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'I want to represent the whole New Mexico': Balloon Fiesta poster revealed
The 2025 ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta commemorative poster by Jason Valencia.
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Out of the basket and onto the wall, the 2025 ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta commemorative poster has been released.
This year’s poster features an array of hot air balloons across the sky and was designed by Pueblo of San Felipe artist Jason Valencia.
“I want to represent the whole New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment,” Valencia said in a video released by Balloon Fiesta. “The state bird, the Zia symbol, us living here in New Mexico, our pueblos and Navajos.”
Each balloon depicts Native American-inspired designs and patterns and utilizes bold and earthy colors typical of Southwestern art, according to the news release.
Valencia was surprised when he received the notice that he had been chosen for this year’s poster.
“I was just like in shock,” Valencia said. “I was like, “Oh man, they chose me!’”
Valencia’s work has been featured at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market; the American Indian Arts Festival at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles; the Heard Museum in Phoenix; and the Cherokee Art Market in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A tradition of the poster is to feature a hidden roadrunner, which Valencia made sure to include, just as the generations of artists before him had done.
The posters, signed and unsigned, will be available for purchase online at balloonfiestastuff.com and at the Balloon Fiesta gift shop. It will also be at official Balloon Fiesta merchandise tents during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which runs Saturday, Oct. 4, through Sunday, Oct. 12.
