Some would say art makes the world a much brighter place. It may even make one stop and take a moment to think. NMSU’s University Art Museum currently has three new exhibitions on view. The exhibitions debuted Jan. 20.
The “Together Through as Within” exhibit, curated by Leslie Moody Castro, showcases the work of NMSU faculty and staff within the art department. In this exhibit, there are 13 artists featured and over 22 pieces of art on display. Cheri Reynolds, a local art lover, visited the University Art Museum and thought the exhibit showed off the professors’ impressive skills.
“It was a great experience. The exhibits, I felt, were a great way for students to see their professors’ work,” Reynolds said.
NMSU metalsmith and jewelry professor Motoko Furuhashi created her artwork to persuade viewers to appreciate their surroundings.
“It’s not so much about what you’re looking at, but the story around it,” Furuhashi said.
Furuhashi is inspired by her Japanese culture and became fascinated with art after seeing her grandfather create a traditional Japanese painting by making his own paints from minerals.
“I want viewers to slow down and be aware of your surroundings,” she said.
Another artist in this exhibit is painting and drawing professor Tauna Cole. Cole’s piece in “Together Through as Within” features a collection of watercolor paintings titled, “Conscious/Subconscious Breath.” She was inspired to create this piece by participating in the #the100dayproject, a free global art project that takes place online.
“I wanted to do something that would align with my yoga practice. A breathing meditation everyday followed by a watercolor that came to mind,” Cole stated. “This has been a completely different approach to making art, but one that is authentic and full of discovery.”
“Together Through as Within” will close on March 11.
Another exhibition currently being showcased is “Ad Infinitum: Artists Against War and Imperialism,” which displays NMSU’s permanent art collection of war in the twentieth century. This exhibit closes on May 20.
The “New Wave: The Society for Photographic Education West x Southwest Chapters Juried Student Exhibition,” which closes on March 11, showcases work made by current photography students around the United States.
The students that participated in this exhibit are graduate students, undergraduate students and recent graduates from New Mexico, California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Utah. The juror of this exhibit is Nelson Chan.
In Chan’s juror statement, he shares that judging this exhibition felt like a full-circle moment for him. He also wrote about his own self-discovery as an artist, and how viewers understand and experience the meaning of the art in front of them.
“This process of self-discovery may sound a bit romantic, but it’s what I once felt as a young student, what I continue to chase in my own practice, and what I continue to hope for in a classroom full of the next generation of image makers. This hope for new knowledge isn’t just for the artist though. No. It’s also for you and me — the viewer(s) — trying to make sense of, grapple with, understand, and most importantly, feel the meaning of the work that’s in front of us,” Chan stated.
University Art Museum is located in Devasthali Hall and is open every week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. For museum inquiries, contact artmuseum@nmsu.edu or call 575-646-2545.
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