SW New Mexico News

New Mexico State University's William B. Conroy Honors College is preparing to host its third annual Honors Art Exhibition, titled "The Collective Awareness." The exhibition will open on Friday, November 22, and remain on display until February 2025 at the Conroy Honors College.

Jennell Juarez, the curator for this year's Fall Honors Art Exhibition, has chosen the theme "What Do You Value?" She believes this theme will encourage students to create art that reflects their personal values. Juarez stated, "My primary motivation is to make students feel celebrated and recognized for their talents. I aim to encourage students who have never showcased their artworks before."

Juarez hopes that opening night will be significant in terms of sharing and collaboration. She said, "Sharing artwork, sharing ideas and values, sharing an evening with family and friends, sharing food and gifts; all of these factors contribute to my own primary motivation as an art maker: giving and sharing."

Kassandra Vasquez, an NMSU art student participating in the exhibition, shared her thoughts on self-value through her work. "I think after a very challenging semester," she said, "I started to learn to value myself and to treat myself with value afterwards." Her self-portraits are created using different mediums and highlight the importance of recognizing one's worth despite life's challenges.

Vasquez emphasized the significance of such events for NMSU by saying it encourages participation from all majors in a creative manner. She added that it shows how artwork or any type of work is valued at the university.

The exhibition offers NMSU students a platform to professionally display their creations. Students interested in participating must submit their art by Friday, October 25. Applications can be submitted online.