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2025 UTEP Department of art

FACULTY BIENNIAL

 

Rubin and L Galleries
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 04 | 5 - 7:30 pm

 

The 2025 UTEP Department of Art Faculty Biennial at the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts celebrates the diverse creative practices of the artists who teach and work in the Department of Art at the University of Texas at El Paso. Featuring work in a wide range of media—from drawing and sculpture to ceramics and large-scale murals—the exhibition offers a unique opportunity for students to engage with the art and ideas of their instructors outside the classroom. At the same time, it invites the broader El Paso community to explore the vibrant artistic contributions of those who live and teach in this culturally rich border region.

PARTICIPATING FACULTY

Haydee Alonso ~ Tom Birkner ~ Vince Burke ~ Angel Cabrales ~ Ale Carrillo ~ Antonio Castro ~ Derek Caulfield
Clive Cochran ~ Vicente Delgado ~ Alix Gaytan ~ Anne Giangiulio ~ Nabil Gonzalez ~ David Griffin ~ Manuel Guerra
Isa Kim ~ Juan Juarez ~ Heather Kaplan ~ Victor Muheddine ~ Lisa Novak ~ Marianna Olague ~ Irene O’Leary
Mitsu Overstreet ~ Dina Perlasca ~ Hector Romero ~ Henry Schulte ~ Jessica Tolbert
Hector Romero, Dejavu.
Vicente Delgado, Built Structures, 2025.
Marianna T Olague, Quemando tiempo II

Curated by Marina Monsisvais, longtime host of State of the Arts on KTEP public radio, the 2025 Faculty Biennial reflects the intellectual curiosity and creative energy that define UTEP’s Department of Art. The exhibition also serves as a collaborative educational project, with artist texts and biographies written by undergraduate art history students Eloisa Quevedo, Alexandra Urbina, and Guadalupe Lucero, under the guidance of Dr. Melissa Warak. Their research and writing bring fresh perspective and academic rigor to the presentation of the artists’ work, highlighting the value of student involvement in curatorial practice.

 

Marina Monsisvais, MBA is a cultural advocate and community leader whose work has helped shape the creative and civic identity of the Paso del Norte region. She is the founder of Chalk the Block, El Paso’s largest public art festival, and has hosted State of the Arts on KTEP 88.5 FM for over a decade, spotlighting artists and cultural practitioners across the borderlands. As founder and principal of Barracuda Public Relations, Monsisvais led one of El Paso’s most respected community engagement firms for 15 years before closing it to pursue doctoral studies focused on arts and culture in the Borderland. Monsisvais remains deeply engaged in the local arts and music scenes—as an art collector, ceramic artist, and vinyl DJ—and continues to serve on several nonprofit and civic boards. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University and an MBA from the University of Texas at El Paso.