Supporting Art Educators, Supporting Students
Art educators help students develop creative, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills by studying techniques, materials, and art's historical and social implications. They also provide students with an environment where they can explore their chosen mode of expression and are only limited by how far their imagination will take them.
"... the arts have been an inseparable part of the human journey; indeed, we depend on the arts to carry us toward the fullness of our humanity. We value them for themselves, and because we do, we believe knowing and practicing them is fundamental to the healthy development of our children's minds and spirits. That is why, in any civilization - ours included - the arts are inseparable from the meaning of the term 'education.' We know from long experience that no one can claim to be truly educated who lacks basic knowledge and skills in the arts."
–National Standards for Arts Education
The ENMU Runnels Gallery offers three opportunities for art educators to share their artistic and professional achievements: The Runnels Gallery Art Educator Hall of Honors, the ENMU-System Faculty Exhibition, and the New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Exhibition. Listed below is information about each of these events.
ENMU Art Educators Hall of Honors
The ENMU Art Educators Hall of Honors acknowledges and celebrates outstanding art educators who have significantly contributed to art education, inspiring students and fostering a supportive community focused on knowledge, exploration, creativity, and self-confidence.
Art Educator Hall of Honors Nomination Form
Important Exhibition Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 | Submission deadline |
| Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 | An email notification of acceptance will be sent |
| Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 | Artwork is to be received by the gallery by 5 p.m. |
| Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 | The exhibition is open to the public |
| Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 | Public reception |
| Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 | The exhibition closes to the public |
To be considered for induction into the ENMU Art Educators Hall of Honors, candidates must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Demonstrated Leadership: Actively participates in efforts to enrich and diversify the educational landscape.
- Demonstrated Artistic or Scholarly Work: Has a proven track record of artistic and/or scholarly achievements that contributed to advancing the field of art education at the local, state, or national level.
- Mentorship: Motivated and inspired others, including students, colleagues, community members, or members of the teaching profession. Positively influenced students with personal attention and care, even beyond the classroom.
- Commitment to Equity: Has vigorously supported endeavors that positively impact marginalized communities
The ideal candidate, living or deceased, will hold a degree in art, be an active or retired art educator who has taught K-12 or higher education, and be an alumnus of ENMU.
We will induct three honorees every three years starting in fall 2024—induction years: 2024, 2027, 2030, 2033, 2036, and so on.
Please enclose the following supporting materials with your nomination:
- One-page nomination statement.
- Nominee's resume or curriculum vitae (preferred); if such document is not available, a summary of the nominee's professional experiences.
- Three one-page letters of support.
Educators selected for induction into the ENMU Runnels Gallery Hall of Honors will have artwork from their students or their artwork featured in a special gallery exhibition. In consultation with the university art curator, each inductee will be expected to provide 10 to 20 pieces.
Selection of Inductees
A selection committee comprised of experienced educators and professionals will review all applicants. Inductees to the ENMU Art Educator Hall of Honors will be sent an acceptance letter.
ENMU-System Faculty Exhibition
Eligibility
Any ENMU-System faculty member, full-time, part-time, or retired, can enter the ENMU Faculty Exhibition. Preference will be given to faculty members who teach studio art, graphic design, or art history.
Number of Submissions Permitted
Artists may submit up to three pieces of art.
ENMU-System Faculty Exhibition Entry Form
Important Exhibition Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Friday, Aug. 29, 2025 | Submission deadline |
| Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 | An email notification of acceptance will be sent |
| Friday, Sept. 19, 2025 | Artwork is to be received by the gallery by 5 p.m. |
| Monday, Sept. 29, 2025 | The exhibition is open to the public |
| Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, 3-5 p.m. | Panel discussion and public reception |
| Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 | The exhibition closes to the public |
Media, Size, and Theme/Subject Matter Restrictions
All media types are welcome. Artwork must be original, completed within three years of the entry deadline, and not previously shown at the Runnels Gallery.
Artwork must be stable and capable of fitting through a standard doorway. Artwork that requires suspension from the ceiling, water, perishable food, or electricity is prohibited.
