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conversation in practice

a lecture series at the rubin center

 

This fall, the Rubin Center’s Faculty Biennial is accompanied by a series of conversations that bring UTEP art faculty into dialogue to reflect on the ways their practices move beyond the studio. From zines and digital tools to risk, play, and processing grief through art, these programs highlight the ongoing exchange between making and teaching—where the classroom sparks new ideas, and the studio deepens what is shared with students.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 | 12 PM

From Xerox to Archive: Zines as Resistance and Record
Once relegated to underground DIY scenes, zines are now being preserved as cultural artifacts. This talk with Lisa Novak and Susannah Holliday dives into the power of self-publishing as tools of resistance, storytelling and community building —with a spotlight on UTEP Special Collections' growing zine collection.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 01 | 12 PM

Permission to Fail: Experimentation and Play in the Studio
Teaching artists may guide others, but in the studio, they’re still learning. This conversation with Manny Guerra and Jess Tolbert, dives into the role that risk, failure, and play have in sustaining a creative practice—and how the magic lies in what you make of the so-called mess.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 | 12 PM

Avatars and AI: Digital Tools and The Digital Self in Art
This conversation brings together two art faculty, Angel Cabrales and Irene O'Leary, whose practices engage emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, digital imaging, and avatars—to examine identity, authorship, and the evolving role of the artist. Together, they’ll discuss how digital tools are reshaping their practices and expanding the boundaries of contemporary art and creative inquiry.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 | 6 PM

Artmaking as a Tool for Processing Grief
In this intimate conversation, artists and educators Nabil Gonzalez and Antonio Castro share how they’ve turned to their respective practices to navigate personal loss—Gonzalez through layered printmaking and family artifacts, and Castro through a series of charcoal drawings honoring his mother. Together, they reflect on how art can hold memory, process grief, and create space for healing.

friday, NOVEMBER 14 | 12 PM

Curator Walkthrough: Works, Context, and Perspectives
Guest curator Marina Monsisvais and her curatorial team lead an exhibition walkthrough that invites audiences to spend time with the works on display while also learning about the curatorial process that shaped the show. Joined by three UTEP art history students working as curatorial assistants, the team will highlight selected pieces and share the research and stories behind them—offering multiple ways to see and think with the art.