MuggZ’s Plight
By Cliff Fragua
Cliff Fragua explores the relationship between himself, Po’Pay, and St. Francis through poetry and sculpture.
“I am an artist who is committed to my community. I believe we are an extension of our communities and my work reflects my devotion to the people. I believe we can give voice to our authentic narratives and create a deeper understanding of who we are as a people through the arts. We must understand our relationship with the environment and our homelands. Our traditional knowledge systems are unique and are an extension of our eco system. I strive to manifest that uniqueness and traditional knowledge systems through design concepts that will incorporate the relationship the people have with the homelands; using concepts as sustainability, resilience, and traditional ecological knowledge. The goal is to translate "who are the original people" to the public so that visitors can gain an appreciation and understanding of the original people through a different lens.”
Explore the history with Valerie Rangel
Each site in the Ojos Differentes project was chosen in collaboration with Santa Fe City Historian Valerie Rangel, as an augmented reality expansion and collaboration with her GIS storymaps. Learn more about the Origins of La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís by reading her essay below.
About Cliff Fragua
I have learned the secret of the stone through my cultural and ancestral teachings. Based in Native American themes, my work shows pride for the Pueblo culture and a deep understanding of the inherent spirituality of the stone. I have chosen stone as my medium of expression because it is a combination of the basic elements of the earth. I feel the honesty and purity of this most basic of material permits me to express myself from the heart and to express the spirit that Native people respect an revere as embodied in the stone.
Since 1974, when I created my first stone sculpture, I have created a significant body of work that keeps evolving with new influences and new interests. My sculptures are featured in such public locations as the National Statuary Hall in the Nation's CapitolAlbuquerque International Airport and in permanent collections throughout the country. He has been included in major invitational exhibitions and one-man shows in leading museums and galleries and has earned highest honors and awards for his sculptures. Learn more about Cliffs work on his website.