Ashley Inguanta
Descriptions of Featured Art
School's Out in Pontotoc, TX: I first saw this structure in 2010, when I drove across America with my friend Monica. We found it by accident, and we had no idea what it was, but we loved it. I remember feeling joyous when we found this place, and I remember taking so many pictures. Six years later, I am driving across America with my partner, Josh, and we try to find this building. With a stroke of luck and help from some locals, we found it. At the time, we didn't know the history of the ruins, but later that day I found out that this place has a rich past. The San Fernando Academy was founded in 1883, and it never had a chance to host the students it was meant to. Many residents of Pontotoc died of typhoid, and even though the building was used as a grade school, it was abandoned in 1927. In 1947, a fire destroyed the structure.
What I like about abandoned places is this: They teach us that what we, humans, create, is impermanent--and that just because a business doesn't bloom, or just because a school doesn't grow, doesn't make these structures any less powerful to the world. The risks we take, the passions we have, and determination to live a loving life are enough.
Fabric, Galaxies in Marfa, TX: When I drove across America with my partner, we paid great attention to the rhythm and music of each road. When I made it to Western Texas, something had changed, and we both recognized it. Each note became longer, each drum beat became stronger. And when we made it to Marfa, the sky opened. Never in my life had I seen so many stars. It was like the fabric of this world was peeling back, showing us something else. It felt like a great secret, only these stars aren't a secret at all. Here they are, plain as day. This world we live in is vast, remarkable.
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