Global Art Classroom students ventured beyond their Tucson home base for a midterm excursion to New Mexico and Texas that combined artistic exploration with hands-on learning about desert ecosystems and regional culture. Students explored public art installations in Las Cruces, experienced the otherworldly landscape of White Sands National Park, and enjoyed delicious Mexican food along the way. Read reflections below from Erin '26 and Indira '26 as they capture how travel continues to expand their understanding of the American Southwest.
Trip to New Mexico and Texas
Erin ’26
For a midterm excursion, we visited New Mexico and Texas. I had never been to either of these states, so I was really looking forward to it. We packed up the van bright and early at 6:30 am to start the long drive to El Paso. After a stop for gas at my favorite station, Love’s, we made it to the city of Las Cruces. We went to the visitor center and then had a quick tour from a local college student on public art found in the city. We learned the rich history behind many art pieces, including a pair of lion statues appearing to protect the city.
After enjoying a Mexican lunch, we boarded the van once more to continue the journey to El Paso, Texas. The next day, we drove to White Sands National Park in New Mexico to sled down dunes and learn about local wildlife. This visitor center shows an informational video about the park, which taught me a lot about the desert animals. I learned that darker colored animals couldn’t survive as well as those that blended into the sand, and so most desert animals are light in color.
I think being an outsider at White Sands made me appreciate how stunning the park is. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world and boasts unique backpacking trails and the ability to cover everything you own in sand. Despite the rainy conditions, we all had a blast sledding down dunes and doing handstands for photos. We concluded the day with excellent Mexican food (for the fourth night in a row) and a restful night at the rented house, ready to drive back to Tucson on Sunday.
Global Art Classroom Goes to White Sands National Park
Indira ’26
Recently, we went on a trip out to White Sands, New Mexico. We woke up bright and early, snuggled up in the car, and hit the road. After a long 5 hours in the car and many stops, we made it. For the weekend, we stayed in El Paso, Texas.
At 7:30 am, we left for White Sands, which was around 2 hours away. At a whopping 40 degrees and rainy with high winds, we arrived at the white sands. It was something I’ve never experienced. It felt straight out of Star Wars; it felt like I should see Anakin Skywalker zip around the corner or see 2 moons. While shivering, we spent the next couple of hours sledding, taking pictures, and attempting to do backflips. We explored the dunes, climbing to the highest ones and trying to sled down them, most of us just tumbling down the dunes. After we were all almost frozen and our bus covered in white sand, we headed back to our rented house, where we bonded so much as a group. We shared so many funny moments, and bonded over UFC fights, and all together became closer as a group. I’m so excited for more moments like this for our group.
Having the privilege of going to White Sands was so amazing. It has been a place I’ve been dreaming of going to. I’ve especially wanted to go there after that's where my parents fell in love. Even though the weather was not ideal, it will be a moment I will never forget.
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