BCOM President John L. Hummer added a new painting to the outstanding art collection that decorates the school’s campus. An original painting from renowned Southwestern artist Amado Maurilio Peña, Jr. was purchased at the first annual Bellas Artes Artisan Market held at the historical Plaza de Mesilla on August 25. The painting is from his Mestizo Series and is titled Los Artesanos.
Peña, a Mestizo of Mexican and Yaqui ancestry, has been a successful professional artist for more than 30 years. According to his website, “His art celebrates the strength of a people who meet the harsh realities of life in an uncompromising land, and his work is a tribute to the Native Americans who survive by living in harmony with an adversarial, untamed environment. Peña is recognized as an Artisan of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona. This is a particularly high honor and one that he cherishes. He is dedicated to furthering the public’s knowledge and interest in the Tribe, its art, its history, and its culture.”
Los Artesanos is currently on display across from the BCOM Reflection Room on the second floor. President Hummer said, “The curated art collection within BCOM reflects the Native American, Hispanic, and Western heritage cultures within our mission region. This painting by Amado Peña is in keeping with the spirit of BCOM’s commitment to the healing arts. Our newest artist says it best himself: ‘The arts, all of them, affect our humanity, affect our souls.’”
Learn more about this amazing artist at: penagallery.com.
