Each year, the Tom Lea Institute brings FREE, fun and, exciting events to life
for the community and those along the Tom Lea Trail – all centered around
a central theme inspired by Tom Lea and his works.
Full Schedule of Events:
Tom Lea was one of the most prolific artists documenting the Southwest's landscape, history, and people. This exhibition features landscapes, portraits, and mural studies, highlighting correspondence between artists in a tightly-knit creative community, which made El Paso a central point for rich cultural exchange. Artists include Manuel Acosta, Lois Denton, Freemont Ellis, Leola Freeman, Carl Hertzog, Peter Hurd, Tom Lea, Ada Miller, Audley Dean Nicols, Urbici Soler, and Henriette Wyeth. The exhibition includes objects from El Paso Museum of Art and El Paso Museum of History collections, supported by the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation and the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department.
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EL PASO MUSEUM OF ART
1 Arts Festival Plaza, El Paso, TX 79901
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Ernie Roberts asked various artists to depict a Desert Storm soldier in homage to Fort Bliss troops who served. Tom Lea was the only artist to agree under the condition that an actual Desert Storm veteran pose for him in his studio. The resulting painting, Old Breed, New Brotherhood, became an important image for veterans nationwide. A&M cadets bought the original working drawing for the Veterans Center on campus. The event will include seeing four additional Tom Lea sketches donated to Texas A&M. Join us for speakers and a reception afterwar
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DON & ELLIE KNAUSS VETERAN RESOURCE AND SUPPORT CENTER
General Services Complex, Agronomy Rd., College Station, TX 77840
POSTPONED: In anticipation of a new El Paso Museum of Art downtown, a statewide campaign was held in 1997 to name the Tom Lea Gallery, bringing his far-flung artwork home to El Paso. The tour features the exhibit Tom Lea and Contemporaries at the Tom Lea Gallery. Hal Marcus, of Hal Marcus Gallery, and Adair Margo, who recorded Tom Lea: An Oral History and founded the Tom Lea Institute, will guide the tour. Meet in the museum foyer.
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EL PASO MUSEUM OF ART • 1 Arts Festival Plaza, El Paso, TX 79901
Western Beef Cattle: A Series of Eleven Paintings by Tom Lea explores the life cycle of beef cattle. Created as part of Tom Lea's journey to recover from the horrors of WWII, these paintings provide a unique perspective on a little-explored topic. Hear Sarah McKenzie of McKenzie Land and Livestock give insight about top-performing black Angus. Immerse yourself in the lyric storytelling of cowboy poet Joel Nelson while indulging in light appetizers.
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MUSEUM OF THE BIG BEND • 400 N Harrison St. C-101, Alpine, TX 79832
The Tom Lea Fellowship at UTEP, supported by Dee and Adair Margo, promotes scholarly exploration of Tom Lea’s art, writings, and life, fostering diverse perspectives and deepening understanding across academic fields. Carlos Castro, a psychology undergraduate, explores Tom Lea’s profound relationship with the Border region and its impact on his artistic expression. Jeralyn Barbie, a sociology master's candidate, investigates Tom Lea’s depictions of the Wild West in post office murals. Michelle Ramirez, an undergraduate in dance studies, interprets the bodies and landscapes within Lea’s artwork through dance.
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EL PASO NATURAL GAS CONFERENCE CENTER
500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79902 (across from UTEP Library)
Meet inside The University of Texas at El Paso’s (UTEP) Larry Durham Center, home to the Tom Lea painting The Turning Point, which captures the moment of the football game between Texas Western and the University of Utah that changed the course of the season for the Miners. At this event, quarterback Billy Stevens will show footage of the game, reliving the historic moment. Adair Margo, author of Tom Lea: An Oral History, will share what this one-of-a-kind portrait says about the character of Tom Lea. Join us for an inspired football-themed gathering, including a contingent of the UTEP marching band.
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UTEP LARRY DURHAM CENTER • 2824 Sun Bowl Dr. #2788, El Paso, TX 79902
Facundo Torrieri and Carlos Tapia, master’s degree students in creative writing, present a series of videos analyzing distinctive themes in Tom Lea’s art. Emiliano Zapiain, enrolled in the Bilingual Creative Writing master’s program, recreates Tom Lea’s Lonely Town within the virtual world of Minecraft.
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THE UTEP LIBRARY BLUMBERG ROOM • 1900 Wiggins Way, El Paso, TX 79902
Segundo Barrio has been the first home for thousands of families in El Paso since the 1880s. The adobe and brick neighborhood has been described as “the Ellis Island of the Border.” Join Jesus “Cimi” Alvarado, a native muralist, and learn the Mexican and Indigenous motifs, as well as political statements. Come with us for a no-host authentic Mexican lunch afterward.
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FATHER RAHM MURAL • 111 W. Father Rahm Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
Dr. Hilda Sotelo explores the representation of gender roles in Tom Lea’s art, focusing on how his works reflect and challenge prevalent American gender norms in the mid-20th century. Conversation and light bites follow.
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CENTENNIAL MUSEUM • 610 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968
El Paso del Norte was born more than 100 years before the United States was born. Travel with us to its birthplace, across the international bridge! This tour features iconic places like El Tin Tan Museum, Museum of Revolution in the Border, Historic City Hall, and Cuauhtemoc Market. At Guadalupe Mission and Cathedral, José Mario Sánchez Soledad, an opera singer, performs Ave Maria. After the tour, enjoy a no-host lunch at The Kentucky Club, the birthplace of the margarita.
