The Art Avenue is the avenue to challenge what have become the routine, the norm, and the traditional within Arts, Culture, and Urbanism around the border
When thinking of a time and place to allow oneself to be vulnerable, people, especially those in professional positions, often find that they’d only let their emotional guard down around close friends, family and significant others. For some, vulnerability is best left for a psychologist or an empty room.
But for Austin Savage, the founder and director of local performance company Border Theatre, vulnerability is the key to unlocking not only one’s creativity, but community progress as well.
Cynicism is prevalent now, it’s prevalent in art.
It’s prevalent in human interaction.”
“The opportunity to discover more about yourself can only come about by reaching out to others, because if you’re not reaching out to others, then you’re only containing yourself, and by containing yourself, you create an armor,” Savage said. “You create a protective shield where you’re more worried about your perception and your supposed identity as opposed to the powerful thing that’s inside of you.”
When a friend of Savage suggested he talk for this year’s TEDxElPaso conference, he decided to highlight vulnerability as a powerful way to address an ongoing issue many creative thinkers face.
Austin Savage
A significant turning point in Savage’s approach to performance occurred when a cast member tragically died while in preparation for his first major show as a director.
During his talk, he didn’t specify the name of the play or the woman who was killed. Instead, with a gentle tone, he described her as a mother of two and as someone whose presence and later absence significantly impacted the cast and crew. Some decided not to proceed with the production, and those who did searched for ways to heal from the loss.
“We found the best way of doing that was opening up to each other. We had to do that before we could move on,” Savage said. “And I realized something. We had connected in a profound way and now we had something worth truly sharing with a larger community.”
But while opening up to one another proved valuable for the cast and crew, Savage still acknowledged that sharing one’s raw emotions is a challenge in society. He searched for answers as to why so many of us find it difficult to be authentic and candid.
Perhaps movies and TV shows play a major influence in our desire to suppress our emotions, Savage suggested. We try to play it cool and create social masks. In the non-fictional world we call reality, real emotions and intentions are often buried underneath a projected image of oneself in order to fit in.
“Vulnerability is considered weakness in a lot of circles, and to a certain extent, in my family,” Savage said. “But when you look back over it, there are tremendous examples of people being vulnerable and being whole. Ulysses wept and so did Achilles. According to the Bible, Jesus himself wept too.”
As Savage made eye contact with the audience in the El Paso Community Foundation room, he appeared to wear no social mask. Exhibiting pensiveness and excitement through every facial expression and hand movement, the emotions he revealed as he stood on the platform in front of an audience of over 100 seemed like the same emotions he’d reveal to a close friend in privacy.
He then challenged the audience to join him in vulnerable honesty.
“If you can say one simple truth, then you have been brave for that day. And all you have to do is find some person and tell them, ‘you are a human being,’” Savage said. “If you’re brave enough to commit that act, then you can take it one step further and tell another person, ‘You can hurt me.’ We know both of those things to be true. And we have to embrace it in order to move forward.”
Later, Savage said that this year’s TEDxElPaso reflected El Paso’s societal advancement. “I think it proves that our community is growing in terms of being able to provide the quality of thinkers and speakers that we have and it’s proving that our community has a voice that communicates with the global community at large,” he said.
The topic of vulnerability seemed relevant to Savage, not only in terms of exploring human behavior, but to TED Talks as well.
“The motto of TED is ‘Ideas worth sharing,’” Savage said. “You can’t share something if you’re not willing to be vulnerable.”
An international sculptor whose work is heavily influenced by his musical training recently dedicated “Flame of Friendship” (“Flama De La Amistad”), an abstract polished stainless steel statue, to the El Paso Museum of Art.
“Flame of Friendship” by Leonardo Nierman El Paso Museum of Art; Isha Rogers Sculpture Mezzanine
Mexican master sculptor Leonardo Nierman, known for his sculptures that reproduce movement and harmony, officially unveiled “Flame of Friendship” (“Flama De La Amistad”), on October 15, as a gift to the community of El Paso from the people of Mexico. The work symbolizes the deep friendship shared by Mexico and the United States. Realized in stainless steel, the abstract work stands 15 feet tall and features fluid, flowing forms. The work, both ethereal and strong, embodies Nierman’s attention to gesture and reflection, and his melding of implied figuration and refinement.
Nierman spoke about the inspiration he derives from the concept of harmony. “There is a freedom in the joy of flying, not only like a bird, but also like a leaf on a tree that, with the wind, it travels…there is no limitation and there is this desire for harmony. There is a harmony that I feel is something that the human race needs,” said Nierman in a recent El Paso Times interview.
