Student News – Page 16 – The CNM Chronicle

How to file a financial aid appeal

April 22, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Angela Le Quieu, Staff Reporter | Photo by Angela Le Quieu
appeal
For students who are on Financial Aid suspension, but who are close to graduation may have a few options to complete their degree program, which includes the Graduation Incentive Scholarship or an appeal to Financial Aid.

The Graduation Incentive Scholarship is available through the Academic Advisers Office and students who are within one semester of completing their degree and have no other financial aid or grants may qualify.

Students who are on financial aid suspension due to the satisfactory academic progress guidelines, which include reaching the maximum time frame, issues with their completion rate, or low grade point average, can fill out an appeal form explaining what extenuating circumstances have caused them issues through the Financial Aid office.

Student who fill out an appeal before the end of the spring term should know that the appeal will not go through until at least 10 days after the grades from this term have been posted, and it is recommended that students who are in the appeals process set up a payment plan through the Cashier’s Office in order to hold their registered classes.

If a financial aid appeal is not an option, students without any funding can seek a Graduation Incentive Scholarship which covers tuition and fees, but not books or other expenses.

In order to see if a student is qualified for the scholarship they must make an appointment with an Academic Adviser, who will be able to sign a student up for the scholarship, but money is limited, so the school cannot give the scholarship to everyone and acting fast is key to qualifying.

Senior Director for Financial Aid, Lee Carrillo said that colleges are not required by the Department of Education to provide an appeal opportunity, which handles the guidelines for satisfactory academic progress on which the financial suspensions are based.

“We choose to, because we want to give students an opportunity to succeed,” Carrillo said.

For more information on appeals call financial aid at 224-3090, or to inquire about the Graduation Incentive Scholarship call Academic Advisement at 224-4321.

8 steps students can take to make an appeal:
Step one: Pick up an Appeal Form and Financial Aid and Scholarship Services located in the Student Services Center on Main campus, Tom Wiley Hall on Montoya campus, or Student Services on Westside in WS II, room 106.

Step two: Students must have their FAFSA submitted for the current award year, be enrolled in an eligible major for the term, and enrolled by the first day of the term being appealed.

Step three: Fill out the information on the form.

Step four: Students need to complete the SAP Web Presentation which can be found at cnm.edu/ depts./fass/requirements/sappres.php. After going through the information, there is a short assessment that must be printed and attached to the Appeal Form. Each time a student makes an appeal they must complete this step.

Step five: Students need a typed letter that is a personal statement and it must also be attached to the Appeal Form.

Tips for step five: 1. Include college history and explanations for circumstances in which the student had issues. 2. Make sure to include resolutions to any extenuating conditions. 3. The people who review the appeals are looking for patterns, if there are multiple terms in which a student has had issues they must each be explained.

Step six: Gather supporting documents and attach those to the form, which can include statements from a physician, a death notice from a close relative, letters of support from a third party, or confirmation of circumstances.

Step seven: Visit the Academic Advisors Office and get a print out of a unofficial transcript, and also have a CAPP report run.

A signed copy with the students remaining credit hours must be attached to the form.

Step eight: The completed form with the entire attached document must be taken to the Financial Aid office.

Former student helps the disabled learn art

April 22, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Angela Le Quieu, Staff Reporter | Photos by Angela Le Quieu and Daniel Johnson

Photo by Angela Le Quieu
Artist Derick Smith shows off his Poison Ivy Paintings.

Photo by Daniel Smith Desiree Smith Dresses as 'Hellbabe, by Smith — Photo by Daniel Smith
Desiree Smith Dresses as ‘Hellbabe, by Smith

Local Albuquerque artist and former student, Derick Smith works for the Very Special Arts (VSA) organization dedicated to arts, education and disability at the North Fourth Art Center, located at 4904 Fourth St. NW, where he helps people in the Day Arts Program who have developmental disabilities to realize their art potential and how to cope through creativity.

Smith teaches and mentors people who are in the Developmental Disability Waiver Program providing education and training, and who want to use their free time to produce art to become actual artists, he said.

“I love it, because all these guys with special needs are so much more interesting than normal people—they are awesome,” Smith said.

Smith said that some of the things that he had experienced from instructors at CNM have helped him with his abilities to teach the people that he works with now, and not only does he help others to improve their skills, but he also produces and sells his own art.

