Upper Valley Sails by Doug Taylor, 2010

The City of El Paso Public Art Program and Representative Ann Morgan Lilly invite the public to the dedication and unveiling of Upper Valley Sails, a kinetic sculpture designed by artist Doug Taylor, located on the traffic circle intersection of Country Club Rd. and Upper Valley, on Monday, July 19, 2010, from 9 to10 a.m.

About the Project

As part of a traffic improvement project in district 1, the City of El Paso approved the construction of a roundabout traffic circle where two percent (2%) of funds were set aside for the design, fabrication, and installation of permanent public art. Upon review by an artist selection panel, the Public Art Committee, and the Cultural Affairs Advisory Board, artist Doug Taylor was selected from a pre-qualified group of artists to provide an iconic sculptural piece of art.

About the Art Work

Upper Valley Sails is a three sail kinetic, wind powered sculpture reminiscent of the cottonwood seeds, ubiquitous in the areas, floating translucent against the sky. The sculpture’s location and function symbolically recognize the site as a historic trade and travel route, transporting people and goods, commemorating a shared cultural history. The artist strategically built and designed the sculpture for comfort and not for speed in the effort to keep a slow moving turbine that is self governed in high force winds. As wind velocity increases, the rotor slows while the sails adopt a horizontal bias.

About the Artist

Artist Doug Taylor focuses largely on wind- and water-powered kinetic works, implementing renewable energy and exploring the relationship between society, technology and the environment. Taylor’s work has been installed at sites such as Whistler’s World Cup Plaza, Victoria’s Selkirk Waterfront and Vancouver’s False Creek (George Wainborne Park) and Kitsalano Pool.

Upper Valley Sails by Doug Taylor, 2010

A complete listing of classes is available on-line at http://www.elpasoartmuseum.org/classes.asp.

Interested students may apply by filling out the scholarship form available on-line or by requesting the form via email or a hard copy at zamarripali@elpasotexas.gov. Scholarships are based on financial need, and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Scholarship recipients are placed in classes based on availability and student age. Specific class requests will be considered but are not guaranteed. Applications will be accepted until scholarship funds are exhausted.

Scholarships for adults are also available through the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation in Memory of Isaac Lopez. The scholarships, in memory of art advocate and art consultant Isaac Lopez, are specifically available to adults ages 15 years of age and older. Each scholarship can be applied to an adult summer workshop or class to cover the cost of tuition.

For more information, or to apply for scholarships please contact Laura Zamarripa, Museum School Coordinator, at (915) 532 – 1707 x 27.

Regular hours of operation are as follows:

Cultural Affairs – City Hall Summer Hours

Monday to Thursday 7:00 am to 6:00 pm

El Paso Museum of Art

Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursdays 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays

El Paso Museum of History

Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Thursdays 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays

El Paso Museum of Archaeology

Tuesday – Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 5 pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays

From the Blue Star Museums website:

If you are active duty military personnel and/or an immediate family member, all you need to do is show either a Geneva Conventions CAC ID or a DD Form 1173 ID card at the museum admissions desk. Immediate family members under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an appropriate ID holder.

Here is the current list of Texas museums participating in the Blue Star Museum program:

• Amon Carter Museum
  Fort Worth, TX
• Art Museum of South Texas
  Corpus Christi, TX
• Austin Museum of Art
  Austin, TX
• Brownsville Historical Association
  Brownsville, TX
• Buddy Holly Center
  Lubbock, TX
• Children’s Discovery Museum of the Golden Crescent
  Victoria, TX
• Dallas Heritage Village
  Dallas, TX
• Dallas Museum of Art
  Dallas, TX
• El Paso Museum of Art
  El Paso, TX
• Ellen Noel Art Museum
  Odessa, TX
• Fort Sam Houston Museum
  Ft. Sam Houston, TX
• Frontier Times Museum
  Bandera, TX
• George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
  College Station, TX
• McFaddin-Ward House
  Beaumont, TX
• McNay Art Museum
  San Antonio, TX
• Meadows Museum
  Dallas, TX
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
  Houston, TX
• Museum of Geometric and MADI Art
  Dallas, TX
• Museum of Texas Tech University
  Lubbock, TX
• Museum of the American Railroad
  Dallas, TX
• Museum of the Plains
  Perryton, TX
• Museum of the Southwest
  Midland, TX
• Museum of Western Art
  Kerrville, TX
• Nasher Sculpture Center
  Dallas, TX
• National Museum of the Pacific War
  Fredericksburg, TX
• National Scouting Museum
  Irving, TX
• Neill-Cochran House Museum
  Austin, TX
• Ocean Star Offshore Rig Museum
  Galveston, TX
• Pearce Museum
  Corsicana, TX
• Railroad and Heritage Museum
  Temple, TX
• Red River Historical Museum
  Sherman, TX
• Scurry County Museum
  Snyder, TX
• Silent Wings Museum
  Lubbock, TX
• Star of the Republic Museum
  Washington, TX
• Stark Museum of Art
  Orange, TX
• Texas Historical Commission
  Austin, TX
• The Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley
  Bryan, TX
• The Grace Museum
  Abilene, TX
• The Health Museum
  Houston, TX
• The Woodlands Children’s Museum
  The Woodlands, TX
• Tyler Museum of Art
  Tyler, TX
• Umlauf Scupture Garden & Museum
  Austin, TX

Check the Blue Star Museum website for an updated list.

The El Paso Museum of Art is the sponsor of a program on Thursday, July 1, 2010, at 5:30 p.m., in the El Paso Energy Auditorium of the El Paso Museum of Art to promote the formation of El Paso Lawyers For The Arts. The Federal Bar Association El Paso Chapter are co-sponsors of this program, and 2 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit (CLE) will be applied for and provided to attending lawyers and legal assistants free of charge.

It is envisioned that El Paso Lawyers for the Arts will be a support group formed to educate El Paso attorneys in legal matters relating to artists and fine arts groups, and to be able to provide legal services both professionally and on a pro bono basis to the El Paso community. The Museum desires to promote a greater working dialogue between the El Paso legal and arts communities, and sees the sponsorship of this program as a first step towards that goal.

The speaker for this program is Sergio Munoz Sarmiento. He is a native El Pasoan who received his BA from UTEP, his MFA from the California Institute of Arts, and his JD from Cornell Law School. He is in practice in New York City and is an Adjunct Instructor at the Brooklyn Law School. Mr. Sarmiento is actively engaged in the promotion of professional expertise in the field of art and law and is a frequent speaker to professional groups throughout the country.

The evening schedule for this program is:

• 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Presentation on Intellectual Property Law and Copyrights (1 hour CLE credit)
• 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception/Break provided by El Paso Museum of Art
• 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Presentation and discussion on Lawyers For The Arts (1 Hour CLE credit)

You may attend either, or both, presentations free of charge.

RSVP required – Attendance limited to 220. RSVP to the El Paso Museum of Art your intention to attend by phoning (915) 532-1707 or by emailing the Development Office of the El Paso Museum of Art romneyjk@elpasotexas.gov prior to July 1. Museum hours are Monday through Friday 9-5, extended Thursday hours through 9 pm, Sunday 12-5.

For more information go to www.elpasoartmuseum.org or call (915) 532-1707.

The El Paso Museum of Art is one of 330 museums from 45 states nationwide that made this commitment. Michael A. Tomor, Ph.D., Director of the El Paso Museum of art states: “I concur with our colleagues across the country, that this is a wonderful moment in NEA and U.S. museum history, to gather together and actively show our appreciation for active U.S. military personnel and their families”.

Tickets

Active military personnel and their families should visit the Museum Store to receive their free pass stickers to ticketed exhibitions. No tickets are required to view the Museum’s permanent collections. Current Military Identification (ID) is required.

Museum Hours

Monday & Major Holidays: Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Extended Hours Thursday Nights: Until 9:00 p.m.
Sundays: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Parking

Parking is available at the Convention Center and the Camino Real Hotels for a small fee. Limited metered parking is available on Main Street. Free parking is available after 6:00 PM Thursday nights, and all day most Saturdays and Sundays at the City Hall parking lot on Santa Fe Street.

Eagle Dancer by Woody Crumbo, 1964

Native American Works On Paper
El Paso Museum of Art
April 11 through September 19, 2010

Native American Works On Paper opens to the public on Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm in the Gateway Gallery at the El Paso Museum of Art. This exhibition is free to the public.