There is no set theme to this exhibition. The gallery supports free artistic expression. However, content limitations include defamation, fighting words, hate speech, obscenity, and material that presents a "clear and present danger." Artwork that presents one or more of these areas will not be accepted.
How to Submit Work to the Exhibition
Artists must submit their work for this exhibition using the gallery's online submission form. A separate online submission form must be submitted for each piece of work submitted. In addition to the standard biographical information, the following information must be included:
- Title of piece
- Media type
- Sales price (if for sale)
- Unframed dimensions (inches only)
- 50 to 75-word artist statement describing or explaining the concept, the process, materials used, the goal of the project, etc.
- Photograph of the work being submitted (JPEG files only)
Consider the following recommendations to best capture an art piece in a photograph:
- Artwork should be properly lit. Lighting that is too bright or too dark can negatively affect colors, diminish or hide detail, and may create the inability to clearly and accurately see the work. When lighting artwork, glare can be avoided by removing glass or other protective elements in front of the artwork. Adjusting the angle of the artwork, camera or light source can also reduce glare. Avoid using lights that emit yellow or blue tones.
- Artwork should be level and positioned in the center of the photograph.
- Photographs should be focused properly.
- Adjust the camera's image quality setting to "fine" or the highest resolution possible.
- File format must be JPEG.
- Two-dimensional works must be photographed without matting and framing.
- Three-dimensional works must be photographed using a neutral background and stable surface. Consider using a lightbox to photograph three-dimensional work.
- See the How to Photograph Your Artwork instructional sheet.
Acceptance into the Exhibition and Delivery of Work
- Acceptance into the exhibition is based on the availability of space and order of submission. Preference will be given to:
- First tier: full-time faculty members who teach studio art, graphic design, or art history.
- Second tier: Retired faculty members who taught studio art, graphic design, or art history.
- Third tier: Part-time faculty members who teach studio art, graphic design, or art history.
- Fourth tier: All other faculty members
- All artists will be notified about their acceptance by email.
- Artwork chosen for inclusion in the exhibition must be delivered to the Runnels Gallery by the required delivery date and must be finished (ready for presentation). Artwork can be delivered by appointment only or shipped to the gallery.
- The Gallery reserves the right to refuse any unfinished work or those delivered after the deadline.
- Accepted pieces must remain on display until the exhibition closes and be claimed within 30 days after the exhibition's conclusion.
- If artwork is unclaimed, it will become the property of Eastern New Mexico University.
- Artists are solely responsible for the delivery and retrieval of their work. The artist's name, title of the work, medium, and price information must be secured to the back of the work and must be legible (type is preferred).
Presentation Ready Suggestions
All work must be finished at the time of delivery. Suggested presentation standards include:
- Submitted Two-Dimensional Work
- Work should be matted or attached to a display board. Suggested matte/display board colors are white, black, charcoal, or gray.
- Paintings with large wooden stretchers and painted canvas overlap do not require framing.
- Dry mounting to foam/gatorboard with imagery flush (bleed off) to all four edges acceptable.
- Submitted Three-Dimensional Work
- Work must be stable.
- Work requiring special/custom stands for presentation must be provided by the artist at the time of delivery
Liability
Eastern New Mexico University will exercise due care in handling all artwork submitted. ENMU, the Runnels Gallery, the Golden Student Success Center, or any of their agents will not be responsible for any artwork lost or damaged, whether on display, in storage, or in transit to or from the artist. All accepted artworks must remain on display until the close of the exhibition. ENMU assumes the right to photograph any work for catalog or publicity purposes and to use the artist's name. The artwork submission to this exhibit will imply agreement and consent on the artist's part with the conditions set forth here.
New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Exhibition
Eligibility
Any active New Mexico or West Texas public or private school art teacher or individual who offers private art lessons can enter the exhibition.
Entry Fee and Number of Submissions Permitted
Entry fees are not collected for this exhibition. Artists may submit only one piece of art.
