Early Bixby Years

After opening in 1926, Bixby Hall became the primary home of the School of Fine Arts. Its gallery and classrooms hosted painting classes and exhibitions. This image of children engaged in figure drawing highlights how the space supported not only university students but alos the wider St. Louis community through art education. From the very beginning, Bixby functioned as both a teaching space and a cultural hub.  

In addition, these satricial sketches capture the everday atmosphere of painting classes in Bixby Hall. Drawn by a faculty artist, they exaggerate the quirks of both students and instructors. A humorous reminder that art education is as much as about personality and culture as it is about technique. The drawings reflect a mid-20th century moment when Bixby doubled as a serious classroom and a playground for eccentric experiementation. If the children's drawing class shows Bixby's formal side, these sketches reveal its more playful, irreverent spirit. 

While the sketches capture the quirks of daily studio life, they also set the stage quite literally for Bixby's more public role. Its ornate gallery, with its detailed plaster ceilngs and tall arched windows, has long been used to showcase student and faculty work. These architectural details gave the space its grandeur, making exhibitions both possible and impressive. Restored from its World's Fair origins, the gallery became a flexible space for year-end reviews, installations, and community events. In this way, these images show how Bixby was not just as a classroom but a space that connected WashU students to a broader creative community.