Nierman originally planned to become a violinist, and though his artistic practice eventually took a different direction, his years of musical training continue to play a major role in his art, inspiring his painting and sculpture. Nierman studied business and graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 1951. However, the artist had started to paint and committed to become a professional visual artist. Nierman has earned an international reputation and his works can be viewed all over the globe. Examples of his monumental sculptures can be viewed throughout Mexico, the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. Notable publically exhibited works in other media include a mural commissioned for the Physics Department at Princeton University.Nierman also designed stained glass windows for Temple Beth Israel in Lomas de Chapultepec. Among numerous international recognitions received, Nierman is a lifetime member of the Royal Society of the Arts in London and has been awarded the Palme d’Or des Beaux Arts in Monaco.
The opportunity to write, direct and act in an original play outside of an academic setting is not easy to find in El Paso. Addressing the need to foster local creativity for individuals of all backgrounds, actors Austin Savage and Carlos Rubalcava created the Border Theatre to do just that five summers ago.
Rubalcava and Savage agreed that they didn’t want their company to follow a conventional format, and the formation of the Border Theatre itself ensured that the organization wouldn’t be your average performance company.
We found ourselves with 17 people who for the most part did not come from traditional theater backgrounds, so we built a system around their strengths,” Savage said. “Our process is developing process, so we adjust and re-mold depending on the members.”
Border Theatre’s home, the Glasbox, also helped shape the company. Its warehouse setting means that there are no traditional stage lights, auditorium seats, giant red curtains or a raised platform to serve as a stage.
“We don’t have the facility or the necessary structure to perform conventionally, so for us, it’s always been a matter of adaptation and survival,” Savage said.“And adaptation and survival has spread our creativity. It has forced us to think about things differently.”
The first production was Exhibitions in Dis/Connection, an annual performance that showcases original short plays. From having the plays performed simultaneously in different parts of the Glasbox one year to the concept of a human zoo in which cages separated performers from spectators another year, Exhibitions in Dis/Connection broke the mold of the type of theater El Pasoans were used to experiencing.
This past July, the show featured plays written by the Rio Grande Writers’ Room, a subgroup formed by the Border Theatre that is open to the public and explores individual story ideas and scripts at the Glasbox every Wednesday evening.At the show, audience members were prompted to migrate to every corner of the Glasbox as each play began, inducing laughter, tension and curiosity.
Productions such as Exhibitions in Dis/Connection gave Rubalcava the chance to take on endeavors outside of acting.
“I never tried my hand at writing or directing before,” Rubalcava said. “I’ve gotten much better. It’s been a playground to try new things that I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to do in other places.”
The company’s first full-length play, Vultures at the Well, was written by four of its members and follows the journey of a mother who defies the gods as she ventures through a wasteland to find her son. The story was portrayed in an abstract manner, leading the audience to interpret the story through symbolism and poetic implications. While the nature of the play challenged the audience’s very understanding of the story, Savage said the intention of the work created at Border Theatre isn’t to draw specific feelings or moral conclusions from audience members.
“I’m more interested in the process,” Savage said. “I think if you have an idea worth exploring, then you explore the idea. You don’t go in with a pre-existing answer.”
Last year, The Fall of Wallace Winter, a play that satirizes traditional American ideals and egoism, was chosen to be a part of the El Paso Community Foundation’s Jewel Box Series, which showcases regional work at the Philanthropy Theatre. The play received such positive reception that UTEP Associate Professor Ross Fleming will revive the play at the Fox Fine Arts Studio Theatre from Sept. 16-20.
The Border Theatre was also selected to once again participate in the Jewel Box Series, returning to the intimate Philanthropy Theatre on Nov. 13-15 with a production of The Lovely Rain, a story about an isolated prodigy who looks after his sister while keeping up with a mysterious woman who visits him every week.
As the Border Theatre pushes forward through every project, more locals learn what it has to offer.
“That’s the basic idea: you stick around long enough and you earn your reputation,” Savage said. “People will eventually come on board and the company will build a niche for everybody.”
To learn more about the Border Theatre, visit BorderTheatre.org & facebook.com/BorderTheatre
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The Fall of Wallace Winter Adults $13, faculty/staff, $11 non-UTEP students, $9 for UTEP students Call box office at 915-747-5118
On Thursday,September 24, The Art Avenue Gallery hosted Art for the Cure. An art auctin in benefit of breast cancer awareness in conjunction with the Susan G. Komen El Paso Affiliate. The evening was filled with great work by artists such asTom Lea, Rachelle Thiewes, Margarita Cabrera, Hal Marcus, Rhonda Doré, Tino Ortega, Brian Wancho, Mata Oritz, Erin Galvez, Jason Lucero, Michael Garcia, Julio Sanchez De Alba, Diego Martinez, Sammy O, Juan Ornelas, Jorge Calleja, Daniella Pablos, Mike Ojinaga, Reggie Watterson, Pancho Saenz, Lula Squid, Jim Turrentine and Ginny Fisher.
