Artist: Michael Naranjo

Title: Mountain Meadows

Michael Naranjo’s bronze sculpture, Mountain Meadows, is in the sensory garden on the fourth level. Yes, you can touch this artwork!

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Meet the Artist

Michael Naranjo grew up in Taos, New Mexico., encouraged by his mother Rose Naranjo, a noted pottery artist. While serving in Vietnam in 1968, he was blinded by a grenade and lost the use of his right hand. During his recovery, he used a piece of clay to make a small figure and began his life’s work as a sculptor. Naranjo uses his left hand to make bold and lyrical forms with varied surfaces that viewers are encouraged to touch. His figures range from Indian dancers and wildlife to mythical creatures of the imagination.

The artist lives in Albuquerque, N.M. His accomplishments include:

• LIFE Foundations’ Presidential Unsung Hero Award
• Quote inscribed on the AMERICAN VETERANS DISABLED FOR LIFE MEMORIAL on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
• Represented in the collections of the Heard Museum, New Mexico State Capital, the White House, and the Vatican. 
• Artist in Residence, Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Ind.

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