Parking is available at the Convention Center and the Camino Real Hotel for a fee. Free parking is available on most weekends at the City Hall parking lot on Santa Fe Street.

Native American Works On Paper

This exhibition of works on paper by Native American artists such as Gilbert Atencio, Kay B., Arthur Begay, Archie Blackowl, Nat Coriz, Woody Crumbo, Robert Draper, Kananginak, Kiakshuk, R. Naha, and Paul Pletka fills EPMA’s mission toward American artists. It is particularly important to recognize these artists because they are often marginalized and often left out of the canon of art history. Some of these artists were trained at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, which was created to cultivate and reignite the lost artistic and cultural traditions of the Native American people. The subjects in these works depict ritualistic scenes primarily in flat shapes that were contrary to the popular Euro-American Abstract Expressionist movement or the traditional one-point perspective illusion of space in use since the Italian Renaissance.

Eagle Dancer by Woody Crumbo, 1964

90+60+Hips=240 by Akiceri Alejandra Carrillo Estrada, 2009

Artists on Art with Alejandra Carrillo
El Paso Museum of Art
Thursday, April 15, 2010, at 5:30 p.m.

Join the El Paso Museum of Art on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. Artists on Art with Alejandra Carrillo. This 3rd Thursday event is free to the public.

Artists on Art – located at the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) provides local artists an opportunity to exhibit one work of art in any media accompanied by a 30 minute discussion on their work and its relation to the Museum’s permanent collection. There are six exhibits per year and the work is exhibited for a two-month period. Artists who wish to participate should call (915) 532-1707 x 14.

Alejandra Carrillo

Born in Cd. Juarez, raised in El Paso, Alejandra Carrillo-Estrada is a recent graduate from UTEP. She earned her degree in studio art metals and sculpture graduating with honors and is a recipient of the Luis Jimenez Scholarship Award. Carrillo likes to work with found objects and alternative materials in both her jewelry and in sculptures. She was also the gallery coordinator while attending UTEP at the Union Gallery. Carrillo curated the exhibitions such as “Green: Young, Lush and Blooming” and “Blurring the Borderlines” along with coordinating a total of 10 exhibitions showcased at the Union Gallery.

Carrillo-Estrada has shown her work in El Paso, participated in “Las Artistas: Fine Art Craft Sale” for three consecutive years, and was in the “Annual Juried Student Show” at the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts twice. She also earned an Honorable Mention Award in sculpture in 2008 for “Premio Chihuahua”. She is currently working as a bench jeweler and her work was recently selected for the Society of North American Goldsmiths’ “Exhibition in Motion” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

90+60+Hips=240 by Akiceri Alejandra Carrillo Estrada, 2009

Narcotraficante by Alice Briggs, 2008

Dreamland: The Way Out of Juarez
El Paso Museum of Art
April 4 through July 18, 2010

Dreamland: The Way Out of Juarez opens to the public on Sunday, April 4, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. in the Peter and Margaret de Wetter Gallery of the El Paso Museum of Art. This exhibition is free to the public. Parking is available at the Convention Center and the Camino Real Hotel for a fee. Free parking is available on most weekends at the City Hall parking lot on Santa Fe Street.

Dreamland: The Way Out of Juarez

The powerful, graphic images created by Lubbock artist Alice Leora Briggs are stern reminders that life is precious and that darkness may descend at any moment unexpectedly. In the Dreamland series of twenty works exhibited Briggs uses a historic technique called sgraffito to scratch white lines into a black surface as a response to the artist’s experiences exploring Ciudad Juárez 2007-2009. In many cases Briggs’ artwork references images from Northern Renaissance masters such as Pieter Brueghel the Elder or Hans Holbein in a mesmerizing combination of contemporary scenes of torture and death to depict a world where evil and wonder may exist side by-side. Briggs does not shy away from addressing difficult issues such as immigration, murder and the illegal trafficking of drugs, guns and people. The realistic details of the each drawing demonstrate the artist’s technical virtuosity while the imagery exudes empathy, imagination and solemnity.

Alice Leora Briggs has exhibited her drawings and architectural installations in the United States and in Europe. Most recently, Briggs was an Artist in Residence at the Border Art Residency in La Union, New Mexico. Briggs has received awards and grants from the Dallas Museum of Art, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the Ford Foundation, the Utah Arts Council and Larry E. Elsner Art Foundation.

