History of UNM Photography Area

In 1961 Clinton Adams came to the University of New Mexico to be the dean of the College of Fine Arts. He is largely responsible for building the UNM Art Museum. In 1962, Adams hired the photographer and historian Van Deren Coke from Arizona to chair the university's art department and direct its new museum. The university's educational and financial commitment to the development of a strong graduate program in photography gave Coke the foundation for building a course of photographic studies like no other in the country. At a time when a few universities were offering graduate work in photography, and creative photography in general did not attract serious attention, Van Deren Coke developed a program that stressed photography's legitimacy as a form of modern art, its history as a medium of expression, and a decidedly experimental approach to photographic seeing.

Wayne Lazorik joined the faculty to teach photography in 1966 and by 1968 the first MFA students had graduated. News of the innovative program had begun to spread. It was at this time that facility planning for equipment and research space for photography was initiated.

The 70's saw the graduate photography program develop to maturity with the addition of three well-known faculty members. Beaumont Newhall, pre-eminent photo historian provided immeasurably to the department's art history program in photography. Thomas Barrow, historian and noted photographer joined the faculty in 1972. Four years later, Betty Hahn came to UNM from RIT with a strong exhibition record and expertise in 19th century photographic processes and mixed media. During this time the new art building was constructed and facilities for the undergraduate and graduate program including equipment was new, well planned, and sufficient
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In 1986, Patrick Nagatani, joined the faculty. Professor Lazorik retired in 1996 and Adrienne Salinger was hired as an associate professor in 1997. Professor Hahn retired in 1997 and Jim Stone was hired in her place as an assistant professor in 1998. Professor Barrow retired in 2001 and Jocelyn Nevel was hired as an assistant professor in 2001. Please see the section on faculty for more information.

During the 1980’s and to a certain extent through the 1990’s the photography program was able to rely on its founding reputation and its connection to Van Deren Coke and Beaumont Newhall. In addition, the faculty, particularly, Tom Barrow, Betty Hahn, and Patrick Nagatani, were widely known artists, exhibiting their work internationally, nationally and regionally. They all lectured about their work and the program often around the country, had monographs published of their work, and had extremely loyal former students.

As photography began to grow as an art form, photography programs around the country proliferated. At present, every private and public college and university has a photography area or department. When UNM began its program in the 60’s, photography was still a relatively new innovation. It was truly visionary for an Art Department to include a Photography Area at that time and UNM was at the foreground of that new technology and art.

(current UNM photo faculty web page)

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