New “Women Warrior” Sculpture Goes Up at CNM

You might have noticed a new sculpture on CNM’s Main Campus. The piece, which was installed just north of the Student Resource Center and next to the campus flags, depicts Master Sergeant Judy Quintana who was born in Santa Fe and went on to serve 23 years in the United States Air Force. During her last post she served as the Superintendent of Plans and Programs with the 17th Security Forces Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas.

Sculpted by Matthew Quintana (Judy’s brother) and Brett Chomer—both well-known New Mexico artists—the 360-pound bronze piece was self-funded by Quintana herself and designed as a tribute to all women in the armed forces. Quintana, who traveled extensively as part of her Air Force career, felt like there were too-few sculptures that honored women who’ve served alongside their male counterparts

“This has been a long time dream of mine and I’m looking forward to sharing this with other women warriors, as well as other military veterans and the public,” Quintana said.

The sculpture was unveiled this past March in Las Cruces. Before arriving at CNM, it spent time at the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Angel Fire, the Farmington Freedom Parade, the Jicarilla Apache Nation tribal building and Wild Horse Casino in Dulce, and will be up at CNM until Sept. 6. Afterwards, it will travel to the New Mexico Veterans’ Memorial in Albuquerque, the Security Forces Museum in San Antonio, Texas, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Virginia and finally the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.