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LIONS PLAZITA • 910 S Santa Fe St., El Paso, TX 79901
Join us for a walking tour with stops at the Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center, and the Chancellor’s office to discover UT's rich history through its Tom Lea holdings and see treasures generally not available to the public. Tour embarks from the lobby.
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MEET AT HARRY RANSOM CENTER • 300 West 21st Street, Austin, Texas 78712
• Harry Ransom Center:
Stand in awe of Tom Lea's preparatory drawing for Sarah in the Summertime painting, the artist’s self-proclaimed magnum opus. A life-sized portrait of his wife was made in the gratefulness of being home after World War II. The drawing was painstakingly restored by HRC Conservators in 1997.
• Blanton Museum of Art:
Explore the study for Stampede, originally featured on the cover of J. Frank Dobie's book The Longhorns. This study, a one-inch to one-foot model for Lea's 1940 Stampede mural in the Odessa Post Office, is a remarkable piece. Also see the Toro Suelto in black ink and learn about the C.R. Smith Collection of Western Art, which includes notable works such as The Year It Rained and The Lead Steer.
• University of Texas System Office:
Enjoy two Tom Lea paintings chosen by Chancellor J.B. Milliken for his office while hearing comments from him and former Chancellor William Cunningham, who also had Lea paintings in his office. Discover what a lead steer can teach us about leadership.
• After the tour:
Enjoy wine and charcuterie at the Byrne Reed House, headquarters of Humanities Texas, with a peek at more art by Tom Lea from the collection of Pamela Pitzer Willeford, former ambassador to Switzerland, and fellow regionalist Thomas Hart Benton.
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BYRNE REED HOUSE • 1410 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX 78701
Visit the first medical school west of the Mississippi and be fascinated by Tom Lea’s dramatic painting of the First Recorded Surgical Operation in North America. Created for the Texas Surgical Society’s 50th anniversary, the painting depicts Cabeza de Vaca removing an arrow from a Native American's chest in 1535, as described in his book La Relacion. Also, hear a member of the Surgical Society explain the drawing of the surgeon's hands and the drawing of the Surgical Society logo.
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MOODY MEDICAL LIBRARY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH
914 Market St., Galveston, TX 77555
The Greatest Love Story Ever is a presentation about the early adult life of Tom Lea and his first wife, Nancy Jane Taylor. It features Nancy's artwork and personal notebooks by J.P. Bryan, a sixth-generation Texan and founder of The Bryan Museum. Visit Tom Lea’s work in several mediums in the Texas Master's Gallery.
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THE CONSERVATORY AT THE BRYAN MUSEUM • 1315 21st St., Galveston, TX 77550
Join a conversation with Nevena Christi and Marty Snortum, dynamic entrepreneurs, each with their own thriving business. Learn how Marty convinced Nevena to move to El Paso from New York City. As the founder of Rocketbuster Boots, one of the world's most iconic custom boot makers, Nevena has become an El Paso legend. Marty, the owner of Marty Snortum Studios, is considered one of the Southwest's top photographers. Discover how they balance marriage and family life while achieving international acclaim in their artistic endeavors. Enjoy charcuterie tastings.
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ST. ROGER’S DEPOT • 420 N. Campbell St., El Paso, TX 79901
Join Ginger Francis on a journey through the unique public art in the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso campus. Each piece tells a story deeply rooted in the borderland ethos.​ Marvel at the sandblasted local plant forms of Helix Garden and stroll through the El Intercambio sculptures, reminiscent of the Spanish Missions. Experience the delicate balance of healing and high-tech science with Between Earth and Sky.​ Be amazed by the mastery of Tom Lea’s Pass of the North portraits and the Study for the First Recorded Surgical Operation in North America, Cabeza de Vaca Taking an Arrow from an Indian's Chest in 1535.
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TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT EL PASO
Meet on the first floor of the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine
137 Rick Francis St., El Paso, TX 79905
Join us as we celebrate the museum's inclusion on the Tom Lea Trail mobile website. Enjoy the docudrama Uncommon Valor, filmed right here at the museum. Adair Margo, founder and author of Tom Lea: An Oral History, will delve into the remarkable meeting between Admiral Nimitz and Tom Lea at Pearl Harbor. David Shields, museum director, will welcome participants. Also, explore an outpost in the Nimitz-Platz showcasing artifacts and the contributions of war correspondents like Tom Lea. Don't miss this special presentation and premiere at 1:00 or 2:00 p.m.
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THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PACIFIC WAR
340 E. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Tom Lea wrote and illustrated the two-volume history of The King Ranch. Arguably the greatest ranching history ever written, it was originally intended as a monograph for King Ranch’s 100th anniversary. Hear James Clement, a sixth-generation member of the King Ranch family, rancher, and former Horse Division manager. Under his direction, King Ranch won the AQHA Best Remuda Award, the most prestigious recognition awarded to a ranch horse program, and raised the first-ever King Ranch-bred and owned World Champion. Afterward, get an exclusive guided tour of the Henrietta Memorial Center and Museum. See the historic remuda while visiting over ranch-themed refreshments. Join the insider's bus tour of King Ranch quarter horses and meet a champion horse. Separate registration is required for the bus tour on Eventbrite.
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HENRIETTA CENTER • 405 North 6th St., Kingsville, TX 78363
past brochures HERE
become a sponsor
We invite you to be a part of sponsorship and marketing opportunities for Tom Lea Month.
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Build brand loyalty, attract new customers, preserve iconic art in the region, and transmit pride of place to the next generation.
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We rely on grants and donors just like you to keep the mission of the Tom Lea Institute alive, thank you in advance for your support and providence!