A Gift in Support of the NMSU Art Museum
Naming Opportunities
OVERVIEW
With the construction of a new Visual Arts building, housing both the New Mexico State University Department of Art and the University Art Museum, NMSU is poised to become the main cultural hub for southern New Mexico. The new museum will utilize state-of-the-art gallery spaces to display more of its extensive permanent collection, drawing from more than 1,700 19th-century Mexican retablos, the largest collection in the United States, and 1,800 contemporary and modern works. With a focus on curating exhibits and offering programs with current community values in mind, the University Art Museum works to build and preserve our art heritage through free exhibitions, performances, community events and lectures. As the only contemporary museum in southern New Mexico, the museum will take an integral role in evolving and shaping public understanding of the intrinsic value of art in our lives.
THE VISION
University Avenue establishes the northern boundary of the NMSU campus and is transforming into a vibrant cultural and retail space that includes:
The new University Art Museum: Sole contemporary art institution in southern New Mexico
The University Museum: Hosts ethnographic, historic and prehistoric artifacts from the region
Center for the Performing Arts: Home to dance, theater and musical events open to the public
NMSU Barnes & Noble Bookstore: Frequented by students, parents and NMSU alumni
The Las Cruces Convention Center: Meeting, convention and entertainment destination
Heritage Farm: Includes a hotel, agricultural demonstration crops, walking paths and educational tours
The new University Art Museum will be at the center of this cultural district. From the Art Museum, NMSU visitors, cultural explorers and local residents can continue west on University Avenue to experience the diverse cultural institutions hosted at the university. A variety of retail and dining options line the opposite side of the avenue, providing visitors with an array of leisure choices.
The gallery currently draws 10,000 visitors annually. Attendance is expected to double over time with a prominent new location as well as the building’s upgraded capacity to display, loan and borrow prestigious collections.
NAMING OPPORTUNITIES
The museum will function as a source of cultural connection across New Mexico and the southwest. We have several naming opportunities available for those who would like to build a legacy while contributing to the New Mexico arts community. To learn more about the opportunities below, please contact Museum Director Marisa Sage at misage@nmsu.edu or call 575-646-2545.
The museum will function as a source of cultural connection across New Mexico and the southwest. We have several naming opportunities available for those who would like to build a legacy while contributing to the New Mexico arts community. To learn more about the opportunities below, please contact Museum Director Marisa Sage at misage@nmsu.edu or call 575-646-2545.
THE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM:
This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to name an entire museum ensures high visibility at the center of NMSU’s cultural district. With several galleries, a collection study center and art preparatory rooms and office space, the museum will display work from NMSU’s permanent collections and serve as interactive spaces for exhibits, educational and social events, interdisciplinary meet-ups and networking. Your name will be prominently displayed on the front of the building facing University Avenue – one of Las Cruces’ busiest streets. Your name also will appear on all museum-related materials in print and online, including informational pamphlets and plaques for loaned works, associating your name with New Mexico’s vibrant arts culture.
CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY: Situated at the front entrance of the museum, the Contemporary Art Gallery is our largest exhibition space. Each year, the gallery will host contemporary practicing artists through an array of thematic group exhibitions, solo retrospectives, projects and a diverse calendar of free public programs. We select visiting artists whose complex work is relevant to the border region and can engage students, faculty and the community with out-of-the-box, experiential artwork. The opportunity to name the Contemporary Art Gallery places your name at the forefront of artistic innovation. The gallery name will be prominently displayed at the gallery’s entryway, just inside the museum entrance.
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS AREA:
This unique opportunity establishes your contribution to the preservation of the University Art Museum permanent collection, including works by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and New Mexico’s own Luis Jiménez. NMSU students will work with professional preparators, conservators and artists to restore art and prepare exhibits as part of NMSU’s Art Conservation program, one of only four such undergraduate programs in the country. Your name will appear in the museum’s main interior hallway outside of the Permanent Collections wing, linking your legacy to the production and display of exhibits, as well as the education of future artists and museum curators.
YOUR INVESTMENT IMPACT
Your gift will transform southern New Mexico’s only contemporary art museum into a gateway for the region to experience vibrant art, entertainment and cultural experiences associated with your name and legacy. The potential for outreach and community collaborations will extend beyond NMSU students, faculty and the Las Cruces community. Docent-led field trips will bring in students from across the region and members of the community to experience local, regional, national and international speakers and exhibits. An investment in the new gallery will allow for partnerships with Albuquerque and Santa Fe art museums and galleries. Your support helps to ensure New Mexico’s growing presence as a center for creative innovation. Your leadership and generosity will inspire increased community involvement, advancement of the arts and culture and New Mexico’s economic impact.
