TWU Division of Visual Arts

TAYLOR HILLEY-CARROLL
MA Exhibition | BLACK MAGIC
06.01–06.26.26
TWU West Gallery

TAYLOR HILLEY-CARROLL, a Houston native & Denton residing curator, artist, and art researcher, is graduating from TWU with a M.A. in Art History & Visual Culture. Her research and curation process is based on womanist frameworks, with a focus on elevating Black, feminist, & q***r narratives within the art canon. She is currently focused on expanding her curatorial work through womanist methodologies & critical research. She has worked across museums, historic homes, & galleries; giving her a well-rounded understanding of the art & cultural sector. She is very passionate about developing curatorial & research practices that amplify marginalized voices and expand inclusive approaches within both museum and academic spaces.

"My practice as a curator & researcher examines how Black women use visual culture, spirituality, & ancestral practices as forms of healing, resistance, & knowledge production. "Black Magic," the 5th exhibition she's curated, is grounded in Black feminist thought, hoodoo traditions, & spiritual activism; exhibiting works that challenge Eurocentric frameworks within art history that have historically marginalized Black women’s spiritual & creative practices. I was particularly interested in how visual art functions not only as aesthetic expression, but also as ritual & ancestral communication. This exhibition emerged from my own journey toward healing & spiritual reconnection, where I came to understand art & spirituality as essential pathways toward restoration & self-understanding. Through studying Black women artists in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, I recognized hoodoo and ancestral practices as counterhegemonic forms of knowledge that reclaim erased histories & center Black women’s lived experiences.

Toward the completion of my thesis, I also began recognizing that my curatorial and research approaches were aligned with womanist curatorial methodologies, particularly through their emphasis on embodied knowledge and collective healing. This realization continues to shape my interest in exploring how womanist frameworks can transform curatorial practices."

SAVE THE DATE ✨
MA Exhibition | BLACK MAGIC
Taylor Hilley-Carroll .hilley.carroll

BLACK MAGIC, an MA Exhibition curated by Taylor Hilley-Carroll, will open June 1 in the TWU West Gallery, and will run through June 26, 2026. A reception will be held Friday, June 12, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. with at artist talk at 6:00 p.m.

This exhibition explores how Black women artists engage hoodoo, ancestral practices, and visual culture as forms of healing, resistance, and spiritual activism.

FEATURING
▫️ Nitashia Johnson
▫️ Vicki Meek
▫️ Desireé Vaniecia
▫️ Asia Youngs-Bailey

BLACK MAGIC
06.01–06.26.26
🗓 Reception | F 06.12.26
⏰ 5:00–7:00 p.m.
📍 TWU Fine Arts Building

125 YEARS / 125 STORIES
Share your TWU Visual Arts Stories!

In celebration of Texas Woman’s University’s 125th Anniversary, the Division of Visual Arts invites you to share stories from TWU Visual Arts!

Tell us a story or memory about your time at TWU Visual Arts. It could be about a class or exhibition, a teacher, an impactful moment, the environment at TWU, etc. Or maybe there was something that you learned, or that you appreciate now, that you maybe didn't realize at the time?

Open to TWU Visual Arts alumni, current and former students, faculty, and staff – as well as those that have shown through the TWU Galleries or taken TWU Visual Arts courses through the Federated Universities of North Texas.

To Submit your Story, visit:
tr.ee/TWU125Years125Stories

We are also having a Juried Alumni Exhibition!
Entries due 06.26.26.
Visit: tr.ee/TWU125AlumniShow

We understand that not everyone is an official TWU Visual Arts Alumni, or are currently making work, but we still want you to have an opportunity to connect with us and celebrate our 125th Anniversary.

JUROR | Judy Tedford Deaton
125th Anniversary | TWU Juried Alumni Exhibition

We are honored to announce in the role of juror: Judy Tedford Deaton, Chief Curator, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at The Grace Museum. She is responsible for concept development, installation, & interpretation of 10 art exhibitions annually. Before joining The Grace staff, Deaton was an Associate Professor of Art History and Gallery Director at McMurry University (1995-2006). She earned a BA from the University of Texas-Austin and was a recipient of the SMU Meadows Artistic Scholarship Graduate Award in Art History. She is an author, art historian, frequent guest speaker, art juror, and panelist at museums and conferences including the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas (CADD), and the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA).

Deaton is currently a member of the CASETA Board of Directors, previously served on the Arts Create Grant Panel for the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), and was featured in the National Endowment for the Humanities article (published in the Humanities journal) on the exhibition, Spanish Texas, Legend Legacy, curated in 2016. She is also the recipient of CASETA awards for outstanding publications and exhibitions in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2025. She received the MPMA 2009 award for art exhibition publications, and is currently working on a publication for "Texas Photographers in The Grace Museum Collection," and monographs for "William Lester: True to Form" and "David McManaway: The Phantasmagoric World of Ordinary Things." The scope of her curatorial interests are evidenced in her recent award-winning exhibitions, "Black Artists in Texas: Then and Now," "Linda Ridgway and Harry Geffert: A Visual Epilogue," "Coreen Mary Spellman: In Her Own Right, Art, and Language: A Shared Conversation," and "Sherry Owens: Promise Me the Earth."

125th ANNIVERSARY
�TWU Juried Alumni Exhibition�

APPLY HERE: tr.ee/TWU125AlumniShow
ENTRIES DUE: June 26, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

OPEN CALL | alumni show
🗓 Apply by: 06.26.26
⏰ 11:59 p.m. CST

In celebration of Texas Woman’s University’s 125th Anniversary,
the Division of Visual Arts invites our distinguished alumni (YOU) to apply to a juried alumni exhibition!

