FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff is inviting the community to see the current Multicultural Park Sculpture Exhibit at Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park before it closes on March 15.
Cristen Crujido, the city’s Beautification, Arts & Sciences Project administrator, recently updated members of the Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) on the current exhibit, a video on the project and a preview of the upcoming exhibit that will open on May 19, 2025.
The current sculptures include:
Reflection on the Past and the Future by Gedion Nyanhongo
Hand-carved from spring stone, this piece is an important reminder. In life’s journey it is beautiful to look at and reflect the future and at the same time the past. It is always nice to be nice, it is always nice to be helpful, it is always nice to be a beautiful human being on earth. We live once, and have one life, and a reflection is a way of looking back into oneself and deciding if you are a good person and, if not, to make it right. Despite hardships in life, we have one life, and through reflection, we can examine the past while simultaneously look to the future and what we want to do best.
Offering to Dookó’oslííd by Lance Yazzie
A Navajo weaving in stone, this sculpture depicts the tree of life, represents the tie to nature and mother earth, and is an offering to Dookó’oslííd (shimmering mountaintop or snow-capped mountain), the Navajo name for the San Francisco Peaks visible in the distance and sacred to the Indigenous peoples of the region. Weaving is of high stature amongst the Navajo and this installation celebrates this enduring legacy and shows a style of art that reflects the culture’s matriarchal society. Yazzie has incorporated Navajo themes and movement to compliment the region and tie the sculpture to the land. Traditional geometric designs representing storm clouds and rain are also included. The various textures are created with chisels and rasps.
Eagle Sun by Oliverio Balcells
Artist Oliverio Balcells incorporates cultural and historical elements as well as vibrant colors in his artwork. This sculpture reflects the concept of balance and centrality that is held as a worldview of ancient Mexican cultures in Mesoamerica; a golden eagle is flying in the center of the design representing the sun on its course towards sunset balancing the world every day.
Divine Feminine Direction by Inok Alrutz, Reggie Fitchett & Meg Kabotie
Four different cultures are celebrated in this sculpture. The focal point of each window is a three-dimensional goddess or divinity, each constructed of different materials that are artistically in alignment with that divine feminine’s mythology. Quan Yin (one who hears the cries of the world) represents the East. The West is portrayed by Sedna, divine feminine ruler of the sea from the Inuit* tradition. Grandmother Spider/Spider Woman is a powerful female archetype in many Indigenous cultures and represents the North with the sacred mountain of Nuvatukya’ovi/ Doo’ko’oosliid/ the San Francisco Peaks behind her. The South is represented by Pachamama, the earth goddess of the peoples of the South American Andes.
*The artist team is not of Inuit culture and are respectfully portraying this culture through their artwork.
Blue Bird by Oliverio Balcells
Artist Oliverio Balcells incorporates cultural and historical elements as well as vibrant colors in his artwork. This sculpture is part of a collection of hummingbirds made by the artist in different techniques including mosaics, painting, and steel. The hummingbird carries a great tradition of symbolism from the artist’s ancestors in Mesoamerica as well as in his state of Jalisco, Mexico. The hummingbird represents the sun at dawn, and, in human beings, it represents the capacity for decision and willpower.
The exhibits can be seen at the Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park, which is the site of one of Flagstaff’s first sawmills, highlighting the region’s history and culture:
- Logging and lumber industry attracted Indigenous, Mexican, African
American, Swedish and Polish families to work at the mills - Frequented by individuals and families of the nearby Coconino County
Juvenile Court and Coconino County Detention Facility - Neighboring residents include the racially diverse and historic Southside
community, young professionals and NAU students - Visitors enjoy recreational and environmental opportunities
The current exhibit is being closed to prepare the way for the installation of three new large-scale, three-dimensional (3D) sculpture that will be unveiled on May 19, 2025.
Click here or on the image above see a video of the Multicultural Park Sculpture Exhibit