OKLAHOMA CITY – The OKC arts community was rocked Monday by news that beloved artist and arts leader Fernando Calvillo has been confirmed dead in a high-speed train crash in the Spanish city of Urda that claimed more than 60 lives and left dozens injured.
The news was confirmed by family and close friends on social media early Monday following days of searching and spreading information across the city and state community, as well as across Spain and Mexico. Calvillo held dual US/Mexican citizenship and had family living in the Americas and in Europe.
Calvillo was a longtime leader and active participant in Oklahoma’s arts community, most recently serving as Community Relations Director of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC), where he helped to coordinate some of OKC’s highest-profile arts events, like MOMENTUM and the recent 12×12.
He was also a lifelong artist, incorporating painting, sculpting, and photography into a body of work spanning decades and continents.
Calvillo held advanced degrees in communications and design, attended school in Argentina, taught and oversaw festivals and arts events in Mexico, and worked to showcase the richness of art across the Latin American world, all before moving to OKC to work with ARTSPACE at Untitled before joining OVAC in 2022.
He was traveling in Spain on vacation with his husband, Lawrence Naff, himself a fixture of the Oklahoma arts scene as a visual artist and jewelry designer.
Naff sustained serious injuries to his legs in the crash, but was transported to a local hospital in the city of Alcázar de San Juan where he underwent surgery and was later reported to be conscious and in stable condition.
A GoFundMe was launched last week to collect donations for support to his family, helping to cover travel expenses and medical costs for Naff
The fundraiser is still active and as of Monday morning, had raised nearly $18,000.
Tributes pour in from OKC arts community
As the news broke on Monday morning, tributes, condolences, and expressions of grief began pouring in from across the Oklahoma City arts community.
Artist and former OVAC staff member Karis Chambers posted photos of Calvillo’s art on social media, writing “thank you for leaving these gifts behind, you are one of the greatest people I have ever met and will ever meet.”
Visual artist and arts organizer Clint Stone memorialized Calvillo and his tireless support of the arts community in a Facebook post, saying “The earth lost another great person with a big mission,” and adding “while also being a brilliant artist, he seemed to be there to support and promote everyone else.”
Those sentiments were echoed by painter and muralist Carlos Barboza, who paid tribute in a stark, text-only Instagram story expressing gratitude for Calvillo’s championing of the Oklahoma community and solidarity for the Hispanic heritage that informed his visual eye and his communal spirit.
“Fernando showed up for all of us in the OKC art community,” Barboza wrote. “He was a force for good in this world, and he was also my friend. Te voy a extrañar montones, hermano.”
Brett Fieldcamp is the owner and Editor in Chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly two decades and served as Arts & Entertainment Editor before purchasing the company from founder Brett Dickerson in 2026.
He is also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
