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While some in Albuquerque objected
to the installation of the Southwest Pieta, many others in
the Mexican-American neighborhood of Martineztown looked on
the sculpture with pride. When Jiménez proposed that
it be installed in Martineztown, the community welcomed it
warmly.
The proprietors of the grocery store
across the street were proud to meet with then first lady
Hillary Clinton, when she came to designate the Southwest
Pieta a national historic treasure. They are seen here,
on the right and left, after talking with a visitor about
that event.
One of the leaders of the Mexican-American
community of Albuquerque who was in favor of the sculpture
was Rudolfo Anaya. He argued:
"Jiménez is accessible
to his audience; he wants to communicate and he will shock
you and dazzle you to do it. He has the intent and vision
of a world artist. What else can we say¿ 'Te aventastes,
bro.' You did it. You were touched by the muses of the vast
deserts around El Paso, and you held steady to your vision.
Any artist who accomplishes that deserves our respect, un
abrazo."
After nearly two decades the
Southwest Pieta is an integral part of Martineztown. Some
young people have felt challenged to climb the pedestal and
scratch their initials out of sight behind the eagle. They
have literally made their mark on it, though not in a way
that defaces it for others.
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