“Gateways to Lupus” sculpture designed by Rio Rancho artist Matthew Lutz for UNM-West campus
University of New Mexico-West hosts an unveiling of two public artworks on their campus on Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 4-5p.m. UNM-West is located at 2600 College Blvd NE Rio Rancho, adjacent to the Rio Rancho City Center. This event is free and open to the public.
“Gateways to Lupus” (2012) by Artist Matthew Lutz was commissioned jointly by the City of Rio Rancho Arts Commission and UNM. The artwork is comprised of nine Cor-ten steel arches arranged in the shape of the constellation Lupus (the Lobo/Wolf), as seen from above. The arches vary in height and size from four, six and eight feet high, and invite viewers to walk through and interact with them. The openings of the arches face different directions, representing the many gateways provided by higher education and the many paths available to graduates.
Lutz has worked as a printmaker, sculptor and painter, and recently began work in graphic design. He is also teacher and mentor of young artists, teaching at Rio Rancho High School since 1998.
“Bevel” (2004) by Tom Waldron was purchased by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs’ 1% for the Arts program and placed at UNM-West. For more than years Waldron has been transforming sheet metal into elegant, sensual and massive forms from his New Mexico studio. Waldron, who studied at UNM, has an extensive, nationally recognized body of work. His sculpture is part of many public arts collections including the Albuquerque Museum of Fine Art and the New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts.
Art Historian Arden Reed described Waldron’s work in “Art in America”:
“Tom Waldron’s oeuvre presents multiple paradoxes. The work seems simple but proves complex, and initially looks stable but visually morphs in unexpected ways. Each highly refined form appears solid but is actually fabricated of welded quarter-inch steel. Contemporary in appearance, his sculpture nonetheless suggests unearthed artifacts whose uses–ritual or practical–remain hidden from us.”
Both artists will attend the unveiling.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277‑5920; email: cgonzal@unm.edu
