ALAMOSA — Alamosa unveiled 15 new art pieces Friday evening to launch its Second Annual ARTscape public art exhibit.

The artwork can be viewed throughout the downtown area during the Artwalk celebration today and throughout the next year. Maps showing where the pieces are located may be picked up at the depot at Sixth and State. Also see cityofalamosa.org/public-art/

The sculptures were chosen from among 56 submissions from artists regionally and across the country.

“Thanks to all the artists who have allowed us to display their art and bring such excitement to the downtown,” Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman said at the unveiling ceremony Friday evening at the depot. He also thanked all the city staff who played a role in making this possible, from coordination to installation.

The art is for sale, and a portion of each purchase will go back to the city to help sustain the public art program, Mayor Coleman explained. He thanked Damon and Konnie Martin for making the first purchase from last year’s selection. The Martins donated “Running Girl” to SLV Health for display at the hospital.

The city also purchased one of the art pieces from the inaugural ARTscape display, El Pastor by San Luis artist Huberto Maestas, whose work will be permanently displayed in front of the depot building. Maestas prompted the city to institute a public art program.

Coleman encouraged folks to vote for their favorite to receive the “People’s Choice” award. Voting will be accepted until November 30.

Several of the artists were present for the ARTscape ceremony, and Mayor Coleman said, “We want to thank you for helping make our city more beautiful.”

New art pieces exhibited in the downtown area for the 2018-2019 art on loan program are: Cello by Robert Porreca; Humanity by Damian Radice; Wings of Freedom by Dimitry Domani Spiridon; Tower by Suzanne Kane; Polar Bears by Huberto Maestas; Barley Dance by Kathryn Vinson; Light Hearted Drummer by Jodie Bliss; Trouvaille by Kasia Polkowska and Kyle Cunniff whose “Johana-Mai” sculpture earned the People’s Choice award last year; Cultural Pedestrians by Sue Quinlan; Deciduous by Kyle Cunniff and Kasia Polkowska; Sandhill Cranes, by Ken Cable, which is featured in front of the SLV Federal Bank, a visionary sponsor of ARTscape (Creative Sponsors are 1st Southwest Bank and May-Wa); Mountain Spell by Harold Linke; The Deluxe Spray-It Fire Rocketship by Jimmy Descant; Low-Poly Open Heart (RIDE) by Matthew Lewis Duffy; and Old Goat by Amyas Maestas.

Caption: Sandhill Cranes, by Ken Cable who focuses on found and re-purposed objects, can be viewed in front of SLV Federal Bank, a major ARTscape sponsor./Courier photo by Ruth Heide