Department of Art
Now hiring
Assistant Professors in Sculpture & Expanded Practice, Art History Photo History, and Art History Global Contemporary.
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
Exhibition Catalogue for Voces del Pueblo: Artists of the Levantamiento Chicano Earns Multiple Awards
The exhibition catalogue for Voces del Pueblo: Artists of the Levantamiento Chicano in New Mexico has received wonderful recognition, winning three awards so far.
Making the Invisible Visible: Sammie Chinigo’s Art About Living with Chronic Illness
If you’ve ever heard “but you don’t look sick,” you know how frustrating it can be. That’s been part of Sammie Chinigo’s life for almost 15 years as she manages a chronic autoimmune illness. But instead of staying silent, Sammie, an art student, is speaking out through her art.
Ray Hernández-Durán and Irene Vásquez Discuss Voces del Pueblo on NM PBS
On August 4, 2026, Professor of Art History Ray Hernández-Durán and Irene Vásquez, Chair of Chicana and Chicano Studies, were interviewed about their work on the exhibition, Voces del Pueblo:
