Ribbon-Cutting for Artwork Installation at Southside Library. Thursday, March 24, 11 a.m.

Members of the public and media are invited to join Mayor Webber, members of the City Council, Department Heads Maria Sanchez-Tucker and Pauline Kanako Kamiyama, Arts Commissioner Jorge Bernal, and artist Hernan Gomez Chavez for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Southside Library this Thursday.

The sculptural piece is titled "Un Peublo sin Piernas pero Que Camina" and represents the strife of the immigrant community and their support for their children’s futures.

"This work is really important to me because it's deeply personal," says Gomez Chavez. "I made this as a way to speak to my lived experience here in Santa Fe as a first generation Mexican-American and how important the immigrant community that primarily lives on the Southside is to the well-being of our entire city."

Arts Commissioner Jorge Bernal says: "We, as residents of this community, understand the importance of our public art portfolio and the significance of ensuring our artworks are accessible to the entire community. It is our pleasure, as members of the Arts Commission and the staff of the Arts and Culture Department, to identify, plan, and implement these public art projects and bring them to you.

The project is part of Art In Public Places (AIPP), which sets aside 2% of Capital Improvement Project budgets to contribute to the cultural vibrancy of the City.

Where: Southside Library plaza, 6599 Jaguar Drive

When: Thursday, March 24, 11:00 a.m

Who: Members of the public and the media are invited

Note: COVID-safe masking and distancing protocols will be observed.

Contact: Pauline Kanako Kamiyama, Arts and Culture Department Director; pkkamiyama@santafenm.gov.

Media RSVP: Dave Herndon, Communications Director, (505) 670-0719; daherndon@santafenm.gov