Art & Ecology courses encourage students to investigate, question, and expand upon inter-relationships between cultural and ecological systems. Our courses place emphasis on methods and tools from many disciplines—including art, design, the sciences, activism, and traditional ecological knowledge—to foster collaborative and field-based research and art-making. We view art as an agent of analysis, critique, and radical change. Art & Ecology is committed to stimulating ideas, new forms of public engagement, aesthetic experience, and interdisciplinary practice.
Any student who applies and is accepted to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Program can concentrate on Art & Ecology by taking A&E courses. Art majors at UNM pursue an interdisciplinary degree–there are no transcripted tracks in the Department of Art BA or BFA Program.
Undergraduate students interested in pursuing Departmental Honors in Art & Ecology may apply to the BFA Honors program and complete a senior year Art & Ecology capstone project. A BFA Honors student in Art & Ecology must demonstrate academic and artistic excellence, curiosity, and commitment. Students should approach an Art & Ecology faculty member to discuss the process of forming a thesis committee, developing an honors thesis project, and writing an honors thesis.
Scholarship Opportunity:
The Native American Environmental Arts and Humanities Scholarship is an interdisciplinary award for undergraduate Native American students across all UNM colleges who are interested in art and ecology, social justice, environmental justice, and/or species conservation. This scholarship is made possible by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.