One of the things I've come to appreciate most about UNM's always-under-construction campus is the fact that new places to be discovered always exist amid the nooks and crannies within its often unexplored vicinity.
Among one of my most recent findings is the Masley Hall Gallery, located in Masley Hall, just north of Kiva Auditorium. It was there that I embarked upon visualizations extraordinary and innovative - a variety of artistic expressions put forth by the Department of Education faculty.
According to full-time staff member Laurel Lampela, the Art Education Faculty Exhibition is a longstanding annual tradition. She adds that the Art Education Program is "one, if not the only, program of its kind that has its own gallery."
The exhibition grants the opportunity for Art Education faculty - including part-time and retired members - to display their work. The show highlights a multi-talented combination of 13 members' work, including porcelain, oils, graphic design, weaving, ceramics, mass media and other areas.
The diversity within the show is appreciable and typically uncommon, which lends it a kind of come, see it all feeling. Each piece expresses an individual quality while proving that diligence is a necessity in creating praiseworthy art.
One such piece of personal interest was a compilation of abstract oils titled "Dwelling," created by artist and full-time staff member Linney Wix.
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The piece held an intense, deeply thrilling chain of images that were screaming for attention. The sharp contours and contrasting colors present within the painting grabbed my vision and focused all of my sight to its presence, seemingly not wanting to let me go.
Another mentionable piece was a ceramic titled "Dear Ms. Lucas," by member Lark Lucas, whose art also decorates the lobby of Masley Hall. In its entirety, the work was comprised of four sections of ceramic tile, each painted to perfection.
A shameful child writing a sincerely apologetic letter to her first grade teacher for calling her an "old ladey" was the center of the illustration, with the common observer's heart being stolen in sympathy for the gloomy little girl.
The presentation of the work was put together in such a way that one was moved from one variation to the next, ensuring an absence of boredom caused by consistency. Curator Melissa Bruce, a graduate student in the Department of Education, said in displaying the pieces she wanted "people to come in and have an art experience."
She added that the aim of the exhibit was "to show the diversity and richness of approaches and media in which the 13 art education faculty members work."
Most of the work is two-dimensional and image-focused, and visitors are urged to interact with the ocular perceptions. Some of the art is also for sale, with prices ranging from $50 to $185.
The Art Education Faculty Exhibition is a free show and will be on display until Feb. 22. A presentation of the work of Albuquerque Public Schools art teachers will follow, running March 4-April 5.
The Department of Art Education offers unique programs with approaches that are teacher-centered, issue-centered and student-centered. Degrees available include bachelor's or master's degrees in Art Education and a license to teach art for grades Pre-K through 12. For more information about the program, call 277-4112.
