Arts Commission

Commissioner Nancy Cooper is a dedicated supporter of the arts as evidenced by her nine years of service as a volunteer docent at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, where she also served as the Chair of the Docent Travel Committee and is currently serving as the Coordinator of the Sculpture Garden Docents. She is an appointed member of the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. Additionally, she is a Menaul School Board Trustee and a member of both the Museum of New Mexico and the Albuquerque Museum Foundations. She practiced dental hygiene for over 20 years, taught the subject at the University of New Mexico and was the first hygienist appointed to the New Mexico Board of Dentistry in 1979. Her extensive experience in state government covered the areas of legislative analysis, government relations, staff development and grants coordination.

Commissioner Wren Prather-Stroud is a multidisciplinary artist who studied dance and music from childhood. She loves all forms of art, but discovered her true passion in sculpture. Prather-Stroud has become known for her figurative bronze sculptures that are in noted public and private collections. She is a member of the Carlsbad Mayor’s Fine Art and Vetting Committee that has overseen the transformation of the park around the Carlsbad Municipal Library and the Carlsbad Art Museum into the Halagueno Arts Park. The project has been in progress for over 10 years and there are 16 sculptures, two fountains, and stages for outdoor performances. She has served on the board of the Carlsbad Arts and Humanities Alliance and is a founding member of Creative Carlsbad, a 501(c)3 organization that is an arts advocacy and education organization. Prather-Stroud continues to create sculpture and always looks forward to the next one.

Commissioner Terri Salazar is passionate about the intersection of art and history. Salazar actively promotes visual and performing arts to ensure that all New Mexicans, especially children, have access to the richness and diversity that arts education provides. She has been a docent at the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History and a member of their Historical Review Committee. At the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Salazar has volunteered in both the visual and performing arts departments and supports music.

Known as a champion of the arts, especially Native American arts, Commissioner JoAnn Balzer is passionate about nurturing creativity. As philanthropists, she and her husband sponsor the Innovation Tent and the Innovation Awards at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. They also sponsored the JoAnn and Bob Balzer Native Market and Contemporary Art Gallery at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and several galleries at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) to showcase student and alumni work. Balzer is a Trustee of the IAIA, having received a Presidential Appointment, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Folk Art Market. She has held leadership roles in many arts and cultural organizations, such as the Lensic Performing Arts Society and the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum, to name a few.

Terry has made art his career. For the past 50 years he has been involved in the arts as a professor, arts board member, curator, director and artist. After receiving a Bachelor’s and Master of Fine Arts Degree he was a professor of fine Arts at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, New Mexico for 18 years.  In 1995 he assumed the role of Curator/Director for the Governor’s Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and retired in 2001. In those 8 years he curated and installed 60 exhibits in the Governor’s Gallery. After retiring from the Museum of New Mexico he served on the New Mexico Humanities Council from 2007 thru 2015. Terry served as Chair of the NMHC from 2013 through 2015. While Governor’s Gallery director, he joined the Capitol Art Foundation (CAF) and has been a board member for the past 26 years. While serving on the CAF Terry was Vice President for 10 years and in 2019 was elected President of the CAF. Terry and his wife Tami live in Raton. Their home is a remodeled 1940 church. The church has been a “work in progress” and serves as home and studio for ceramics, jewelry and mixed media/assemblage.

Commissioner Janet Clow has had a life long appreciation of art. Although she was a practicing attorney for 43 years, she spent much of her free time in Santa Fe with artists, visiting galleries and museums, attending openings and serving as Treasurer of SWAIA. She also represented many artists. During retirement she has chosen to spend some of her volunteer time working as a member of the New Mexico Art’s Commission. She has used her organizational skills in helping to plan the events surrounding the Governor’s Arts Awards.

Commissioner Glenn Cutter grew up with a passion for music and professional experience as a rock band drummer from the age of 14. He majored in drama at the University of Arizona. Cutter owns jewelry, antiques, and art gallery businesses in Las Cruces, and is a member of Las Cruces and state arts organizations. He has received the Papen Award from the Doña Ana Arts Council and the 2002 New Mexico State Capitol Arts Legislative Recognition Award.

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

The performing arts have a starring role in Commissioner Mary Lyle’s life. She holds a BFA in theatre arts from the University of New Mexico, taught theatre and speech at the University of the Southwest and New Mexico Junior College, acted in and directed many plays, created the Summer Children’s Performing Arts Camp in Hobbs, and is vice president of the Community Players of Hobbs. Lyle is Education and Events Coordinator for the Western Heritage Museum Complex and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame, and a founder, president, and board member of the Lea County Commission for the Arts.

Among many arts activities, Commissioner Mary Peña Noskin owned an art gallery in Albuquerque’s Old Town, and helped local children attend performances of the Santa Fe Opera. She was chair and board member of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation, board member of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and docent at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History for 23 years. Peña Noskin previously served a term on the New Mexico Arts Commission. She currently volunteers at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Born and raised in Acoma Pueblo. Jonathan Sims served two years as the appointed Tribal Secretary for the Pueblo from 2015 to 2017. His work as a media creator, sound recordist, documentarian, and journalist in the Southwest and beyond has enabled him to collaborate with numerous tribal communities and artists over the last 20 years. A proud Aggie and NMSU journalism program graduate, as well as an alumnus of IAIA’s MFA in Creative Writing program, Jon has received two National Press awards for his work on MMIWR and Boarding School issues while writing for Albuquerque’s “The Paper.” He is currently the Film and Digital Media Assistant Professor at the UNM Valencia Campus and is honored to serve as a member of the New Mexico Arts Commission.