The VSA North Fourth Art Center is a contemporary art venue that has a specific mission to bring the arts to all people, no matter their ability, age, culture or income level, through the Day Arts Program.

According to vsartsnm.org, gives an array of artistic learning options; from visual and performing arts, to literary art instruction, and even gives participants the opportunity for exhibit showings and promotion of the artist’s finished works.

Smith said that he helps to set up supplies people will need in order to work on their projects, and to help students with anything else that they need, which includes instructing them to on how to be better artists.

“Basically being that it’s an entire art program for these guys, it’s really cool, it’s really awesome that they can go to, and express themselves artistically, and a hang out and socialize,” Smith said.

Smith attended CNM while it was TVI right after his high school graduation in 2000, and went on to finish his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts at UNM, he said.

“The thing about degrees is that all it really does is help you get in and everything else just kind of happens,” Smith said.

However, from his time at TVI he picked up skills that he is able to impart to others like how a grey scale works, and how to apply that when painting something like the human eye, in which the whites of the eye are not really white but several shades of grey, Smith said.

For his own art work, Smith said he prefers to do things that are figurative, which means that his works are very close to how images would actually look in real life, but he also likes to include some aspects of impressionism, in which things are made more abstract.

He also enjoys doing work based on comic books, which he often sells at comic book conventions, such as a current series of paintings that feature the Batman character Poison Ivy, Smith said.

“I really like comics and I like art, so if I can do things for conventions then that’s awesome,” Smith said.

One of his subjects for his comic book themed art pieces is his girlfriend, Nursing major, Desiree Smith, who has a persona called ‘Hellbabe,’ which is based on the comic character Hellboy.

He said that she has modeled for her boyfriend many times in the past, and has been captured by the Chronicle in her full Hellbabe motif created by Smith at the 2013 Albuquerque Comic Expo.

“I don’t really like him, but the art work is good enough that I keep him around,” she said jokingly about Smith.

The next comic book convention that Smith’s artwork is intended to be shown at is the Albuquerque Comic Expo, which is scheduled for Friday, June 27 to Sunday, June 29, he said.

Smith’s art can also be found periodically at the Metropolis Art Gallery at 1102 Mountain Rd. NW, Smith said.

Smith said that there are also opportunities at VSA North Fourth Street Art center for people who have both an interest in art and a desire to help others.

For more information on programs or how to help out, go to the VSA North Fourth Street Art website at vsartsnm.org, or call 345-2872.

Paper or plastic Westside campus showcases recycled art

April 15, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos by Lea Anderson

Art Practices I uses paper and plastic bags to create original pieces of art. — Art Practices I uses paper and plastic bags to create original
pieces of art.

Since March 1, the Westside campus has become the home of a number of collaborative art projects that have raised the standard of art and thoughts toward an improved world in different ways, Art Instructor, Lea Anderson said.

These different projects that are spread throughout the campus, from WS I to the Connect Center in the Michael J. Glennon building, proves how a multitude of different positive ideas can be conveyed through art like the importance of sustainability, community collaboration, and even the variety of communication through art in general, just to name a few, she said.

“Its purpose is to raise the bar when it comes to possibilities of what art can communicate to the public,” Anderson said.

Reference Librarian, Mary Bates-Ulibarri said that another big project that helped raise sustainability awareness and showed the importance of a collaborative community was the Bottlefall project in the WS I building.

The project was designed for community participation and used recycled beverage containers, which were strung together and hung by a window to catch light, she said.

The project is open to anyone who wants to contribute to its growth and will constantly be expanding until the end of the semester, she said.

“My hope is that a lot of people will participate and we will get a kind of mass effect. The concept is to redeem these materials that we are throwing in the trash, transform them and turn them into something beautiful and eye-catching that people will look at and realize there is more to recycling than just not putting something in the trash,” Bates-Ulibarri said.

Anderson said one of the assignments in her Art Practices I class that students worked on, which is in MJG Connect Center, is called the Color Installation.

The piece was made with recycled materials that each student was required to save up including junk mail, cereal boxes and cardboard, she said.

Leftover acrylic paint was even used on the project which was just another example of the collaborative effort towards a less wasteful community, she said.

