Reviving city’s fallen angels
City’s arts and culture department plans to replace sculptures damaged by weathering
Another Alameda Street archangel fell after last week’s storms led to further deterioration of the sculpted wood. It is the second sculpture in the series to fall in just under a year, but the city of Santa Fe’s Arts and Culture Department said both will be replaced.
This weekend, archangel sculpture Raphael succumbed to moisture brought by recent storms, Arts and Culture Department Director Pauline Kanako Kamiyama said. The piece is one of seven made from dead and decaying cottonwood trunks by artist Jose A. Lucero. They have stood near the corner of East Alameda Street and Paseo de Peralta since 2004.
Lucero could not be reached for comment.
Though the pieces were restored and refinished with a stronger epoxy by Lucero in 2013, two have fallen in just under a year. Last summer the archangel Sachiel also fell due to corrosion of the wood. Lucero is working on replacing the sculpture, Kamiyama said.
“We know that wood sculptures, if not properly treated, deteriorate over time,” Kamiyama said. “We just now know that they have to be replaced, and I’d rather have them be replaced and resculpted than not have them anymore because they’re well loved.”
“They’re a staple to Santa Fe,” she added.
Materials for the hand-carved sculptures are all naturally derived, she noted. Lucero hopes to replace one sculpture a year; meanwhile, the city is looking into ways to ensure their durability and stability.
Each piece costs $3,500 to create, and the Arts and Culture Department hopes to cover that through donations.
The Seven Archangels Fund was set up by the city to raise money to replace one sculpture a year, Kamiyama said. Community members interested in donating to the fund can mail checks to P.O. Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504-0909. Donations also can be made over the phone at 505-955-6557 or 505-955-6547.