When New Mexican artist Reyes Padilla hears music, he sees colors – a condition called synesthesia. His paintings, murals and site-specific installations are inspired by playlists he compiles.

As part of our 40th Anniversary celebration, we collaborated with Padilla and other local artists making an imprint on the community.

The genesis of Reyes’s cover painting “Cruzando Ríos (Crossing Rivers)” was a playlist he created to bring himself hope. The abstract representation of surmounting obstacles symbolizes the energetic rise that comes from a hopeful outlook. “Crossing Rivers is about getting through tough moments,” he says. “When looking at hope, you’re definitely looking to overcome and rise.”

Reyes was lead artist for New Mexico’s first permanent traffic mural located in Albuquerque’s Barelas neighborhood, and his installation ¡Mira, Look! was purchased for the permanent collection of !Explora! Science Center and Museum. Other works have sold to collectors and museums, including the State of New Mexico and the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum in Arizona. His work “Cruzando Ríos” is now displayed in the Foundation’s office.