From burnout to breakthrough: WNMU graduate finds new direction in Silver City
A WNMU graduate says moving to Silver City helped her rediscover her art and pursue a new path as both an artist and educator.
Renee Maderazo says move to the Gila helped reshape her art — and her future as an educator
Organ Mountain News report
SILVER CITY - After years of balancing freelance work and restaurant shifts, Renee Maderazo said she felt stuck.
“I was just going through the motions,” she said. “The hustle took a lot of the joy of making art out of it. It was directionless.”
Now, she’s preparing to graduate May 8 from Western New Mexico University with a Master of Arts in Teaching — a turning point she credits to a move to Silver City and a shift in how she approaches her work.
Maderazo, who earned her undergraduate degree in Arizona, said she came to the area after her parents retired to Silver City. Drawn by the landscape and the local arts community, she enrolled at WNMU hoping for a reset.
At the university, she said she found mentorship that pushed her in a new direction.
Under the guidance of professor Erin Wheary, Maderazo moved away from more traditional materials like bronze and woodworking and began creating works designed to change over time, using natural fibers and other materials connected to the environment.
"She encouraged me to listen to my soul, not just my brain, and reminded me art can have levity and meaning," Maderazo said.
Her work became more closely tied to the Gila Wilderness and surrounding landscape, reflecting what she described as a more personal and evolving artistic voice.
Originally enrolled in an interdisciplinary program, Maderazo later shifted to the teaching track, saying she wanted to pair her creative work with a desire to work with students.
That combination helped her gain admission to the University of New Mexico’s Master of Fine Arts program, which accepts a limited number of students each year.
As she prepares to graduate, Maderazo said leaving Silver City will be difficult.
Still, she said the experience reshaped both her art and her outlook.
“It isn’t easy,” she said. “It’s a lot of hours in the studio and a lot of following through on a hard commitment. But it is 100% worth it.”
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