Meandering Through the Sculpture Garden

Left: Frederico M. Vigil, Santa Madre Tierra y su Alma, 1991, buon fresco Albuquerque Museum, museum purchase, 1989 General Obligation Bonds, 1% for Art funds, City of Albuquerque, and funds provided by Nancy R. Briggs.

Below: Sebastian (born Enrique Carbajal González), Variacion Nuevo México, 1989, painted steel, Albuquerque Museum, museum purchase, 1987 General Obligation Bonds and 1% for Art Funds, City of Albuquerque.

Meandering Through Art

The Sculpture Garden provides a socially distanced Museum experience.

THE ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM SCULPTURE

GARDEN contains more than 50 works located in the Museum's lobby, atriums, and beautifully landscaped grounds. The garden contains artworks by a diverse cross-section of artists, addressing themes such as the relationships between humans and nature, and historical and cultural narratives specific to New Mexico and the Southwest.

On the east side of the Museum, visitors might be familiar with Sebastian, whose large blue installation is an abstract expression of Pueblo architecture. For Bear with Planes and Clouds, Bob Haozous used a single sheet of steel to illustrate the impact of technology on the natural and spiritual world. The bronze Prayer, by Bob’s father Alan Houser, is one of the most recognizable pieces in the east garden, reflecting on culture and tradition by combining abstract forms and the body.

Other works like Michael Orgel’s Nurturance, Oliver LaGrones’ Mercy, and Glenna Goodacres’ Park Place reflect on the importance of people and place, showing figures coming together, the cycle of life, and people taking care of one another. Jesus Moroles’ Floating Mesa and Tom Waldron’s Blue Tank reflect on the landscape of New Mexico and the importance of water in our region.

Highlights in the west garden include Charles Strong's large-scale bronze sculpture of Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. The artist experiments with perspective, allowing the viewer to see Cervantes as an abstract work from different angles.

Another formidable sculpture, Atomic Needle, is made of metal collected from discarded equipment at Los Alamos National Labs. Tony Price transforms the vestiges of destruction into new symbols.

Santa Madre Tierra y su Alma by Frederico Vigil is a combination of familiar and abstract shapes. With a rich earthen color palette, the fresco honors Holy Mother Earth and Her Soul. Fresco is an age-old painting technique that has been utilized by artists all over the world.

ON VIEW

TAKE A GUIDED VIDEO TOUR WITH CURATOR JOSIE LOPEZ

VISIT ONLINE: cabq.gov/sculpture-garden