The piece became a giant blanket and connected tapestry, which combined many different elements and messages from the artists that worked on it and the viewers who have walked through the building, Anderson said.

“It is an interconnected, unique piece and can symbolize a lot of things about our culture, people in the project, and how we have to become an interconnected community in order to make improvements. So there are a lot of ways to look at the piece,” she said.

Her students were also tasked with creating any kind of art they wanted, just as long as it was out of paper bags, plastic bags or both, she said.

The kicker was that each individual was instructed to research the history of their chosen material and how the bags are made, what cultural associations are tied to the bags, and what impact these bags have on the environment, she said.

The students took the project very seriously and through their research, many of them came to realize just how much waste is really involved with something that American society has used constantly, Anderson said.

“Once you start researching bags, you cannot help but be aware of how much production there is and how much waste there is,” she said.

Anderson said that the projects worked off of and reflected the shift that has happened among much of the art seen in current society, which has been to try and apply artistic ideas to sustainability, she said.

She said that she has noticed how people have popularized the use of recycled material in their art, in such a way that draws attention to the impact of waste on the environment, and what can be done to try to slow down that waste, she said.

“That’s the point of the project: to be conscious of what materials we are using, how we are using those materials, and talking about ideas and environmental issues by using materials related to those issues. So not making a painting of a trash dump, but actually using the trash to make a piece of art,” Anderson said.

Anderson said that her efforts in this project were initially to connect to the school-wide Recyclemania project, which has increased her personal awareness and even helped her increase how much she has recycled.

Bates-Ulibarri said the Bottlefall project conveys an idea that each and every person is part of a larger picture in the same sense that every bottle that is recycled can contribute to a larger cause and improve sustainability.

No one who participated was told what to do or how it should be done or even pressured into participating, which is an important part of the bigger picture being conveyed by the project, Bates-Ulibarri said.

“No one is forced to participate, but they have and it creates an opportunity for volunteering, inspiration, and for just seeing things a little differently. If it were not for little contributions of individuals, then there would be nothing,” she said.

Bates-Ulibarri wanted everybody to know that the project is open to everyone, because when more people participate, the more successful the project completion will be, she said.

For more information or to participate in the Bottlefall project, contact Ulibarri at ulimb@cnm.edu.

South Valley campus Veterinary Technology program raises the bar

April 8, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter

The Veterinary Technology Program at the South Valley Campus has exceeded the nation’s expectations and raised the bar in veterinary medicine, said Program Director, Bonnie Snyder.

Since the program’s inception in the 2004 fall semester, 98 percent of the graduates from the program have gone on to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), while the national average pass rate for the exam is only 72 percent, Snyder said.

“It is a whole lot of hard work and I feel pretty proud of our students. A 98 percent VTNE pass rate is very good,” she said.

This high success rate has not only succeeded in giving the college and Vet Tech graduates good numbers, but it has also helped those graduates and future graduates have a better chance of finding employment, because the school has begun to be recognized as setting high standards within the field, she said.

Students who graduate from the program have been hired consistently by veterinarians all across the country because of the growing recognition of prestige in the Vet Tech program and its students, she said.

“We are developing a national reputation that leads to the point where other veterinarians in other states are recognizing that if they graduate from CNM, then they have a pretty good training and I am proud of that,” Snyder said.

The Vet Tech program is a rigorous, 20 month program which is spread over five terms and is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Snyder said.

Once all 28 classes and the 435 hours of clinical experience are completed, the program itself is complete and those students receive an Associate of Applied Science but are then required to sit for the VTNE, she said.

Passing the VTNE is how graduates become registered Veterinary Technicians and can then practice legally and the only way to be eligible to take the exam is by graduating from an accredited program, like the Vet Tech program, Snyder said.

“So it is kind of a waste of time in New Mexico to get the Associate of Applied Science if you do not intend to sit for the national exam. It is just kind of finishing what you started. I tell students when they get accepted into the program that they have two goals— one is to graduate and the other is to pass the VTNE because if they do not, then they are not registered vet technicians,” Snyder said.

CNM only accepts 26 students every fall into the Veterinary program and there is a pre-screening application that must be filled out and submitted by June 23 each year, along with quite a few other prerequisites, she said.

