Albuquerque Unveils North America's Largest Concave Fresco

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Rarely does a destination have the opportunity to announce a project that transcends geographic boundaries and cultural norms. With the completion of a 4,000 sq. ft. fresco inside the Torreon of the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) in Albuquerque (www.ItsATrip.org), visitors are invited to experience an extraordinary work of art and labor of love.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101005/LA76953)

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101005/LA76953)

New Mexico artist Frederico Vigil has spent close to a decade on the project, which shares the story of Hispanic culture through the ancient art of fresco. The mural depicts Hispanic history through historical periods plus significant and iconic people and places.  

The fresco will be unveiled as the NHCC (www.nhccnm.org) celebrates their 10th anniversary on October 10, 2010.

Following in the footsteps of fresco masters such as Giotto, Michelangelo, Masaccio and Goya, and, more recently, muralists Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, Vigil continues this time-honored tradition inside the Torreon of the NHCC.  

The intricate process of fresco requires many steps for each component of a mural. When the exhibit is completely finished, the NHCC will offer interpretive materials, classes and workshops showing the process so even non-artists can comprehend the magnitude of the masterpiece they are viewing.

As it is painted in the round, there are several points of entry into the fresco, allowing visitors to begin their journey wherever they choose. Over 3,000 years of Hispanic history are depicted in the broadest sense. In short, the fresco depicts and conveys the complexities, diversity and richness of the Hispanic experience. Themes such as science, literature, religion, acculturation, and technological evolution are followed across geographical expanses and time.

Born and raised in Santa Fe, Artist Frederico Vigil grew up infused with the rich history that has become the trademark of his art. Vigil first became involved with fresco during an internship in the 1970s with Lucienne Bloch and Stephen Pope Dimitroff, who were notably, apprentices to Diego Rivera.  This initial experience piqued his interest and he has since dedicated his life to creating frescos. Since completing his first fresco in 1984, he has created 12 major frescos; the one at the NHCC is his largest to date.

Download an image: www.ItsATrip.org/!userfiles/Fresco_image2.jpg (Credit: Kim Jew Photography)

Images and video available upon request: [email protected].

SOURCE Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau