diff --git a/docs/requirements.txt b/docs/requirements.txt
index e233fb9a..d13c98df 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.txt
+++ b/docs/requirements.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ Click>=7.0
 yt>=4.1.0
 traitlets>=5.0.5
 pyOpenGL>=3.1.5
-traittypes>=0.2.1
 matplotlib>=3.0
 numpy>=1.18.0
 pyglet>=2.0.dev0
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index edc4eeed..458c29e5 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ install_requires =
     pyglet>=2.0.dev0
     pyyaml>=5.3.1
     traitlets>=5.0.5
-    traittypes>=0.2.1
     yt>=4.1.0
 python_requires = >=3.9
 include_package_data = True
diff --git a/yt_idv/cameras/base_camera.py b/yt_idv/cameras/base_camera.py
index 2f087605..9c9d7bc5 100644
--- a/yt_idv/cameras/base_camera.py
+++ b/yt_idv/cameras/base_camera.py
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 import traitlets
-import traittypes
 from OpenGL import GL
 
-from yt_idv.traitlets_support import YTPositionTrait, ndarray_ro, ndarray_shape
+from yt_idv.traitlets_support import (
+    ArrayTrait,
+    YTPositionTrait,
+    ndarray_ro,
+    ndarray_shape,
+)
 
 
 class BaseCamera(traitlets.HasTraits):
@@ -35,9 +39,8 @@ class BaseCamera(traitlets.HasTraits):
     # operations won't trigger our observation.
     position = YTPositionTrait([0.0, 0.0, 1.0])
     focus = YTPositionTrait([0.0, 0.0, 0.0])
-    up = traittypes.Array(np.array([0.0, 0.0, 1.0])).valid(
-        ndarray_shape(3), ndarray_ro()
-    )
+
+    up = ArrayTrait(np.array([0.0, 0.0, 1.0])).valid(ndarray_shape(3), ndarray_ro())
     scroll_delta = traitlets.Float(0.1)
     fov = traitlets.Float(45.0)
     near_plane = traitlets.Float(0.001)
@@ -46,14 +49,11 @@ class BaseCamera(traitlets.HasTraits):
         1.0
     )  # This was 8.0/6.0 for a long time. I don't know why.
 
-    projection_matrix = traittypes.Array(np.zeros((4, 4))).valid(
+    projection_matrix = ArrayTrait(np.zeros((4, 4))).valid(
         ndarray_shape(4, 4), ndarray_ro()
     )
-    view_matrix = traittypes.Array(np.zeros((4, 4))).valid(
-        ndarray_shape(4, 4), ndarray_ro()
-    )
-    orientation = traittypes.Array(np.zeros(4)).valid(ndarray_shape(4), ndarray_ro())
-
+    view_matrix = ArrayTrait(np.zeros((4, 4))).valid(ndarray_shape(4, 4), ndarray_ro())
+    orientation = ArrayTrait(np.zeros(4)).valid(ndarray_shape(4), ndarray_ro())
     held = traitlets.Bool(False)
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager
diff --git a/yt_idv/opengl_support.py b/yt_idv/opengl_support.py
index f9cb400b..0f60d3f3 100644
--- a/yt_idv/opengl_support.py
+++ b/yt_idv/opengl_support.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import numpy as np
 import traitlets
-import traittypes
 from OpenGL import GL
 
 # Set up a mapping from numbers to names
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@
 
 from yt_idv._cmyt_utilities import validate_cmyt_name
 from yt_idv.constants import bbox_vertices
+from yt_idv.traitlets_support import ArrayTrait
 
 const_types = (
     GL.constant.IntConstant,
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def validate(self, obj, value):
 
 class Texture(traitlets.HasTraits):
     texture_name = traitlets.CInt(-1)
-    data = traittypes.Array(None, allow_none=True)
+    data = ArrayTrait(None, allow_none=True)
     channels = GLValue("r32f")
     min_filter = GLValue("linear")
     mag_filter = GLValue("linear")
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ def _set_data(self, change):
 class VertexAttribute(traitlets.HasTraits):
     name = traitlets.CUnicode("attr")
     id = traitlets.CInt(-1)
-    data = traittypes.Array(None, allow_none=True)
+    data = ArrayTrait(None, allow_none=True)
     each = traitlets.CInt(-1)
     opengl_type = traitlets.CInt(GL.GL_FLOAT)
     divisor = traitlets.CInt(0)
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ def _set_data(self, change):
 class VertexArray(traitlets.HasTraits):
     name = traitlets.CUnicode("vertex")
     id = traitlets.CInt(-1)
-    indices = traittypes.Array(None, allow_none=True)
+    indices = ArrayTrait(None, allow_none=True)
     index_id = traitlets.CInt(-1)
     attributes = traitlets.List(trait=traitlets.Instance(VertexAttribute))
     each = traitlets.CInt(-1)
diff --git a/yt_idv/scene_data/curve.py b/yt_idv/scene_data/curve.py
index 035481d4..9a17be66 100644
--- a/yt_idv/scene_data/curve.py
+++ b/yt_idv/scene_data/curve.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 import traitlets
-from traittypes import Array
 
