FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alberto Cuessy, Deputy Director, National Hispanic Cultural Center
Cell Phone: 505-238-2695 / Email: alberto.cuessy2@state.nm.us
Dedication of Memorial Sculptures on Veteran’s Day
ALBUQUERQUE, NM. 10/21/15. The Department of Cultural Affairs, National Hispanic
Cultural Center, New Mexico Arts, and the families of Manuel Mora and Pete Padilla are proud
to announce the upcoming dedication of two, completed sculptures to pay tribute to the sacrifices
made by Hispanic veterans and, in particular, Pete Padilla and Manuel Mora. The dedication
will occur on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2015, at 10am, in the Manuel Mora and Pete Padilla
Memorial Park on the National Hispanic Cultural Center campus. Confirmed speakers at the
dedication include New Mexico Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez, Department of Cultural
Affairs Cabinet Secretary Veronica Gonzales, Colonel Robert Cortez, NHCC Board of Directors
President Christopher Saucedo, NHCC Executive Director Rebecca Avitia, representatives of the
Padilla and Mora families, Cristina González, Jacob Sisneros, and Reynoldo “Sonny” Rivera.
Warriors Repose, by artists Cristina González and Jacob Sisneros, is one of the two sculptures to
be dedicated. This sculpture was commissioned through capital funds appropriated for the
Memorial Park. The architectural form of Warriors Repose is inspired by the grand serpent
columns atop the Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itza, a Pre-Columbian temple built in honor
of warriors. The sculpture consists of two identical, 15-foot tall, CorTen steel structures, almost
lace-like in appearance, facing one another to form a literal and metaphorical connection
between the Rio Grande Bosque and the NHCC campus, with one structure dedicated to Padilla
and the other to Mora.
The second sculpture to be dedicated is a more traditional likeness of Mora and Padilla, by artist
Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera. This sculpture was commissioned through New Mexico Arts.
Intended to capture the moment when soldiers take a break from being out in the field, Rivera is
reflective of the reality that while “all gave some, some gave all,” and created the work to
memorialize the memories of Padilla and Mora for their families, friends and community.
In addition to the dedication, the National Hispanic Cultural Center will also be hosting several
ancillary events honoring veterans and their service during the same week. These include a
screening in the Bank of America Theatre on November 12, 2015, at 7pm of the PBS
documentary, On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam, examining the Latino experience during the
war and framing the discussion with the memoires of Everett and Delia Alvarez, one who was a
prisoner of war and the other who protested the war from home. The showing will be
accompanied by a discussion with the filmmaker Mylene Moreno. On November 13, 2015, at
7pm in the Bank of America Theatre, a panel will also be held entitled, A Legacy of Service:
National and Local Hispanic Service in the Military. The panel will explore the long tradition of
Hispanic service in the military, both nationally and through the stories of local community
members, including Padilla and Mora. Speakers include John Garcia. Finally, on November 14,
a private community gathering will be held for the families.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and
advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities, and is a division of the New Mexico
Department of Cultural Affairs. New Mexico Arts’ primary function is to provide financial
support for arts services and programs to non-profit organizations statewide and to administer the
1% public art program for the state of New Mexico, and it is also a division of the New Mexico
Department of Cultural Affairs.
If you would like more information about this show or other events at the NHCC, please call
Alberto Cuessy at 505-238-2695 or e-mail alberto.cuessy2@state.nm.us.
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Photo of Warriors Repose, courtesy of González + Sisneros Studio
Photo of Cristina Gonzales and Jacob Sisneros with mockette of Warriors Repose, courtesy of
González + Sisneros Studio
Photo of Manuel and Albina Mora (parents of Mora), and David and Steven Padilla (brother and
nephew of Padilla), surrounding Rivera’s sculpture, courtesy of Rivera.