ENTRIES DUE:
▫️ Friday, June 26th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST

APPLY HERE:
▫️ tr.ee/TWU125AlumniShow

JUROR:
▫️ Judy Tedford Deaton – Chief Curator, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at The Grace Museum.

EXHIBITION RUN:
🗓 September 28 – October 24, 2026
▫️ RECEPTION: Friday, October 23, 2026 from 5:00–7:00 p.m.

LOCATION:
📍 TWU East | West Galleries, TWU Fine Arts Building, Denton, TX.

REQUIREMENTS:
▫️ MUST BE AN ALUMNI OF TWU VISUAL ARTS
▫️ This juried exhibition has no theme, no entry fee, and all mediums are welcome!

Applicants may submit up to 5 images of recent works.
Brief bios & artist statements are also required.

To apply, the Call for Entry (CaFÉ) portal requires a free account.

BFA Student Spotlight ✨
LISBETH VILLALPANDO
BFA in Visual Art | Studio Art

LISBETH VILLALPANDO is a q***r woman of color and interdisciplinary artist based in Denton, Texas. She was born to two Mexican immigrant parents in Chicago, Illinois. In 2023, she received her Associate of Arts Degree at Tarrant County College (TCC) in Fort Worth, Texas. Currently, Lisbeth is in her fourth year at Texas Woman's University in Denton, TX, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of in Fine Arts degree, with a focus in Studio Art: Photography.

Villalpando’s work explores safety, connection, and collective healing. Working across photography, installation, textiles, and text based work, she explores belonging and the search for safety. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions, including two artworks in the, “2026 John Weinkein Juried Student Exhibition,” where she received a second place award in the undergraduate category. She is also a former editor of Tarrant County College’s award-winning literary magazine, “Roots and Reflections.”

She invites viewers to participate in her BFA exhibition piece titled, “Our Safety Web,” an interactive installation that asks participants to reflect on what they need in order to feel safe –and also reflect on what they can offer others in order for them to feel safe. Through writing and contributions from participants, the work grows into a collective network of care - where safety and support form our web.

LISBETH VILLALPANDO


SPRING 2026 BFA EXHIBITION
🗓 April 27 – May 8, 2026
📍 TWU Fine Arts Building, TWU East | West Galleries

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TODAY! F MAY 1, 2026
ILLUMINATE ✨
Celebrate the Arts: Spark Connection!

🗓 Friday, May 1st, 2026
⏰ 3:00–5:00 p.m.
📍 Fine Arts Building

*Free Culture Card Event
▫️ Stamps for Visual Art, Music, Theatre, and Dance

The School of the Arts & Design presents: ILLUMINATE. Celebrate the Arts: Spark Connection. Events taking place April 16–May 1, 2026, with a closing event taking place in the Fine Arts Building (FAB) - Friday, May 1st, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. Scan QR code for more information!

MAY 1st EVENTS IN FAB:

VISUAL ARTS | 3:00–5:00 p.m.
▫️ BFA Exhibition in the FAB, TWU East | West Galleries.

DANCE | 3:30–3:40 p.m. & 4:20–4:30 p.m
▫️ Student performance on FAB stairs and foyer.

THEATRE | 3:40–3:50 p.m. & 4:40–4:50 p.m.
▫️ Musical theatre number in the FAB Foyer.

MUSIC | 3:50–4:20 p.m.
▫️ Background music in FAB foyer.

FASHION | 5:00–8:00 p.m.
▫️ Retail Market and Senior Fashion Showcase in Blagg-Huey Library.

See you there!

BFA Student Spotlight ✨
CYNTHIA SIMON
BFA in Visual Art | Studio Art

CYNTHIA SIMON was born in Dallas, and is an emerging artist based in Denton, TX. She is primarily focused on painting and drawing, exploring the emotion and atmosphere of her subjects. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, with a concentration in Painting & Drawing, and will graduate in May of 2026. Simon’s most recent body of work explores ideas of mood and storytelling, through acrylic paint on canvas. Her paintings capture subtle shifts in emotion and atmosphere, inviting viewers to engage with both narrative and feeling. When she is not in the studio, Simon continues to paint at home, continuously experimenting with new techniques and ideas.

CYNTHIA SIMON


SPRING 2026 BFA EXHIBITION
🗓 April 27 – May 8, 2026
⏰ ILLUMINATE RECEPTION: F May 1 | 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
📍 TWU Fine Arts Building, TWU East | West Galleries

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BFA Student Spotlight ✨
JESSE ALEJANDRA SANTILLAN
BFA in Visual Art | Studio Art

JESSE ALEJANDRA SANTILLAN is a commercial photographer based in Dallas, Texas. She is currently pursuing her BFA in Studio Art, focusing on Photography at Texas Woman’s University, graduating May 2026. Influenced by her Hispanic background, her work explores identity and portraiture, highlighting cultural richness, while preserving meaningful memories. She enjoys experimenting with alternative photographic processes such as cyanotype, and continually pushes herself to expand her creative practice.

JESSE ALEJANDRA SANTILLAN
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SPRING 2026 BFA EXHIBITION
🗓 April 27 – May 8, 2026
⏰ RECEPTION: TH April 30 | 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
📍 TWU Fine Arts Building, TWU East | West Galleries

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🖥 Design by