The University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts has announced that the first Lydia Rede Madrid Endowed Scholarship has been awarded to Ellan Luna. Luna comes to UNM from Kentucky where she received her BFA in printmaking from the University of Kentucky.

“After applying to multiple programs, I waited for UNM to contact me, and held my breath for what felt like an eternity,” Luna recalled. “Finally, I got wonderful news. I was accepted not just to UNM but had my choice of five graduate programs. I chose UNM because I had witnessed its dedication to striving artists on campus and had seen the quality of education provided.”
Studio artists are often challenged by the high costs of materials and fees for applications for creative opportunities, in addition to tuition and cost of living. For many applicants, awards like the Lydia Rede Madrid Scholarship make UNM a viable option for undergraduate and graduate studies.
“UNM Fine Arts is thrilled to have this scholarship to use in recruiting emerging artists such as Ellan Luna. We look forward to watching Ellan’s printmaking practice expand throughout her experience at UNM,” said Art Department Chair Susanne Anderson-Riedel.
Established in 2022, the Lydia Rede Madrid Scholarship is intended for an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in Art, preferably with a focus in the area of printmaking. The award honors Madrid (1949-2020), who was an “artist complete,” having lived for her art and for her work with students. She studied at the University of Texas at El Paso, transferring to The University of New Mexico, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts from Indiana University in 1981. She taught at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, and for the University of Georgia in Cortona, Italy before returning to New Mexico as a professor of printmaking at UNM from the 1980s to 2009. An acclaimed artist, Madrid's work has been exhibited internationally as well as nationally.
To support the Lydia Rede Madrid Endowed Scholarship, see the online giving page.
For more information on printmaking in the UNM Department of Art, click here.