The Rail Yards – Hallowed Grounds

One of my favorite aspects of my involvement with the Rail Yards Market is the occasional moment when a patron comes up to the info booth and tells us about some connection that they have to the Rail Yards grounds. “My grandpa worked here 25 year,” or “I spent 30 years of my life in these buildings. It was tough work but very satisfying.” With their rugged exterior and majestic interior beauty, it is not hard to imagine that these structures and the folks who worked in them, were Albuquerque’s economic engine for many years!

STEAM Zones

We will have two artists in our STEAM Zone honoring the Rail Yards history: Albuquerque artist Aaron Richardson was born in San Antonio, Texas. Richardson is a modern realist/ expressionist painter working in oil paints and charcoals. Since 2000 he has been doing commissioned portraiture and had a solo show at Albuquerque’s Ace Barbershop in 2013. Richardson lives and paints in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Third generation Albuquerquean Eric Thelander has taken over 2,000 images of the Rail Yards buildings. He is a visual artist and welder by trade that turns his images into steel engraved etchings. Eric was featured in the Spring 2015 edition of Trend Magazine (Art, Design and Architecture)!

In our Children’s Zone we will have the fine folks from Seeds: A Collective Voice. They will be creating a seed mural with the kiddos! Bring your kids to the Children’s Zone so that they can participate in this fun and educational activity!

SEEDS: A Collective Voice began in 2013 by Mexican born-New Mexico Based Artist Jade Leyva in partnership with non-profit Avokado Artists as the first multi-media art exhibit in New Mexico to bring attention to ancient and organic seed preservation.

Our Entertainment line-up features folk, americana and the blues! Our Main Stage is headlined by NM music legends – The Rudy Boy Experiment! Check out the rest of our entertainment lineup by clicking here and using the calendar on the top right hand side of the screen.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of these hallowed grounds, the WHEELS Museum a Rail Yards Market sponsor, will be on hand to provide info and insights! The museum has been a tireless advocator for the preservation and renewal of the Rail Yards grounds! Look for them next to the info booth. See You Sunday from 10 am to 2pm!!

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Alex Paramo is an Author and Co-Founder of Community Publishing. Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as Multimedia Books while promoting literacy in our communities.