Coinciding with a publication by the University of Texas Press and written by Charles Bowden, Dreamland: The Way Out of Juárez, will include many examples of Briggs’ work from the El Paso Museum of Art’s exhibition.

Visita Juarez by Alice Briggs, 2009

Narcotraficante by Alice Briggs, 2008

Thursdays, April 1 – May 27
Life Drawing, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Self-guided
$5 per session for Museum Members/$10 per session for non-members

For students ages 18 years old and up. Students will practice life drawing skills in this self-guided, self-paced class. Some drawing materials are provided or you may bring your own supplies. Beginning and advanced students welcome. Please be advised: live nude models are the focus of this drawing class. No visitors allowed, and no photography of any kind permitted. Price is per session.

Saturday, April 10
Polymer Clay Jewelry*, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Instructor: Davinia Gomez
$30 for Museum Members/$38 for non-members

Using low fire techniques one might find around the home, students will create original beads and cabochons (polished and shaped gemstones.) The resulting beads will then be incorporated into a finished piece of jewelry of your choice such as necklaces or bracelets. All supplies will be provided.

Saturday and Sunday, April 17 & 18
Paper Jewelry*, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Instructor: Davinia Gomez
$60 for Museum Members/$76 for non-members

During this two-day workshop, students will create three dimensional objects with paper pulp, then use them as settings for stones. In Day Two, the dried paper objects will come together in a finished piece of jewelry that can be worn on any occasion. All supplies will be provided.

Saturday, May 8
Fabric and Wire Necklaces*, 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Instructor: Elva Escobedo-Duran
$45 for Museum Members/$55 for non-members

Using basic sewing techniques, students will use fabric, metal wire and other materials to create sculptural neckpieces. The ability to thread needles is helpful. A break for lunch will be allotted and each student is responsible for his/her own lunch. All supplies will be provided.

Saturday, May 22
Crochet Cuffs, Bracelets & Bangles*, 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Instructor: Elva Escobedo-Duran
$45 for Museum Members/$55 for non-members

Students will learn to crochet using monofilament thread to create three dimensional objects. The crocheted pieces will then be connected with wire to create one-of-a-kind pieces that may be worn anywhere on the arm. A break for lunch will be allotted and each student is responsible for his/her own lunch. All supplies will be provided.

*Admittance to Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry exhibition is included with class registration. Entry to the exhibition is provided with class instructor during class time only.

Thursdays, April 1 – May 27

Life Drawing, 5:30-8:30pm – Self-guided

$5 per session for Museum Members/$10 per session for non-members

For students ages 18 years old and up. Students will practice life drawing skills in this self-guided, self-paced class. Some drawing materials are provided or you may bring your own supplies. Beginning and advanced students welcome. Please be advised: live nude models are the focus of this drawing class. No visitors allowed, and no photography of any kind permitted. Price is per session.

Saturday, April 10

Polymer Clay Jewelry*, 10:00am-1:00pm – Instructor: Davinia Gomez

$30 for Museum Members/$38 for non-members

Using low fire techniques one might find around the home, students will create original beads and cabochons (polished and shaped gemstones.) The resulting beads will then be incorporated into a finished piece of jewelry of your choice such as necklaces or bracelets. All supplies will be provided.

Saturday and Sunday, April 17 & 18

Paper Jewelry*, 1:00-4:00pm – Instructor: Davinia Gomez

$60 for Museum Members/$76 for non-members

During this two-day workshop, students will create three dimensional objects with paper pulp, then use them as settings for stones. In Day Two, the dried paper objects will come together in a finished piece of jewelry that can be worn on any occasion. All supplies will be provided.

Saturday, May 8

Fabric and Wire Necklaces*, 10:00am-3:30pm – Instructor: Elva Escobedo-Duran

$45 for Museum Members/$55 for non-members

Using basic sewing techniques, students will use fabric, metal wire and other materials to create sculptural neckpieces. The ability to thread needles is helpful. A break for lunch will be allotted and each student is responsible for his/her own lunch. All supplies will be provided.

