In 1980 RODRIGUEZ developed an innovative program under the California Arts Council where blind sculptors were successfully brought into the mainstream of important professional art activities. He was selected to conduct a stone carving workshop at the 12th International Sculpture Conference in Oakland, CA,

a first at the ISC in addressing the needs of visually impaired artists. He was the subject of a Channel 2 documentary in 1982 in Berkeley, CA, of his life and work which was nationally broadcast. He received significant gallery and major television attention in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s -1980s, becoming known as “the People’s Artist.” Additionally, he had a big impact on the cultural environment of Woodstock, NY in the 1990s - 2000s.