The Passion Project, a student exhibition made possible by the Mario Basner Passion Project Fund, is on display in the Student Union Gallery through May 15. A reception celebrating the work will be held 5-8 p.m. March 22. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

The Passion Project is co-curated by art students Daniela Castaneda, Priscila Hernandez, Chantal Chandler, and professor Caralea Cole and showcases the work of the fall 2023 Advanced Photography students in ART 447.

The students were inspired by and applied for the Mario Basner Passion Project Fund. Basner created the Passion Project Fund, "as a catalyst to empower students to identify something that holds significant meaning to them to identify what it is that they are really and truly passionate about. They are writing the next chapter in their lives." 

Every student wrote a profoundly moving and authentic one-to-two-page statement about their passions and, in many cases, their inability to pursue them due to life circumstances. They expressed their life goals as artists through the lens of personal experiences. Throughout their journey as undergraduate students, each artist in this exhibition has developed a powerful and unique body of work that opens conversations about passion, heartbreak, longing, freedom, power, and desire.

About the UNLV College of Fine Arts

The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.