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Surrounded by his family and friends, artist Roberto R. Pozos was able to celebrate the dedication of a mural he painted at the Spencer Library at Imperial Valley College.
For a year, during 2020 and 2021, Pozos worked to bring something special to Imperial Valley College students that will motivate them to continue their education. He completed a mural inside IVC’s Spencer Library that is 67 x 8 feet. The mural depicts the part history of the Imperial Valley and the journey that a student walks through from the first day of college until graduation.
“This is a mural that I’ve created from my heart because I went to this community college. I’m thankful to be asked to create this mural and to arrive at this point. It was important for me to have a story that dealt with the experience from in Imperial Valley and from attending IVC,” Pozos said. “A mural that promotes education as achievable and very important. It’s about transformation, change, and about education that is going to take you places with different career choices. I wanted to paint a feeling that IVC will give you a starting point, as it gave me, my feelings internally of what it means to me.”
Pozos added:
“Mural took a year with over 30 session visits, two or three days in each painting session. Painted 2020/2021 during the difficult pandemic with so much uncertainty. I witness IVC stepping up to provide medical services, food, and vaccines. Arrived in a mask, got my temperature then to work. The pandemic awareness helped made it… But it was important for me to have hope as a part of the feeling you get in the mural.”
Roberto graduated with honors from Imperial Valley College in 1981 with an Associate of Arts Degree and recognition as a member of “Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges.” While in IVC he was a member of The Art Club, Publicity Officer of MEChA, artist illustrator for The Mirror (IVC newspaper), did some art for the IVC external campus, participated in exhibits, and other more while a student. In 1984, he received a B. A. from San Diego State University in Graphic Communications & Art. He has been recognized for his art. He was named “Artist of the Month” by the Calexico Arts Council in 2019 and his name was added to the “Distinguished Artist” wall at the Carmen Durazo Cultural Arts Center where his name is next to other outstanding Calexico artists who have excelled in painting, film, and photography.
Painting for 40 years, his creations include expressionist to abstract while enjoying the freedom that comes with painting his interests. Roberto’s work is energetic and it is filled with expressive movement and color yet others are serene and calming. His subjects depict color, culture, landscapes, and people with a personal interpretation. Each painting has its journey creating a sense of connection to the viewer’s own experiences. He provides viewers the opportunity to follow his outlook on life experiences while sharing a sense of touching memories through his work.
Pozos began his graphics design firm after graduating from SDSU and is now in his 37th year in business. Roberto’s Mexican-American heritage is found in many of the design themes he creates. As the owner and art director of Pozos Creative Communications, his talent, and skills in graphic design and illustration have been called upon to develop creative solutions for a variety of clients. For over three decades he has been the art director and graphic designer of choice for many corporations, small businesses, and community-based organizations and is active in the Chicano empowerment movement in the Southwestern California region.
