ALAMOSA — If there is such a thing as destiny, Bianca Maestas was destined to be an artist. Raised by her father, internationally known sculptor Huberto Maestas, and her mother, writer, and gallery owner Dana Maestas, one of Bianca’s first memories is, as a baby, lying on the ground and watching the pottery wheel spinning above her as her father was making pottery. And that was just the beginning.
“I’ve always done art,” she says. “I grew up learning the craft understanding how to use the tools you have, understanding the process, working in my family’s foundry doing castings for sculptures.”
It’s an intrinsic part of who she is and what she does, she says.
“It doesn’t really come from my mind as much as having muscle memory. My hand just knows what to do.
“I don’t need to know how to do everything,” she says. “What I need to know is who knows how to do what needs to be done. Like when I’m doing interior design, I don’t know how to put in an outlet, but I know where the outlet needs to go. I know how to build a good team.’
The range of art mediums in which Maestas works is a reflection of the scope of her talent. She does metal sculptures, bronze reliefs and bronze sculptures as well as painting, interior design, floral and plant design. She is also a photographer, although she admits that’s not one of her favorite mediums.
“I don’t like to be sitting at a desk,” she says.
But as more and more people in Alamosa are discovering, Maestas has also garnered a reputation as an accomplished muralist, and she just put the finishing touches on her most recent project in the city, the fourth mural she has done in Alamosa.
“Murals are different from other forms of art,” she says. “I’ve done a lot of art for people to enjoy on their own and I like doing murals because they’re public art. It’s art that everybody can enjoy. They also last – they have longevity. They improve a space. They make it better and really add to the atmosphere of a place and that can be good for economic development.”
As part of a “Hundred Year Project” sponsored by the Alamosa Chamber of Commerce in celebration of Alamosa’s most recent 100-year history, Maestas was commissioned to paint a mural depicting the decade 1933 to 1943. A second artist, Samantha Wisener, was commissioned to depict 1923 to 1933, and Jade Communications sponsored (and created) a third mural that depicts the “Alamosa Adventurer.”
“The nice thing about this project is that [the Chamber] just gave artists a specific decade to do and wanted to see what design the artists came up with,” she said. “The Chamber was a really good group to work with. They chose the design they wanted and then let each of us go to work.”
In her design, Maestas chose to depict the style and art genre of the times instead of a specific event. With that goal in mind, her mural incorporates a hint of design elements from Art Nouveau, primarily popular in the twenties and known for its florals, long, sinuous, organic patterns and images that had a frame around it within another picture. But, in keeping with the 1930s, Maestas included elements associated with Art Deco design, such as straight, graphic lines and swirls and elaborate entrances to places. and simple, clean shapes often with a “streamlined” look.
As is also characteristic of other murals she has created, Maestas uses many images that are imbued with meaning.
“I chose cranes because cranes have always been around and I’ve always wanted to paint them,” she says. “And cranes are more than just a bird. They symbolize longevity, happiness, balance and good luck. That’s like a formula for life, you know? We all could use more of those things, right?” she adds with a laugh.
Cherry blossoms are included in the mural, in homage to the Japanese community that was present in Alamosa during that time. But, equally important to her, “Cherry blossoms represent rebirth and renewal,” she says.
Maestas wanted to feature some natural feature that is iconic to the valley, which led to including the sand dunes with Mount Blanca in the back.
As someone who embraces organic things in life, she also wanted to choose a crop to paint, something that people grow. With that in mind, she included sweet peas – both the peas that are eaten and the flowers - because they hold significance to her. “My grandmother planted them like forty years ago – she had a really green thumb, and her sweet pea really flourished. And other people still have those in their yard.”
In talking with her, it’s immediately apparent that Maestas does not take herself too seriously. But make no mistake; she is very serious about her work. The mural she just completed, painted on a very long wall that was two stories tall in some places, was completed in about two-and-a-half weeks, putting in 11-hour days every day. She admits she had a significant amount of help from various people, but there is not a single brush stroke on the mural that is not where and how she wanted it to be.
As accomplished as she is, Maestas continues to push herself. “There’s a lot of room to grow,” she says. And, with that, the conversation ends as she is off to the next mural she has been commissioned to paint.
Bianca Maestas’ mural can be seen on the west side of 613-D Fourth St. in downtown Alamosa.
Seven more murals need to be commissioned to finish the 10-mural project, and Alamosa Chamber of Commerce is continuing to take donations.
“We've had some great sponsors,” writes Erin Keck, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. “We used funds given from CHFA (Colorado housing and finance authority) and SLV transportation for [Bianca’s] mural. We are still accepting donations for the other murals. More info can be found on our website alamosachamber.com.”
