ENMU-Ruidoso, 709 Mechem, is transformed into an art gallery from Nov. 9, to Dec. 6, as students show their work from the fall semester. The show consists of paintings, drawings, photography, and ceramics. Pieces will be on display in the library and throughout the campus. The art may be viewed during business hours, and many pieces are for sale.

Art is one of ENMU-Ruidoso’s largest departments. Many students repeat courses in subjects such as figure drawing and master’s painting simply to continue to produce art. Not all students go on to receive degrees. “The majority of students we have are here to make art for their own self-improvement,” notes Bruce DeFoor, fine arts department head. “Often art classes are the only classes they take.”

DeFoor moved to Ruidoso four years ago from Clovis, after 25 years of chairing the art department at Clovis Community College. He enjoys teaching not only different media, but different levels of students, as well. “Picasso once said that ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up,’ ” he said. “Contrary to what a lot of people think, we are not born artists. It’s exciting to see our students grow and develop their skills. I am so proud of the artwork our students have done. The quality is extremely high, and they deserve to be recognized. I hope our village will come out and view the show.”

Several current and past ENMU-Ruidoso art students are represented in galleries and work professionally today.

The program and the number of students continue to grow. Currently there are more than 100 students taking art classes. An internship program is also available. Future plans include classes in film making. “We are working with ENMU-Roswell and the main campus in Portales to develop our own program to complement their existing degrees,” said DeFoor. “