Today, leaders from the Department of Arts & Culture and City Councilor Klarissa Peña dedicated the newest sculpture in the Public Art Program’s collection, Stalking Her Prey, by artist Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera. The sculpture, located at Alamosa Park, emerged from a call for New Mexico artists to create a large-scale artwork to serve as a landmark for the Alamosa community and celebrate the history and beauty of the area.
"Public art not only beautifies our city’s neighborhoods, it elevates the neighborhood environment, becoming a point of prestige for families who live there," said Mayor Tim Keller. "This sculpture will serve as a timeless landmark for the Alamosa Park community, representing the strength and beauty of the neighborhood and the Southwest Mesa."
"This dedication marks a significant moment for our neighborhood but also demonstrates the power of collaboration and shared passion," City Councilor Klarissa Peña said. "Our residents and visitors to Alamosa Park will undoubtedly be delighted by this remarkable piece of art by Sonny."
Rivera is a renowned sculptor who has completed more than 40 full-scale public art commissions in Albuquerque and beyond. He studied fine art at the American Academy of Arts in Chicago and furthered his artistic vision abroad by attending the Galleria Della Arte in Florence, Italy, and the San Miguel de Allende Institute in Mexico. His works are housed in museums, botanical gardens, zoological parks, religious establishments, institutions of higher learning, and private collections throughout the United States and Mexico including eight bronze sculptures in the Albuquerque Public Art Collection.
The sculpture, commissioned by the Albuquerque Arts Board, features a crouching mountain lion on top of a large boulder, as if about to spring forth in pursuit of its prey. Standing at nine feet high, Rivera’s sculpture captures the drama and excitement of chance encounters by depicting the mountain lion (a representation of the wildlife found among the Rio Grande wilderness) frozen in time, but alive in the imagination of the viewer.
Stalking Her Prey is an artwork that represents the strength, beauty, and pride of the Alamosa Neighborhood and the Southwest Mesa that welcomes residents and visitors to the Alamosa Park.
