SFUAD Art Faculty Members Win First and Second Prize in Competition
02.15.2012
Media Contact:
Maria Alexandra Velez
1-505-473-6682
maria.velez@santafeuniversity.edu
Santa Fe, N.M.—February 14, 2012—Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s Art Department faculty members Xuan Chen and Kate Carr won first and second prizes, respectively, in the Contemporary Art Society of New Mexico’s 2012 competition. More than 200 entries were presented to a “blind” jury composed of renowned art critic Dave Hickey, art historian Libby Lumpkin, and Luanne McKinnon, curator of the University of New Mexico (UNM) Art Museum in Albuquerque. Only four artists were selected as prizewinners. The winning pieces will be featured in an exhibition running from June 1 through July 29, 2012, at the UNM Art Museum.
“Xuan and Kate both teach in our Foundations program, where they translate their passion for their work, recognized by these awards, into passion for their teaching,” said Linda Swanson, chair of the university’s Art Department. “A significant art practice such as these two individuals have requires commitment, energy, flexibility, determination, curiosity and extreme sensitivity—all hallmarks of inspired teaching. At Santa Fe University, we celebrate this connection.”
Carr joined the university’s faculty in January 2011. She teaches mixed-media sculpture, as well as classes within Foundations, an interdisciplinary freshman studio arts program that supports students in the Art, Photography, Moving Image Arts and Graphic Design departments. Carr’s work explores materials and relationships through repetition, juxtaposition and contemplation. In her new pieces, she searches for “the simplest mark” to create her abstract patterns. She holds a BA in Studio Art from Marlboro College and an MA and MFA in Sculpture from the University of Iowa.
Chen teaches Freshman Foundations at the university. As a transdisciplinary, conceptual and project-based artist, Chen chooses the medium that best fits the concept of each project, whether painting, animated film, drawing, interactive installation, graphic narrative, collage or a combination of these. She is interested in the connections between science, art and design. She received an MFA from UNM’s Art and Art History Department in 2011 and her PhD in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008.
See visuals of Carr’s and Chen’s art.
About Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an accredited institution located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the world’s leading centers for art and design. The university offers degrees in arts management, contemporary music, creative writing, digital arts, graphic design, moving image arts (filmmaking and video production), performing arts, photography and studio art. Faculty members are practicing artists who teach students in small groups, following a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that combines hands-on experience with core theory and prepares graduates to become well-rounded, creative, problem-solving professionals. As a Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Art, Architecture and Design, the university boasts an international student body and opportunities to study abroad, encouraging students to develop a global perspective on the arts. Santa Fe University of Art and Design (formerly the College of Santa Fe) is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.
