Department of Art
By providing an environment where creativity, experimentation, and intellectual discourse can flourish, the Department of Art demonstrates a strong commitment to its community of Studio Artists, Art Educators and Art Historians.
The Department recognizes the advantages that are gained through the integration of these disciplines and through broader association with other disciplines and research units across the university. Creative and intellectual energy generated by crossing boundaries benefits our graduate and undergraduate students and prepares them for an ever-changing global culture.
Associate Professor and Chair
From the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Art where artists, scholars, and educators engage and collaborate in vibrant research and artistic production. Our nationally and internationally renowned faculty mentor a talented and diverse student body, and together they create an inclusive environment where creativity and critical discourse thrive. Our students engage in contemporary and emerging media in art studio, they explore interdisciplinary and intercultural approaches to art history of various places and periods, and they train as artist-educators responsive to cultural and artistic developments.
The Department of Art ranks among the top 50 programs in the nation and placed 8th in the area of Photography. I encourage you to explore our website and learn about the range of degrees you can obtain, the exciting possibilities and opportunities offered in the department, and the exhibitions and lecture series organized each year by faculty and students. Your career in the arts – be it in the studio, in research, criticism or in education – begins with an inspiring education you receive at the University of New Mexico Department of Art. I invite you to meet with me to discuss your future in the visual arts.
Department of Art News
Art MFA Student, Hanna Brody, featured in The New York Times
Art MFA student, Hanna Brody, recently completed a painting for author T Kira Māhealani Madden that was featured in The New York Times. Her book, titled “Somebody Killed Her Assailant. Was Justice Served?” has a featured review written by Catherine Chidgey and original art by UNM MFA student Hanna Brody.
Analisa Peña awarded Hulsman Undergraduate Library Research Award’s Emerging Researcher
Congratulations to Analisa Peña, who was selected as the 1st place winner in the 2026 Hulsman Undergraduate Library Research Award’s Emerging Researcher category regarding her work, The Many Faces of Christ: Understanding ‘Trifacial Trinity’ by Gregorio Vasquez Arce y Ceballos.
Principal Art Lecturer, Jessamyn Lovell, receiving fellowship at the MacDowell Artist Residency
MacDowell, the nation’s first artist residency program, has awarded 134 Fellowships to visionary artists working across seven disciplines for its Spring Summer 2026 season. The program is located in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Between March and August of 2026, each artist has an average stay of four weeks. These artists were selected from a competitive pool of 2,618 applicants with an acceptance rate of only 5 percent.