project overview:
New Mexico United is the only club in the world to include a reference to art in it's mission statement. The aspiration to incorporate New Mexico's artistic community into the club from day one was the pull that convinced me to join the start-up in those early days before the name or logo had even been created. Art & Sport would be the pillar that defined my role, it was the motivation behind so many of the projects I took on, it justified a large Creative Team who were routinely empowered to push their own creative boundaries as well as the brand, and I believe it's responsible for much of what makes United so special. The largest physical manifestations of United's commitment to Art & Sport are two massive murals in downtown Albuquerque created by Jodie Herrera and Noe Barnett.
noe barnett's United + Somos Unidos murals
The first was the initial iteration of Noe's United mural, created in late 2019 at the conclusion of the Inaugural Season as a celebration of a record-setting year and the special connection between the supporters and players. It was a collaborative effort, with photographs selected by the United year 1 photo staff coated with adhesive by players and supporters and members of the organization and added to the wall as a base layer, over top of which Noe painted representation's of the first goal in club history scored by Albuquerque native Devon Sandoval and The Curse flag, a nod to the club's largest official Supporters Group. Unfortunately right around the time the pandemic was postponing the 2020 season indefinitely, the harsh New Mexican winter was chipping away at the base layer of photographs. Together, Noe and I designed a revised mural composed of fan photographs and the club's unifying message of Somos Unidos, which, in the height of the pandemic, was a truly optimistic collection of imagery in a time where we wondered if we'd ever come together again the way we had in 2019. This second iteration, a still permanent feature on the corner of 2nd & Coal, was also completed with contributions from players and community members, each taking turns filling in the United Yellow that spells our Somos Unidos.
jodie herrera's Her Strength mural
The second United Mural was a far more robust effort. In the heart of downtown's Central Ave, old Route 66, 505 Central Food Hall was just opening its doors in early 2021 when Jodie and I were resuming a conversation we'd started in the days before the pandemic. Jodie, a Taos native now exhibiting her artworks internationally and creating large scale murals around the country, had been at the top of my wishlist for artists to work with and as we emerged from the pandemic it became clear we'd finally be able to bring to life a mural we'd been discussing for years. Jodie's style is defined by a refined sense of collage interweaving stylized elements of the natural world, traditional native American patterns evocative of her heritage, and female figures usually of native American background in empowering poses. On a custom fabricated metal paneling installed on the walls of 505 Central, Jodie married her signature elements with the United brand in a mural she titled "Her Strength". The woman at the heart of the mural is dressed in the United basketball jersey, a black & yellow headband, and flexes her United Tattoo in the classic Rosie-the-Riveter pose, embanked on either side by prickly pear flowers and that ever-present message of Somos Unidos.
