A sweeping historic mural by Noel Marquez, including a panel about WIPP (lower left)It is with a very heavy heart that we share the news of the passing on of a dear friend and colleague, Noel Marquez, from Lake Arthur, New Mexico. Noel passed on on Dec. 23, 2020, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife Madelene, their 14-year old daughter Paikea (Pai), and their extended families in this country and overseas.
Donations for Noel's family can be sent to: Southwest Research Information Center, P.O. Box 4524, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87196-4524. Please put "Noel Family Fund" in the memo line of the check. Or donations can be sent directly to Madelene Aguinaldo, 635 N. 13th, Lake Arthur, NM 88253.
Sympathy cards can be sent to: Madelene Aguinaldo and Pai Marquez, P.O. Box 564, Artesia, NM 88211-0564.
Noel was a co-founder of Alliance for Environmental Strategies (AFES), a southeastern New Mexico environmental justice group opposed to two high-level radioactive waste dumps targeted at their local area. His activism was so trailblazing, that it led to the Lake Arthur, NM resolution against Holtec's dump in Sept. 2017; it was the very first, inspiring many more to follow, over a wider and wider multi-state region. Noel had also actively opposed the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a military plutonium waste dump, in his local area, for decades. Noel was truly an inspiring leader in the anti-nuclear movement of New Mexico, and his passing on is felt nationwide, as among the coalition fighting high-level nuke waste dumps targeted at Noel's beloved home, southeastern NM.
Photo that accompanied Roswell Daily Record article, showing Noel Marquez standing before his mural also featured at the top of this post.A Roswell Daily Record article reported on Noel's activism against the Interim Storage Partners (ISP) irradiated nuclear fuel consoildated interim storage facility (CISF) at Waste Control Specialists (WCS) in Andrews County, West Texas, in Feb. 2017, when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a pair of environmental scoping public comment hearings there (and in Hobbs, New Mexico). This was the first time Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps, met Noel. But as mentioned above, Noel's anti-nuke activism extended back decades earlier than that. (See the photo of Noel, standing before his mural, which accompanied the Roswell Daily Record article.)
Noel opposed both ISP/WCS, as well as Holtec International/Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance (a CISF targeted even closer to his home, midway between Hobbs and Carlsbad, NM), from the very beginning.
In addition to his activism, Noel was also an award winning artist of great heart. His own words best express his philosophy, and reflect the close connection between his art and activism:
Noel Marquez is a community artist/artivist living near Lake Arthur, New Mexico. He attended NMHU, studied art in Mexico City at the Taller Ramiro Romo Estrada, and received his BFA at University of New Mexico and his MFA at University of California San Diego. He attended the Skowhegan School of Art in Skowhegan, Maine in 1998 and was a recipient of a Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2008. He is also a founding member of Alliance for Environmental Strategies, which is a southeastern New Mexico group dedicated to halting nuclear waste dumps, uranium mining, milling, weapons and nuclear power plants.
Murals allows me an opportunity to have a conversation with the audience, the public, the neighborhood. I am interested in creating art that raises awareness of issues and perceptions having to do with our cultural and political landscapes bringing my own experience as a Chicano artist. Taking from diverse cultures, landscape, architecture and history, I attempt to promote and provoke the human community. My mission is to encourage understanding through creativity and education focusing on community empowerment, celebrating our diversity and raising awareness regarding our environmental and social impact on our planet, the mother of all communities.
Noel Marquez, unveiling his Halt Holtec tee shirt and banner design, which incorporates such New Mexico state flag elements as the red Zia Pueblo sacred Sun symbol on a field of yellow, the state map's perimeter, as well as the turquoise color, made world famous by Navajo/Diné jewelry.
During his studies in Maine, Noel travelled to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and took in the powerful Orozco murals there.
Noel's love of nature and disgust of the "corrupt money giants" of the "nuclear industry beast" shined in his art. (The latter is an allusion to the "Dismantling the Nuclear Beast" event hosted by Nuclear Issues Study Group in Albuquerque, NM in Dec. 2017.)
Noel was very generous with his art, in terms of supporting the anti-nuclear cause. He designed a tee shirt that became a kind of uniform for many Halt Holtec activists -- row upon row of anti-Holtec activists would sit together at the front of NRC public comment meetings, forming a sea of anti-nuke turquoise and yellow! His art also graced action alerts, just in recent months, opposing "Forever WIPP" and CISFs, all targeted at his local area.
Noel spoke out with passion against the proposed dumps. His comments at the NRC environmental scoping session in Carlsbad were especially powerful, in May 2018. (See Noel's comments on the transcript, from Page 159 to Page 166, or page 160 of 193 to 
Close up of Noel's Halt Holtec tee shirt design.page 167 of 193 on the PDF counter.) Noel's comments were only eclipsed by those of his then 12-year old daughther, Pai, just days before in Roswell -- hers brought down the roof, with a long ovation, including applause by police officers assigned to preserve the peace at the charged, very controversial session. (See Pai's comments, from Page 159 to Page 161 -- page 160 of 172 to page 162 of 172 on the PDF counter.)
The Roswell Daily Record article linked above quoted Noel: “Land is not just real estate,” he said. “It is a sacred part of our existence, so we need to fight for our air, our water and our earth.”
Noel's logoHis art certainly reflects such sentiments. He loved planting and tending his vegetable garden and orchard, which features apricot, peach, pomegranate, apple, fig, grapes and pecans. He loved the local birds that graced his home, including lots of doves, red finches, thrashers, and roadrunners. Robins and Pyrrholuxia (a cousin of the cardinal) were his favorites, though. And he had a special place in his heart for Frogs, Horned Toad Lizards, and Snowy Owls. He and his family were able to save a Red Tail Hawk that crashed on their property during its migration. (In fact, Noel's symbol was a winged, soaring paint brush! See image, at left.)
Noel also loved Agave Americana, the Maguey Century Plant. He wrote regarding a 1994 mural he painted, along with Roberto Salas (funded by the New Mexico Arts Division and the City of Artesia, NM):
"Maguey Century Plant - a desert dweller, cold tolerant to 10 degrees F, drought resistant, pollinated by everybody - including bats. The plant makes seeds and vanishes."
About another mural, the Wonder Wall Mural, entitled "Artesian Landscape," funded by Artesia MainStreet, Inc., Noel wrote:
"The wall is a space to help your imagination take off and let you dream. It pays tribute to the earth and the beautiful system that it is. It is a symbol of tranquility."
But Noel's greatest super power by far was his bright, joyful, loving spirit and big heart, that was clearly displayed for all to see. It especially shined in regard to his love for his daughter Pai and partner Madelene, but the anti-nuclear movement was honored, privileged, blessed and lucky enough that his family would share him with us.
"Love, Light, and Power" to you too, Noel, dear friend. Blessed be. Rest in Power. Noel Marquez, Presente!
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