12:00 – 1:00 pm
The National Hispanic Cultural Center and New Mexico Arts are proud to unveil a public art project transforming a concrete planter on NHCC’s campus into a dynamic, three-dimensional mosaic inspired by New Mexico’s acequias. The Acequia Revitalization Project will be revealed to the public on Friday, Dec. 13.
Acequias are the lifeblood of New Mexico, NHCC and NMA are proud to honor the generations of New Mexican men and women who use acequias to grow crops and feed their communities. During the unveiling, hear from Padilla and representatives from the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, NHCC, NMA, and ALMA about what makes this project special.
The Acequia Revitalization Project, aimed at reimagining the ‘Paseo Acequia,’ a concrete, above-ground acequia previously used as a planter on the east side of NHCC’s campus. In 2022, Albuquerque-based painter and muralist Reyes Padilla was selected for the project. Working with students from Apprenticeships for Leaders in Mosaic Arts (ALMA), Padilla transformed the Paseo Acequia into a colorful artwork showcasing the multicultural history of acequia use in New Mexico through mosaic and concrete stain. Inside, solar lights symbolize the ever-changing flow of acequias.
The project was commissioned through NMA’s Art in Public Places program, which enriches New Mexico’s public spaces through an innovative and diverse public art collection. Since it was established in 1986, the Art in Public Places program has placed more than 3,000 works of art in all of New Mexico’s 33 counties.