UNM faculty and alumni come together to celebrate artists

The week-long set of events will be held June 19-28 at three different venues. The University of New Mexico's College of Fine Arts will host several shows at two venues, the Carlisle Gym and Experimental "X" Theatre. The third venue is Studio Sway, a barefoot dance studio in Uptown.

The passionate artists who form this year's organizing team are Madrone Matysiak, a UNM alumna and independent dancer, choreographer and marketing representative for UNM's Theater and Dance department; Erik Ehn, a UNM professor of practice in theater; Caitlin Fahey Crow, a freelance cellist, vocalist, music educator and UNM alumna; all led by lead organizer Elyse Fahey, an independent dancer, choreographer, former UNM student and owner of Studio Sway.

"Each member of the fringe's organizing team is also a featured artist in the festival," said Fahey. "We will be presenting our own work and performing in the work of other participating artists. It's a very "in-house" production, with every committee member wearing 2-15 hats and operating on a zero-dollar budget."

Fringe festivals provide attendees with free open access to art events by independent artists, showcasing experimental, work-in-progress, and alternative works through various live performances, from dance- and movement-based theater to live music.

In the spirit of a Fringe Festival, all shows in UNM's Carlisle Gym are open-seating and do not require tickets. The organizers encourage the community to take advantage of this opportunity to see a variety of works by many different artists.

In its second year, the festival has already seen tremendous growth, from three productions last year to a full calendar of events within three days this year.

"We have 15 mainstage productions, social events, and workshops, our own web and social media presence, multiple out-of-state performers, and a photographer who will document all the shows," said Matysiak. "2026 will be a very talent-packed and energizing festival!"

Many UNM alumni are participating in the festival, including Martin Quintana, Sarah Hogland-Gurulé, Monica Sanchez, Jessica Wilson, Christopher Schuldt, Rhiannon Frazier, Cody Lutz, Elysia Sarmiento Pope, Juliana Gorena, as well as Matysiak and Fahey Crow from the organizing team.

Three faculty members from UNM's Theater and Dance department will also be participating in the festival, including Ehn from the organizing team, Kate Clarke, an associate professor of theater, and dance instructor Francois Achan.

"The Fringe is evidence of the unique collaborative culture of Albuquerque's dance, theater, and music communities," said Fahey Crow. "Many high-level artists are freely sharing their time and skills, and several of the Fringe shows reflect this generous and collaborative ethos."

Ehn shared that " ABQ Fringe, UNM and the National Institute of Flamenco are recursive organizations. Students learn from and sometimes graduate into NIF, and NIF and UNM faculties overlap. Events like the Fringe enrich the Albuquerque artistic ecosystem, making a coherent community out of the abundance of individual talents."