New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Exhibition Entry Form
Important Exhibition Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Submission deadline |
| Fall 2026 | An email notification of acceptance will be sent |
| Fall 2026 | Artwork is to be received by the gallery by 5 p.m. |
| Fall 2026 | The exhibition is open to the public |
| Fall 2026 | Public reception |
| Fall 2026 | The exhibition closes to the public |
Media, Size, and Theme/Subject Matter Restrictions
All media types are welcome. Artwork must be original, completed within three years of the entry deadline, and not previously shown at the Runnels Gallery.
Artwork must be stable and capable of fitting through a standard doorway. Artwork that requires suspension from the ceiling, water, perishable food, or electricity is prohibited.
There is no set theme to this exhibition. The gallery supports free artistic expression. However, content limitations include defamation, fighting words, hate speech, obscenity, and material that presents a "clear and present danger." Artwork that presents one or more of these areas will not be accepted.
How to Submit Work to the Exhibition
Artists must submit their work for this exhibition using the gallery’s online submission form. In addition to the standard biographical information, the following information must be included:
- Title of piece
- Media type
- Sales price (if for sale)
- Unframed dimensions (inches only)
- 50 to 75-word artist statement describing or explaining the concept, the process, materials used, the goal of the project, etc.
- Photograph of the work being submitted (JPEG files only)
Consider the following recommendations to best capture an art piece in a photograph:
- Artwork should be properly lit. Lighting that is too bright or too dark can negatively affect colors, diminish or hide detail, and may create the inability to clearly and accurately see the work. When lighting artwork, glare can be avoided by removing glass or other protective elements in front of the artwork. Adjusting the angle of the artwork, camera or light source can also reduce glare. Avoid using lights that emit yellow or blue tones.
- Artwork should be level and positioned in the center of the photograph.
- Photographs should be focused properly.
- Adjust the camera's image quality setting to "fine" or the highest resolution possible.
- File format must be JPEG.
- Two-dimensional works must be photographed without matting and framing.
- Three-dimensional works must be photographed using a neutral background and stable surface. Consider using a lightbox to photograph three-dimensional work.
- See the How to Photograph Your Artwork instructional sheet.
Acceptance into the Exhibition and Delivery of Work
- Acceptance into the exhibition is based on the availability of space and order of submission.
- All artists will be notified about their acceptance by email.
- Artwork chosen for inclusion in the exhibition must be delivered to the Runnels Gallery by the required delivery date and must be finished (ready for presentation). Artwork can be delivered by appointment only or shipped to the gallery.
- The Gallery reserves the right to refuse any unfinished work or those delivered after the deadline.
- Accepted pieces must remain on display until the exhibition closes and be claimed within 30 days after the exhibition's conclusion.
- If artwork is unclaimed, it will become the property of Eastern New Mexico University.
- Artists are solely responsible for the delivery and retrieval of their work. The artist's name, title of the work, medium, and price information must be secured to the back of the work and must be legible (type is preferred).
Presentation Ready Suggestions
All work must be finished at the time of delivery. Suggested presentation standards include:
- Submitted Two-Dimensional Work
- Work should be matted or attached to a display board. Suggested matte/display board colors are white, black, charcoal, or gray.
- Paintings with large wooden stretchers and painted canvas overlap do not require framing.
- Dry mounting to foam/gatorboard with imagery flush (bleed off) to all four edges acceptable.
- Submitted Three-Dimensional Work
- Work must be stable.
- Work requiring special/custom stands for presentation must be provided by the artist at the time of delivery
Liability
Eastern New Mexico University will exercise due care in handling all artwork submitted. ENMU, the Runnels Gallery, the Golden Student Success Center, or any of their agents will not be responsible for any artwork lost or damaged, whether on display, in storage, or in transit to or from the artist. All accepted artworks must remain on display until the close of the exhibition. ENMU assumes the right to photograph any work for catalog or publicity purposes and to use the artist’s name. The artwork submission to this exhibit will imply agreement and consent on the artist’s part with the conditions set forth here.