Applicants must have passed biology and chemistry, both lecture classes and labs, with a B or higher, along with a math course, English course, psychology, and IT 1010.

GPAs must be at least 2.75, and students must have passed the Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test, also known as the H.O.B.E.T, Snyder said.

And even if an applicant does meet all the requirements of the pre-screening process, Snyder advises that it helps tremendously if students have real life experience with animals, because some students in the past have been unable to handle everything that is involved with being a veterinary technician, she said.

“Being a vet tech is not all about holding Fluffy and petting Taffy. They have to be able to handle surgery and blood, cleaning cages and a lot of other things. We have a certain number of students who get into the program and decide they do not want to do it because they did not realize what it was and that is kind of a shame, because they worked very hard to get into the program in the first place,” Snyder said.

Snyder is very proud of the students in the program and the program itself because it has benefited so many people in the community in so many different ways, she said.

She is proud of the program for helping the students become good at what they want to do by supplying the information, and making it possible for the students to become someone that is beneficial to so many in our society, she said.

Snyder believes that the benefits from the program go full circle among the community, starting with the students who get jobs, all the way to the clients who bring their pets in for medical help, she said.

“Everyone benefits starting with the students who graduate and get jobs. The veterinarians who hire them benefit a lot too. Of course the animals they work with benefit along with the owners of the animals because they are increasing the standard of practice of veterinary medicine,” Snyder said.

Snyder said for students who plan on applying for the program, to remember that experience with animals helps in the long run but a strong background in science and math is very important because the program is a heavily science-based program.

“You cannot understand about pharmacology until you understand anatomy and physiology. You cannot understand about surgery until you understand the science behind surgery. So you need to have a good science background,” Snyder said.

For more information on the Veterinary Technician program, students can go to cnm. edu/programs-of-study or email Snyder at bsnyder6@cnm.edu

English department offers more classes plus online degree

April 1, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Carol Woodland, Staff Reporter

An exciting change is coming for students pursuing an Associate of Arts in English degree from CNM said Stephen Mathewson, chair of the English department.

Starting in fall of 2014 students will be able to pursue an AA in English completely online, he said.

“So you can take all of the core requirements within English but also within CHSS ( Communication , Humanities and Social Sciences) for the AA in English online,” Mathewson said.

Online courses will offer classes that include British, English and World Literature, as well as a class on literature analysis, Mathewson said.

The AA degree in English is also undergoing a revision to make transferring to the University of New Mexico a clearer process by synchronizing CNM with UNM requirements, he said.

“If students check UNM’s degree requirements online, they will see what ours will be. It’s a much more streamlined process especially at the sophomore level, and in the fall of 2015 our degree will match UNM’s revisions,” Mathewson said.

Currently students can choose from numerous different literatures and writing classes that include special topics course, such as Science Fiction Literature that will be offered at the West Side campus, a script writing class offered through the Theater department, and Film as Literature class which is already offered every semester, Mathewson said.

Despite the selection of course offerings, there has been low enrollment for some of the classes, English Professor, Rebecca Aronson said.

“This semester we didn’t have a poetry class on the Main campus because there was a dip in enrollment,” she said.

Aronson said she thinks that there are many great reasons why students should take Poetry or Creative Writing classes ranging from practical reasons to more expressive purposes.

“I think that on the imagination side, it’s a chance for people to express themselves, or sometimes just vent, follow their imaginative paths and do a freer kind of writing than academic writing,” she said.

In addition, students can gain a deeper connection to their lives and ideas when students write down their thoughts and aspirations, Aronson said.

Examining literature in English class can be an unexpected way to learn about culture by looking at literature from other countries or from the past, Aronson said.

“I think that poetry really is a good reflector of culture, time and place. You’re going to learn things about culture and what’s happening, and what that part of the world is like,” she said.

Reading literature from other countries can also help to get students informed about things they might not necessarily be learning from the news, Aronson said.

Mathewson said he thinks the skills students take away from English classes are essential in any professional environment.

“Not just writing emails, I think students don’t realize how much writing happens at work: proposals, grants, annual reports, revenue statements, those types of skills are universal,” he said.

Good writing skills, critical thinking, and analysis of all types of texts are all valuable skills developed in English classes, Mathewson said.