The event was accompanied by live music by The Golden Groove, catering from Joe Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café, Skinny Girl Wine and desserts from Bake Me Happy. Miss El Paso’s Outstanding Teen Haley Olivares and Miss El Paso Texas Latina Ana Avila attended as ambassadors to the arts, and Mattress Firm presented the charity with a $15,000 check. The Art Avenue Gallery also presented the Eastlake High School Art Club with a check from a fundraiser held at the gallery earlier this year.
Video courtesy of Valentin Sandoval.
Click on the image below to view the photo gallery of this event. Photos by Victoria Molinar
For each issue of Art Avenue, we’ll highlight a speaker from the 2015 TEDxElPaso conference, which was held at the El Paso Community Foundation Room in May. An independently organized event, TEDxElPaso continues the national non-profit TED’s mission to share “ideas worth spreading.”
“Made of memory” Performance by Xochitl Rodriguez Photo by Federico Villalba
The first minute of transdisciplinary artist Xochitl Rodriguez’ time on stage during her speech “Speak Without Speaking” at the 2015 TEDxElPaso conference consisted of no words, yet a message of tranquil exploration was implied through her clothes and body movement.
Making her way towards the platform at the El Paso Community Foundation Room, Rodriguez embodied a boat as she swayed the large sail she wore from side to side. Standing in front of a video projection of the desert, she lingered on stage before speaking, her voice as calm as the sound of the gentle wind that played in the background.
“I turned myself into a boat after spending 14 months in the Kingdom of Bhutan,” Rodriguez said. “I had sailed around the planet from the desert to the Himalayas and back again.”
In 2009, after earning her BFA at the University of Texas at El Paso, Rodriguez became the first international artist in residence invited to stay in Bhutan. There, she was asked to teach children about contemporary sculpture and public art.
Of course I realized fairly quickly that my understanding of what that would entail was so far from what it actually means to teach contemporary art in the remote Himalayas,” Rodriguez said with a smile.
While one might imagine that bringing contemporary art to a country unfamiliar with the form had the biggest impact on Rodriguez, what she said she ultimately learned from the experience was a new, universal way to communicate.
“The [TedxElPaso] talk evolved from those ideas because I didn’t like to speak and I knew I could communicate in other ways that were way more effective than speaking,” Rodriguez later said at her home in central El Paso. “And now my whole artistic practice is founded on these ideas of action versus words and living examples instead of stuff you see on a wall. Everything I make is about interaction and engagement without words so that nobody is excluded.”
Bhutan is where Rodriguez’ artistic revelation came to be, she said. She learned that art, as a universal language, has the power to help people transcend physical and cultural barriers and connect with one another.
Xochitl Rodriguez during her 2015 TEDx Presentation
“All the world has a right to be fluent in art,” Rodriguez said during her speech. “It is in fact a language and if a community can’t access it, can’t understand it, can’t create it or generate it and most importantly can’t relate to it, then that community will not thrive, will not participate in or contribute to the very evolution of humanity in the twenty first century.”
Rodriguez’ transformative experiences emerged through every project she led with her group of Bhutanese youth. One public exhibition she led was to explore the waste generated in Bhutan.
“It took me about two weeks to realize that my students had no concept of what waste actually meant in relation to their way of life,” Rodriguez said in front of a projected image of one of Bhutan’s landfills. “And so we hopped on a bus and we hitched a ride on some dump trucks and we rode for miles and miles to the top of the mountain to the country’s largest landfill.”
Most of the children saw the garbage for what it was, but one student compared the trash to an ocean wave, sparking the idea for the group to create a boat for their exhibition.Rodriguez said a fellow artist asked if she considered that no one in Bhutan had a concept of a boat. Later, the children discovered that the neighbors filled the boat they created with trash.
“They said, ‘Certainly now madam, this boat will sink in a sea of garbage,’” Rodriguez said. “That was the moment, the unmistakable moment, when the fundamental exchange of ideas occurred. They had become translators.”
They also projected images of rice paddy fields onto Changjiji, the government housing complex in the capital city of Thimphu, as a symbol of their culture being replaced by urbanization, Rodriguez said.
