New Mexico Art League
                  Art School ∙ Gallery 


 
 
 
 

 

Board of Directors

DAN CONKLIN, President

Dan grew up in Albuquerque, but career opportunities ultimately drew him to the “big city". He has been an inveterate doodler and drawer from an early age, and over time attempted to smooth the rough edges with studio courses in sculpture, ceramics and acrylic painting at Vanderbilt, UCLA and the Art Student’s League in NYC. After living and working in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong and Shanghai, he returned to the Land of Green Chile and picked up his art studies in early 2012 with an acrylic workshop taught by Angus Macpherson. He amazed everyone with the fact that his paints from his UCLA days were still good. Later that year, he attended a demo at the New Mexico Art League given by “Local Treasure” J. Waid Griffin. Landscape in Oil courses with Waid soon followed. With momentum building, Dan became arguably the Art League’s best customer with further landscape classes taught by Tom Blazier and Jeff Otis. His focus broadened to portrait and the figure, which gave him the pleasure of paint and drawing under the guidance of Cynthia Rowland, MJ Manford, Shana Levinson and Leo Neufeld.  He has been most inspired by Cynthia Rowland, though her deep and contagious love of art and superb instruction. Recognizing the need to keep honing the basic skills of making art, Dan has most recently benefitted from the lively and fundamentals-focused teaching of Vasili Katakis. His perspectives classes are not to be missed.


BRIGID CONKLIN, Vice President

Brigid grew up in the Chicago area surrounded by art. Before she was school age, she accompanied her mother on the local art league's plein air outings and no family visit to Chicago was complete without a trip to the Art Institute. While she has always loved art, she had had no art instruction since she was a girl until she enrolled in a beginning drawing class at the New Mexico Art League in 2013. She has taken classes at the Art League ever since. Brigid has a background in corporate banking and has served on advisory committees for a charity and for an international school while living in Shanghai, China. She is a member of the Pastel Society of New Mexico and is excited to be involved with the Art League.


KATE FRY,  Secretary

Kate was born and raised in Albuquerque.  She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in technical theatre from the University of Texas at Austin, and after living for several years in Colorado, Texas, and New Jersey, she returned home to New Mexico in 1986. When Kate retired from a career in federal government contracting and program management she was finally able to devote time to taking art classes and learning to paint in oil, and has taken classes and workshops at Central New Mexico Community College, Harwood Art School, and the New Mexico Art League.  She has served on several nonprofit boards of directors, and she is delighted to bring that experience to the New Mexico Art League and to be part of the Art Leagues’s continued growth.


JUDITH WAGNER, Treasurer

A New Mexico native, Judy has been a longtime friend, member and student at the New Mexico Art League. A very accomplished painter herself, Judy shows her work regularly in local arts organization shows including many of the Art League's exhibitions. Her impressive professional career began after she received her BSc degree in Mathematics at the University of New Mexico and and completed post graduate work in accounting at the Robert O. Anderson School of Management, also at UNM. A CPA (Retired), Judy's broad range of expertise lead her to work with state and federal courts as an expert in  Financial Forensics and she was often invited to speak to universities, state agencies and professional organizations presenting topics such as Ethical Decision Making and Governance. Judy was recognized for her remarkable work in 2009 and received the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award in Washington DC. She is a recipient of the New Mexico Ethics in Business award for individual excellence in Ethics. She has served on several nonprofit and professional organization boards of directors, and has recently joined our team at the New Mexico Art League bringing her years of experience and expertise to advise and guide the Art League as it continues to grow and evolve.

CAROYLN BERRY

Carolyn Berry has been passionate about teaching art for over 25 years. As a public school teacher, she has been named Outstanding Kansas Educator of the Year and has taught workshops for the Kansas City Art Institute Continuing Education, the Nelson Atkins Museum, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts and various art centers. Working primarily with collage, photography and encaustic wax, her encaustic mixed media work can be seen in the recent North Light Book publications, Incite3 and Incite 4. She maintains a studio and exhibits in the Albuquerque, NM area. Carolyn's work can be found in collections throughout the United States.




KATHLEEN BUTLER

Kathleen was born and raised in Berkeley, California. Her parents and grandparents were avid museum-goers, and supporters of the arts which greatly influenced Kathleen. She received her BA in art history from Mills College, and her MA and PhD in art history from UC Berkeley. Having spent her career in museums and higher education in northern California, she retired to Albuquerque where she began taking classes at the New Mexico Art League. Kathleen has found not only excellent instructors at the Art League, but a wonderful community of individuals whose creativity is a constant source of inspiration. Kathleen is a member of the New Mexico Watercolor Society.



ELAINE SCHEIDEMAN

Elaine’s early education was in different countries due to a military family.  She went to high school and university in Southern California. She earned her BFA at UCLA and her MFA at USC.  Both degrees were with an emphasis in Costume Design from the Dept. of Theatre.  She spent many years working as a Costume Supervisor in the Motion Picture Industry in Los Angeles.  In later years, she was the Director of Costumes for Warner Bros. Studio Facilities. She retired to Albuquerque and began taking art classes at the NMAL. Her passion is for watercolors.  Elaine is a huge fan of the Art League; the instructors, breath of classes and the facility.  She looks forward to helping the Art League’s growth and development. 


Art League Champion

and Former Board President

CYNTHIA ROWLAND


Cynthia graduated with a degree in Fine Arts, Texas Tech University. After a dozen years in New York, Cynthia returned to New Mexico to pursue the medium of sculpture. This developed into major public and private commissioned projects with her partner and husband, Mark, such as the award-winning Senator Dennis Chavez Memorial at Civic Plaza and Lion’s Share at the Albuquerque International Airport. 

Cynthia turned to painting in 2001 and has enjoyed the tutelage of Wilson Hurley and David Leffel. Influenced by these and other historical masters, she has developed her own style and metaphor. She has been invited to several competitions and exhibitions, including several gallery venues in Santa Fe, the Albuquerque Museum Miniatures Show and was Featured Artist for the New Mexico Symphony Benefit. She was also the NM State Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America.


Art League Staff


BETHANY NELSON (BUFFY), Executive Director

Buffy's love of the arts has taken her in many directions throughout her career. Her background is comprised of a broad range of experience. She has worked in fine art print shops, museums and galleries; including Tamarind Institute and Landfall Press, curated exhibitions, as well as served as director for several art schools and community programs; including the Athenaeum School of the Arts in La Jolla, the Harwood Art Center and now the New Mexico Art League in Albuquerque. She studied art and design in California and, after returning to New Mexico, she received a BFA in Painting and Art History from UNM. Believing in the profound effect of the process of making art, Buffy continued on to complete her MA in Art Education with emphasis in museum education, also from the University of New Mexico.

Gallery Hours: 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday - Saturday  505-293-5034

3409 Juan Tabo Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111     Map It  

Mailing address: P.O. Box 16554, Albuquerque, NM 87191                              

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