Saturday, May 22

Crochet Cuffs, Bracelets & Bangles*, 10:00am-3:30pm – Instructor: Elva Escobedo-Duran

$45 for Museum Members/$55 for non-members

Students will learn to crochet using monofilament thread to create three dimensional objects. The crocheted pieces will then be connected with wire to create one-of-a-kind pieces that may be worn anywhere on the arm. A break for lunch will be allotted and each student is responsible for his/her own lunch. All supplies will be provided.

*Admittance to Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry exhibition is included with class registration. Entry to the exhibition is provided with class instructor during class time only.

Triple Self-Portrait by Nate Bramble

Dallas Art News is starting a webcomic section that will feature a new art related webcomic each week. We are inviting all established webcomic artists to participate via our Guest Webcomic Artist Program.

Dallas Art News received the most web traffic for a single post for Special Feature: Webcomics Imitating Art, which featured nineteen talented artists. This tell us that our readers like looking at pictures.

Here are some of the specifics for the Guest Webcomic Artist Program:

• Each guest webcomic artist will product 4 to 5 web comics which will be displayed one per week for a designated month
• Webcomic artist can use their current webcomic characters or create a totally new comic
• Subject of the webcomic has to be art related (art history, art education, museums, galleries, art mediums, auctions, etc.)
• Subject matter has to be suitable for a general audience
• Webcomics created for Dallas Art News cannot be displayed anywhere on the Internet until that comic has been displayed on Dallas Art News
• Webcomic artists will retain all rights to their work
• Dallas Art News is considering compensation for each webcomic

We would like to start the Guest Webcomic Artist Program when Dallas Art News turns one year old in April. If all goes well, we would like to compile all 52 weeks of webcomics into a book.

The Guest Webcomic Artist Program is still a relatively new idea. We are still working out some of the details.

All interested webcomic artists should contact Dallas Art News at comics@dallasartnews.com.

Here are some of the webcomics already interested in our Guest Webcomic Artist Program:

• 1977 the Comic by Byron Wilkins *
• Addanac City by George Ford
• The Adventures of Lewis & Cluck: Exploring Chickens by Bill Riling
• Bug Pudding by J.P. Keslensky
• Don’t Feed the Geek by Barry Buchanan
• Life’s a Witch by Samantha Wikan *
• WirePop by J.L. Haram

* Webcomic artist who participated in Special Feature: Webcomics Imitating Art.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many webcomics will I need to produce?

A. You will need to produce 4 to 5 web comics depending upon how many weeks there are in your assigned month.

Q. Will I be compensated for my webcomics?

A. Yes, Dallas Art News is considering payment to each webcomic artist based on the number of webcomics produces. There will also be compensation if a book is produced. We might even do t-shirts. Who knows?

Q. What signifies an established webcomic artist?

A. An established webcomic artist will have at least three months of comics that were published two or more times a week and they must own their own website. Well established webcomic artists also print their work in magazine or book form.

Q. Can I show the webcomics I created for Dallas Art News on my site?

A. Yes, you can show each webcomic you produced for Dallas Art News on your site after they have been published on Dallas Art News first.

Q. What size should my webcomic be?

A. We will be accepting strips from one to four panels. We are considering a specially formatted page for our webcomics. The actual size in pixels of the submitted webcomics will be determined later.

Q. Who do I contact about participating?

A. Send an email to Dallas Art News at comics@dallasartnews.com.

Q. Were you really asked these questions or did you just make them up?

A. Good question. Yes.

Pansy Brooch by Rene Jules Lalique, ca. 1903

Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry
El Paso Museum of Art
March 27 – July 25, 2010

Join the El Paso Museum of Art on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. for the public opening of Bedazzled: 5000 Years of Jewelry. Parking is available by meter on Main Street and Franklin Street or at the Camino Real Hotel or the Convention and Visitors Bureau for a fee.

Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry

Mesopotamian stone pendants and an ancient Roman snake bracelet, to a ceremonial Chinese headdress and Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace, Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry will highlight 150 pieces from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. On view March 27 – July 25, 2010 the exhibition will feature some of the Walters Museum’s greatest masterpieces and hidden treasures on view for the first time. This selection presents the evolution of techniques and materials, and demonstrates the importance of jewelry as an expression of creativity and often wealth and position. In addition, a special exhibition section devoted to rings, the only type of jewelry worn continuously through the ages and a dedicated education gallery on the art of jewelry will be included.

