Roberto Pozos named Distinguished Artist
CALEXICO — A strong showing of family, friends and fans gathered Tuesday to cheer as former Calexico resident Roberto R. Pozos was honored as a Distinguished Artist by the non-profit Calexico Arts Council.
The award ceremony came as part of a weeklong solo exhibit of dozens of his paintings at the Carmen Durazo Cultural Arts Center.
A lifelong artist who parlayed his skills into a successful career as a graphic designer, Pozos expressed a debt of gratitude to his earliest admirers, namely local classmates, teachers and mentors.
“This city gave me my start,” Pozos said. “I was recognized by an individual who saw something.”
The exhibit’s contents reflect a reverence for his bicultural heritage as well as an appreciation of his surroundings and acquaintances.
The exhibit also marks one of the first times such a wide variety of the Tepatitlan, Jalisco, Mexico native’s works have been showcased in one setting.
“If you asked me which one is my favorite I probably couldn’t answer it,” he said, “because I enjoy them all.”
A current resident of San Diego, Pozos maintains close ties to the Valley, where his mother, daughter and grandchildren still live.
The Distinguished Artists award and exhibit capped separate yearlong efforts by Pozos to have his artwork exhibited locally in a large setting, as well as an effort by his close friends to have him formally recognized as an asset to the community.
WPozos’ nomination as a Distinguished Artist came at the request of Blanca Morales, a former Calexico High classmate and current Calexico Wellness Center chief executive officer.
The Wellness Center on Tuesday celebrated its one year anniversary and as part of the milestone and Pozos’ recognition will have some of his artwork displayed in its lobby, located across the street from the Cultural Arts Center.
Today’s events include a meet-and-greet with Pozos tonight at the Calexico Brewing Co., and an interactive event at Imperial Valley College during the day. A wine and paint gathering and closing reception will be held at the Arts Center on Thursday and Friday evening, respectively.
The Distinguished Artist award is commemorated with the addition of a leaf bearing the honorees’ name to a representation of a tree mounted on a wall at the Arts Center.
“We always saw artists as growing, contributing and evolving, because that’s what they do,” said Arts Council President Carmen Durazo during the ceremony. “Some of them do it while they’re here, some of them do it while they’re gone, but they never forget their hometown and their roots and where they came from.”
Former roommate and business associate Daniel Hernandez praised Pozos for his continuous graphics and communications work in the San Diego area on behalf of a diverse group of communities of color.
In 2015, both Pozos and Hernandez were honored with Latino Champions awards by the San Diego Union-Tribune for their respective work.
Pozos, owner and founder of Pozos Creative Communications, was honored as Business Leader of the Year, while Hernandez was honored as Volunteer of the Year.
“Everybody wanted to work with Roberto because his work was genuine,” Hernandez said.
On Tuesday, Calexico Brewing Co. co-founder Jose Luis Yepez said he was hoping to add his name to the list of people Pozos has collaborated with. A casual conversation between the two during Tuesday’s event prompted discussion about artistry, hometown pride and possibly collaborating on artwork for the brewery’s future canned beer releases.
“His artwork in next-level stuff,” Yepez said.