Community Calendar

The NMSU Art Museum is excited to announce the opening of Mapping Spaces: Selections from the Lannan Art Collection at NMSU. This exhibition will showcase selections from the generous gift of 63 works of art from the Lannan Art Collection to the NMSU Permanent Art Collection in 2024. Mapping Spaces will open in the Contemporary Gallery on Thursday, June 11th, and run until September 5th, 2026.

After almost 65 years, with 27 of those spent in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Lannan Foundation closed in 2024. As part of Lannan’s closure, the Foundation gifted its remaining collection of more than 1,600 objects to 55 institutions, including the NMSU Art Museum. By adding these pieces to the UAM’s collection, this gift deepens the significance of the works by placing them into an academic context, where teaching, research, and public engagement further activate each of them. The NMSU Permanent Art Collection continues to evolve and grow not only as a repository of contemporary art objects, but also as a living resource that invites ongoing dialogue about the role of artists in shaping how the NMSU and Las Cruces communities understand our dynamic border region.

Featuring artists such as Claudia Andujar, Subhankar Banerjee, Max Cole, Pard Morrison, Victoria Sambunaris, and James Turrell, Mapping Spaces brings together a dynamic range of artists whose works explore landscapes and the environment, documentary photography, abstraction, and traditional art historical references. Together, this exhibition features artists at the center of the UAM’s mission, emphasizing the importance of continued support for art, research, and community-engaged practices in cultivating a creative ecosystem across New Mexico.

Join us for the opening reception on June 11th from 4:30-6:30 PM. UAM is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, at 1308 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003. Admission to all programming is free and open to the public. For more information and a detailed calendar with associated programs and dates please visit uam.nmsu.edu.

This summer, the NMSU Art Museum welcomes the return of Louis Ocepek, local artist, former Department Head, and Professor Emeritus of the NMSU Department of Art for his solo exhibition: Homage to Then/Small Worlds. This exhibition opens June 11, 2026 and will be on display in the museum’s Mullennix Bridge Gallery through September 12, 2026. Please join us for the opening reception on June 11 from 4:30 - 6:30 pm.

Homage to Then/Small Worlds is a two-part exhibition of direct gravure prints, gouache paintings, and digital prints that pay tribute to a history of artistic influences and explore the abstracted physical world. Homage to Then comprises sixteen gravure prints and four gouache paintings, while Small Worlds features an array of acrylic and gouache paintings on paper and chromogenic prints. The detailed selection in Homage to Then/Small Worlds reflects on the aesthetics of time, space, and the perceptions of our physical and metaphysical worlds.

Louis Ocepek is an artist and designer born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He studied design and fine art at Wayne State University, and earned his graduate degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He was a professor in the art departments of Montana State University, Portland State University, and New Mexico State University, where he served as Department Head for several years while teaching additional courses in the NMSU Honors College. Ocepek works in a variety of media–exhibiting prints, paintings and hybrid works in national and international group and solo exhibitions. His work is included in the public art collections of Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Texas. Ocepek is the author of Graphic Design: Vision, Process, Product and his design work has been featured in publications such as Graphis International and The Painter Wow!.

UAM is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, at 1308 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003. Admission to all programming is free and open to the public. For more information and a detailed calendar with associated programs and dates please visit uam.nmsu.edu.

Art History: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a Pop-Up exhibition curated by current and recently graduated NMSU students. The exhibition invites viewers to learn the many ways in which iconic artworks and ubiquitous motifs from the past have transcended their periods of creation and are continuously recycled in contemporary art. Artworks from regional, international, and student artists from the NMSU Permanent Art Collection are paired with recognizable works from a broad spectrum of art history to explore how the past simultaneously lives on and is disrupted by contemporary art.

Art History: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle will be open to the public starting on August 7th through September 19th, 2026, in the Bunny Conlon Modern & Contemporary Art Gallery. Please join us for the Public Reception on Friday, August 28th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

