ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The large expansion to the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) is not only bringing brand-new emergency rooms, teaching spaces, and helipads, but also more than 100 pieces of artwork.
The critical care tower is a massive expansion to hospital facilities in Albuquerque, totaling more than $401 million worth of improvements and construction. And a $1.5 million grant from the state is helping bring art to the project, set to open in spring of 2025.
“Art is very important to New Mexicans, from the religious art of northern New Mexico to Native American jewelry,” Fabián Armijo, executive director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UNM Hospital, said in a press release. “People will be reminded of that when they come to the tower.”
An art selection committee spent several months choosing art from among southwestern artists, Native American and Indigenous artists, and others.
“We wanted to focus on work that was welcoming and uplifting because, more often than not, when you find yourself at the hospital it’s not necessarily under the best circumstances,” Sandy Johnson, the health care facilities planner, said in a press release. “We tried to select pieces that had brighter colors and inspiring messages.”
