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November 20–January 31, 2024
Kennedy Hall Gallery NMHU
Las Vegas, NM

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10th INVITATIONAL
NEW MEXICO PAINTERS’ EXHIBITION

September 10–October 31, 2023
Opening reception: Sunday, September 10, 4–7 pm

Kennedy Hall NMHU
Las Vegas, NM

Cover image: #787 Clouds, View from Studio by Joel Greene

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FINE ART PRINTS BY WILLIAM HOGARTH

January 30 through April 30

Previously at the Kennedy Gallery

VIEW THE EXHIBITION HERE VIRTUALLY:

If you’re interested in purchasing the Colcha Pattern Book created by Tillie Gabaldon Stark please contact Cecil Stark at cecilstark@gmail.com

For the Virtual Gallery experience:

https://www.artsteps.com/embed/604fad97004ff5aefdd9f67a/560/315

For the Video version:

If you have any questions about the exhibition or wish to purchase a piece, please contact rbuchanan@nmhu.edu

The Kennedy Gallery is temporarily closed to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, we will be hosting a virtual show starting April 1:

The Kennedy Gallery is located in Kennedy Hall, and is open from     8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Barbara Davis Lawrence Retrospective, November 2 – December 4, 2018

5th Annual New Mexico Painter’s Exhibition, September 9-28, 2018

Highlands History Art Exhibition August 3-24, 2018

Theater Design Exhibition, June 13 – July 20, 2018

Alumni Art Exhibition May 13 – June 8, 2018

Third Annual Town & Gown Exhibition, April 2018

In their third collaboration the Meadow City Camera Club and Highlands’ Media Arts students have put together an excellent photography exhibition. Exhibit runs through April 7 to April 27, 2018.

Artists Who Happened to be Women, March 2018

Women artists. There is no such thing – or person. It’s just as much a contradiction in terms as “man artist” or “elephant artist.” You may be a woman and you may be an artist; but the one is a given and the other is you.
– Dorothea Tanning, 1990

The artists included in this exhibition are all from our Dr. Bell Permanent Collection, and cover a period from 1870 to 2004.

Some of the featured artists include:

Clare Leighton (1898-1989) English/American artist known for her illustrative woodcuts. Her illustrations of the agricultural cycle originally done for a calendar are on display.

Elena Huerta Múzquiz, Sarah Jimenez, Maria Luisa Martin, Mariana Yampolsky, Celia Calderon, and Elizabeth Catlett’s woodcuts are all featured on the far wall. They were members of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, an artistic political group in Mexico founded in 1930s. Its members portrayed political and historical events such as the Mexican Revolution, as well as anti-Fascist imagery.

Zara Kriegstein (1952-2009) German artist who moved to Santa Fe in the 1970s. She is well known for her murals, including one in the Santa Fe Municipal Court building. Her prints on the back wall reflect her inspiration drawn from New Mexico art and her sense of humor.

New Mexico New Deal Artwork, December 2017 – February 2018

1930s Themed Tea Party Reception, January 21st from 1-3 PM. Featuring guest speaker Kathy Flynn, who will give a lecture on New Deal Artwork in New Mexico. Free and open to the public.

Fourth Invitational New Mexico Painter’s Exhibition, September – October 2017

“Only through art can we reduce the world itself to our own, human measure. Art is not made to the absolute dimensions of the world. Instead, humanity distorts those dimensions in, through, and by the art it makes. Art is the human imposed upon the natural, objectively verifiable world. No matter how distorted it is, artistic interpretation consists of something that must be humanized. And to the degree of that distortion’s reach of the imagination, that amount of convincing interpretation, the world is cognitively remade by the artist for mankind.

The present exhibition at NMHU’s Kennedy Hall offers a generous sampling of the variety of painting by New Mexico artists today. Any broad selection of New Mexico art will inevitably contain ambitious landscape painting, and that is true of this Fourth Invitational, as it was of the previous three exhibitions. But there is a range of other subject matter as well, such as still-life and portraiture, contemporary and traditional culture.” – James Mann

Exhibition runs from September 17 through October 25, 2017.

Reflections of the West

Opening reception Friday, August 4th from 4-7 PM. Free and open to the public.

