The University of New Mexico Art Museum in Albuquerque is a teaching museum dedicated to the preservation, collection and exhibition of art with collections in photography, painting, sculpture, prints and more. The museum houses the largest fine arts collection in the New Mexico.
About
The UNM Art Museum was founded in 1963 and includes collections in painting, sculpture, prints, American Art, and the Transcendental Painting Group. Admission to the museum located within the Center for the Arts complex at the University of New Mexico is always free; however, donations are encouraged. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday and closed on all major holidays. Onsite parking is not available but there is a parking garage east of the Arts building.
Collections
The collection at the UNM Art Museum are made up of modern, contemporary and historic world art. Not all works in the collection are available for viewing always as pieces are rotated through exhibits. The Museum also highlights certain pieces in special exhibitions and regularly hosts traveling and temporary exhibitions.
Painting and Sculpture-This collection is comprised of significant works in modern, contemporary and history painting and sculpture. Many of the artists featured in exhibits have ties to New Mexico such as Georgia O’Keefe as well as world renowned artists like Joan Brown and Bruce Connor. Historic Paintings from the 15th through 19th centuries showcase works by Juan Correa, Jan van de Velde III and many other European and Spanish Colonial artists. African sculpture and contemporary bronze and metalwork is also highlighted in this collection.
Photography- More than 1,000 different photographers and roughly 10,000 photographs are held in the photography collection of the UNM Art Museum. Works span the history of photography as an art medium and is the foundation of the museum’s reputation as the largest fine art photography collection in New Mexico. Included in this collection are works by Ansel Adams, August Sander, Laura Gilpin, Cindy Sherman, and Nadar.
Prints- The Print Collection contains more than 10,000 works including rare books and prints from 1493 to present. Master prints from Albrecht Durer, Lucas Cranach, and Rembrandt are included in this collection. Lithographs from Pablo Picasso and relief images from Francisco de Goya, as well as screenprints from Andy Warhol are showcased in many exhibits throughout the museum.
The Raymond Jonson Collection- This collection features over 2,400 works by Raymond Jonson including 600 paintings and drawings that Jonson selected himself as the most representative of his career. Jonson was a cofounder of the Transcendental Painting Group and many works by other artists in the group including Agnes Martin and Richard Diebenkorn are featured in the collection as well. The UNM Art museum owns the copyright on all Jonson works with the archive featuring letters, articles and other documentation on the life and career of Jonson, Chicago Little Theater, and the Transcendental Painting Group.
The Tamarind Archive- Founded in the 1960’s the Tamarind Institute collected and preserved impression of lithographs that were completed at the institute. This collection showcases these works as well as the Clinton Adams estate which features paintings and graphic oeuvre from Adams and June Wayne.
Education Opportunities
The UNM Art Museum is a teaching museum where scholars, students, and educators can access multitudes of works and archives to study and interpret. There are also several programs available for all ages as well as community programs and events that highlight art and art education. The community and public programs change regularly and are listed on the UNM Art Museum website.
Beaumont Newhall Study Room-This room is available by appointment only and provides access to prints, works on paper, small sculptures and paintings and other holdings from the collection. Classes are held in this room Tuesdays through Thursdays with accommodations for up to 20 students.
Enyeart/Malone Library and Archive- The library is home to 20th century monographs and printed materials related to photography, including rare first editions books and manuscripts. The archive features the collection of James Enyeart who was the arts administrator at Center for Creative Photography. The library is open by appointment only with resources available listed on the website.
Van Deren and Joan Coke Library- more than 500 historical monographs were donated to the museum in 2011. The collection is also heavy in photography and print making with significant holdings in Southwest United States works. This library is open by appointment only.
Field Trips- Grades k-12 are welcome to participate in field trips to the museum where they will make connections to art through interactive tours that meet common core standards.
MSC04 2570 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, Phone: 505-277-4001, Map
