New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Exhibition

Notice: Submissions of artwork will continue to be accepted after the exhibition start date and until gallery space runs out.

The ENMU Runnels Gallery annually hosts the New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Exhibition featuring the creative visual work of those individuals teaching kindergarten through high school level art.

The gallery strongly believes that art educators help to elevate all students' creative explorations, understanding of different materials and processes, and the understanding of historical and social implications of art.

Most importantly, art educators provide their students a classroom environment in which they can explore their own personal 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 very 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 Runnels Gallery extends an invitation to all art teachers to participate in this important exhibition.

New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Submission Form

Eligibility

Any New Mexico or West Texas public or private school art teacher or individuals who offer professional art lessons to individuals 18 years of age or younger are eligible to enter the Runnels Gallery Art Educator Exhibition.

Entry Fee and Number of Submissions Permitted

Entry fees are not collected for this exhibition. Artists may submit only one piece of art.

Important Exhibition Dates

Date Event
Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 Exhibition opens to the general public
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 | Time TBA. Public artists' reception
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 Exhibition closes

Media Size and Restrictions

All media types are welcome. Artwork must be original, completed within three years of the entry deadline and may not have been 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.

Theme/Subject Matter Requirements

Artwork of any theme may be submitted to the exhibition. Artists are encouraged to consider the following areas when selecting what work to submit to the exhibition.

  • First Impression – How powerful is the first impression?
  • Originality and Creativity – To what degree of originality and creativity does the work speak?
  • Artist's Voice – Is the artist's voice felt in the word and can his/her personal perspective of the world around him/her be seen?

Acceptance into the Exhibition and Delivery of Work

The gallery reserves the right to refuse any work deemed unfinished or those which are delivered after the deadline. Accepted pieces must remain on display until the close of the exhibition and must be claimed within 30 days after the exhibition's conclusion. If artwork is unclaimed, it will become the property of the Runnels Gallery and the ENMU Department of Art. 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 Requirements

All work must be finished at the time of delivery. Presentation standards include:

  • Submitted Two–Dimensional Work
    • Work must be matted, framed, and properly wired in a professional manner. Suggested frame colors are white, black or silver. Suggested matte colors are white, black, charcoal, or any shade of gray. Secure wire hanging or French cleats only, no saw tooth hardware permitted.
    • Paintings with large wooden stretchers with painted canvas overlap do not require framing.
    • Dry mounting to foam/gator board with imagery flush (bleed off) to all four edges acceptable; no framing/matting required. Secure wire hanging or French cleats only, no saw tooth hardware permitted.
  • Submitted Three–Dimensional Work
    • Work must be stable.
    • Work requiring special/custom stands for presentation must be provided by the artist at time of delivery.

How to Submit Work to the Exhibition

Artists must submit their intention to participate in the Art Educators Exhibition by using the gallery's online submission form below. An online submission form must accompany each piece of art entered into the exhibition. 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; height by width; height by width by depth)
  • Framed dimensions (inches only; height by width; height by width by depth)
  • 50 to 75-word artist statement describing or explaining the concept, the process, materials used, the goal of the project, etc.
  • A current headshot (JPEG files only, 150 resolution minimum)
  • Photograph of the work being submitted (JPEG files only); considering the following reconsider 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.
    • Artwork should be level and positioned in the center of the photograph.
    • 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 light box to photograph three-dimensional work.
    • Photographs should be focused properly.
    • Adjust camera's image quality setting to "fine" or the highest resolution possible.
    • File format must be JPEG.

New Mexico and West Texas Art Educator Submission Form

Liability

Eastern New Mexico University will exercise due care in handling all artwork submitted. ENMU, the Runnels Gallery, the Department of Art, Golden Student Success Center or any of their agents will not be responsible for loss or damage to any artwork, whether such work is on display, in storage, or in transit to or from the artist. All accepted artwork 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 submission of artwork to this exhibit will be understood to imply agreement and consent on the part of the artist with the conditions set forth here. I hereby agree to the liability clause and to abide by all the rules and stipulations set forth in this exhibition.

2019 Featured Art Educators

  • Alyssa Lopez – Muleshoe High School, Muleshoe, TX
  • Andres Machin – New Mexico School for the Arts, Santa Fe, NM
  • Camellia Termini – Belen Middle School, Belen, NM
  • Christopher D. Rabb – Clovis High School, Clovis, NM
  • Corey R. Pickett – Clovis Municipals Schools, Clovis, NM
  • Cynthia LeAnn Romines – Denver City High School, Denver City, TX
  • Jessie Ramirez – Highland Middle School, Hobbs, NM
  • Julia L. Woodruff – Elida Municipal Schools, Elida, NM
  • Linus Edward Ogalsbee – Eunice High School, Eunice, NM
  • Matthew L. Lutz – Rio Rancho High School, Rio Rancho, NM
  • Perry Heimer – Manzano High School, Albuquerque, NM
  • Sherri Suzanne Pierce-Perez – Portales Junior High School, Portales, NM
  • Suzan P. Lundy – Marshal Middle School, Clovis, NM
  • Yvette Tarango – Clovis High School, Clovis, NM