Artist and curator Duke Sundt has organized an exhibition at Kennedy Gallery illustrating the culture, landscape, and inherent beauty of the Southwest. “This exhibit reflects the spirit of New Mexico” says Duke, who invited artists Janeil Anderson, Ron Kil, Noble Brooks Read, Elaine Querry, Kimberly Reed-Deemer, Linda McThoy Cobb, Gary Morton, and Scott Vail to share with him in this creation of reflection. Bringing together these artists working in various styles and mediums from bronze sculpture to photography and painting, the show will not only provide a multi-faceted reflection, but also illustrate the rich heritage of Las Vegas.

Waterfowl Wildlife, March 2017

From Wood Ducks and Canadian Geese to Fulvous Whistling Ducks and Hooded Mergansers these limited edition prints of wildlife paintings display beautiful images of waterfowl in their natural environments. In 1934 the Federal Duck Stamp Program began and waterfowl stamps were issued to promote and raise funds for habitat conservation and responsible hunting. Later programs evolved with individual states, such as the Texas Duck Stamp and Print Program, which started in 1981 and successfully sold prints of the paintings used for the stamps. The Joe Staley donation of these prints includes many from this Texas program, although a few are from other state programs including Connecticut, North Carolina, Arkansas, Utah, and Alaska.

These prints also represent the best of wildlife artists in the U.S. featuring Larry Hayden, David Maass, Sherrie Russell Meline, and Ken Carlson among many others. All of these artists share a deep appreciation for nature that is evident in their attention to details and the lovingly crafted representations of their subjects. Have a look around and enjoy the unique views of waterfowl from all around the country.

Victorian Tea and Fashion, January 2017

Drinking tea, visiting, and strolling through parks, all while impeccably dressed, these ladies exhibit the best of Victorian fashion from 1867-1900. At a time when any number of activities determined what to wear, the Victorian woman had a wardrobe suited for each occasion. There were different styles of dresses for walking, visiting, staying at home, and even for driving cars. Not to mention the accessories of hats, gloves, mantels, and parasols that were all a necessity. While the basics remained the same, fashions changed with the seasons and magazines such as Harper’s Bazar, The Season, and Mode Journal Wiener Chic were dedicated to keeping the Victorian woman up to date on the latest trends.

Take a stroll around the gallery and enjoy the magazines Victorian ladies pored over, perhaps while drinking tea, and be sure to note the variation of styles.

Masterpieces at Kennedy Gallery, December 2016

Third Invitational New Mexico Painter’s Exhibition, September – October 2016

A brilliant blue New Mexico sky dominated by scudding clouds is the backdrop for a view of the foothills in Joel Greene’s oil painting Interesting Clouds. Two colorful figures in bold Brazilian carnival masks stare straight ahead in Janet Stein Romero’s watercolor and gouache painting Gemini Dancers. Pueblo walls curving beneath a swirling sky evoke the ancient pueblo culture of New Mexico in Clayton Campbell’s oil on panel painting Pueblo Viejo Triptych.

These paintings illustrate the diversity of the subject matter in the Third Invitational New Mexico Painters Exhibition at Highlands University that features 32 established and up-and-coming artists.

The free exhibition opens Sept. 25 in the Kennedy Alumni Hall, 905 University Ave., with a public opening reception from 4 – 7 p.m. The featured artist Clayton Campbell will deliver a gallery talk from 3:30 – 4 p.m.

“The greatest strength of this juried show, now in its third year, is the dependably high caliber of these New Mexico artists’ impressive work,” said James Mann, exhibit curator. “Collectively, these artists are reinventing the art of painting by recovering the ability to depict recognizable subject matter, which was abandoned with the rise of abstract art in in 1950s. They are part of a growing international movement which follows postmodernism.”

Mann, who curated more than 50 exhibitions from 1996 – 2005 for the Las Vegas Art Museum in Nevada, said most of the artwork in the Highlands exhibition employs figural rather than abstract representation.

“There is a broad range of thought-provoking subject matter representing contemporary life such as portraiture, landscapes, still-life, social interaction, biblical reference, interior spaces and commercial settings,” Mann said.

Many of the paintings will be available for purchase.

Robert Bell, a Santa Fe art collector, art patron, author and publisher, spearheaded the invitational exhibition for the third year. The Highlands Foundation collaborated with Bell to produce the exhibition. It continues through Nov. 10 and is open Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Town and Gown Photography Show

April 9 – May 27, 2016

The exhibit features the work of the university’s Media Arts and Technology Department students and faculty as well as the Meadow City Camera Club.

“What’s wonderful about this collaboration is I felt inspired by looking at the media arts students’ work,” said Martha McCAffrey, Meadow City Camera Club member. “Their approach is often unique, and they bring a fresh eye to photography. The exhibit was a chance to learn from each other.”

McCaffrey, a photographer of 37 years, said the Meadow City Camera Club enjoyed working with the students, and wants to see the joint photography show become an annual event.

“I hope when people come to see this show they will experience a sense of unity between the community and the university,” McCaffrey said.

Kerry Loewen, chair of the Media Arts and Technology Department, said the photography exhibit showcases a variety of subject matter.

“This exhibit combines primarily landscape and abstract works from the camera club with works students in my contemporary photography class shot in the studio from spiders to people,” Loewen said.

Loewen said the exhibit gave his students the opportunity to prepare their work for display in a professional setting with professional photographers.

“This exhibit shows that our media arts students always rise to the challenge. I’m very proud of them. It’s also really nice to get students out of the classroom into the community,” Loewen said.

The Town and Gown Photography Show continues through May 27. It also features photographs by Highlands fine arts faculty.

Crossing Between Worlds: Life, Land, and Culture of Canyon de Chelly

Kennedy Alumni Hall
October 30- December 11, 2015
Co-sponsored by:
Freshman Experience Program Learning Communities, Southwest Studies Program, and Honors Program

Crossing Between Worlds: Life, Land, and Culture of Canyon de Chelly, curated by Jeanne Simonelli, features the stunning photography of Charles D. Winters. This exhibit is based on the book Crossing Between Worlds: The Navajo of Canyon de Chelly, written by Jeanne Simonelli. The initial edition of the book was published in 1997 following four seasons of visiting in the canyon with Lupita Litson McClanahan and her extended family. Photographed by Charles Winters, the book serves as a document of contemporary life, and is seen as a way   of preserving images and stories for the next generation. The author/curator and photographer will present their work at a reception Nov. 23rd in Kennedy Hall Gallery.

Charles D. Winters is a photographer and cinematographer specializing in anthropology, nature, and the environment. His exhibit of engaging black and white photographs tells the story of Navajo life in the magnificent landscape of the Four Corners region. His work explores the rich heritage of the Diné and the confluence of tradition and modernity. He is a retired faculty member of the photography department at State University of New York, Oneonta. His work has been widely exhibited both in the US and internationally.

Jeanne Simonelli is an applied cultural anthropologist and writer who currently teaches at Wake Forest University. She has published four books including, Uprising of Hope: Sharing the Zapatista Journey to Autonomous Development (2005); Crossing Between Worlds: The Navajo of Canyon de Chelly (2008; 1997); Too Wet To Plow: The Family Farm in Transition (1992) and Two Boys, A Girl, and Enough! (1986). She has spent summers as an interpretive Park Ranger at Canyon de Chelly National Monument and doing development projects with a rebel organization in southern Mexico.

Second Invitational New Mexico Painters Exhibition

Contemporary Cowboy Art Exhibit

August 1 – 15

“This is a well-rounded art exhibit of Western Americana with a strong variety of oil and watercolor paintings, bronze sculptures, and drawings,” Sundt said. “In putting the show together, I looked for quality work with authenticity of detail. In some of the pieces, you can almost taste the dust, feel the rain, and hear the horses nickering. All the artists in this show have lived the cowboy life, and that’s their passion. The pieces portray the flavor, freedom and independence of being a cowboy and rancher.”  Read more…

Oh, The Places You’ll Go: Photographs by Joe and Martha McCaffrey

Kennedy Hall Gallery through June 15

This exhibition is dedicated by its organizers and by Highlands to the memory of Santa Fe artist Jack Sinclair (1939-2013). One of the prodigious number of artists attracted to live and work in Santa Fe, Sinclair did both undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Connecticut. Twenty years later, he undertook three more years of study at the Portland (Maine) School of Art. He exhibited at a series of Santa Fe galleries, and a representative body of his paintings is a prominent part of this exhibition. Also a printmaker, he was a member of the Santa Fe Etching Club and was included in 100 Santa Fe Etchers (2008).

