1/29/09
At 10 years old, Marcos Gonzales’ artistic side has driven him to a substantial business. The McCurdy fourth-grader donated a retablo for the live auction during McCrudy’s 12th annual gala Feb. 6 in the memorial sports complex.
Gonzales said he has been making retablos for two years, compiling about 60 different versions of saints. It’s not clear what’s more amazing his ability to create the retablos or his market for them. He’s sold about 50 pieces personally and through Spanish Market.
His donation to the school this year was shown at Spanish Market 2008.
What is clear is from whence his abilities, generosity and altruism spring. His father, Rik, made a chest and donated it for the gala also. His mother, Amanda, is the project Cariño mental health counselor at McCurdy. They all live in El Rito.
The retablo Marcos donated is a St. Francis piece made of pine.
“What’s special about this piece is I found a piece of driftwood in the El Rito creek,” Marcos said. “My mentor saw an owl in it so he made that part.”
His mentor is Santa Fe artist John Jimenez.
When Rik popped out a knot from the piece of wood, Jimenez saw a bird house. Marcos did the rest of the work and painted the piece.
He said he works throughout the summer on his art and focuses on school during the rest of the year. This piece took him a week to make.
The gala is an annual event to raise money for McCurdy School. Last year the event topped $85,000. Event fund-raiser Helen Finch said she hoped to beat that this year. To see other items for sale during the silent and live auctions and get ticket information, go to www.mccurdy.org and click on the Gala 12 hyperlink on the left.