Exhibiting work that everyone can connect to was another important message Rodriguez wanted to convey during her speech, she said.
“Made of memory” Performance by Xochitl Rodriguez Photo by Federico Villalba
“It is a national problem where artwork isn’t made for people, but it’s made for some other audience that probably likes it, but their lives wouldn’t be changed by it,” Rodriguez later said. “You take art onto the streets and you take art to people who don’t have it and their lives would change. The whole city would change if we used art that way.”
As prayer flags danced in the wind outside her window, it was clear that a piece of the Kingdom of Bhutan would always be with Rodriguez. Talking about her experience at the small country was like ending a chapter, she said.
Her latest chapter has been a community artist collaborative she co-founded called the Caldo Collective. Every few months, a member of the collective hosts a “Frijol Feast” in which the community is invited to a dinner where several artists propose their project ideas.
From the collaborative came the Transient Triangle Project, which transformed an alleyway in Manhattan Heights into a two-hour multimedia pop-up exhibit this past July. As attendees traveled down the alley viewing video projections, interpretive performances and paintings, the exhibit echoed Rodriguez’ message at TEDxElPaso.
It’s about creating a moment in somebody’s life instead of a thing for someone,” Rodriguez said.
Creativity is the key to changing our public school system, says Sir Ken Robinson. The TED Talks powerhouse (he has the most-watched TED Talk, 2006’s “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”) will share his groundbreaking work on why we should totally transform public school curricula at the Plaza Theatre on Sept. 11.
Fundamental renovation of public schools is Robinson’s goal. With staggering facts, a tremendous sense of irony, and countless stories of public school failures, the British-born author argues that the optimal development of school children has been impeded, among other things, by an over-reliance on standardized testing. He will challenge El Pasoans to recognize that in the vast majority of public schools, the tremendous creative potential we are all born with has been all but ignored.
Sir Ken Robinson
“He’s remarkable. He has the wit, the humor. He speaks with charm,” said Sally Gilbert, co-founder and director of the local non-profit Impact Programs of Excellence. “It’s hard to find somebody like that.” IPE has been working for over four years to get Robinson to El Paso. Gilbert says it was the El Paso Community Foundation that saw an opportunity for him to speak and pulled the event together. The two organizations are co-presenting Robinson’s speech, which also serves as the keynote for first annual Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers El Paso, a convention model from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that celebrates and promotes excellence in teaching.
“I hope that enough people understand that Sir Robinson is one of the foremost education authorities in the world,” says Eric Pearson, president and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation. “It is so huge to have him come here.”
Robinson argues that since industrial scales and methods of production have become less central to world economies, a diploma no longer translates to getting a good job. An international advisor on education, Robinson warns that our primary and high schools are currently not designed to equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to become integral parts of thriving communities. Times have changed, and with the advent of cyberspace and other dizzying technological innovations, the creative capacity of individuals has come to be the great prize.
According to Gilbert, Impact’s rationale for bringing Robinson and many other globally-recognized speakers to El Paso is grounded in the belief that face-to-face contact with global leaders and innovators gives El Pasoans a great opportunity to learn from “people who lead, challenge, break new ground, and above all else, question.”
“He’s done so much research in different communities and all around the world, and he has so much insight,” said Gilbert.
[themify_box style=”light-green info” ]Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at The Plaza Theatre $30 September 11, 2015 7:00 pm[/themify_box]
The borderland has proved a worthy muse for many artists seeking inspiration from its peaks and valleys. “The mountains have taught me about line and depth. The desert landscape and its connection with the sky have taught me about space and relationships with color,” says Jason Lucero, a borderland printmaker showcasing at the Art Avenue Gallery this month. Printmaking, more than just paint on a canvas, allows for the artist to make a piece of art through the use of different structured, shaped, and textured objects flowing through a printing press layer after layer. Due to this process, the finished product cannot be duplicated—A literal one-of-a-kind creation.
Lucero’s exhibit, Various Interpretations of Human Interaction, contains 13 monotype prints. Working intuitively, drawing from within and letting the creativity flow outward rather than using rendered objects or visual guides, is important in Lucero’s artistic process. Using his passion as a therapeutic outlet, printmaking has allowed him to bring light and understanding to some dark times in his life. “Even though I am now content, I tend to channel the sad and painful memories when I work, because, as cliché as it may sound, it is therapy,” shares Lucero. “I become a few grams lighter when I go to these dark places and transform them into color. From different work experiences, the loss of dear loved ones, and the birth of his son, Lucero says, “I have a large memory inventory, both shallow and deep, in order to keep my art interesting.”