SWEET!! We’ve done it again! We’ve put together a great mix of artists and art that will be the talk of the town! All are invited to travel down to see what we have in store for YOU!
FRESH FACES #10 “Simply Swell”
Crossland Gallery : 500 W. Paisano
El Paso, TX 79901
Gallery Hours : Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday 11:30-4:30pm : Thursday until 11:30-6:00pm Saturday 10:30-3:30pm : Always free parking!
Close of Show : Friday, September 18, 2026
Hot Diggity!! List of Simply Swell Artists!
· Francella Baca : Owner of “Dreadful Things Tattoo & Curiosity Shop” : Just off the easel "Saint Frogis of Assisi"
· John W. MacKenzie : Unveiling new piece in honor of Hal Marcus & Patricia Medici
· Rene Acosta : Young filmmaker showing debut short film “La Pintura” filmed during the EPAA Members Exhibit at the Crossland Gallery 2026
· Carolina Villarreal : Art Junction Studio #1
· Ashton Kaleigh: Art Junction Studio #3
· Serena Ornelas : Art Junction Studio #4
· Kristal Rivera Pena : Art Junction Studio #9
· Octavia Saenz : Zine Group Art : Art Junction Studio #13
· Jera De La O : Art Junction Studio #15
· Jorge Lujan : Art Junction Studio #17
· Gabriel Marquez : An early work special appearance!
· Alejandra Rocha
· DOMIERIKATO
· Dorymar
· Michele Ellington
· Alejandra Rocha
· Jonathan Rivera
· John Hagar
· John Fanely
· Bob Hernandez
· Aldo Portillo
· Elena Montoya
· Michelle Palacios
· Carlos Palomares
· Manuel Macias
· Kristie Rodarte
· Adrian Maisonet
Shout out to Francella Baca for Golden Faces on poster in honor of those fresh Golden Girls (that we love)!
Thank you. . . www.textstudio.com
for (free) help with the FRESH FACES type face. Looks great!
Enjoy your day!!
From your friends at the EPAAwesome!!

The NMSU Art Museum is excited to announce the opening of Mapping Spaces: Selections from the Lannan Art Collection at NMSU. This exhibition will showcase selections from the generous gift of 63 works of art from the Lannan Art Collection to the NMSU Permanent Art Collection in 2024. Mapping Spaces will open in the Contemporary Gallery on Thursday, June 11th, and run until September 5th, 2026.

After almost 65 years, with 27 of those spent in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Lannan Foundation closed in 2024. As part of Lannan’s closure, the Foundation gifted its remaining collection of more than 1,600 objects to 55 institutions, including the NMSU Art Museum. By adding these pieces to the UAM’s collection, this gift deepens the significance of the works by placing them into an academic context, where teaching, research, and public engagement further activate each of them. The NMSU Permanent Art Collection continues to evolve and grow not only as a repository of contemporary art objects, but also as a living resource that invites ongoing dialogue about the role of artists in shaping how the NMSU and Las Cruces communities understand our dynamic border region.

Featuring artists such as Claudia Andujar, Subhankar Banerjee, Max Cole, Pard Morrison, Victoria Sambunaris, and James Turrell, Mapping Spaces brings together a dynamic range of artists whose works explore landscapes and the environment, documentary photography, abstraction, and traditional art historical references. Together, this exhibition features artists at the center of the UAM’s mission, emphasizing the importance of continued support for art, research, and community-engaged practices in cultivating a creative ecosystem across New Mexico.

Join us for the opening reception on June 11th from 4:30-6:30 PM. UAM is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, at 1308 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003. Admission to all programming is free and open to the public. For more information and a detailed calendar with associated programs and dates please visit uam.nmsu.edu.

This summer, the NMSU Art Museum welcomes the return of Louis Ocepek, local artist, former Department Head, and Professor Emeritus of the NMSU Department of Art for his solo exhibition: Homage to Then/Small Worlds. This exhibition opens June 11, 2026 and will be on display in the museum’s Mullennix Bridge Gallery through September 12, 2026. Please join us for the opening reception on June 11 from 4:30 - 6:30 pm.

Homage to Then/Small Worlds is a two-part exhibition of direct gravure prints, gouache paintings, and digital prints that pay tribute to a history of artistic influences and explore the abstracted physical world. Homage to Then comprises sixteen gravure prints and four gouache paintings, while Small Worlds features an array of acrylic and gouache paintings on paper and chromogenic prints. The detailed selection in Homage to Then/Small Worlds reflects on the aesthetics of time, space, and the perceptions of our physical and metaphysical worlds.

Louis Ocepek is an artist and designer born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He studied design and fine art at Wayne State University, and earned his graduate degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He was a professor in the art departments of Montana State University, Portland State University, and New Mexico State University, where he served as Department Head for several years while teaching additional courses in the NMSU Honors College. Ocepek works in a variety of media–exhibiting prints, paintings and hybrid works in national and international group and solo exhibitions. His work is included in the public art collections of Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Texas. Ocepek is the author of Graphic Design: Vision, Process, Product and his design work has been featured in publications such as Graphis International and The Painter Wow!.

UAM is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm, at 1308 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003. Admission to all programming is free and open to the public. For more information and a detailed calendar with associated programs and dates please visit uam.nmsu.edu.

