Former Curtis Park neighbor and Sierra 2 staff member Nathan Cordero died Aug. 15 at age 43.
Nate lived on Second Avenue and worked at Sierra 2 from 2005 to 2009 and again briefly in 2010 before realizing his dream of becoming an artist.
He utilized dumpster diving, curbside debris and metal-detecting finds to create clever, playful and thought-provoking images and messages.
Nate had gallery and museum shows over the years at the Nelson Gallery at UC Davis, Johansson Projects in Oakland, Verge and Axis Galleries in Sacramento, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and Ritual Roasters Gallery in San Francisco, and The Warehouse Gallery in Syracuse, N.Y.
Nate demonstrated that treasures can be found everywhere – in the dirt, on the street, in an everyday object – if you just take the time to look.
The next time you’re visiting Sierra 2, look up at the mural that hangs in the main hallway as part of Sacramento Metropolitan Art Commission’s Art in Public Places. You’ll see Nate smiling down at you.