El Paso is a city rich with culture and beauty. Recently, the city has been working on developing more public art for El Pasoans, especially with the new ballpark nearing completion.
The ballpark will feature artwork by local artists who have been commissioned by the city. Gaspar Enriquez is one of the artists who will be working on the murals for the stadium. The mural he is working on will portray the history of baseball in the city of El Paso.
“The city has a 2 percent budget for the arts,” Enriquez said.
“I hope that younger and older generations can collaborate together (on public art projects), but most artists are individuals, who more or less keep to themselves and come out of their creative worlds once in a while.”
The Southwest University Ballpark was scheduled for completion by the initial game day on April 28.
With the anticipation of the ballpark completion and the first home game, one can only imagine how hectic things are for artists and faculty involved in the completion of the stadium.
Enriquez’ murals aren’t the only art that spectators will be able to see at the stadium. “The River Chronicle, a History of El Paso Del Norte” is a 60-foot glass window created by local artist Roberto Davidoff. The huge window provides spectators with an insight into the history of El Paso—where the city began to where it is today, with the Rio Grande river providing a flow to the artistic timeline.
A plaque describing the artwork reads, “The river has been forever the constant heart of our area. The Rio Grande —with the people, places, and events that surround it—becomes a chronicle of El Paso del Norte.”
Davidoff gathered images for this project from the UTEP Library’s Special Collections department, the El Paso County Historical Society and from the private collection of Michael and Carol Bernstein.
The city allocated roughly $850,000 for the artwork at the ballpark. The central theme of the work displayed at the stadium will be the history, culture and development of El Paso.
With the stadium being so close to the university, the artwork being displayed has an impact on UTEP students and artists.
“I think El Paso has come a long way, said Fernie Perez, senior graphic design major. “It’s great to see street art, public art and artists being appreciated, respected and recognized by the public and the city.”
The City of El Paso’s Museums and Cultural Affairs Department is working closely with the community, in order to hear their opinions on what it is they want to see with public arts projects. The rise of these projects can be seen throughout the city, and one project in particular is currently being put up near UTEP.
Photographer and artist, Patrick David Walker, is currently working with the El Paso Public Art Committee. His work can be seen at the bus stop located across from the Glory Road Transfer Center. One of his photos is printed on the inside of the grid, and make up the walls of the station. The images are broken up, however, and once you take a second look, everything comes into focus. The colors also change throughout the day, because of the different areas where sunlit hits the art.
“I did research on El Paso history and decided that I wanted this particular project to focus on my photography. I took classes to learn about the native plants in the region, and over the course of one year, I gathered several hundred pictures,” Walker said.
The design of the station was brought to life by Catherine Widgery, and Walker took the photos for the project, making this a team effort.
“I really enjoy working for the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department of El Paso,” Walker said. “Not a lot of people are aware of public art in the city. It’s wonderful to know that my art is now a part of our city and a part of it’s history, too.”
Lesly Limon may be reached at [email protected].
