Fine Arts Galleries Open Academic Year with Two Exhibitions
“tender” and “Comanche Highway” launched the fall exhibition schedule with visual art, music, storytelling and community engagement.
The UNM-Valencia Fine Arts Galleries opened the 2026-27 academic year with two exhibitions highlighting visual art, music, storytelling and regional culture.
The first exhibition, “tender,” featured the work of artist Stephanie Lerma and welcomed students, employees and community members to the galleries for the opening of the fall schedule. The exhibition provided an opportunity for visitors to experience Lerma’s work while connecting with others in the campus arts community.
The galleries followed with “Comanche Highway,” presented Oct. 1. The Genízaro music and story project explored memory, land and sound along historic routes through Tomé, the Manzano Mountains and the middle Río Grande. The event drew a full audience and combined an exhibition with live performance and discussion.
The program featured “Coyote,” a 10-minute work for stand-up bass by Justin Bransford, and a performance of the title song, “Comanche Highway,” by Felix “Gato” Peralta. A question-and-answer session with Peralta and Dr. Enrique Lamadrid gave attendees another opportunity to engage with the history and ideas behind the project. Diego Pani’s filming shaped the multimedia experience of “Comanche Highway.”
Presented through the UNM-Valencia Fine Arts, Film and Digital Media Division, with collaboration from the Student Activity Center, the first two exhibitions of the academic year established the galleries as a space for artistic expression, cultural exploration and community gathering.
Additional exhibitions and events will continue throughout the fall semester as part of the UNM-Valencia Fine Arts Galleries schedule.
