Past Events
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. Check out some of the events we celebrated so far!
SEPT 28
Saturday
10 AM
Did you know that El Paso's desert was once under water? Discover what's in the layers beneath our feet by looking at the stones of El Paso's historic Church of St. Clement. Also, explore the halls of St. Clement's Church and see Cisneros's unique leaded glass windows featuring his biblical designs. Learn about the little-known Tom Lea book The History of Christianity, Stained Glass Designs in the McKee Chapel of Saint Clement"s Church in El Paso, written by Tom Lea and designed by Carl Hertzog.
Fossils in Our Walls, Cisneros in Our Halls, Tom Lea on Our Windows
ST. CLEMENT'S CHRUCH • 810 North Campbell Street El Paso, TX 79902
"I loved learning about the fossils and stained glass and all the history of them. I always enjoy the lunch after, as well as, meeting and talking with the others on the tour". - Fossils tour attendee
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
" Such as unique experience! I loved walking through the exhibition and hearing Adair's storytelling. Never seen Golden Retrievers at an event like this before, they were so cute! - Old Breed, New Brotherhood attendee
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
" I love listening to Adair talk about Tom Lea's work and how he created the narrative in the series, as well as , being able to study his collection. - Laura, attendee
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)
" Turns out my dad, Manny Najera, knew Tom Lea and my grandmother was Pancho Villa’s niece. If I hadn’t gone to the event and brought it up the next day this may have gone unknown." - Sandra, attendee
" I enjoyed learning about the history, geography and different cultures and about the post office murals and how the artists were commissioned". - Intersecting Art forms attendee.
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
" Enjoy, very much, that through the paintings and influence of Tom Lea, the institute is helping us, as a community, to know the cities of El Paso and Juarez from a different point of view" - Turning Point Attendee
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
" Being able learn about art and El Paso's history in a more hands-on approach was eye-opening!" - Minecraft and Motifs Attendee
" All the presentations were excellent! Very creative this year!!" - Minecraft and Motifs attendee
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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!