Creating the Great Seal of Bernalillo County, NM
The Bernalillo County (New Mexico) Seal
The History That Constitutes Its Creation and Design
by Doug Czor, Artist and Sculptor, July, 2013
In March of 1999, I received the commission to create two, 6-foot-in-diameter, cast bronze, Bernalillo County emblems. I realized that the large size of the various design elements would allow me to create a considerably detailed bas relief. It would later prove to be my opportunity to create a great bas-relief. During the initial research phase of the project, it appeared to me that the history of why the originators of our County chose certain design elements of the emblem was lost. I contacted several local historians from the “East Mountain Historical Society”, as well as continuing the research in the downtown library. In order to create a more authentic emblem, I wanted to learn what the original designers had in mind; which mountains were symbolized, what type of sheep, and why?