ANNUAL JURIED STUDENT SHOW OPENS AT THE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM AT NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY (NMSU)

The NMSU Art Museum (UAM) is pleased to announce the 2026 Juried Student Show (JSS), taking place in Devasthali Hall on the NMSU campus. Every year, the UAM exhibits an outstanding range of artworks created by undergraduate and graduate students from across our campus, demonstrating a dynamic range of voices, practices, and materials. This exhibition is highly anticipated by our NMSU and local communities, bringing together a large audience to celebrate the talent of our students. 

This year we are delighted to announce Jennifer Ling Datchuk as the juror of the JSS. Datchuk recently had a solo exhibition in the UAM’s Contemporary Gallery from September 2025 - March 2026. The exhibition titled RIPENING was a multidisciplinary exhibition that explored the cost of women’s labor in material culture, amplified female voices, fostered collective care, and expanded dialogue around Asian American histories and women’s labor in the Southwest. RIPENING reflected Datchuk’s practice as a trained ceramicist working across media—from hair to video—as she examined and questioned social, cultural, and political systems that continue to impact women. 

Datchuk, who received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, is currently an Assistant Professor in Arizona State University’s School of Art. During the research portion for her solo show at the UAM, she was able to spend meaningful time in Las Cruces familiarizing herself with NMSU’s Department of Art and its students. Through this direct connection to the region and her own practice rooted in contemporary ceramics and mixed media, she brought a fresh perspective to the jurying process–ultimately selecting forty-one artworks by thirty-four artists. Datchuk’s final selection ranges in media from traditional ceramics, works on paper, metals and jewelry, to installation works and represents a broad range of voices and perspectives. Of the thirty-four selected artists, their majors include Studio Art, English, Art History, Accounting, Psychology and even Business Administration, highlighting just how important art is across NMSU. 

As in past years, the Las Cruces community has generously supported the JSS by contributing funds for various monetary awards to be given directly to students. This year we anticipate awarding nearly $6,000 in cash awards. 

Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, March 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with the awards ceremony beginning at 6:00 p.m. The exhibition will be on view in the Contemporary Gallery at the UAM from March 27 through April 18, 2026. Please visit the UAM website for the full list of participating artists.

For more information on exhibitions, visit Current Exhibitions