Mariela Espinoza-León Awarded HECAA Mary Vidal Award and LAII Travel Grant

July 10, 2024

Mariela Espinoza-León, a current Ph.D. student in Art History, was awarded the HECAA Mary Vidal Award. The Vidal Fund supports research expenses for HECAA members who are graduate students or have earned their PhD within the last three years. Additionally, Mariela has received a Field Research Grant from the Latin American and Iberian Institute. This grant will enable her to conduct preliminary dissertation research in Mexico City.

Our art history students are achieving remarkable milestones, and we couldn’t be prouder. Congratulations, Mariela!

A Legacy in Clay: Kathryne Cyman Earns 2026 Contemporary Ceramic Recognition

Congratulations to Art Professor of Practice Kathryne Cyman, who has been named 2026 Contemporary Ceramic Honoree at the New Mexico Potters & Clay Artists (NMPCA) Celebration of Clay exhibition. This recognition is especially significant as 2026 marks the first year this honor has been introduced, celebrating contemporary ceramic artists whose contributions to the New Mexico clay community are exceptional.

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.