Jamie Isenstein, “Cameo”
Exhibition Dates: March 27th-July 18th, 2026
Opening Reception: March 27th, 5:30-7:30 pm
English | Espanol
Las Cruces, NM–The University Art Museum (UAM) is excited to present Cameo, an interactive exhibition developed via collaboration between the NMSU Department of Art students and faculty, the UAM, and Portland-based visual artist Jamie Isenstein. The exhibition features a brand-new work by Isenstein, Still Life with Flowers (2026), in her signature format: a sculptural performance showcasing parts of a living human body.
A hand grips a bunch of flowers. Gleaming objects rest in a pool of light. A sheet of paper is crumpled by an invisible hand. Which of this is real? Which of this is fake? How can we trust what we see? These simple questions are at the root of art history and museums. And they are central to current debates about artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial general intelligence (AGI). This spring, NMSU students and the University Art Museum’s broader community are invited to reflect on these ideas through an exhibition that playfully engages viewers as an essential part of the experience.
NMSU art students are central to Cameo. As performers, as producers, and as researchers and writers, students from the Department of Art have been involved in nearly every aspect of the exhibition’s development. The project began in Spring 2024 in Dr. Megan Metcalf’s museum and curatorial studies course, where students conducted research on Isenstein and curated virtual exhibitions inspired by her art. Nine students continued this work in Dr. Metcalf’s Fall 2025 “Performance and Museums” seminar, conducting interviews with the artist, mining the UAM’s collection for related artworks, and developing their own exhibitions on the project’s central themes. Students from the class will help with the installation and perform Isenstein’s new sculpture-performance in the gallery on a regular schedule throughout the exhibition’s run. At the end of the exhibition, Still Life with Flowers will be acquired into the NMSU Permanent Art Collection, the first live work to enter into the collection. Dr. Metcalf’s research in contemporary art history focuses on the growing trend of live performance in art museums, and Cameo’s development and realization at NMSU will be the subject of her next major article.
Cameo will be on view from March 27th, through July 18th, 2026 in the Bunny Conlon Modern & Contemporary Art Gallery. Join us for the opening reception at the University Art Museum on Friday, March 27th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, alongside the opening receptions for the annual Juried Student Show. A public artist talk by the artist will take place on Thursday, March 26th at 5:30 pm in the Bleachers at Devasthali Hall.
All programs are free and open to the public. For a complete calendar of events, visit uam.nmsu.edu.
