Jul 9, 2013

The International Sculpture Symposium has been an annual spring event since May 2008, and it's one of three symposiums in the United States. It was created to educate artists about creating large-scale sculpture pieces and to expose the public to different cultures and sculpture techniques. Aguilera's sculpture was of three pairs of legs taking a step upward. His goal was to portray Latin Americans crossing the border to America and the struggles they face while doing so, along with the goals they achieve. The three sets of legs have no upper bodies because Aguilera believes we leave pieces of ourselves behind. "It is rewarding to know that when I leave a piece of art behind, that it is also a piece of me," Aguilera said. Aguilera said he loves each of the more than 5,000 pieces he has made and doesn't have a favorite. "The great thing about art is that it can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the person," Aguilera said. After some thinking, Aguilera said the sculpture on which he has been working for the last three weeks is one of his favorites, partly because he can relate to the sculpture after going through his own obstacles in life. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Aguilera described himself as a passionate kid with a burning in his soul. "The burning was a passion for art," Aguilera said. "I feel like art was always my calling."