still hoping that one day, it will return on campus,” Yu said. “It would be wonderful.”