College of Fine Arts News
Faculty, Alumni, & Student Highlights
Faculty Spotlight – Professor Gigi Yu: Continuing to bring Reggio Emilia model of Italy to UNM’s art education program
The UNM College of Fine Arts congratulates Dr. Gigi Schroeder Yu, Assistant Professor of Art Education in the Department of Art, on a remarkable series of scholarly accomplishments that highlight her leadership and expertise in the field of art education.
A Step into the Shadows: Ghost Sonata Haunts the Stage
The Student and Colonel’s Daughter are locked in a vice-grip, their hands glued to each other’s heads, rotating around, dipping and swirling, as it appears some great force has overtaken both. How can something be violent and tender? The Daughter is fighting something within that is about to burst out, and the Student is helping her keep it at bay. Eventually, the unknown force wins.
Emma Ressel Post-Doc Fellowship Awardee for Center for Regional Studies and More!
Emma Ressel (b. Bar Harbor, ME) is an artist working with large format film photography to make still life images with natural history collections. Her images aim to complicate the boundaries between dead versus alive, nature versus artifice, and beauty versus the grotesque. She is currently collaborating with biologists to problematize ideas around animal preservation and explore how science processes and institutions reveal our desire for proximity with nature.
Voces del Pueblo: Artists of the Levantamiento Chicano in New Mexico
Professor Ray Hernández-Durán and Dr. Irene Vasquez are leading a groundbreaking project documenting first-generation New Mexican Chicana/o activism. The initiative includes an art exhibition, catalog, events, and an evolving archive, highlighting a pivotal movement in New Mexico’s history. The exhibition debuts April 25, 2025, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
“The Human Body’s Digital Echo” – An Artist Talk by Kelsey Paschich
The 2025 New Mexico Dance Hackathon is pleased to announce an artist talk by multidisciplinary dance artist Kelsey Paschich, taking place on April 25, 2025 at UNM ARTSLab.
Southwest Contemporary features UNM College of Fine Arts Graduate Student’s MFA Thesis Show, “The Hyperlocal: Jess Lanham”
Since the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fires, Jess Lanham has been creating work about the stark changes in her hometown of Las Vegas, New Mexico, using fragments and wildfire ash.
Native American Environmental Arts & Humanities 2024-2025 Scholarship Recipients
The UNM Center for Environmental Arts & Humanities (CEAH) in the Department of Art is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024-2025 Native American Environmental Arts and Humanities Scholarship for undergraduate students. There are seven recipients this...
Hank Rogerson Guest Stars in new Netflix show “Pulse”
Hank Rogerson takes on the role of a firefighter and victim of a gas explosion in “Pulse,” Netflix’s first English-language medical procedural, which will be released on April 3, 2025.
An Engaging Talk with Frederick Hammersley Visiting Artist Larry Madrigal: Upcoming Workshops and More!
On February 20, 2025, painter Larry Madrigal gave an inspiring artist talk at the Albuquerque Museum as part of the Frederick Hammersley Visiting Artist program. After the presentation, Madrigal held a Q&A session with the audience, offering insights into his creative process and artistic journey.
Announcing Tamarind Institute’s Felsen/Johnson Memorial Scholarship
Tamarind Institute at The University of New Mexico has partnered with Chris Fox to establish a new endowed scholarship for its students, The Felsen/Johnson Memorial Scholarship.
UNM Theatre and Dance Hosts Dance Historian and Scholar Clare Croft March 7th
The UNM Dance Program welcomes dance scholar and historian Clare Croft to Albuquerque. Croft, in addition to being a dance theorist, curator, dramaturg, and dancer, has written on the role dance plays in cultural exchange and diplomacy as well as a focus on Jill...
Dr. Beth Ratay awarded Discovery Grant from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers program
Dr. Beth Ratay, a faculty member at The University of New Mexico, has been awarded a Discovery Grant from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers program. This prestigious grant, totaling $100,000 across eight recipients, supports the development of new opera...
Professor Ray Hernández-Durán Joins National Think Tank to Redefine American Art and Identity
Professor Ray Hernandez-Duran with MFA Boston Curators Lucía Abramovich Sánchez and Layla Bermeo at the Lunder Institute for American Art in Maine on October 11, 2024. Professor Ray Hernández-Durán, Associate Department Chair of Art and Professor of Art History. Over...
UNM students awarded grants to create documentaries based on New Mexico struggles
Three University of New Mexico Film and Digital Arts students will receive extra cash for their documentaries this year after winning a New Mexico Documentary Incubator Grant (NMDIG). Out of eight awardees, three have connections to UNM: -Jay-Alan Miller, a returning...
Amanda Curreri, ‘In Bocca al Lupo,’ Solo Exhibition at Romer Young Gallery San Francisco, CA
Professor Amanda Curreri Romer Young Gallery is pleased to present its seventh solo exhibition with artist Amanda Curreri. “In Bocca al Lupo” features a new series of textile-based artworks with a focus on the talismanic. The exhibition continues Curreri’s ongoing...
Exhibition at the California Museum of Photography: “Shadow Archive”
Opening this week in Riverside, California: Meggan Gould, Shadow Archive Professor Meggan Gould, who teaches photography within the Department of Art at UNM and serves as the Associate Dean of Research, is a contemporary photographer whose work often explores the...
Voltage: UNM’s Faculty Dance Concert Sparks Energy, Emotion, and Artistry
By Madrone Matishak, February 20, 2025Albuquerque, NM – The University of New Mexico’s Department of Theatre and Dance proudly presents Voltage, an electrifying concert inspired by the production season’s theme of Safety/Danger. This performance explores tension,...
UNM’s Moving Image Arts class shares stories of those incarcerated in exhibition
Opening reception set for Thursday, Feb. 13 The University of New Mexico’s Moving Image Arts class invites the campus community to an exhibition in partnership with the local nonprofit, JustWrite. The exhibition runs through Feb. 21, with a reception on Thursday, Feb....
Marchiando and Stojanovska to present “Soundscapes of Her,” music for trumpet and piano on KHFM, 95.5 FM “10 at 10” Series with Brent Stevens
UNM Associate Professor of Trumpet, Dr. John Marchiando, and pianist Dr. Natasha Stojanovska will perform and chat about music from the "Soundscapes of Her" concert presentation of music by women composers. Joined by Tanya Cole, Dr. Marchiando and Dr. Stojanovska will...
Remembering Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Honoring Her Artistic Legacy
The UNM Art Department is mourning the loss of one of our inspirational alumna, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.
How to Apply
• All students must be admitted to the University, whether as an incoming freshman, transfer student, or non-degree student. Apply online through the Admissions Department at UNM
•After meeting all CFA admission requirements, students must apply to become a declared major.
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The College of Fine Arts Student Success & Advisement Center is committed to serve the UNM community with compassion, guidance, and respect as we promote academic excellence.
To speak with a CFA advisor, please call (505) 277-4817.