Near the University of New Mexico Student Union, seven life-size bronze figures react to a new, 24-foot high contemporary stainless steel sculpture. Two couples feverishly discuss its merits. A man takes a seat on a nearby bench to ponder the shiny shape. One woman turns away – arms wide open, as if giving up on the entire concept. Another lone fellow scratches his head at the commotion.
Betty Sabo's “Modern Art,” located on Cornell Mall, is the newest in UNM's public art collection and will be officially unveiled Monday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. A host of dignitaries are invited to the public event.
In 2000, UNM administration discussed commissioning a major interactive art piece by a local artist, said Gil Berry, UNM Facility Planning associate director. They selected Sabo, who attended UNM and is serving a second consecutive three-year term on the UNM Alumni Board. She is a new member of the UNM Foundation board.
Sabo was asked to create a maquette, or design proposal, Berry said, later accepted by the administration and UNM's Art in Public PlDavid Brookshire committee. Underway at the time was a project to redesign the Cornell Mall. Student Union Building renovations were also about to begin.
“The site seemed to be an excellent place for the Sabo piece and would certainly support the interactive part of the administration's request,” Berry said.
Although the SUB opened last fall, continued work on the Cornell Mall utility tunnel caused further delay. Sabo's art was installed early this summer. Attendance at the unveiling, which coincides with the first day of fall classes, is expected to be sizable.
“Betty's signature is not only familiar to collectors of art, it is also familiar to the community as a whole. Betty has supported art in the community and has supported the community through her art,” said Karen Abraham, UNM Alumni Office director.
Sabo, 75, studied art at UNM in the late 1940s and was a renowned painter before she began to create the signature bronzes in her mid-60s. The Albuquerque Museum commissioned one of her first pieces, the 1995 bronze “Julia Resting,” of a woman seated on a bench outside the museum's front doors. She also sculpted the Botanical Garden work featuring Clyde and Carrie Tingley, neighbors of Sabo's when she was a child.
“The idea for the UNM piece harked back to my days in school there when contemporary art was very strong in the art department. The teaching leaned heavily toward contemporary art at that time,” Sabo said. “It was a historical time in the art world and certainly the university was very involved in producing marvelous contemporary artists.”
Sabo commissioned her brother, Gary Beals of Phoenix, to create the stainless steel centerpiece. Beals, who graduated from UNM in 1955, creates only contemporary art. He exhibited in Florence, Italy, in 2003. Beals has work in several private and public collections throughout the United States.
Sabo intended “Modern Art” to honor both contemporary and traditional art. “I think everyone can relate to some part of it – the piece has a storyline to a certain extent that is easily recognizable. It's fun. I really want people to enjoy it,” Sabo said.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915