Motor Vehicle Division Field Office

The inside of the building features the metal sculpture “La Bajada” created by Gino Miles. He received his bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. He studied outside Florence, Italy, also attending classes at the università per stranieri di Perugia and the accademia delle belle arti in Florence. The abundant Italian sculpture, architecture, paintings, food and culture heavily influenced his life and his art. In 1983, Miles returned to the United States with his wife, settling in Santa Fe. The artist revels in the beautiful, open and unique terrain of New Mexico, where he continues sculpting, fabricating and casting works inspired by what he sees every day. Miles’ work embodies his passion and energy inspired from classical figures, as well as objects found in nature, transforming them into contemporary statements. He produces work that is conceived in a timeless attention to form and negative space.

Miles’ sculpture inside the MVD office is an abstract representation of the earliest La Bajada Road, incorporating the ups and downs and the hairpin turns of this famous stretch of old dirt road, which was the original Route 66 connecting Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The sculpture is also reminiscent of the everyday journey we all must make, whether it is a cross-country trip or just a drive around the corner to buy groceries. This work synthesizes the past and the present of New Mexico, connecting all of its people to the culture that built this great state. (Funded by the Art in Public Places Program, New Mexico Arts, Department of Cultural Affairs).

Green Energy Project Schedule

Anticipated Annual Energy Savings: $12,453