MetroABQ Blog

Bosque Rhythm & Bosque Rio Sunset: Art on the Bosque

I found a fantastic Public Art Archive that catalogues artworks all across the country. It's a great resource for exploring other cities without leaving yours.

Back in the Metro, we have an abundant supply of cool accessible outdoor art, though very few are on the list above. Some of our public artwork is subtle & expansive. The following two places along the Rio Grande Bosque are great examples of artwork you might pass daily & not know it...

Finished viewing homes south of Downtown in the Barelas Neighborhood, I walked north along Tingley Drive SW & came across Bosque Rhythm, a serene art fence on the Bareles Bridge crossing to Tingley Beach Aquatic Park. From her website, the artist, Susan Wink, is beautifully prolific. Her Bosque Rhythm can be seen above & two directly below.

You've passed Bosque Rio Sunset maybe hundreds of times as you crossed the Rio on the Montao Bridge. Soon after the bridge was built in 1997, artist Dave Dekker created Bosque Rio Sunset, a public art installation created to mimic the surrounding bosque environment in shades of blue, green & red. Dekker painted square 'pixels' on the concrete sidewall that spans the bridge, seen above & below.

From MurosABQ.com: "The colors of (Bosque Rio Sunset) transition gently & echo the surrounding environment. In total, the mural is 6,000 running feet (3 feet high) comprising the south, north and center lane, on both sides of the Montano Bridge, over the Rio Grande River." Over 23 years old, the years have taken a little toll on the artwork, which is still a wonderful experience to pass by..."

A few other images: a cool Rio Grande State Park Bridge Overlook, & the parking area at the Montao entrance to the Rio Grande State Park Trails.