Trip Ideas

El Paso's 10 Contemporary Art Galleries and Museums to Visit

El Paso’s 10 Contemporary Art Galleries and Museums to Visit

Agave Rosa Gallery & Studio Manuel Pina
Photo by Agave Rosa Studio & Gallery
Agave Rosa Gallery & Studio Manuel Pina
905 Noble
(915) 533-8011 

Manuel Piña has had numerous individual exhibitions nationwide at our border, Cualiacán, Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Monterrey N.L, Puebla and Mexico D.F. internationally: in El Paso TX., New York, Los Angeles, California, Florence, Italy.

El Paso Museum of Art
Photo by El Paso Museum of Art
El Paso Museum of Art
1 Arts Festival Plaza
(915) 212-0300 

The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) houses a permanent collection of over 7,000 works of art from the Byzantine era to the present. Among the collection’s strengths in American, Mexican, and European art are Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces from the likes of Botticelli, Canaletto, and Van Dyck, as well as 20th century works by notable natives like Tom Lea. In addition, the museum hosts a robust schedule of temporary exhibitions. The museum school also offers diverse classes, hands-on workshops, and popular camps for adults and children alike.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Mon: Closed Tue: Closed Wed: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thu: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Fri: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sat: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Encaustic International Art Studio & Gallery
Photo by Encaustic International Art Studio & Gallery
Encaustic International Art Studio & Gallery
7100 Westwind, Suite 120
(915) 478-5534 

Founded by German-born artist Brigitte von Ahn, Encaustic is located just a couple of miles west of Franklin Mountain State Park. The gallery specializes in the encaustic technique, a painting method involving heated beeswax mixed with added colored pigments. Alongside the main collection, the gallery hosts a selection of sculptures and works by early El Paso artist Eugene Thurston. Other works include the colorful abstract creations of Ju-Yi Fu or the dreamlike landscapes of Lori Wertz.

Galleries at the Memorial
Photo by Chamizal National Memorial
Galleries at the Memorial
800 South San Marcial Street
(915) 532-7273 

Commemorating the peaceful setting of the Chamizal border dispute between the US and Mexico, the Chamizal National Memorial is committed to celebrating the history and culture of the borderline region where it is located. Three galleries showcasing the work of local painters and sculptors make up the complex: the Los Paisanos, the Abrazos, and the Borderland gallery. By hosting exhibitions such as River People, featuring local artists like Nestor Valencia and Julio Sanchez de Alba, the gallery͛s aim is to shed light on the rich and diverse heritage that characterises this frontier area. Also on display in the bookshop is a collection of colourful alebrijes, curious animal-like creatures dreamed up by Mexican artist Pedro Linares which later became popular folk art objects in the Oaxaca region.

Hal Marcus Gallery
Photo by Hal Marcus Studio & Gallery
Hal Marcus Gallery
1308 N. Oregon
(915) 533-9090 

In an airy exhibition space perfect for a large number of paintings and artworks, Hal Marcus Gallery hosts one of the preeminent exhibitions spots in El Paso. The gallery has a strong focus on local artistry and in addition to displaying a large, distinctively bright and hued collection of paintings by Hal Marcus himself, it also brings together some of the finest contemporary works produced by artists in the area. In the gallery, Botero-esque portraits by Mauricio Mora share the space with the sharp tones of Mark Paulda͛s photographs, and with the surreal phantasmagoria of Evelyn Ainsa͛s oils.

International Museum of Art
Photo by International Museum of Art
International Museum of Art
1211 Montana Avenue
(915) 543-6747 

Together with the African and Western galleries, the Kolliker and the Mexican Revolution galleries, the Red Room Gallery makes up the permanent collection at the International Museum of Art of El Paso. The Red Room is devoted to contemporary local art and presents a selection of paintings and drawings by top artists from El Paso and the Southwest. Occupying the lower floor of the museum with a showcase of diverse artistic media and themes, the gallery is a great place to start your exploration of local art. Among the artists to see here are muralist Ernesto Martinez and beloved local mixed media artist Lawrence Benjamin Porter.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mon: Closed Tue: Closed Wed: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Thu: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Fri: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sat: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

The Glass Gallery
The Glass Gallery
500 W. University Ave.
(915) 747-5181 

The Glass Gallery, an exhibition space sponsored by the Department of Art at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), seeks to exhibit dynamic contemporary art within the Fox Fine Arts complex on campus. The Glass Gallery serves as an exhibition space for a diverse range of media and features approximately eight exhibitions every semester that are dedicated to current UTEP art students. In providing an exhibition space for high quality student art, the Department of Art seeks to broaden the visibility of contemporary art on campus.

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