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Alberta & 'Alphabet Soup': A look at five public art works to keep an eye out for this Memorial Day weekend

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The city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Public Art Program dates back to 1978, when the Art in Municipal Places Ordinance was passed.

The purpose of the 鈥1% for Art Ordinance鈥 is to 鈥減romote and encourage private and public programs to further the development and the public awareness of and interest in, the fine and performing arts and cultural properties; to increase employment opportunities in the arts; and to encourage the integration of art into the architecture of municipal structures.鈥

Alberta & 'Alphabet Soup': A look at five public art works to keep an eye out for this Memorial Day weekend

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Albertosaurus Sternbergii (aka 鈥淎lberta鈥) at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science.
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鈥淚carus Sundial鈥 at Explora is done by Gino Schiavone.
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鈥淎rt Fence鈥 is located at Tingley Beach.
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鈥淎lphabet Soup鈥 at the Erna Fergusson Library.
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鈥淪talking Her Prey鈥 by Reynaldo 鈥淪onny鈥 Rivera was recently installed at Alamosa Park.

Projects in the program shall include an amount for works of art equal to 1% of the total construction cost of the project.

In the nearly 46 years, the city鈥檚 public art collection continues to grow with new pieces being purchased and installed.

With the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend, Shelle Sanchez, director of the city鈥檚 Arts and Culture Department, gives a quick take on some pieces to stroll by as the weather warms up.

鈥淪ummertime is a busy time for our public spaces and cultural institutions,鈥 Sanchez says. 鈥淎long with recreation, education, and gathering 鈥 there is also great public art outside and alongside many of these great summer destinations!鈥

Here are a five pieces Sanchez suggests to check out.

1. Albertosaurus Sternbergii (aka 鈥淎lberta鈥) at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

Albertosaurus Sternbergii (aka 鈥淎lberta鈥) by David Thomas sits in the front of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, 1801 Mountain Road NW.

The sculpture was made by Thomas in 1987.

鈥淎lbertosaurus Sternbergii (aka 鈥淎lberta鈥) at the Natural History Museum provides a popular selfie opportunity as well as a sneak peek into the 鈥榙inosaur museum鈥 as it is often identified by 5-year-old patrons,鈥 Sanchez says.

2. 鈥淚carus Sundial鈥 at Explora

鈥淚carus Sundial鈥 at Explora, 1701 Mountain Road NW, is located across the street from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. The sundial was installed in 2004. It was created by Gino Schiavone.

鈥 鈥業carus Sundial鈥 at Explora is a work of art perfectly situated to teach about the movement of the sun so that art and science greet visitors before they enter the museum,鈥 Sanchez says.

3. 鈥淪talking Her Prey鈥 by Reynaldo 鈥淪onny鈥 Rivera

鈥淪talking Her Prey鈥 is a 3-foot-tall bronze mountain lion 鈥 a species often seen along the Rio Grande.

Rivera added a six-foot pedestal for the sculpture to give it some height.

It was installed at Alamosa Park, 1100 Bataan Drive SW, in April.

The sculpture replaced 鈥淪tar Chair鈥 by David Wagner, which was moved inside Westgate Community Center to keep the piece safe.

鈥 鈥楽talking Her Prey鈥 by Sonny Rivera was recently installed at Alamosa Park just in time for summer picnics and perhaps pretend adventures with bronze wildlife,鈥 Sanchez says.

4. 鈥淎rt Fence鈥 at Tingley Beach

Tingley Beach is a beautiful getaway inside the city. There鈥檚 fishing and some small trails to see. Along the way, there are plenty of public art pieces to see.

鈥淎rt Fence鈥 was installed at the Tingley Beach Aquatic Park, 1800 Tingley Drive SW, in 2005. It was created by Susan Wink.

鈥 鈥楢rt Fence鈥 at Tingley Beach is an example of art that is both beautiful and functional,鈥 Sanchez says.

5. 鈥淎lphabet Soup鈥 at Erna Fergusson Library

With letters stacked on top of each other, 鈥淎lphabet Soup鈥 at the Erna Fergusson Library catches some attention quickly.

The sculpture was installed at 3700 San Mateo Blvd. NE in 2005. The piece is created by Pete Beeman.

鈥 鈥楢lphabet Soup鈥 at the Erna Fergusson Library greets library patrons and encourages the thousands of residents that participate in the Public Library鈥檚 Annual Summer Reading Program,鈥 Sanchez says.