VIA Metropolitan Transit Returns for their 10th Employee & Family Showcase

We asked Coordinator Daniel Rodriquez to comment on their amazing showcase this year and here was what he had to say. "After a two-year hiatus, the VIA Employee Art Exhibit & Contest returned for its ten-year anniversary. Over the past ten years, this employee program has displayed over one thousand art pieces in a public exhibit. This is an amazing accomplishment for this program, for VIA, but most importantly, for the artists who get to showcase their talent year after year."

A collection of over 100 pieces of artwork from employees, retirees, and family members were on display in The Grand at VIA Villa. This was VIA's Tenth Annual National Arts Program Exhibit and artists were eager to see the program return and their artwork reflected their enthusiasm! Mario Quintanilla, a Fleet and Facilities employee, took home First Place in the Intermediate category with his 'VIA Action Figures'. Mario was even featured on a local ABC news segment about the VIA showcase and spoke about his process in creating his winning submission. Mario made action figures representing his coworkers in his department. First, Mario created the figures from clay epoxy, including details specific to each person, then he hand painted them, and last he created packaging to finish the look. Another fantastic piece was entered by Raul Pena, also a Fleet and Facilities employee. Raul is a returning artist who has placed in the last four years of the exhibit. This year he won Best of Show with his sculpture 'Here, It's been a rough few years", which references the COVID pandemic in its backstories. The sculpture depicts a small robot offering a larger robot a flower as a gesture of encouragement through a transformative period. The judges acknowledged that this piece told a wonderful story. As Daniel said, "It certainly captured the spirit of the returning exhibit through its own transformative period."

We are so grateful to Daniel for bringing this program back to their VIA community and celebrating these amazing artists once again.