Writing for digital media, creative non-fiction, and professional writing are some of the biggest markets for English majors to start careers in right now Mathewson said, he also said he thinks that technology has been a catalyst to this growth.

“There’s sort of this misconception that texting is going to destroy writing, where actually the opposite is true,” he said.

Professional writing, which most people think of as technical writing, is not necessarily writing technical manuals and medical or government documents, Mathewson said.

From writing grants and proposals to critical analysis of nontraditional nonfiction, there are many interesting niches within professional writing, he said.

Though the field may be growing quickly writers still need to develop strong English skills in order to succeed in any field, Mathewson said.

“Digital media sort of exploded in a lot of ways, but within that explosion you still need to punctuate correctly and make sure subjects and verbs agree,” Mathewson said.

One way students can dig a little deeper into English is by taking 2240, a class in traditional English grammar, Mathewson said.

“In the last year or so Erin Lebacqz has revived 2240, which is a class that a lot of folks in education curriculums take but a lot of English majors take as well. It’s not really a writing improvement class, but sort of the theories behind grammar,” Mathewson said.

The track that students are taking to earn an English degree is evolving and changing to meet the needs of today’s workforce, Mathewson said.

“I think that it’s certainly changed from when I was a student. It’s become much more expansive and the traditional arrangements of English departments are no longer what they were,” Mathewson said.

For students still unsure of whether or not to pursue English as a degree, the English department has put together a video at the CNM YouTube website (youtube.com/users/ CNMonline) called “Why is Writing Important?,” and shows people from all different walks of life talking about how to use the skills students have developed in English classes, Mathewson said.

Aronson said that students sometimes avoid or fear taking English classes and should not have to feel that way because learning English is just like any other subject and that with practice people can learn to be great writers.

Writer’s Club hosts visiting poet

March 25, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Carol Woodland, Staff Reporter

On Thursday March 27 at 7 p.m., CNM’s Writing Club will be presenting writer and poet Tomás Morín in the Smith Brasher Auditorium, which will be free and open to the public.

Writing Club Advisor and English Instructor, Rebecca Aronson said she is excited to host Morín, who is reading his first published book, “A Larger Country,” which is a poetry anthology that was published in 2012.

“He is a really interesting poet; a really engaging nice person, a good presenter” she said.

Aronson said that at the event Morín will talk about his poems and will read either from his book or new work, and there will be a question and answer session afterwards.

To find out more about the event or the Main Campus Writer’s Club, email Rebecca Aronson at raronson@cnm.edu.

S.A.G.E. Instructor, and member of the Main Campus Writing Club, Stephen Romero said he thinks Morín’s poetry has a naturalistic sense, and readers can find a sense of home or personal history in his work.

“It’s clear his poetry has a deep connection to place—this comes through the imagery in his poems, which like a winding road, takes readers on journeys with the speaker, and at the end, it’s exciting to see where he takes us,” Romero said.

There are three chapters of the writing group that meet on Main, West Side and Montoya campuses, Aronson said.

Locations and times of the meetings can be found on the CHSS calendar at the CNM website.

“It’s a group for people who are interested in any kind of creative writing, at any level, to just come and write and get to know other writers and talk about writing,” Aronson said.

The group is open to people who may not consider themselves writers too, Romero said.

At the Main Writer’s Club, writers bring something they have recently read to share with the group, such as an article or book excerpt, or poem that the group can discuss, and members also may bring prompts or writing exercises, Aronson said.

“We’re really a mix of poets and fiction writers, playwrights and memoirists. We try and make the prompts, so that they could work for any genre, then everybody writes, and people can choose to read what they’ve written or just listen,”Aronson said.

Aronson said that in her opinion any kind of writing practice is helpful and can be a great outlet, and believes that poetry can be a good means to express things that are difficult.

“It’s just a playful, expressive, interesting way of communicating,” she said.

Romero said that members can gain a lot from the experience of being in a writer’s group.

The group is very open to helping others find resources and work on specific skills, he said.

“I’ve been in the writing group for a few years now, and it’s been one of the most welcoming, relaxed environments I’ve been a part of, and it’s helped me develop my writing skills so much because it’s allowed me to have a set time to actually sit and write and talk and share with others,” Romero said.

