APS project invites United players to be models for student artists

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May 19, 2026 - 03:18

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APS project invites United players to be models for student artists

Part of it was the chair — and its location.

Draped in white cloth and placed almost in the middle of the dimly lit room featuring murals and other works of art, shelves of paint and drying racks, it sat under a spotlight. Work tables had been pushed aside to create the necessary space because the large desk behind the chair certainly wasn’t moving.

To the left and the right and in front? Those were the places the easels had been set up for the 16 students at Rio Grande High, complete with paper, pencils and erasers.

All of it made Chris Gloster — the occupant of that chair — a little nervous.

“It’s so different,” the New Mexico United defender said Wednesday. “When we’re playing in the (Isotopes’) stadium, thousands of people are watching us. But here, in a little room with 16 people, I started sweating a bit.”

A small room full of people looking down to sketch, peeking back up and then doodling away again with the occasional reassessment and scrubbing and redo. All with some calming music playing in the background.

Gloster? He isn’t moving, except for his eyes glancing around or his mouth twitching into a smirk every now and then. No scrolling on his phone. No shifting in his seat. But the model subject isn’t supposed to, either. Stillness is the name of this game.

He’s the latest United player to volunteer his time for United in Art, a partnership between the soccer club and Albuquerque Public Schools that has players become art projects. Forward Cristian Nava was the United model at Albuquerque High — Nava’s alma mater — on April 8. Midfielder Valentin Noël was at Del Norte High on April 22.

“In a way, it helps bring the community together,” said René Palomares, a secondary/bilingual resource teacher in APS’ visual and performing arts department. “United gets something out of it and the kids, it’s exposing them to that representation piece of, ‘If they can see it, they can be it.’ One day, I can do this or be this.”

Palomares was the one who came up with the idea.

A United season-ticket holder and supporter, Palomares is an artist himself, known for drawing and bringing custom Pokemon-like cards of players to matches. (Hey, some things never go out of style.) He made his United in Art pitch to Jules Myers, United’s senior manager for production and impact, during a bus ride to the club’s Western Conference final at FC Tulsa last season.

“It’s like a Field of Dreams mentality, right?” Palomares said. “Build it and they’ll come, and that’s what kids need. They need more opportunities where we build stuff for them. And stuff that they relate to or has some kind popularity or is pop culture, and is inclusive. I think United brings that. There’s a hype with the team. There’s a lot of interest. You’ve seen the games, how crazy they can get, but it’s good, clean fun.

“So, why not include that in our schools? I just think we need to keep building things for students, not with the intention of we want them to become artists, but with the other lessons they can learn.”

Wednesday marked the third and final United in Art of the spring semester. It also happened to have the largest student turnout of the sessions. There are plans — and certainly a want — to continue it in the fall and to expand it further within the city.

After all, those involved see it as a win-win.

“It’s one of those things where you look back and you can convince yourself not to do things because it seems like it’s going to be hard, and then you get in it and you’re in it and you end up saying, ‘Why haven’t I done this more?’” said Orlando Ramirez, an art teacher at Rio Grande who also helps coach United’s developmental academy.

“When you look at all the kids, they're laughing and enjoying themselves and collaborating with each other.”

It’s about the experience.

For many of the artists, with varying levels of ability, it was the first time they had worked with a live model.

“I’ve always seen stuff like this happen (at other places), but it’s never actually happened at our school,” senior Valentina Chavez said. “It seemed like something worth participating in.”

It’s an opportunity to try something new — or at least different.

Why not?

“Starting something and not being perfect at it can just be the beginning of being good at it,” senior Izabell Baughn said. “You’re not going to wake up and be freaking Vincent Van Gogh. You’re just starting somewhere. A little, tiny drawing, no matter how bad you think you are, just making those little improvements yourself, not fitting to anyone else’s standards, I think it can really help you be yourself artistically. It’s all subjective.”

United in Art doesn’t allow a lot of time for the student artists to dwell. There’s a warmup session and then two 15-minute periods — to outline and then to focus on the details — with a break in between to allow Gloster to stretch and for the artists to walk around and observe their contemporaries’ work. The only rule? See how others are approaching the product, but don’t judge your work against theirs.

Some went for a full-body sketch. Others opted for the torso up. A few had a side profile and a bit more a front view. From there, it devolved further with each focusing on different aspects of Gloster — his facial features, his attire, his hair and beard, how his legs and arms were positioned. Things had to be adjusted once the break between periods was done. A live model rarely sits in the exact same position twice.

“I wanted to start with the basic shapes and then get everything sorted,” sophomore Rosanne Avila said. “I wanted to get his build and then his innocent eyes, his hair, his big shoes. Stuff that actually pops out. When I had more time, I started going more into detail about little things like the puma on his soccer ball and then on his shirt and the cross he was wearing.”

Gloster came away rather impressed. Both at the halfway point and at the end. And he offers an honest assessment. He doesn’t rate his artistic skill on the same level.

But the project wasn’t necessarily supposed to be easy. Just different. And that can be can be good thing.

“There were some things that were difficult,” sophomore Silas Maestas said. “Usually I draw (from) pictures of basketball players or athletes, but something like this, you can see your progress (as an artist). And that’s what this is about.”

Soon it was time to wrap up. For pencils to be put down. Erasers, too. For Gloster to get up from that chair for the last time.

But before he called it a day, Gloster made sure to pose for a group photo, each of the students holding up their rendition of the United defender. He signed each one.

Those sketches? They went home with their artist. All except one. That was gifted to Gloster. He left with it in hand. The chair stayed behind.

“I’m probably going to hang this on my fridge,” Gloster said. “It needs to go somewhere.”

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.