Landmarks' Public Art Programs Offer An Antidote to Stress

Step inside the cylindrical Skyspace perched atop the third floor of the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center, and you will find a portal to the sky. Take a seat, rest your bones, breathe. Tilt your head up, gaze through the ceiling’s oculus, and marvel at the vast Texas heavens. Stay as long as you’d like; it’s free. 

Visit at sunrise or sunset to experience The Color Inside, a light installation created by contemporary artist James Turrell. Watch as shifting waves of light bathe the ceiling in brilliant colors, transforming the sky into impossible hues.  

More than a decade ago, Landmarks—UT’s public art program—commissioned James Turrell’s Skyspace in response to the student body’s request for a quiet reflection room within the activity center. Today, it is one of the most beloved artworks in a campus-wide collection of nearly 50 pieces. The students’ early call for a dedicated contemplation space foreshadowed what is now one of Landmarks’ key programming goals: for students to experience art not just for its beauty, but as a source of restoration. Landmarks is underscoring its commitment to student well-being by launching a new Skyspace series this fall, while continuing several popular programs that pair art with mood-boosting activities.  

Mental health challenges in young adults have spiked over the last decade—a reality that the UT System Board of Regents acknowledged in 2022 with its $16.5 million investment in mental health services. Between 2011 and 2021, the percentage of UT students receiving professional mental health services rose from 20 to 30 percent. During that same period, campus counseling centers reported a 38 percent increase in psychiatric hospitalizations. Against this backdrop of rising need, a growing body of research pointed to the arts as an unexpected ally. Studies show that engaging with the arts increases well-being by reducing stress and boosting mood.  

Kathleen Brady Stimpert, Landmarks’ deputy director, says the organization recognized this urgency—and the opportunity—to place its public art collection at the center of wellness efforts on campus. “There really is an unexpected benefit,” Stimpert says about engaging with its collection. “That’s why we’re promoting and providing a wide range of entry points for students to get to know Landmarks through this specific lens—one that fosters their well-being.”  

Landmarks’ wellness efforts began during COVID-19. Attuned to the stresses and isolation of the pandemic, it leaned on one of its most popular works to offer students an opportunity for reprieve and connection. A 20-minute virtual meditation inside Turrell’s Skyspace paired the shifting light waves with a classical guitar composition—creating a digital refuge students could access anytime.  

Landmarks built upon the success of the virtual meditation by launching Wellness Wednesdays—weekly sound bath sessions in the Skyspace led by sound healer Jen Vu, known as Sonic Starchild. In a collaboration with the Fitness Institute of Texas, Landmarks created movement-based tours pairing exercise with outdoor artworks. It’s also developing a version of the fitness tour for mobile apps, in partnership with UT RecSports. By working with other campus organizations, Landmarks’ programs reach students who otherwise may not engage with art.  

In 2023, Landmarks created Paws for Public Art and partnered with the Longhorn Wellness Center. Timed with spring midterms, the program pairs pop-up petting zoos with some of the more iconic works from the collection. “It provides an opportunity for the students to take a break from stressful studying to cuddle some rabbits or meet some baby goats,” Stimpert says. Much like engaging with art, interacting with animals is known to increase feel-good hormones and melt away stress. It’s no surprise that Paws for Public Art was wildly popular—it returns for its third year on March 12, 2026.  

Most recently, Landmarks launched Sunset Reset with the College of Liberal Arts and the Humanitas Student Well-Being Collective. Free to students, the monthly sessions bring mindful activities such as breathwork and coloring into the Skyspace. Sunset Reset runs through April and offers students yet another way to interact with art in a meaningful and communal way.  

For Stimpert, the success of Landmarks’ programming rests on something simple: accessibility. Most of the collection is free, open 24/7, and spread throughout campus. “Students have the opportunity to make connections without fear,” she says. “They can come to a piece as they are, with no expectations upon them, and engage on their own terms.” Stimpert points to Nancy Rubin’s massive canoe sculpture, Monochrome for Austin, as a favorite among students. Its size and recognizability create a sense of place, imbedding itself into the Longhorn experience.  

Beneath the Skyspace’s shifting light, or in the shadow of a campus sculpture, Landmarks’ invitation to the students remains the same. Pause for a moment, breathe deeply, look up ... and remember that not only does art inspire awe, but it also holds the quiet power to restore. 

CREDITS: Ismael Quintilla III; Sandy Carson