 from yt_idv.opengl_support import VertexArray, VertexAttribute
 from yt_idv.scene_data.base_data import SceneData
+from yt_idv.traitlets_support import ArrayTrait
 
 
 class CurveData(SceneData):
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class CurveData(SceneData):
     """
 
     name = "curve_data"
-    data = Array()
+    data = ArrayTrait(allow_none=True)
     n_vertices = traitlets.CInt()
 
     @traitlets.default("vertex_array")
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class CurveCollection(CurveData):
     """Data component for a collection of curves"""
 
     name = "curve_collection"
-    data = Array()
+    data = ArrayTrait(allow_none=True)
     n_vertices = traitlets.CInt()
 
     def add_curve(self, curve):
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ def add_curve(self, curve):
         data = curve[line_indices]
         data = np.column_stack([data, np.ones((data.shape[0],))])
 
-        if self.data.shape:
-            self.data = np.concatenate([self.data, data])
-        else:
+        if self.data is None:
             self.data = data
+        else:
+            self.data = np.concatenate([self.data, data])
 
     def add_data(self):
         """
diff --git a/yt_idv/tests/test_array_traits.py b/yt_idv/tests/test_array_traits.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af430d97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/yt_idv/tests/test_array_traits.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import numpy as np
+import traitlets
+
+from yt_idv.traitlets_support import ArrayTrait, ndarray_shape
+
+
+def test_array_trait():
+
+    shp = (4, 3)
+    x = np.ones(shp)
+
+    def extra(obj, value):
+        # arbitrary to make sure the logic is working
+        return value * 2.0
+
+    class UsefulTestClass(traitlets.HasTraits):
+
+        array_no_args = ArrayTrait(allow_none=True)
+        array_with_default = ArrayTrait(x)
+        array_with_default_valid = ArrayTrait(x).valid(ndarray_shape(*shp))
+        two_x = ArrayTrait(x).valid(extra)
+        two_x_chained = ArrayTrait(x).valid(ndarray_shape(*shp), extra)
+
+    utc = UsefulTestClass()
+    assert utc.array_no_args is None
+    assert np.all(utc.array_with_default == x)
+    assert np.all(utc.array_with_default_valid == x)
+    assert np.all(utc.two_x == 2 * x)
+    assert np.all(utc.two_x_chained == 2 * x)
diff --git a/yt_idv/traitlets_support.py b/yt_idv/traitlets_support.py
index 327cfe28..8a56479c 100644
--- a/yt_idv/traitlets_support.py
+++ b/yt_idv/traitlets_support.py
@@ -52,3 +52,39 @@ def validate(self, obj, value):
             except FileNotFoundError:
                 self.error(obj, value)
         return value
+
+
+class ArrayTrait(traitlets.TraitType):
+
+    # a replacement for the un-maintained traittypes.Array, loosely
+    # based off of the implementation at https://github.com/jupyter-widgets/traittypes
+    info_text = "A numpy array"
+
+    def __init__(self, default_value=None, **kwargs):
+        if default_value is not None:
+            default_value = np.asarray(default_value)
+        super().__init__(default_value=default_value, **kwargs)
+        self.validators = []
+
+    def valid(self, *args):
+        self.validators.extend(args)
+        return self
+
+    def validate(self, obj, value):
+        if self.allow_none and value is None:
+            return value
+
+        if self.allow_none is False and value is None:
+            self.error(obj, value)
+
+        if not isinstance(value, np.ndarray):
+            # try to coerce whatever it is
+            value = np.asarray(value)
+
+        for validator in self.validators:
+            value = validator(obj, value)
+
+        if not isinstance(value, np.ndarray):
+            self.error(obj, value)
+
+        return value