Romero said that he thinks the idea of poetry and creative writing has become distorted or romanticized as though it is an unattainable or unnecessary skill but the reality is that language is power.

Romero said all language, even body language is poetry, and that creativity is an inherent force within a person connected to how they view the world around them.

“To anyone who is intimidated by poetry, my honest advice is to try and recognize that it’s not just confusing word vomit that high school English teachers make you write five paragraph essays on. It’s a force inside the human spirit— each person just has to have the desire to explore it, in whatever capacity in which they feel comfortable,” Romero said.

For students interested in experiencing great poetry come to life, Tomás Morín’s reading will be Thursday, March 27 at 7 p.m.

Suncat Chit Chat

March 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos By Nick Stern
Has the computer lab move affected you at all? How do you like the labs?

Stephanie Avila Business major “It’s harder sometimes during the day because it is really congested.” — Stephanie Avila
Business major
“It’s harder sometimes during the day
because it is really congested.”

Steven Doolittle Psychology major “I don’t really have an opinion on whether the computers should be here or downstairs. I don’t really feel any different about it” — Steven Doolittle
Psychology major
“I don’t really have an opinion on whether the
computers should be here or downstairs. I
don’t really feel any different about it”

Jennie Flores Radiology and Psychology major “Not really. I definitely use the computers and there’s times when it’s been a little crowded but I’ve always been able to get on one.” — Jennie Flores
Radiology and Psychology major
“Not really. I definitely use the computers and
there’s times when it’s been a little crowded
but I’ve always been able to get on one.”

Jeff Whiteman Social work major “I’ve been attending this center (ACE) for math for actually 18 months now. I utilize it quite a bit and I think it’s pretty fantastic. Up here is really difficult. It has affected me (The move). I found about the ones being gone downstairs when I went and tried to use them when I couldn’t get on one here (ACE). That’s when I realized they were gone. — Jeff Whiteman
Social work major
“I’ve been attending this center (ACE) for math for
actually 18 months now. I utilize it quite a bit and
I think it’s pretty fantastic. Up here is really difficult.
It has affected me (The move). I found about
the ones being gone downstairs when I went and
tried to use them when I couldn’t get on one here
(ACE). That’s when I realized they were gone.

Jeff Grey Civil Engineering major “I think the Student Center, that’s what it’s called right, is great! The move hasn’t really affected me at all.” — Jeff Grey
Civil Engineering major
“I think the Student Center, that’s what
it’s called right, is great! The move
hasn’t really affected me at all.”

Dylan Larsen Pharmacy Tech major “If I get to the labs a little later in the day I can get on a computer without any effort whatsoever. It’s all in the timing!” — Dylan Larsen
Pharmacy Tech major
“If I get to the labs a little later in the day I
can get on a computer without any effort
whatsoever. It’s all in the timing!”

The Passion of Christo; Convict’s art changes his conviction

March 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Jonathan Baca, Copy Editor | Photos Provided by Eric Christo Martinez

martinez

From Albuquerque’s mean streets, to a six-by-nine foot cell in a federal prison, to the walls of the Albuquerque Museum, the life of local artist and former student Eric Christo Martinez has been one of inspiration and conviction.

After honing his artistic skills and craft behind bars, Martinez has emerged as a successful painter and tattoo artist, and now he is working to give back to the community, teaching kids and convicts that art can be a powerful release from the harsh realities of life.

Martinez struggled with crime and drug addiction from an early age, and at the age of 22 he was convicted of a drug crime and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, he said.

In prison, he quickly discovered that he had a talent for drawing and he begin making paños, a classic form of prison art consisting of intricate drawings done on handkerchiefs, he said.

“It was a pastime, but also something I really started developing a love and a passion for. So I just kept drawing and drawing and it grew and grew,” Martinez said.

Then he was put into solitary confinement for six months, and he discovered that drawing was a powerful means of escape, spending countless hours practicing and honing his craft, he said.

Eventually, people began to notice how good his art was, and started asking if he would give them tattoos, he said.

Tattooing in jail is a unique skill, and Martinez quickly learned the techniques, building his first tattoo machines out of motors taken out of radios and sharpened guitar strings, and making his own ink from soot and baby oil, he said.