The El Paso Museum of Art is one of a few museums worldwide and the only venue west of the Mississippi that will feature this exhibition which provides examples of stunning jewelry from 3,000 B.C.E. through the early 20th century. Assembled primarily by one of Walters Art Museum’s founders, Henry Walters, during the first three decades of the last century, this renowned collection contains superb examples of expert craftsmanship.

“We are so lucky to have this rich, varied and aesthetically beautiful jewelry collection at the El Paso Museum of Art,” said museum Director Michael Tomor, Ph.D. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this exhibit without traveling”.

This exhibition was organized by the Walters Art Museum. The exhibition includes many spectacular pieces by Halifax, Wedgewood and Tiffany and of the renowned collection of Benjamin Zucker (New York), which are on loan to the Walters; Bedazzled is presented by the City and County of El Paso, the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, and the El Paso Museum of Art.

The Presenting Sponsor is Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry and Watches as a gift to the City of El Paso, Texas, in honor of her 30th Anniversary being in business. Lead Sponsors are the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation, County of El Paso and Kemp Smith. Major Sponsors are Bank of the West, and South Texas Money Management, Ltd. Supporting Sponsor is the Shiloff Family Foundation.

Exhibition Highlights

• Gold bracelet from the first century B.C.E. encrusted with precious stones and multi-colored enamel inlay discovered in a tomb in the Greek colony of Olbia (present-day Ukraine)
• Tiffany & Co. iris corsage ornament decorated with 139 sapphires, diamonds and other gems, which was a grand prize winner at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle
• Nineteenth-century imperial, ceremonial Chinese headdress with designs of phoenixes, butterflies and peaches and crafted of gilded silver, kingfisher feathers, silk thread, pearls, rubies and glass beads
• Plique-a-jour enamel and sapphire pansy brooch created by renowned Art Nouveau designer Rene Lalique and purchased by Henry Walters at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition
• Finger rings that held a variety of roles throughout history, including emblems of love and marriage, death and mourning, power and faith

About the Exhibition

Bedazzled will open with works from the ancient world, such as two pendants in the form of rams’ heads demonstrating the remarkable development in multicolored glass production by the fifth century B.C.E. Egyptian treasures will be presented, a bright blue faience amulet featuring the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, as well as an intricate necklace strung with beads and amulets of gold, faience, carnelian and glass.

One of the most admired objects in the collection is a bracelet from Olbia at the northern coast of the Black Sea in the first century B.C.E., which is decorated with gold granulation and set with colorful gemstones backed with gold foil. Other gold masterpieces from the early centuries B.C.E. will include a delicate pair of Etruscan spirals from the 7th century B.C. E., a gold and garnet Greek diadem, and a gold, horse-shaped pendant crafted by Greek artisans. Also perennial favorites are two sixth-century A.D. Visigothic garment clasps in the form of eagles. These colorful birds are executed in bronze overlaid with gold and set with garnets, mother-of-pearl, crystals and amethysts.

Another rich section of the Walters jewelry collection is from the Renaissance. During this time, there was a revival in the production of sumptuous jewelry, utilizing the talents of the greatest artists of the period and sustained by princely patrons’ wealth. Examples include pendants incorporating enameled figural elements mounted with pearls and gemstones and exquisitely detailed gold dress ornaments illustrating the height of 16th-century fashion.

In the 18th century, men and women wore chatelaines, a clasp or hook from which hung suspended watches and signet seals. A particularly attractive gold example comes complete with a rock crystal seal and a key. In the 19th century, historical revival dominated, and the exhibition will follow its sequence beginning with the Austrian Gothic revival bracelet with pointed arches in gold set with carnelian, malachite and other colored stones. Bedazzled will also feature classical revival or archaeological style works from the mid-century by the Castellani firm and Giacinto Melillo. True gems from the early 20th century include a Tiffany & Co. iris corsage brooch set with 139 Montana blue sapphires that was shown in the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle and several bijoux d’art, or art jewels, that premier Art Nouveau jeweler Rene Lalique displayed at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

The role of rings as symbols of love, marriage and death will be illustrated with medieval posy rings, Renaissance and Baroque marriage rings, both Christian and Jewish, and skeletal memento mori rings. Special emphasis will be placed on precious diamond-set rings and the technological development of early diamond cutting.

