by Judith O'Connor

Created on: July 23, 2009

El Paso Art Museum - Home of Diversity

From the time it was established in 1959, the El Paso Museum of Art became a wonderful educational destination for West Texas, New Mexico and Mexican school children and adults. The constant rotation of temporary exhibitions in conjunction with films, lectures, concerts and other educational programs provide a variety that can bring visitors back again and again. The Museum of Art also boasts over 5,000 works of art in its permanent collection. These establish a constant resource for local artists to view, copy and learn from.

The municipally funded art museum, situated in downtown El Paso, spans the largest international border community in the world. Recognizing the diverse cultures of the region by including Mexican, American, and European art, it is an institution dedicated to providing an esthetically stimulating environment and educational resource for all these.

El Nino de Atocha (The Christ Child of Atocha), a legendary figure supposed to have brought water to Christian prisoners during the 13th Century Moorish invasion of Spain, entered Mexican culture through the Spanish colonization and remains widely painted even today. The current exhibit of these images remains on view until September 6, 2009. These historically significant paintings provide a wonderful learning experience for artists and art lovers alike.

Twenty artists from Spain, Mexico, France, Canada and the U.S. contribute to the exhibit Bestiario and Nahuales 2 (Beasts and Guardian Animal Spirits) which explores how artists from these different cultures and backgrounds express their creativity regarding a specific theme. This fantastic menagerie opened for viewing March 15-September 20, 2009. Each artist uses his/her preferred media to depict the whimsical idea captured in this project presented by Arceo Press, Chicago. The entire portfolio was donated by Ouida Touchon, one of whose prints is featured in the exhibit.

The Lost Child Exhibit began on June 20th with a lecture by the artist Ilan Lieberman followed by the opening reception. These works of art depict 100 photographs carefully restored using a microscope and mechanical pencils recreating the faces of disappeared children whose pictures were originally published in the Metro newspaper in Mexico City, Mexico. After its viewing in the Museum of Mexico City, the exhibit has moved to the El Paso Museum of Art. The pictures mark a significant cultural event focusing on youngsters who have disappeared from their communities because of political, criminal or reasons without explanation. This exhibit demonstrates that the instability of governments still adversely effects the lives of all-especially the children.

The greatest advantage to these diverse exhibits is that all of them are free! Whether you are an El Paso resident or a vacation visitor, the El Paso Museum of Art should be a destination for one day or more in order to enjoy at least part of the beauty and different artistic backgrounds of the constantly changing creative genre.

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