Contreras'
dream
of
becoming
an
artist
did
not
begin
until
1995.
Until
then
he
was
a
construction
worker
who
enjoyed
partying
at
Pacific
Beach.
A
drunken-driving
arrest
placed
him
in
jail,
and
that
night
he
decided
to
change
his
life
and
pursue
his
passion.
The
small
sums
he
received
for
his
early
wood
carvings
encouraged
him
to
study
art
at
Palomar
College.
Soon
Contreras
began
sharing
ideas
at
pow-wows
with
other
Indian
artists.
At
one
fateful
meeting
in
Santa
Fe
Springs
he
met
the
city's
director
of
public
art,
leading
to
his
first
commission,
a
$50,000
bronze
statue,
"The
Journey,"
created
in
1997
and
installed
at
a
school.
As
his
fame
grew,
Contreras
was
asked
to
create
a
sculpture
for
the
Cathedral
of
Our
Lady
of
the
Angels.
The
Cathedral's
adobe
color,
its
brightness
and
light
motivated
Contreras
to
design
art
that
was
natural,
"that
looks
like
an
extension
of
the
earth."
The
theme
of
pilgrimage,
of
the
journey
of
faith,
inspired
his
desire
to
depict
the
Kumeyaay
story
of
creation,
in
which
people
emerged
from
the
waters
of
the
earth.
Contreras
spent
months
working
alone
on
the
model,
molding
a
mixture
of
wax
and
clay,
until
the
form
was
ready
to
be
bronzed
at
a
foundry
in
Mexico.
He
is
not
convinced
inspiration
comes
from
only
his
basic
experiences
in
life,
but
that
"different
spirits
help
from
the
past,
present
and
future."
The
artist
believes
people
of
all
ethnic
groups
will
respond
to
the
sculpture
because
"truly
we
are
of
kin."
At
one
time,
all
people
made
a
living
with
their
hands.
"God
gave
us
the
hands
and
the
ability
to
see,
to
adapt,
and
to
provide
for,"
Contreras
explains.
He
emphasizes
"figurative-type"
work
in
his
sculpture,
trying
to
keep
it
basic
so
all
can
identify.
The
fact
that
the
Cathedral
has
a
memorial
sculpture
by
a
Native
American
is
significant
to
Contreras
because
it
recognizes
"Native
American
art
as
fine
arts."
A
hundred
years
from
now
Contreras
hopes
people
will
recognize
that
his
sculpture
was
made
by
an
artist
"among
hundreds,
if
not
thousands,
of
Native
American
fine
artists
by
that
time."
The
Cathedral
commission
caused
Contreras
to
look
at
his
own
spirituality.
He
had
to
consider
how
he
would
touch
people's
hearts
and
minds
in
the
form
and
design.
The
challenge
to
reach
the
transforming
power
of
art
for
him
was
"to
reach
deeper
than
I've
ever
reached
before."
Learn
more
about
the
NATIVE
AMERICAN
MEMORIAL
