Nearly 30 years after coming to New Mexico State University as a student, Silvia Marinas-Feliner is retiring from the Department of Art at the end of the year as a beloved professor as well as the founder and director of the Museum Conservation program – now one of only two programs of its kind in the U.S. for undergraduates.
By 2000, Marinas-Feliner had served as the acting director for about a year and a half for what was then called NMSU’s Art Gallery, after years of serving as its art conservator. In 2001, she was asked to establish the Museum Conservation program. First, she did research, approaching the top museum conservation programs in the country.
“I had the knowledge from Europe,” she explained. “I went to many places in Italy, Ireland France, but I also went to New York, I went to Delaware, I went to the UCLA-Getty. I talked with the people at the program in Buffalo. I combined what I know about museum conservation in Europe with what I learned about the U.S. conservation programs to give my students a wide array of options.”
“Silvia went to visit existing programs, primarily graduate programs in museum conservation, to find out what they would need for undergraduates to know to successfully become candidates in those graduate museum conservation programs,” said Margaret Goehring, art history professor and department head.
While Marinas-Feliner was collaborating with colleagues in other departments across the university to build a curriculum for a museum conservation undergraduate degree, she also faced the task of raising funds to support the program.
The Stockman Foundation was the first long-time supporter she discovered. “The Stockmans gave, over the years, more than $1.6 million. Their last donation was $750,000, and that’s how we started the endowment,” Marinas-Feliner said. “That same year, I received a $50,000 award as the best program their foundation was funding.”
Another key supporter from the beginning was J. Paul Taylor, a former educator and state representative who generously funded many NMSU projects and programs. Taylor gave donations each year to the Museum Conservation program until he passed away earlier this year at age 102.
As Marinas-Feliner gained support, her program demonstrated success. Conservation services are in high demand across the country. Marinas-Feliner points to a 95% placement rate of the NMSU program’s students in museum jobs after graduation.
More recently, Marinas-Feliner’s program received a $1.2 million endowment from Candis J. Stern. The Stern endowment will provide long-term support for NMSU’s program in the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, Stern is also providing funds for equipment, supplies and student support.
Over the years, Marinas-Feliner’s students have participated in internships at the Smithsonian Institution. Those students’ successes led the Smithsonian to start calling Marinas-Feliner seeking more NMSU interns to work at the Smithsonian for summer internships.
In 2022, in a first-of-its-kind partnership, the Smithsonian Latino Center received funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support internships at the Smithsonian Institution for four NMSU Museum Conservation students per year for the next five years.
Goehring pointed out the funding and support from the foundations and the Smithsonian are due to Marinas-Feliner’s steadfast advocacy for her program and proactive approach to finding like-minded people and organizations to support museum conservation.
“It wouldn't have happened without Silvia’s incredible generosity of spirit,” Goehring said. “That's something that can never be replaced. Yes, she cares deeply, but she also has a willingness to be humble.”
But as Marinas-Feliner looks back on her years building the program, she is proud of her student’s success and grateful to the Stockmans, Taylor and the Sterns for their support in sustaining the future careers of many more students to come.
“We could never replace Silvia, but we are starting the search process,” said Goehring. “We are hopeful we will have the position filled by next August. We are lucky right now to have Sara Harper, a student who recently graduated from Silvia’s program, who can help us hold the fort for the spring semester.
“We don't know what direction the program will take,” Goehring added. “That will depend on the person who comes in. But I see some exciting things potentially developing as we move forward in time.”
“This is my time. I know that, and it is kind of bittersweet,” said Marinas-Feliner. “As we say in Spain, I am leaving with a wonderful, sweet flavor in my mouth. I love all my students and all my colleagues. Believe me, it is real. It's true.”
Marinas-Feliner may be retiring, but she is staying in Las Cruces and promised to be a phone call away for her students and former colleagues. “I have told all my colleagues that I’ll be here. Whenever we have a new conservator, I will be available for whatever they need from me. I'm going to retire, obviously, but if they need me, I'll be there.”
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CUTLINE: Left: Silva Marinas-Feliner, retiring founder and director of New Mexico State University's Museum Conservation program. (NMSU photo by Chloe Dunlap) Right: NMSU Museum Conservation students restoring the bronze statue “The Joy of Learning” behind Branson Library on NMSU’s main campus. (NMSU photo)
CUTLINE: NMSU faculty, staff and community members gather at the NMSU Art Museum for the Department of Art retirement party to honor art professors Silvia Marinas-Feliner and Tauna Cole. (NMSU photo by Chloe Dunlap)
CUTLINE: From left: Silvia Marinas Feliner with art department head Margaret Goehring. (NMSU photo by Chloe Dunlap)
CUTLINE: NMSU Museum Conservation students restoring the bronze statue “The Joy of Learning” behind Branson Library on NMSU’s main campus.The sculpture, created in 1988 by Grant Kinzer, former chair of the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, depicts a cowboy reading to a child. (NMSU photo)