Distinguished Professor Jim Stone is an exhibiting artist who uses photography. His photographs have been published in three monographs and exhibited internationally; they are represented in the permanent collections of over 30 major museums and public archives. Over the summer, Stone was recently awarded the Outstanding Artist Educator for 2024 by Penland School of Craft. The Penland School of Craft is a national craft education center dedicated to fostering a creative life. Each year, Penland honors an instructor as an Outstanding Artist Educator. These nominations come from the board of trustees and the school’s executive staff. The criteria for selection are as follows: the artist’s long-term and consistent contribution to Penland through teaching or other involvement, the stature of the artist’s body of work in advancing the field of craft, the impact of the artist’s work on others, and finally, the generosity of the artist as a teacher and mentor to others.
Assistant Professor Stephanie Woods is a multi-disciplinary artist working primarily in the fields of photography, fiber, video, and sculpture. Woods cultivates an artistic practice that explores Black American culture and the American South. Her research examines involuntary cultural assimilation, the politicization of afro-hair, and domestic spaces as liberatory spaces that create portraits of alternate realities. Recently, she had a summer residency at Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, NE. She developed a new body of work focused on how the cultural exchange during the transatlantic slave trade, specifically the exchange of West African foods like okra, sweet potatoes, and black-eyed peas-shaped Southern American cuisine. The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts facilitates the creation, presentation, and understanding of contemporary art through an international residency program, exhibitions, and educational programs.
Finally, former photography Regents’ Professor Adrienne Salinger recently republished her book, “In My Room: Teenagers in their Bedrooms,” which showcases teenagers in their bedrooms. Salinger revisits her groundbreaking 90s project, offering an expanded glimpse into the rooms and lives of American teens. Her photographs were paired with interviews of her subjects, showing the disparity between what people say about themselves and what the photographs seem to reveal. It was released in 1995, and it was an immediate success, selling nearly 24,000 copies in its first few years.
Incredible work!
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READ MORE about the Outstanding Artist Educator article at https://penland.org/jim-stone-outstanding-artist-educator/
READ MORE about Adrienne Sallinger at https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/68415/1/the-story-behind-adrienne-salinger-cult-photos-of-teenage-bedrooms
LEARN MORE about our incredible faculty at https://art.unm.edu/people/faculty
Stephanie J. Woods’ sculpture Never Quite, Sweet Enough I was acquired by the nationally recognized Perry Art Collection following her 2025 residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. The work explores memory, legacy, and historical survival through an abstract porcelain form rooted in Black cultural history.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Dr. Dr. Peter Gilbert, Associate Professor of Theory & Composition in the UNM Department of Music, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Research and Creative Works Leadership Award at the University of New Mexico. The award recognizes recently promoted faculty who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in research and creative work. Nominees are selected by the provost following a rigorous external review of their scholarly and artistic contributions.
Dr. Ana Alonso-Minutti, Professor of Musicology, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 OVPR Ovation Award for Research and Scholarship. This prestigious recognition, presented by the Office of the Vice President for Research at The University of New Mexico, honors full-time faculty whose recent accomplishments demonstrate exceptional impact, address pressing local or global challenges, and elevate UNM’s standing on national and international stages.