Growing up in the foothills of the Gila National Forest, as well as my time spent in the Marine Corps stationed in Southeast Asia, has left an impression on me. These landscapes and cultures influence my work – as a multimedia artist I work in printmaking, painting, drawing, illustration and sculpture.
All aspects of the arts interest me and I am an advocate of the arts for children and adults. I am currently a Commissioner with the New Mexico Arts Commission, Office of Cultural Affairs.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, I returned to southwest New Mexico, the communities of Silver City, Santa Clara and Fort Bayard in Grant County, where I was born and raised. I received my bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Western New Mexico University. While maintaining my starving artist status, I took on a day job with the New Mexico State Library Rural Bookmobile Southwest, providing library services to rural communities in a six-county region of southwest New Mexico.
In 2008, after 25 years of service I retired as Director of Rural Bookmobile Southwest and began teaching drawing, printmaking and art appreciation classes at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, which I enjoyed for 5½ years.
During my career as a multimedia artist I created covers and illustrations for over a dozen books and illustrated two children’s books. Along with other projects, past and present, I designed posters for a variety of local and state organizations.
Fred working at the Phantom Art Studio event in Silver City