User:Kendrew

Taos County Courthouse Wall Sculptures by Ken Drew

Completed in 1970, Taos County’s newly-built contemporary courthouse building, designed by local architect Bill Menningbach, would replace the old courthouse. The original courthouse, located in the town square, had served the community for many years.

The National Endowment for the Arts had, at the time, initiated a new program titled Art in Public Places, which encouraged and subsidized federal and state agencies to place art in their newest buildings. A sense of culture and appreciation would be fostered by the viewing public.

A state-wide competition, held in late 1970, selected finalist Ken Drew, a local sculptor, as the winner of an award to create new murals for their latest courthouse building. Emil Bisttram, himself commissioned to do murals for the old courthouse, was one of the judges and monitors of the grant. In June of 1972 a dedication ceremony took place with then-Senator Joseph Montoya and other visiting dignitaries from the state capitol in Santa Fe. The Taos News covered the event.

The main piece, measuring twelve feet by twenty-four feet., with a complimentary second piece measuring eight feet by eight feet., it would be the largest government- commissioned art grant in the State of New Mexico. The wall sculpture installation would remain in place for the next thirty five years.