Old Town

Old Town, Squash Blossoms for Burque (2004)

The Mayor’s Art Summer Institute was asked to create a mosaic in Albuquerque’s Old Town for the City’s Tricentennial in 2004. An ornate squash vine was selected because squash is historically one of the most important foods of New Mexico and the Southwest. Squash is also used in ceremonies and for medicine. For over a thousand years, its beautiful vines and flowers have inspired jewelry, baskets, paintings, and other art forms. Squash plants grew all over Old Town in past decades, and their twirling vines were reflected in wrought iron designs on neighborhood buildings. The night sky in the background contains the constellations of the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Orion.

Lead Apprentices

Angelica Lucero, Kristy Padilla

Lead Artists

PAZ, Cassandra Reid

Funded by

City of Albuquerque Family & Community Services