If the New Mexico community of visual artists were an athletic team, one would have to say that it has a very deep bench. For a state with so small a population, the abundance of players and talent is genuinely remarkable. Of course, with Santa Fe and Taos widely known for their art colonies through most of the past century, this observation is not necessarily surprising. And New Mexico Highlands University itself had a period of deserved prominence in the 1960s when its studio art department drew students from across the U.S. to the campus. This chapter in the school’s history has been well documented by Elizabeth Orem in her book A Fine Frenzy, published jointly in 2013 by the NMHU Foundation and Bell Tower Editions of Santa Fe.

Why has New Mexico for so long produced, drawn, and fostered such a thriving population of artists? One has to answer that foremost is its unique geography. The breathtaking vastness of its vistas, embraced and uplifted by their abrupt walls of mountain ranges, together with a sky enormous beyond all description, are a landscape painter’s heavenly dream. The unceasing effort to capture and depict this grandeur has continued unbroken throughout an entire century, regardless of the various disruptions caused by abstraction in international art. But landscape painting could never be suppressed in New Mexico. The indomitable desire to represent the stirring of the human spirit caused by this unique geography is too strong to obey the dictates of artistic revolutions in distant capitals. The New Mexico-inspired response to such cosmopolitan developments is rooted in humanity’s instinctive drive to depict the world, too archetypal to be fenced in by changing artistic fashion.

Yet this exhibition includes far more than landscape art. Nearly all the other usual concerns of pictorial rendering are present. There are portraiture, still-life, cultural environments, eroticism, mythology, religion, social interaction, architecture, both treasured and everyday objects, animals, and machinery—to offer an incomplete list. And the variety of styles encompassed is equal to the number of artists exhibited. One of the incidental qualities of this exhibition is to demonstrate the endless possibilities in stylistic manner that the pictorial function presents. The imagination’s results for interpreting the visual appearance of things, places, and people are virtually unlimited. It is difficult to argue that abstraction can offer a comparable plenitude of different manners of expression and execution.

The number of dissimilar artists exhibited here is remarkable in itself, for an exhibition venue the size of Kennedy Hall. The enthusiastic response of the artists invited has been both authentic and amazing, and is a very encouraging sign for the future of such undertakings at Highlands. The first exhibition of like scope opened here last October on Homecoming Weekend. This was a representative selection from the Robert Bell and Eli Levin donations in 2013 of over 300 paintings to the NMHU Foundation as an artistic endowment of highly unusual extent for a university the size of Highlands. These donations established immediately an ample and eminent addition to this academic environment. The power of art to animate the human spirit will speak, through this growing collection and through further exhibitions like the First Invitational, both to present and future students and to the wider public alike.

Artists

Anna Aragon David Barnett Lyndall Bass Rachelle Bonnett Clayton Campbell Reed Campbell Thayer Carter Todd Christensen Mary Consoli Susan Cornish Frank Croft Lou Ellis Dennis Flynn Paulette Frankl Sarah Freeman Victoria Giron Gayther Gonzales William Gonzales Joel Greene Leslie Harris Alexis Hustito John Hogan Nacho Jaramillo Cameron Johnson Whitman Johnson Dirk Kortz Geoffrey Laurence Mary Lawler Berly Laycox Sandra Lewis Eli Levin

Trevor Lucero Abby Mattison David Mauldin Sarah McCarty Martin Montoya Philip Nichols Sara Novenson Alexis Palmaffy Maximilano Ramirez Kim Reed-Deemer Janet Stein Romero Ryan Rudolph Anthony Ryder Celeste Ryder Jesus Salas Isaac Sandoval Jack Sinclair Fred Spencer Mark Spencer Paul Steiner Monika Steinhoff Linda Strong Jody Sunshine Eric Thomson Kevin Tolman Annette Troncoso Shawna Wangseng Pamela Wesolek Jerry West Lynne Windsor Stephanie Yiannias

Special thanks to Dr. Robert Bell, Eli Levin, and James Mann