Coyotl  / Coyote (2022) 

Larry Gonzalez Rivas 

DESCRIPTION:   approx. 11-foot high by 64-inch wide by 6-inch deep painted steel sculpture, mounted on a concrete base 

Gonzalez Rivas includes the Nahuatl "Cóyotl" (coyote) title for this colorful sculpture, which was inspired by the 15th Century pre-Columbian ruler Nezahualcóyotl whose name is commonly translated to "coyote with a fasting collar" and who was renowned as an engineer, philosopher, and poet.  A plaque at the base of the sculpture includes two poems attributed to Nezahualcóyotl - "A Memory That I Leave" and an originally untitled poem "I Love the Sound of the Mockingbird."  The poems include Spanish, English, and Nahuatl translations by recently-deceased language scholar David Vazquez (1955-2021), using a Nahuatl alphabet he created.    The sculpture was dedicated on January 22, 2022 as part of the City of Santa Ana's Willits & Sullivan Beautification Project, and includes surrounding landscaping and solar-powered lighting.
LOCATION:  southeast corner of Willits Street and Sullivan Street, Santa Ana, California, USA

PLAQUE CONTAINING THE POEMS "A MEMORY THAT I LEAVE" AND "I LOVE THE SOUND OF THE MOCKINGBIRD"