FY 22 University Art Gallery Acquisitions Committee Report

Fiscal Year 2022

Your Name (Point of Contact):

Marisa Sage

Email (Point of Contact):

misage@nmsu.edu

Authorizing body or official:

Other: BOR Policy

Type of Board:

Standing

Scope of Impact:

Campus

Board Purpose:

The University Art Gallery Acquisitions Committee, a standing committee charged with
identifying and recommending acquisition of artwork for the NMSU permanent collection, as well as making recommendations for the conservation and presentation of art in the cultural collections owned by the university. The Art Gallery Acquisitions Committee is the committee granted the authority to approve expenditures from the NMSU Permanent Art Collections Account, in collaboration with other members of the university community and in accordance with the provisions outlined in ARP 12.50 – Art, Archives and Other Collections. All works of art proposed for acquisition, conservation or
presentation for the benefit of the university may be evaluated by the Director of the Art Gallery, the Department Head for the Department of Art, or any other interested individual member of the Art Gallery Acquisitions Committee.

Board Authority:

Director of the Art Gallery (Art Museum), the Department Head for the Department of Art, and College of Arts & Sciences Dean

Current Chair / Term Ends:

No outgoing chair

Describe the process for selecting the chair :

The chair is designated by the ARP as the Director of the Art Gallery (Art Museum)

Incoming Chair / Term Begins (if applicable) :

How are the chair and members appointed?:

Combination

Are members subject to a term appointment (three years or less)?:

Yes

What university function/office is responsible for future appointments?:

University Art Museum and Department of Art

What university office/function provides administrative support to this board or committee?:

University Art Museum

How often will this board or committee meet?:

Twice a year, in the Fall and Spring (with special exceptions made for emergency donations.

Are there any requirements for the number of meetings to be held?:

No

In the past fiscal year, what accomplishments have been made? (if applicable):

There were many exciting accomplishments made this year by the University Art Gallery Acquisitions Committee. Highlights included acquisitions made in 2021 that exemplified our mission to collect more LGBTQ+ Femme identifying BIPOC artist. All works collected in the spring of 2021 were integrated into the 2022-2023 exhibitions in the University Art Museum. This included a two-channel video by artists Nikesha Breeze, Miles Tokunow, Lazarus Nance Letcher, and cinematographer, MK. Stages of Tectonic Blackness: Blackdom was co-commissioned as a partnership between the UAM and 516 ARTS a contemporary art museum in ABQ, N.M. and the project was supported by New Mexico Arts and the National Performance Network. Also in this round of acquisitions were the artists works by Paula Wilson and Rose B. Simpson that were featured in the Bunny Conlon Modern & Contemporary Gallery during April of 2022 as part of MA Candidate, Courtney Uldrich’s, Thesis Exhibition. Rose B. Simpson is a mixed-media artist working from her home at Santa Clara Pueblo, where she is rooted in the long tradition of Pueblo potters and the vibrant car culture of New Mexico. This piece would also continue the collaboration between the Tamarind Institute at University of New Mexico and the UAM who have been partnering to support BIPOC artists for future acquisitions starting with the purchase of The Exquisite Corpse suite composed of well-known African American, latino/a/X, female, and Asian artists. Paula Wilson (born 1975) is an African-American “mixed media” artist who currently lives and works in Carrizozo, New Mexico. Wilson creates works that examining women’s identities through a lens of cultural history.

All works were unanimously passed by all representatives of the Art Acquisitions Committee including student and faculty representatives from the Department of Art. Many of the works were featured in media coverage of the exhibitions in the UAM including Hyperallergic, Southwest Contemporary Magazine and Art Review Magazine. Many of the works have also already increased in cultural and monetary value.