The last section of the exhibition will explore the intriguing questions raised by recent scholarship concerning forgeries and replicas. In the 19th century, the increasing interest in and demand for jewelry of earlier periods gave rise to numerous revival styles and to “archaeological” jewelry. Forgers seized the opportunity and produced pieces of high quality, which even today are sometimes difficult to distinguish from originals.

About the Jewelry Collection

The Walters jewelry collection is the most wide-raging collection of jewelry assembled by a private collector in the United States. Henry Walters (1848-1931) purchased a vast array of jewelry objects from numerous cultures and over five millennia, thereby significantly expanding the efforts of his father, William T. Walters (1819-94), a railroad magnate in Baltimore who started the collection.

Publication

The exhibition catalogue Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry will be available for purchase for $10.00 at the El Paso Museum of Art Store beginning March 27, 2010. This exquisitely illustrated book presents a wonderful selection of jewelry dating from the 2nd millennium B.C.E. to the early 20th century from the collection of the Walters Art Museum.

Admission

Adults: $10 for non members, $5 for EPMA members

Children (age 12 and under): $5 for non members, Free for members with adults

Tickets can be purchased at the Museum Store beginning in March, 2010. Please call (915) 532-1707 for current information.

Hours

Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday evenings 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Sunday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Mondays, major holidays Closed

The El Paso Museum of Art

Founded in 1959, the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) opened in 1960 as a major cultural and educational resource for West Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. The museum now houses a permanent collection of over 6,000 works of art. In addition to displaying works from its holdings, the Museum offers a diverse schedule of temporary exhibitions, films, lectures, concerts, and other educational programs to the general public. EPMA has a steady record of accreditation by the American Association of Museums. The Museum was first accredited in 1972, then re-accredited in 1985 and, most recently, in 2001. Since the new downtown building opened in 1998, the Museum serves approximately 100,000 visitors per year.

Pansy Brooch by Rene Jules Lalique, ca. 1903

Applicants must be professional artists/artist teams, 18 years of age or older, and reside within a 300 mile radius from El Paso, TX. International Artists are welcome to apply with proper legal documentation. Current City of El Paso employees and Public Art Committee members may not apply. For detailed information please visit www.elpasoartsandculture.org and click on the “Public Art” Tab.

About the El Paso Public Art Program

Adopted by City Council in 2006, The Public Art Program for the City of El Paso was established under the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department in the effort to integrate public artworks throughout the City of El Paso. The Public Art Ordinance established a 2% for the arts program, setting aside 2% from every Capital Improvement Project budget for the acquisition of art for municipal property. Since its inception, the Public Art Program has strived to offer our local communities and neighborhoods insight, repose, delight and a distinctive sense of place in the essence of achieving the following Public Art Policy Goals to enhance the quality of life of residents through the thoughtful infusion of artists at a neighborhood level and in the design of publicly financed infrastructure, promote economic revitalization by adding value to municipal facilities, creating ongoing opportunities for artists and artisans to enhance the visitor experience, define and improve authentic images of El Paso as a unique place, community and destination, and administer, maintain, and conserve the City’s public art collection.

For questions or concerns please contact Marisol Lopez, Public Art Program Specialist at (915) 541-4257, lopezma@elpasotexas.gov.

Miguel Bonilla

Join the El Paso Museum of Art on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 12:15 p.m. for Artists on Art with Miguel Bonilla. This event is free to the public.

Miguel Bonilla was born in El Paso, Texas in 1978. He has been drawing floor plans and designing furniture since he was able to hold a pencil. His interest in cartoons and comics, as well as an extensive library of children’s books, has inspired his other worldly visions. “I have lost most of my sense of boundary between what is real and what is possibly real.”

As a painter, Miguel Bonilla was able to expand his imagination into any realm available, something that his career as a designer did not allow. He was the owner of the Shine Gallery for Contemporary Art in El Paso from 2003 until 2007. Currently, he is working on a B.A. in Painting at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has two daughters and a wife that hold him in a balance of fiction, fact and wild imagination.

Artists on Art – located at the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) provides local artists an opportunity to exhibit one work of art in any media accompanied by a 30 minute discussion on their work and its relation to the Museum’s permanent collection. There are six exhibits per year and the work is exhibited for a two-month period.