Over the past three years, his work has been featured at Santa Fe's annual Contemporary Hispanic Market, the Santa Fe Recycle Show and the Heard Musuem Spanish Market in Phoenix. His work has also twice won awards at the Feria Artistica Spanish Market in Albuquerque.

His work can also be found at several gift shops and museum stores in the Southwest, including The International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe and the Las Golindrinas Living Museum in La Cienega, NM.

"I wanted to make something with my hands, to use raw materials that cost close to nothing, and ... I was bored at my job. So seven years ago I got into the habit of going out to the land (anywhere) and salvaging rusted bottlecaps, old cans, bottles, photos, bailing wire, and weathered barn-wood."

Since that time, he has constructed hundreds of retablos (wall plaques), crosses, frames, and signage.

"I enjoy recycling and saving in some small way Mother Nature," says Kenny. "I've been inspired to make my work from as far back as a child watching my Uncle Tobias make his locally famous folk art."

Other Albuquerque artists who have also inspired Kenny include Cynthia Cook, Steve White, Ronnie Chavez and Faith Gelvin.

At left: Artist Kenny Chavez (top left) with several of his found object assemblages that will appear in the upcoming Galeria ARTopia show, "5 x 5 = 25."  "Green Bottle" (top-right); "Untitled 1" (mid-left); "Untitled 2," (mid-right); "Amigo" (bottom left); and Kenny Chavez again holding "Mi Casa Es Mi Casa" (bottom right).

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