SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art at Western New Mexico University has opened the latest installment of the Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts Lecture and Exhibition Series, featuring the work of artist Eva Gabriella Flynn. The exhibition debuted with a reception on Thursday, October 23, 2025, drawing students, faculty, and community members to view the new collection.
The exhibition, which runs through November 20, highlights Flynn’s exploration of environmental connection, border identity, and cultural symbolism. Her work blends personal history with regional narrative, rooted in her experience growing up along the U.S.–Mexico border. Flynn incorporates natural pigments sourced from the Chihuahuan Desert—including cochineal, juniper bark, onion scraps, and creosote—grounding her art in the physical landscape that shapes the themes she examines.
Gallery Director Jill Winburn said the turnout reflected strong community support for the series. “It was wonderful to see the community gather to celebrate Eva Gabriella Flynn’s powerful work,” Winburn said. “The Milner Women in the Arts series continues to be an essential platform for showcasing the talent and intellectual depth of women artists, and Flynn’s pieces truly resonate with our mission to connect art and environment.”
The exhibition follows Flynn’s recent Desert Colors Natural Dye Workshop, where participants engaged directly with material processes used in her studio practice, reinforcing the gallery’s role as a hands-on teaching and research space.
Flynn’s pieces often incorporate maps, flags, and fractured portraits that challenge traditional representations of identity and belonging. Rather than emphasizing political borders, her work suggests a shared cultural and ecological history that predates modern divisions. Her flags, for example, represent ideals and memory rather than national identity, and her portrait studies reflect the layered, shifting nature of life in the Borderlands.
The Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts series is part of WNMU Cultural Affairs programming, aimed at supporting representation, education, and dialogue through contemporary art.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.