As visitors enter the ULab’s second floor administrative suite, they see a vibrant painting by an artist who lived in our neighborhood. Alfredo Arreguín, who passed away last April from complications of cancer, painted Suquamish Waters in 2018. This oil on canvas diptych includes sea life, waves, mountains, and a hovering moon. Its sky is awash with multicolored stars. The acquisition of this piece was made possible by a UPrep family.

According to Ravenna resident Susan R. Lytle, his partner for 49 years, Alfredo’s vivid pattern paintings that depict nature, Pacific Northwest landscapes, and animals, amplify his commitment to the environment and his wish to inspire awareness and activism in others. His work also showcases indigenous Mexican religious and mythological heroes and heroines, including the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

“I am so proud that for many years Alfredo Arreguín and Susan Lytle have been neighbors and friends to UPrep. We are delighted to display this beautiful art piece—a tribute to the Pacific Northwest, which we are all so lucky to call home. Alfredo’s love of the environment and his commitment to conservation is shared by the UPrep community,” said Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, UPrep’s head of school.

Inspiration and his love of nature came from the long walks that Alfredo and Susan would take near Lake Washington, the Ravenna Ravine, Green Lake, and Rialto Beach on the Olympic Peninsula. “The impressions that I collect during my walks inspire me for the creation of my paintings,” he said.

Susan notes that Alfredo had a singular focus on his art, at times getting up during a dinner party with friends to retreat to his studio and work. “There was an obsession with his art and a belief in his skill and what he was creating,” she said. “This made him very generous. He was willing to share his work with a small gallery in Spokane while simultaneously having a show in a well-known museum.”

In his obituary, The Seattle Times described him as a “prolific and influential artist.” In Arreguín: Painter from the New World, author Matthew Kangas called Alfredo “among the most accomplished Latino artists in the nation.”

The artist emigrated from Mexico in 1956 and served in the U.S. Army in South Korea. Following his service, he attended the University of Washington School of Art and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

With the acquisition of Suquamish Waters, UPrep joined renowned art and cultural institutions showcasing his art, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American Art, the Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, and the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, as well as museums in Mexico and Spain.

During his life, Alfredo received many awards, including the Washington state Governor’s Arts and Heritage Award in 1986 and the Ohtli Award, a recognition given by the Mexican government to people promoting Mexican culture abroad. 

Susan said that her husband’s philosophy was the key to his success. He believed you should “find something you love to do and make it part of your life,” she said. “Alfredo’s love of painting made him happy. He was never not painting. He did exactly what he wanted to do.”

READ MORE ABOUT THE ULAB HERE.