We’re excited to share that Myrriah Gómez, Associate Professor at the Honors College at UNM, has written an insightful article titled “Art and Activism at Highlands University” in Santa Fe Magazine, El Palacio. In her article, Gómez highlights the Voces del Pueblo exhibition, which features documentary photographs selected by Art History Professor Ray Hernández-Durán. These images showcase the important role of women and children in the student movements at New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) during the early 1970s.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see how these photographs reflect a pivotal moment in New Mexico’s history, while also highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women and children to the civil rights and Chicano movements of the era. Gómez’s article provides valuable insight into the social activism that took place at NMHU, giving readers a deeper understanding of this transformative time.
Photography has always been a powerful tool for social change, and these images go beyond documenting historical moments. They amplify the voices of those who played key roles in the activism of the 1970s, helping to ensure that their contributions are remembered and honored.
In addition to the article, we’re excited to announce that the Voces del Pueblo exhibition catalogue is now available for purchase online through UNM Press and Amazon. The catalogue features the full collection of photographs along with an essay by Myrriah Gómez, offering a deeper exploration of the themes and historical context behind the exhibition.
If you’re interested in getting your own copy, you can order online or attend the closing reception of the exhibition on Sunday, February 8, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) in Albuquerque. The event is free and open to the public.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
READ MORE of Myrriah Gómez’s full article here https://elpalacio.org/2025/12/art-and-activism-at-highlands-university/
ORDER your copy here https://www.unmpress.com/9780826368737/voces-del-pueblo/
Congratulations to Kaitlin Bryson for being selected to take part in the 2026 cohort for Monument Lab Re:Generation! She received a $100,000 grant for her ongoing project, Bellow Forth. Bellow Forth is a community project focused on restoring soil health and environmental resiliency through storytelling and collaboration, community and ecosystem science, and social art practice in wildfire-impacted lands and communities in northern New Mexico.
Eric-Paul Riege, a Gallup-based Diné artist and recent UNM graduate, has been recognized as a 2025 Stepping Stone Grantee by the Trellis Art Fund. His multidisciplinary practice uses weaving as both process and philosophy, blending ancestral knowledge, spirituality, and contemporary art to create works that are living, mobile, and deeply connected to cultural memory.
Congratulations to MFA graduate student Ella Pigg and undergraduate student Finn Ellis on the success of their project, Neon Forge.