For thousands of years, Hueco Tanks has provided for people in this region. The cracks and crevices funnel precious desert precipitation to water-storing ponds and huecos in the rock. Its water holding abilities support vibrant plants and animal life, creating an oasis for desert dwellers and travelers. Nearly every time period is represented, mirroring the history of El Paso in the rocks. An active archaeological site, it preserves its history through artifacts, including thousands of pictographs left by its original inhabitants. Perhaps one of the largest and most important collections of pictographs in this region, they represent the lives of precolonial cultures and people of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, Mescalero Apache Tribe, Kiowa Tribe, Comanche Nation, and the Isleta Pueblo. To many living ancestors of these tribes, the mountains are sacred and life-giving places that hold spirit.

Today, Hueco Tanks is a popular state park for history buffs, hikers, rock climbers, bird watchers, and myriads of other outdoor enthusiasts. Visitors can spend time in nature and enjoying the same oasis as others have for thousands of years.

Art History: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a Pop-Up exhibition curated by current and recently graduated NMSU students. The exhibition invites viewers to learn the many ways in which iconic artworks and ubiquitous motifs from the past have transcended their periods of creation and are continuously recycled in contemporary art. Artworks from regional, international, and student artists from the NMSU Permanent Art Collection are paired with recognizable works from a broad spectrum of art history to explore how the past simultaneously lives on and is disrupted by contemporary art.

Art History: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle will be open to the public starting on August 7th through September 19th, 2026, in the Bunny Conlon Modern & Contemporary Art Gallery. Please join us for the Public Reception on Friday, August 28th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

SWEET!! We’ve done it again! We’ve put together a great mix of artists and art that will be the talk of the town! All are invited to travel down to see what we have in store for YOU!
FRESH FACES #10 “Simply Swell”
Crossland Gallery : 500 W. Paisano
El Paso, TX 79901
Gallery Hours : Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday 11:30-4:30pm : Thursday until 11:30-6:00pm Saturday 10:30-3:30pm : Always free parking!
Close of Show : Friday, September 18, 2026
Hot Diggity!! List of Simply Swell Artists!
· Francella Baca : Owner of “Dreadful Things Tattoo & Curiosity Shop” : Just off the easel "Saint Frogis of Assisi"
· John W. MacKenzie : Unveiling new piece in honor of Hal Marcus & Patricia Medici
· Rene Acosta : Young filmmaker showing debut short film “La Pintura” filmed during the EPAA Members Exhibit at the Crossland Gallery 2026
· Carolina Villarreal : Art Junction Studio #1
· Ashton Kaleigh: Art Junction Studio #3
· Serena Ornelas : Art Junction Studio #4
· Kristal Rivera Pena : Art Junction Studio #9
· Octavia Saenz : Zine Group Art : Art Junction Studio #13
· Jera De La O : Art Junction Studio #15
· Jorge Lujan : Art Junction Studio #17
· Gabriel Marquez : An early work special appearance!
· Alejandra Rocha
· DOMIERIKATO
· Dorymar
· Michele Ellington
· Alejandra Rocha
· Jonathan Rivera
· John Hagar
· John Fanely
· Bob Hernandez
· Aldo Portillo
· Elena Montoya
· Michelle Palacios
· Carlos Palomares
· Manuel Macias
· Kristie Rodarte
· Adrian Maisonet
Shout out to Francella Baca for Golden Faces on poster in honor of those fresh Golden Girls (that we love)!
Thank you. . . www.textstudio.com
for (free) help with the FRESH FACES type face. Looks great!
Enjoy your day!!
From your friends at the EPAAwesome!!

The MACC is excited to announce our next exhibition by César A. Martínez in the Main Gallery. El Otro Camino: An intimate portrait of César A. Martínez is the first large scale comprehensive exhibition by the renowned Chicano artist in the El Paso border region. Assembled from work created between 1975 – 2024, mainly from the artist’s personal collection, El Otro Camino offers an intimate glimpse into Martínez’s prolific career spanning paintings, prints, collage, photography, and mixed media assemblage. Including rare pieces from the Batos y Rucas, Serape, Mestizo, and South Texas series of works showcasing Martínez’s diverse artistic practice.

Best recognized for the vivid frontal portraits of the 'batos", “pachucos” and "rucas" that populated the barrios of his youth, his imagery is often biographical in nature, reflective of a trajectory along the U.S.-Mexico border and involvement in the collective action of the Chicano civil rights movement of the 1960’s and 70’s.

César A. Martínez was born in Laredo, Texas in 1944. He began his career when Hispanic art was rarely represented in museums, yet his work is now held by major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York; The Cheech Center, Riverside, California; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the McNay Art Museum, San Antonio; the San Antonio Museum of Art; and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Chicago. El Otro Camino is guest curated by Diana Molina and will be on view through January 24, 2027.