Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of contributing to a public painting project called Paint For Peace in downtown Albuquerque. Spearheaded by the fine folks at OT Circus, the project aims to liven up the drab and desolate-looking Central corridor after a majority of businesses closed as a result to the Covid-19 outbreak. Windows and doors have been locked and boarded up for months, especially after tensions escalated when a peaceful protest turned violent, resulting in broken windows and damaged properties.

In an attempt to reclaim some of the overall visual appeal of downtown Albuquerque, a collective of local artists were recruited to make some lemonade out of life's lemons. With approval by the city and consent from the owners of each business, we were each urged to lay claim to any of the plywood boards affixed to the building and do what we do best. Some of us even made it onto this week's news report! https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/artists-create-murals-on-boarded-up-downtown-storefronts/5786615/?fbclid=IwAR0DZZKJS5s_KcGMEUhZsfE1dhum9rtifQVMJK7z5sIB0ezsFqBCR5ZFXuA

Needless to say, I'm ecstatic to have been offered such an opportunity, as developing the large-scale mural and public art aspect of my repertoire is one of my priorities as an artist. Of course, it's a pleasure to have something up alongside some of the other dope artists from around Albuquerque for such a good cause, but if and after our nation regains some sort of normalcy beyond this pandemic, the boards will come down and the art will be auctioned off. I'll have more info on that as things progress. In the meantime, if you're in or around downtown ABQ and have about ten minutes to spare, do yourself a favor and take a cruise down Central Avenue for a free art show. You won't regret it!

Shout outs to: 
OT Circus
Jennifer DeSantis
Victoria Van Dame
Jessica Nicole
The Paint For Peace artist  team
​City of Albuquerque
All the business owners who gave the green light to us artists

It's been about a year and a half since my last blog post. My art has been ever-so-slowly been making progress, as I have majorly been working at my own leisure. What can I say? It tends to be the conditioned pace at which I find small windows of opportunity between work shifts, home maintenance, my relationship and other life aspects to dedicate to art. It seems my work is always in a perpetual, stagnant state of "in-progress" as it sits in my studio...

...that is until an opportunity presents itself that provides my work public exposure and me with a deadline. (Due dates and deadlines have always lit a fire under my ass; it was true at university, and it's true now.) I'm beyond excited that that opportunity comes in the form of one of my first public art shows since moving back to New Mexico. Not only that, but it worked out into a collaborative show with one of my very good friends from childhood, Eric Pullins. 

This Friday, August 3rd, is when we will both showing our latest works for all of Albuquerque to see. Held at the OT Circus gallery, this event will be a fraction of the goings-on around downtown as local businesses participate in First Friday's ABQArtwalk. I am so honored to be able to participate in this event, and I hope it to be the initial shove of the proverbial "ball" that desperately needs rolling.

Consider this an open invite to all! Not only is the event free and all ages, but it's a good reason to spend a summer evening among Albuquerque's creative talent as we transition into August! We hope to see you there!