Press Releases

Learn more about Western New Mexico University at the In Your Community social event on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Luna County Courthouse Park (700 S. Silver Ave.) in Deming, NM. Attendees can explore information booths, enjoy finger food from local restaurant Amigos, listen to music, and play interactive family games at this outdoor gathering, during which President Shepard will also give an address and take questions about WNMU news. Similar to WNMU’s annual Bash on Broadway, these regular In Your Community outreach events are to inform the public about the institution’s goals and achievements. “We hold these events so people can find out about the latest university happenings. We encourage families to come out and learn about Western but also meet with students and other local leaders,” organizer Faye McCalmont said. Departments and campus organizations that will be represented at Deming In Your Community include Adult Education and...

An opening reception for WNMU adjunct assistant art professor Paul Hotvedt’s new exhibit, “Landscapes,” at McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art will take place October 12, 2017, at 4:30 p.m. About 65 of Hotvedt’s paintings and drawings will hang through November 15, but the public can preview them at the free reception, where light refreshments will be served. Although Hotvedt paints primarily landscapes, the show will also feature a number of figurative paintings. The works range in size from 6-by-6 inches to 4-by-6 feet and feature scenes in New Mexico, Oregon, Kansas and Wisconsin. “Landscapes” comprises work Hotvedt has done over the last five years. “It’s a chance for me to, of course, show my paintings and drawings to people, but also from an artistic standpoint, see all the work in one place and make evaluations so I might get ideas about what direction to take future art,” he said. A painter for four decades, Hotvedt starts his pieces outside and...

GLAM week will be celebrated on the Western New Mexico University campus beginning October 9. This year’s theme, “Soy Yo: Be Who You Wanna Be,” explores the intersections of identity and social justice while honoring students’ sense of belonging at WNMU. Organized by the Student Coordinators at The Center for Gender Equity and Social Justice, GLAM week will include an activism lecture, PFLAG panel, a non-profit workshop and a drag show. Students will also be engaging people in dialog about identity and LGBTQ issues. All events are free and open to the public. GLAM week has been celebrated at WNMU since 2015 and is always held in conjunction with National Coming Out Day on October 11. “GLAM week is centered around creating awareness and building bridges for students who might want to explore various identities or want to know how to be allies,” said Dr. Emma Bailey, Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of The Center. At noon on Monday, October 9, The Center’s...

In the care of the Western New Mexico University Foundation, the new Eulalia Lewis Memorial Scholarship supports students in any area of art, whether undergraduate or graduate, part- or full-time, international or local students. Silver City community member Eugene Lewis created this expressive arts scholarship in memory of his wife, Eulalia Lewis, who passed earlier this year. Eugene committed to donating generously annually and also encourages others to contribute to Eulalia’s legacy. As art collectors, Eulalia and Eugene donated a Chase Webb painting that is meaningful to the university where Webb taught for 30 years and where the drama building and 125-seat theater carries Webb’s name today. Avid travelers all throughout life, Eulalia and Eugene became involved closer to home after relocating to Silver City from Kansas in 1991. They both volunteered at the Silver City Museum, and she participated in numerous other organizations. Eulalia discovered more about the...

Western New Mexico University students who are protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will share their stories during a Celebrating DACA Forum on October 4, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. in Miller Library. A Hispanic Heritage Month event, the forum will feature three protected students who will talk about the political changes affecting their designation status. Panelists Stephanie Dayana Baez Mendez, Marco Ravelo and Grecia Rivas will also discuss their successes as people who grew up in the United States and are now involved on campus. Baez hails from Cananea, Sonora, México. An Applied Math major, she will soon graduate with a double minor in Chemistry and Spanish. “It is important to educate the community on what DACA is so that we may find ways to help students under the DACA program, and also so that they may be educated and see the facts about this issue,” she said. Born in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, Ravelo moved here from the small town of...

Western New Mexico University is bringing the American style of Taiko Japanese drumming to Grant County on Saturday, October 7, 2017. The TAIKOPROJECT All-Stars will perform in the Fine Arts Center Theatre at 7:00 p.m. Founded in 2000, the Los Angeles-based group TAIKOPROJECT is made up of young drummers seeking to create a truly American style of this traditional musical form. Raised with Taiko, these emerging talents created an innovative and fresh approach to the Japanese drum. The TAIKOPROJECT All-Stars have performed and recorded with Usher, Alicia Keys, A.R. Rahman, John Legend, Kanya West and even Stevie Wonder. The group was featured in a Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial and on the “Conan” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” television programs. Find more info about TAIKOPROJECT All-Stars at taikoproject.com. Sponsored by Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN Program, Western States Arts Federation and National Endowment for the Arts, the show is...

Prospective Western New Mexico University students can visit campus for free on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Open House hosted by the WNMU Office of Admissions will showcase campus life and educate future Mustangs about degree options and financial aid opportunities. The Open House is the annual fall event during which students from high schools and community colleges can sample WNMU’s offerings. “We know Western New Mexico University is a great choice for students in our regional area, and we’re excited to open up our campus to them and their families for a day of learning and exploring,” Student Services Coordinator Devin Stroman said. The Open House includes a tour of the new student apartment facility in Mustang Village, an introductory walk around WNMU’s cornerstone buildings, and an academic showcase, where visitors will have the chance to meet professors and learn more about each department and discipline. Attendees will get a Mustang...

A traditional Irish duo made up of fiddler Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill will perform in Western New Mexico University’s Light Hall Theater at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 2, 2017. Considered one of the most significant talents in the traditional Irish music culture, Hayes' interpretation of traditional tunes is considered soulful, the results of which are recognized worldwide for musicality and rhythm. Also one of the top traditional Irish musicians, Cahill has played for presidents and prime ministers. He is known for a unique style of accompaniment and arrangement. Both men together, according to The Irish Times, “play with a concord and an affinity that most musicians lust after, but few ever acquire.” Learn more about the duo at martinhayes.com. This event is sponsored by AMP Concerts, Western Institute of Lifelong Learning, and WNMU Office of Cultural Affairs. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased from the WNMU Office of Cultural Affairs...

Barbara Perez was recently named Western New Mexico University’s Employee of the Year for 2016-2017. For more than two decades she has served in various roles central to the institution’s success, starting in WNMU’s Business Office and moving to Campus Police. Perez is currently the Campus Security Specialist. A native of Tularosa, NM, Perez has several hours of advanced law enforcement training. A Certified Tele-communicator through the State of New Mexico Department of Public Safety, she dispatches but also works as the records clerk, monitors security cameras, and manages the Campus Police Office. She develops budgets and schedules, compiles the Annual Security Report (police.wnmu.edu), and facilitates the monthly Clery Act reporting. With the help of other Campus Police staff, the longtime employee provides security at events and makes recommendations for improving campus safety. Perez said she enjoys the work, even with its daily surprises and sometimes dramatic...

Susan McAllister and Naomi Natale will discuss their Million Bones Project and “Art of Revolution” organization during the Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts Lecture in Western New Mexico University’s Light Hall Auditorium on Thursday, September 28 at 6:30 p.m. Installation artist and social activist Natale is best known as the Founder and Director of One Million Bones, a large-scale installation made up of a million bone sculptures handmade by people all over the world in order to spotlight the victims of genocide and visually protest ongoing mass atrocities. The project was displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC, in 2013 and earned Natale the 2011 Arts Healing Network Award. Natale, with Susan McAllister, co-founded “Art of Revolution,” an organization that aims to incite social change and political awareness through art. The two bring together artists and activists to create educational, socially conscious, and far-reaching work that they hope...