The New Mexico State University Art Gallery will host an opening reception for “Subjects to change: 2016 MFA thesis exhibition,” from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 20.
As part of the event, the Las Cruces Food Truck Fiesta, live entertainment, as well as a ceramics, jewelry and print sale of student work will be held at D.W. Williams Hall, at the intersection of University and Solano Avenues. The food truck vendors and entertainment will be in the building’s west parking lot, while the art sale will be inside Williams Hall.
The show will feature artwork by three Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidates from the Department of Art: Katy Stuckel, a sculptor of gypsum and rust; Cassandra Dixon, an illustrator who forms writhing textile body parts; and Andrea Luella Gohl, an installation artist who humorously warps the conventional uses of furniture and hosiery.
“The common thread between the artists in this exhibition is their exploration and transformation of unexpected materials, which in their hands, allows each to offer fresh perspectives on the ways art can address persistent social problems,” said Laura Anh Williams, director of NMSU’s Women’s Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Stuckel, Dixon and Gohl push the boundaries of their respective art practices to tackle controversial issues – including pollution and environmentalism; violence and healing; and intimacy and vulnerability.”
In conjunction with the UAG events, the BFA student exhibition opening is taking place in Wells Hall; maps to this location will be provided. Both receptions are free and open to the public.
Programming for “Subjects to change: 2016 MFA thesis exhibition” includes a “Field Trip-Caravan-Artist Talk” event with Katy Stuckel at 10 a.m. Friday, April 22. For more information about this and other free, community-wide events, visit https://uag.nmsu.edu/2016-mfa-
If approved by voters in November, $22.5 million is planned for a new visual arts facility to replace D.W. Williams Hall, a 78-year-old former gymnasium, which currently houses NMSU’s Department of Art and the University Art Gallery. The funding is part of General Obligation Bond C for higher education projects. No tax increases are associated with these bonds.
Information from NMSU