“I started out with fine line black-and-grey prison style, a style that has a lot of history. It was born behind bars, and it spilled out onto the streets and is really popular now, and it revolutionized tattoo art,” Martinez said.

Martinez was eventually moved to a prison in Pennsylvania, where he was introduced to fine art and painting by another inmate, Hendrick Gil, who began mentoring him and teaching him the craft of painting, he said.

He also began devouring every book on art that he could get his hands on, learning the history and techniques of past masters from all different styles, he said.

“I do a little bit of everything, all styles. Whatever challenges me or takes me to a new place, it’s all about the art and growing as an artist, so I love new challenges and styles,” Martinez said.

Soon painting became Martinez’s main outlet, and he decided that he wanted to try his hand at becoming a professional artist when he was released, he said.

He was set free in 2010, and by then he had created an entire series of paintings titled “Conviction,” based on his time in prison, he said.

He got a few paintings into his first gallery show, and one of them, a self-portrait titled “The Passion of Christo,” was purchased and eventually displayed at the Albuquerque Museum, he said.

Since then, Martinez has made a successful career as a tattoo artist and painter, tattooing full time at Factory Edge in Coronado Mall, and he is currently working on designs for a new clothing line, he said.

Martinez said he has also been involved in outreach work for prisoners and kids in the juvenile justice system, showing them that art, culture and creativity can be a way out of a life of crime, drug abuse and prison.

“Being able to give back and share the art and my experiences, especially with the youth, is important to me because I lost my brother, and me and a lot of friends; we’ve been through a lot, so if I can inspire and plant some seeds, it means a lot to me,” Martinez said.

For more information on the art of Eric Christo Martinez, visit ericchristoart. zenfolio.com.

From overseas to Albuquerque; Dorian’s shades of Gray

March 4, 2014 cnmchronicleLeave a comment

By Nick Stern, Senior Reporter | Photos courtesy of Dorian Grey

Computer Sciences major Dorian Gray is a professional tattoo artist who works at Ace’s Tattoo and Body Piercing located at 2737 San Mateo NE, she said.

She has been a professional tattoo artist for three years and believes it is one of the most rewarding experiences she has ever gotten out of life, Gray said.

“I absolutely love my job because it is really creative, I get to meet thousands of new people, and I get to cover the world in beautiful art,” she said.

The style of art she is best at and loves to do the most is Japanese, which she would do all day if her clients would let her, she said.

The name Dorian Gray comes from a joke that someone made about her never aging, and is a reference to Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” about a man who never ages while a portrait of himself ages more and more, she said.

Gray already has her Bachelor’s degree in illustration that she got from the Northern Illinois University and she is currently attending CNM courses in order to knock out all of the coursework that she can before transferring to UNM in the fall semester of 2014, she said.

CNM has helped her in both her pursuit of a Master’s in Computer Science and also helped her with her career in tattoos, she said.

Gray said her time at the Montoya campus has been surprisingly very educational and she has been taking math and a couple programming classes, which have helped her learn how to create databases, and as far as tattooing goes, the people that she has met around the campus community have been very cool and interested in what she does which has inspired her to keep up her hard work.

“I think CNM is a really great school. I went to a community college outside of Chicago where I am from and I thought the educational quality was pretty bad, but CNM is actually really good and I was really surprised and happy. The math classes are actually really great,” Gray said.

After Gray graduated with her first bachelor’s degree she said she moved to Japan for three years where she apprenticed and started to study the way that tattooing is done there. Then she went to Melbourne, Australia where she also did a year-long apprenticeship in tattooing which was hard work and required some serious dedication and toughening up.

Gray said she is responsible for doing everything and anything that needed to get done around the shop like cleaning, getting other artists food, scrubbing everything, and when the artists eventually had free time, they would teach her how to tattoo.

“It is pretty hard work and is kind of like boot camp where everyone is hazing you and it really toughens you up, but it is really good training and you do all your medical certifications too,” she said.

Gray said that with her apprenticeship and her three years of professional tattooing, she has probably done around 2,000 different tattoos and she believes it is an honor and privilege to help so many people along the transformative process that is tattooing, she said.

Ace’s Tattoo and Body Piercing is open from Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays are also available by appointment and the shop can be contacted via email at info@acestattooabq. com or by phone at 872-8287, Gray said.