The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, unveiled a completed fresco this fall that represents an extraordinary effort by local artist Frederico Vigil.
The 4,000-square-foot fresco painting appears on the walls of the Torreon building on the cultural center’s campus. Vigil spent close to 10 years working on the project, which shares the story of Hispanic culture. The mural depicts iconic people and places in America’s Hispanic heritage.
Painted in the round, the fresco has several points of entry. The content of the painting follows themes such as science, literature, religion, acculturation and technological evolution across time and geographical expanses.
Vigil first became involved with fresco art in the 1970s, when he worked with artists who studied with famed Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Since completing his first fresco in 1984, Vigil has created 12 major frescos.
Now that the fresco is completed, the cultural center is offering interpretive materials, classes and workshops for visitors, allowing even non-artists to comprehend the magnitude of the artwork they are viewing.
