New Sculpture by Tim Washburns Installed in McKinley County Courthouse Rotunda

A large limestone sculpture by Tim Washburns was installed in the rotunda of the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup and is now available to view during regular courthouse business hours. The work, titled "Spirit of the Ceremonial," occupies a central public space in the courthouse and represents the second of three commissioned installations intended to bring local art into civic life.

County officials say the installation took place over the course of several days and required a team of workers to move large blocks of limestone into place. The county’s news material identifies the piece as the second in a series of three commissioned works for the rotunda; the third and final installation is expected in June of 2026. The courthouse posting and a linked Instagram notice both repeat that the work can be seen during regular courthouse hours.

The project is part of McKinley County’s broader Art in Public Places initiative, administered through the Art in Public Places Program of New Mexico Arts and guided locally by a Local Selection Committee. Partners credited with bringing the piece to life include Gallup Arts, the Rotunda Art Project Committee, and staff of New Mexico Arts. A county News Flash headline contains a typographical variant - "Sprit of the Ceremonial" - while other materials use the corrected title "Spirit of the Ceremonial."

Background documents for the rotunda commission set an explicit artistic framework. Artists responding to the county’s call were asked to address a "Culture of Place" theme, creating work that reflects people, place, and the culture of McKinley County. The original solicitation described media ranging from weaving and fiber to sculpture, painting, photography, new media, and installations, and required pieces to withstand permanent indoor installation in one or more of three designated rotunda areas.

Funding and administrative details from the call for artists place $97,825 on the table to commission one to four artists or artist teams to fill the three designated rotunda areas. That amount is to cover, after finalist presentation fees, "materials, equipment, labor, permits, engineering documents, insurance, taxes, travel, installation, shipping, identification plaque, and written and professional photographic documentation of the completed project." Solicitation materials also emphasize that there is no additional funding for the commission program.

The installation expands public access to original art inside a civic building and signals continued investment in cultural placemaking at the county level. For residents and courthouse visitors, the immediate impact is visual and civic - a new permanent work in a highly trafficked public space that reflects the county’s stated priorities for community representation. McKinley County lists the third rotunda installation for June 2026; county materials to date do not include the artist’s full byline confirmation, plaque text, exact installation dates, or detailed dimensions, and those items remain to be confirmed in follow-up releases.