"The Visual Arts have the power to enrich the lives and endeavors of humankind. In a highly technological society such as ours, the Visual Arts serve as a humanizing force, giving dignity and a sense of worth to the individual.
They provide the means by which aesthetic quality and order are derived from the
exercise of an individual's creativity and critical understanding."

National Art Education Association

"Thank you so much for pushing our minds to look at the beauty and meaning of each art piece..." Abuquerque High School Student

"Thank you for taking the time to show our class the miracles that art allows people to see..." UNM Freshman

"A UNM Art Museum visit is a great way to build community in the classroom; the teacher becomes the student as well."

UNM English Professor

Mission

The UNM Art Museum's Education department seeks to bring visitors and works of art together in meaningful ways. Because our guests range in age from toddlers to seniors, come from diverse backgrounds, and seek varied experiences from art, our education programs are flexible, while being grounded in experiential, interactive and inquiry-based learning theories.

The UNM Art Museum offers a menu of choices for University as well as K-12 learning; including Guided Visits, High School Internships, Evenings for Educators, & Professional Development.

The Museum’s Collection, Exhibitions, Beaumont Newhall Study Room, Enyeart/Malone Library and Archive, and public programs serve to support University courses, student internships, and research in a variety of subject areas.

Art Historian and Educator Sara Otto-Diniz Ph.D., is the Curator of Academic Initiatives at the UNM Art Museum and previous founder of the non-profit organization Art in the School, Inc.. She has over twenty-five years experience creating rich learning environments for K-12 and University students through which they forge their own personal responses to art. In addition Sara frequently conducts professional development seminars for teachers in the Albuquerque area. She and her undergraduate and graduate university art students strive to create enriching experiences through meaningful conversation surrounding issues of humanity, fostering the opening of creative modes of thinking in the visual arts.

Sara Otto-Diniz pictured in her exhibition,
"Re-Imagining American Identities"
on display in the Van Deren Coke Gallery.

Educational Materials

At the Museum we understand that many teachers need to justify their field trips with curricular outcomes that fit into Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics and Science subject areas and we are more than happy to work with you to develop a curriculum that fits your needs.

We believe that art is important for developing critical and creative thinking, and that experiences with art often enhance communication skills, including speaking and writing abilities. Students will benefit from their experiences through art by being pushed to become well-rounded, deep-thinking indviduals, which will ultimately contribute to better overall performance and interest in learning, and lead them to pursue higher academic studies at the university.

Below you will find information to schedule a FREE class visit to the UNM Art Museum, led by our Educational Staff, and materials to help prepare your students for their visit.

These exhibition-inspired materials support the State of New Mexico Standards and Benchmarks, and include lesson plans, gallery activities, vocabulary, and literary sources.

Installation view of "Sinners & Saints: 15th-19th Century Paintings
in the Collection" exhibition in the Raymond Jonson Gallery.

The Art of Drama: Storytelling Lesson Plan
"The Sacrifice of Iphegenia"

Literary Excerpt: "Iphegenia at Aulis" by Euripedes

Artful Vocabulary for Describing Painting in Terms of Narrative

Sara Otto-Diniz conversing with UNM graduate students in,
"Re-Imagining American Identities" in the Van Deren Coke Gallery.

Writing Activity: Portraits and Poetry
"Constructing an Identity"

Literary Excerpt: "Freedom's Plow, 1943" by Langston Hughes

Artful Vocabulary for Describing Photography and Poetry

Installation view of, "An Inquisitive Eye, Seeing into Prints"
in the Clinton Adams Gallery.

(Coming Soon)

What is a print? 

An Exercise in Looking to See, What I See, What I Feel, What I Wonder?

Artful Vocabulary for speaking about the Graphic Arts

Suggested Reading List for Understanding the History of Printmaking