While Carolyn is known for her work across a wide range of mediums and subjects, she is particularly renowned for her evocative portrayals of women, with a special focus on mothers.
Source: City of Las Cruces
Photo: Courtesy the Bunch Family (via City of Las Cruces)
On November 22, 2025 the Branigan Cultural Center will be opening a new retrospective art exhibition that features the work of noted Las Cruces artist Carolyn Bunch. Now in her 100th year, Carolyn Bunch has spent a lifetime illuminating the spirit of the desert Southwest through her deeply expressive figurative paintings. Her studies at the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago started her on a long career in art which has touched many in the Las Cruces art community – not only as an artist, but also as a public school art teacher and art gallery owner.
While Carolyn is known for her work across a wide range of mediums and subjects, she is particularly renowned for her evocative portrayals of women, with a special focus on mothers. Her canvases, steeped in symbolism and emotional nuance, reflect women from across the globe, yet consistently return to the Mesilla Valley scenes and desert landscapes she’s called home for over seven decades.
The exhibition will open with a special opening reception at the Branigan Cultural Center from 2-4 p.m., on Sat., Nov. 22. It will run through February 21, 2026. For more information, visit lascruces.gov/museums or contact David Lundy, Museum Manager (Exhibits) at (575) 528-3438, or by email at dlundy@lascruces.gov.