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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
FATHER RAHM MURAL • 111 W. Father Rahm Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
" I loved having Cimi lead the tour. His personal history of the area, his relaying of how he came up with ideas for his murals and his sharing of mural techniques were very interesting!" - Los Murales de Segundo Barrio attendee
" My favorite part of the tour was listening to Cimi and his extensive knowledge of Segundo Barrio and also the process behind painting murals - Los Murales de Segundo Barrio attendee
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. A chamber ensemble of Tocando, the students of the El Paso symphony orchestra, will be playing a brief program at the event. An intriguing presentation waiting to be experienced!
CENTENNIAL MUSEUM • 610 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968
"I loved the music. I also enjoyed the presentation. It gave me a new perspective on viewing Tom Lea 's work. The snacks were good, too. " - Kathy Kay, attendee
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.
LIONS PLAZITA • 910 S Santa Fe St., El Paso, TX 79901
" The best part for me, having not visited Ciudad Juarez in about 20 years, was simply walking again along the streets filled with vendors and with occasional peeks at historic places and buildings. We feel more comfortable in doing more visits" -Rick and Corinne Chumsae
" Seeing the museums and the former city hall building in Juarez, now a school for the arts was my favorite part of the tour. I go to Juarez often and this was the very first time I visited the museums." - Juarez tour attendee
I have to say that being the first time in Juarez I just really loved seeing the city. I loved seeing the shops and the street maket and Mercado. The shoes and boots were to die for. - Juarez tour attendee
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.
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.
BYRNE REED HOUSE • 1410 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX 78701
" The entire afternoon was so well orchestrated. I really enjoyed seeing the second floor of the Ransom center, the drawing of Lea’s wife, truly beautiful... It’s a mark of a well-educated man recognizing and valuing his surroundings.
Thank you to the organizers, Holly Cobb and particularly to all the personal points made by Adair." - Austin tour attendee
"Wow! That bus was totally unexpected and great! I had planned to do some walking but must admit that bus was wonderful. Also, liked seeing the big sketch of the painting of Sarah in the Summertime." - Lynn T.
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.
MOODY MEDICAL LIBRARY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH
914 Market St., Galveston, TX 77555
I enjoyed the revelation of the painting and listening to the research conducted by Dr. Skyes. Overall, is was a lovely presentation - Insights into Early Surgery attendee
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.
THE CONSERVATORY AT THE BRYAN MUSEUM • 1315 21st St., Galveston, TX 77550
" J.P. is a gifted storyteller. Beautiful tribute to Tom & Nancy Lea. Enjoyed the presentation very much." - Andrea, Bryan's Museum Facebook
"Mr Bryan's presentation was expertly researched and, surprisingly, appropriately emotional " - The Greatest Love Story ever attendee
Join the Tom Lea Celebration!
TOUR Contact INFORMATION
Contact: marketing@tomlea.net
915-533-0048
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