Fernando Padilla Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando Padilla Jr.
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| Born | July 29, 1958 Huntington Park, CA
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Fernando Padilla Jr. is a talented Native American artist. He was born on July 29, 1958. His father was from the San Felipe Pueblo and his mother was Navajo and Apache. This means Fernando is part San Felipe Pueblo and part Navajo. He was born in Huntington Park, California.
As a kid, he lived in different places in New Mexico and Arizona. This was because his dad worked for the U.S. Forestry Service. In 1978, he moved to Oklahoma, where he still lives today. Fernando is famous for his paintings of the American Southwest. He also creates art about Pueblo people's lives. Besides painting, he makes sculptures, jewelry, and other cool art.
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Fernando's Education
Fernando Padilla Jr. finished high school in 1976. He graduated from Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque, NM. After high school, he went to college in Albuquerque. Later, in 1978, he moved to Bethany, Oklahoma. There, he continued his college studies at Bethany Nazarene College.
Art in Public Places
Fernando Padilla Jr. has created art that many people can see. One of his most famous works is called "Spirit of the People." This artwork is a permanent exhibit at the Denver International Airport.
The Denver Airport Mural
In 1992, Fernando was chosen as one of ten artists. These artists were asked to create special artworks for the Denver International Airport. Fernando's job was to show what Native American life was like. He focused on the Anasazi Period. His mural is a wide view of a cliff dwelling community. It shows how people lived in those ancient times.
Museums and Art Shows
Fernando Padilla Jr.'s art has been shown in many important places. His work has been featured in museums and exhibitions around the world.
- Red Earth Master’s Show, Oklahoma City, OK
- Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
- Story of the Sacred Hoop Exhibit, Stuttgart, Germany
- Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, NM
- Institute of the Franco American Exhibit, Renes, France
- Red Earth Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, CA
- Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
- Museum of the Great Plains, Woodward, OK
- Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
- Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM
- Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Norman, OK
- Cherokee National Museum, Tahlequah, OK
About Fernando's Life
Fernando Padilla Jr. lives in Ada, Oklahoma.
