Ray Hernández-Durán, professor of art history in UNM’s Department of Art & Art History in the College of Fine Arts, has been named a Regents’ Professor, a distinguished and lifelong honor recognizing senior faculty members who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and community impact. The title is awarded following a rigorous review process led by the College Dean in collaboration with the Provost’s Office and includes a three-year stipend to support the recipient’s work.
Hernández-Durán has dedicated more than 22 years to teaching, mentorship, and scholarship at UNM. A specialist in Spanish colonial art and architecture, Chicano/Latinx art, and Museum Studies, his research examines colonialism, institutional histories and practices, and the political dimensions of knowledge production. His work bridges disciplines and connects conversations across Latin American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies, Africana Studies, and Museum Studies, as well as with national and international scholarly communities.
“For many faculty, myself included, my research feeds my teaching, and my teaching informs my research,” Hernández-Durán said.
An accomplished researcher and collaborator, Hernández-Durán has published numerous articles, book chapters, and a book. He has delivered invited lectures and presented at conferences and museums across the United States and internationally, including in Washington, D.C., Mexico City, London, and Munich.
He also co-founded two journals that expand scholarly and community dialogue. Chamisa: A Journal of Literary Performance and Visual Arts of the Greater Southwest, published by UNM’s Southwest Hispanic Research Institute, invites community participation and features creative and scholarly work across disciplines. Hemisphere: Visual Cultures of the Americas, produced by graduate students in the Art Department, showcases emerging research on the arts of the Americas.
In addition to his scholarly work, Hernández-Durán curates exhibitions that bring academic conversations into public spaces. His recent exhibition, Voces del Pueblo: Artists of the Levantamiento Chicano in New Mexico, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum, took seven years to curate and highlights his commitment to community engagement.
Deeply devoted to mentorship, Hernández-Durán supports graduate students through the dissertation process and serves on mentoring and review committees that guide junior faculty toward tenure. Many of his former students have gone on to become respected scholars and collaborators in the field.
His many honors include two Fulbright-Hays Fellowships, a MacArthur Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, an Andy Warhol Foundation Fulcrum Grant, and a New Mexico Humanities Council Award.
Hernández-Durán credits UNM for providing the support and resources that make his work possible and emphasizes the importance of research and community engagement now more than ever.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
LEARN MORE about Ray Hernández-Durán on his faculty profile at https://art.unm.edu/profile/ray-hernandez-duran
READ MORE about Megan Borders’ UNM Newsroom review at https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-art-history-professor-has-been-named-regents-professor
Jessamyn Lovell is a gender-fluid artist and licensed private investigator based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They hold a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology, an MFA from California College of the Arts, and are currently a Principal Lecturer at the University of New Mexico.
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