State Of The Arts

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a grant of more than $2 million to UTEP and EPCC to establish The Humanities Collaborative. The goals of this three-year project are to expand collaboration in the humanities between the two institutions and to invigorate humanities coursework and student research at both institutions through paid internships, community involvement, interdisciplinary mentored research and other high-impact experiences. 

The Consulate General of Mexico presents “Raices Raramuris” a concert by raramuri musician Romayno Gutierrez at the Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall on Thursday, July 26 at 6pm.  This concert will be complimented by a photo exhibition by Heber Nickolath of his ethno-anthropological studies of Mexico and its indigenous people. 

Toronto, Canada native Paul Kortenaar is the founding executive director of the El Paso children’s museum.

He’s tasked with overseeing the vision and construction of the museum, which once built, will be across the street from the El Paso Convention Center and ballpark in the heart of the El Paso Downtown Arts District. 

Aaron Torres is a multi-media creative who studied Digital Filmmaking and has a background working as a tailor and clothing designer for the past decade.

He runs a sustainable clothing brand called Sleep, Never and his band Mind Your Dream is on the verge of releasing their debut EP called SIGNS. 

Ron Stallworth is an El Paso native who is a highly decorated law enforcement veteran. His book, Black Klansman: A Memoir, tells the tale of how he, working in an undercover capacity, was able to penetrate the Ku Klux Klan chapter in Colorado Springs where he infiltrated the 1978 KKK and helped sabotage cross burnings, expose white supremacists in the military, and even befriended David Duke himself.

The book is also the basis for the upcoming major motion picture BlacKkKlansman, written and directed by Spike Lee, produced by Jordan Peele, and starring John David Washington and Adam Driver. 

Historically a point of passage, West Texas has fostered a community composed of artists both passing through and making the El Paso region their permanent home.

With El Paso Museum of Art’s rich collection of early Texas art alongside works from local collectors, the Early West Texas exhibition examines the border as waypoint and home. 

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is raising awareness and encouraging all Texans to get involved in conserving the wild things and wild places of our state.

“We Will Not Be Tamed” calls you to appreciate the wildness of Texas, the vastness of our Texas spirit and why we should be inspired to conserve it. 

The global PechaKucha sensation returns to kick off the summer in downtown El Paso on Thursday, June 28th. PechaKucha is Japanese for "chit chat” or the sound of conversation.

PechaKucha Nights are informal and fun gatherings where people get together to share their ideas, creative works, thoughts, manifestos, or just about anything — in the PechaKucha 20x20 format. PechaKucha 20x20 is a simple format where each presenter gets to show 20 images, each for 20 seconds to share their passion.

In Mexican lucha libre there is a subset of wrestlers known as exóticos who compete in drag. It just so happens that one of the most prolific exoticos, Cassandro, was born and raised in Cd. Juarez, and currently makes El Paso his home.

He also happens to be the first exótico to win a world title. Today, we are dedicating our entire show to getting to know our homegrown exiotico, Cassandro.

El Paso Museum of Art and the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez present the 5th Transborder Biennial, marking a decade of collaboration in one of the world’s densest metro borderplexes. Jurors Gilbert Vicario, Selig Family Chief Curator at the Phoenix Art Museum, and Carlos E. Palacios, Curator at Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, worked with MACJ staff and EPMA Curator Kate Green to select artists for the exhibition, which is presented simultaneously at EPMA and MACJ. 


El Paso Museum of Art and the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez present the 5th Transborder Biennial, marking a decade of collaboration in one of the world’s densest metro borderplexes.  Two artists that are part of this year’s biennial, Leon De La Rosa-Carrillo and Abraham Avila, discuss their work.

In the work of artists Jessica Hankey and Erin Johnson, theatricality is a means of enlarging the self and creating new realities. In their multi-channel video installation Salidas y Entradas | Exits and Entrances, participants from three of El Paso’s senior centers explore the boundaries between rehearsal, improvisation, performance, and critique. 

Paradox Traveling Art is mobile art installation created by El Paso/Juarez artist Laura Turon which is housed within a converted school bus. We first checked in with Laura when she was first taking her bus to the streets, and today we catch up with her to see how you can make your own three-dimensional abstract images using the paradox drawing system and see your art become part of the traveling art installation. 

Now in its 8th year, Neon Desert Music Fesival has become a downtown El Paso staple. This year features music of all genres including Mexican alternative rock band Café Tacuba, Columbian electro pop group Bomba Esterio, hip hop superstar Lil Wayne and Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane.

Here to tell us about everything happening at Neon Desert is artist hospitality manager Caroline Vazquez.

Since early 2018 Kate Green has held the position of Curator at the El Paso Museum of Art. Formerly, she served as Guest Director of Marfa Contemporary, Curator of Education and Exhibitions at Artpace, Curatorial Assistant at MoMA PS1, and Educator at Dia Art Foundation.

Aside from the upcoming border biennial, Green is currently working on an exhibition at the El Paso Museum of Art which will feature works by José Guadalupe Posada and Augustin Victor Casasola alongside new and commissioned artworks by Andrea Bowers, Rafa Esparza, and Cruz Ortiz. 

Singer, actress and community leader Laura Tate is adding another title to her resume — philanthropist.  Laura will headline a benefit concert for the new arts fund that bears her name at 8pm Saturday, June 2 in the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater. Laura will be backed by her LA Band, and will perform a wide-ranging repertoire that spans Broadway hits, pop standards, blues, rock and country.

Carlos Corral is creating more opportunities to showcase films made in the borderland and filmmakers from the borderland.  He’s created the El Paso Film Festival, a new festival that hopes to bring the best from the El Paso area to the big screen, while also showcasing emerging indie filmmakers from around the country, and perhaps the world. 

The Las Cruces UkeFest is hosted by the Las Cruces Ukes, a non-profit community group of ukulele enthusiasts in southern New Mexico. Last year they held their first full-scale festival to rave reviews and a sold-out venue!

For 2018, they’ve arranged for a larger theatre to fit all the ukulele lovers they expect to host. Here to tell us all about it are Cheryl Fallstead and Bob Hull.

Life in West Texas has inspired El Pasoan Jason Brewer to open Jackrabbit Trading where he creates hand crafted furniture and goods.

While he came to discover his talent for carpentry in a round about way, his Terlingua Chair has become a best seller. Here to talk Jackrabbit Trading is Jason Brewer.

The Great American Trio is made up of Celeste Shearer on French horn, Jim Shearer on tuba and Dena Kay Jones on piano. They will perform a concert featuring the music of composer James Grant at the UTEP Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall, Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 7:30 pm.

The concert will also feature the world premiere of “Two Lovers Dream” by Memphis composer Tom Clary. Here to tell us all about it is pianist Dena Kay Jones and tube player Jim Shearer. 

Los Silver are one of the most important groups to come out of Ciudad Juarez and they are playing a special Mother’s Day Concert at Café Mayapan on Thursday, May 10, 2018. You're invited to reserve your seats to celebrate mom with the legendary group.

Here to tell us all about it are Carolina Franco, Valerie Rivas and Cemeli De Aztlan. 

The El Paso Museum of Art will unveil the newly renovated galleries of the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European Art on Friday, May 11, 2018. This is the first time that the Kress Collection has been comprehensively reinterpreted and reinstalled since the Museum moved to its current downtown location in 1998. 

On Saturday May 5, the El Paso Opera presents Mozart by Moonlight!

You're invited to experience the magical music of Mozart under the moon and stars and enjoy highlights of Mozart Operas sung by the opera’s quartet. Mozart by Moonlight will also feature a 30 piece orchestra under the direction of Bohuslav Rattay, musical director for El Paso Symphony Orchestra. 

The El Paso Choral Society presents one of the most popular musical works of our time: Carmina Burana by Carl Orff on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at 7:30pm at the Abraham Chavez Theatre.

This passionate and thrilling music will be performed by the 100-voice El Paso Chorale and it’s orchestra including the professional orchestra of Juarez along with several soloists.  Prentice Loftin previews the program.

Ladies, Wine and Design is a salon night held monthly for creative and professional ladies. They wine, dine, and have casual conversations on a wide variety of topics relating to creativity, business, and life. These monthly gatherings are open to female creatives and professionals in any field.

This month’s event is called “Curating our Border” featuring an exchange of experiences working with the border community focusing on leadership, empowerment and how the border is portrayed. The event will be held at Montecillo at Nuhda on Friday April 27 and it begins at 6pm.

Author Isabel Quintero and illustrator Zeke Peña have come together to collaborate on the book Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide, from Getty Publications.

The book is “an evocative and poetic graphic biography about renowned Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide and her adventures around the world.” 

Metamorphosis: Trash to Treasure II is an exhibit of recycled art created by El Pasoans of all ages and backgrounds. It will be on display at the El Paso Museum of Art from April 21 to May 13, 2018 with a reception on Saturday, April 21 at 2pm. Here to tell us all about it are Kevin Burns and Candie Printz.

Animals make art, too! Alongside the El Paso Museum of Art's newest exhibition, Ethics Excess Extinction, view works painted by orangutans, seals, elephants, and tigers in collaboration with the El Paso Zoo’s Animal Enrichment Program.   Families are invited to tour the exhibition and drop in anytime for art-making activities in the museum's studio classrooms.  

The 2018 Nuevo Siglo Drama Festival takes place April 7 - 14, 2018. This year will feature performances by theater companies from Mexico, Cuba, Spain and El Paso. Tickets are free and will be distributed at the door on a first-come first-served basis beginning at 6 pm on the day of each performance. All performances begin at 7 pm.