
Fr. Theophan Mackey, chair of the Los Alamos County Art in Public Places Board, front left, and artist Richard Swenson cut the ribbon Saturday at Swenson’s letal sculptures of a large and small lizard outside the Los Alamos Nature Center. Also pictured are, back row, AIPP board member Jennifer Baker, Los Alamos County Council Chair Randall Ryti, Pajarito Environmental Education Center director Katie Bruell and Vivian Chen. In late 2018, Swenson offered to donate the two pieces to the County with a recommendation that they be placed on the exterior wall of the Nature Center and the donation was approved by Council in September 2019. The County installed the artwork in June 2020. Fr. Theophan said the AIPP board is excited to see this work within the County Art Collection. Swenson is a retired scientist who started creating sculptures inspired by parts of old farm machinery. Other pieces by Swenson with the collection include ‘Denizens of the Deep’ at the Aquatic Center and ‘Frogs and Lizards’ at the White Rock Visitor Center. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com