“11 stories that reveal how Enrique Alférez sculpted the landscape of New Orleans,” by Katie Bowler Young (Poetry ’07)

2007 poetry alum Katie Bowler Young was recently featured in First Draft. Read an excerpt of Bowler Young’s essay, adapted from her book, Enrique Alférez, below:

11 stories that reveal how Enrique Alférez sculpted the landscape of New Orleans

Enrique Alférez’s lasting imprint is seen throughout New Orleans, among figurative sculptures, monuments, fountains, and architectural details in prominent locations from the Central Business District to the shore of Lake Pontchartrain and beyond. From 1929 until his death in 1999, Alférez frequently had a home in the city, where a majority of his artwork is on public view. 

Born in Zacatecas, Mexico, Alférez first came to the United States as a youth and spent much of his life here. He trained at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and spent time in El Paso, New York City, and in cities throughout Mexico, including Morelia, over the course of three decades. But in New Orleans, Alférez left his largest body of work, helping shape the essence of one of the most interesting cities in the United States. 

Read the rest of this essay here: https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/11-stories-reveal-how-enrique-alferez-sculpted-landscape-new-orleans