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Libraries are more than just a place for books. They are filled with people who have their own amazing stories.
Those stories will be turned into light-filled reflections of the International District when artist Reyes Padilla creates glass work for the District’s new library on Central Ave. An award-winning artist whose paintings and murals have been collected by museums and seen on TV (“Better Call Saul”), Padilla was selected to design and fabricate glass installations that represent the city’s most diverse neighborhood. Because he experiences sounds visually from a condition called Synesthesia, Padilla wants to capture the music and colors that tell the stories of the International District.
The Albuquerque native will travel to Germany to study with international designers Franz Mayer of Munich, an historic glass art company that transforms artwork into some of the most brilliant glass designs in the world.
The public will get an opportunity to meet Padilla, learn about his public art project and share their stories about the sounds and colors that make the District come alive. Join him on January 13 and 14 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the International District Library located 7601 Central Ave. NE. The workshop is free. You can also complete an online survey here to inform the artist’s creative process. The survey will be open through January 9.