“Red Weather” 30 x 64 in, ink on paper, 2015
For Lucero, a great satisfaction comes from knowing he started with just a couple of friends in a grassroots artistic movement in downtown El Paso. “You have to remember this was before there were any galleries downtown; we would just walk into small places and ask ‘hey can we show some art here?’ All we wanted was to share our artwork with the city.”
While he has always had a passion for the creative arts, Lucero shared that it did not come naturally for him, which, he says, is a common misconception about artists. “Most artists aren’t born with any artistic talent, you have to practice the same strokes and lines over and over and dedicate yourself.” Lucero’s passion is art by monotype printmaking, although he is also an experienced abstract painter and sketch artist specializing in the human form. To all who will view his pieces, Lucero stresses that in order to truly appreciate them, one must realize there is a reason why they put the word ‘work’ at the end of art, “I’ve always been a businessman by day and an artist by night.” Odd jobs all over the map from janitorial services and washing dishes to working as a broker and in the transportation industry have all given Lucero opportunities to create relationships that he finds valuable to his artwork. “If you don’t take pride in your work, whatever it might be, sweeping, dishwashing, cooking, painting, or driving a rig, you will never be happy at your job and the other parts of your life will suffer,” says Lucero. He also explains that unlike in other genres of art, “More than 70% of the time my print is a failure, but I always remember these mistakes create a foundation for my success,” says Lucero.
Lucero credits his family, his friends and fellow members ofMaintain (a creative coalition) the many mentors he encountered while earning his BFA in Studio Art from UTEP, and the city of El Paso for helping him realize his strengths to become a well rounded artist. “Everything about this city and its location has had an effect on me. The people of El Paso, are kind, courteous, and giving, which has taught me how to do the same.” Of his exhibition Lucero says, “My vision for this exhibition is to share a series of prints, which made me very excited about the process of printmaking, with an audience that may not be too familiar with the process. I hope that, even if people do not entirely understand what is going on in a piece, they examine it long enough to find something about it that relates to their own experience.”
Various Interpretations of Human Interaction Jason Lucero On Display August 20–September 20 The Art Avenue Gallery 1618 Texas Ave, Suite E
“Caring Is Trapping” 30 x 32 in, ink on paper, 2015“I Thought I Heard Accordions” 30 x 32 in, ink on paper, 2015“Blue Route” 30 x 62 in, ink on paper, 2015
The season of giving kicks off with an evening of regional art to benefit local breast cancer charity
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 at 6 p.m.
El Paso, TX—Borderland artists are coming together this fall to donate their work for a night of fun and fundraising for the local Susan G. Komen El Paso affiliate. Art for the Cure, held on Sept. 24 at The Art Avenue Gallery, features a range of artwork from paintings and pottery to jewelry and bronze sculptures.
The event, which features innovative works from some of the region’s most buzzworthy artists, kicks off with a silent auction at 6 p.m., accompanied by live music, catering from Joe Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café, Skinny Girl Wine and desserts from Bake Me Happy. Miss El Paso’s Outstanding Teen Haley Olivares and Miss El Paso Texas Latina Ana Avila will be in attendance as ambassadors to the arts, and Mattress Firm owner Dan Longoria will present the charity with a $15,000 check.
Organizers hope to spin the event into an annual affair, with proceeds benefiting the Susan G. Komen El Paso affiliate. According to SGKEP, the organization has allotted $4.4 million to the local community over the last decade.
Some of the artists featured include Rachelle Thiewes, Margarita Cabrera, Hal Marcus, Tino Ortega, Brian Wancho, Erin Galvez, Michael Garcia, Julio Sanchez de Alba, Diego Martinez, Sammy Lopez, Mark Paulda, Juan Ornelas, Laura Pablos, Jorge Calleja, Mike Ojinaga, Reggie Waterson, Lula Squid and Jim Turrentine. The event is sponsored by Skinny Girl Wine, Joe Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café, Mom’s Fresh Juice, The Art Avenue Magazine and The Art Avenue Gallery.
“I decided to create the event to do something different in terms of fundraising and to help keep things local,” said Komen board member, Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek, who also owns The Art Avenue Gallery. “So often we see national organizations benefit instead of the local chapters, so this is an important organization that gives back locally.”
“Our local and surrounding communities are fortunate to have such talented artists in ourarea and to Ms. Vanecek for providing this forum. We could not be more proud to have such an array of artists come together to support an event of this caliber,” – Raquel Markland, Susan G. Komen El Paso board president.
Event Details: Date: Thursday, September 24, 2015 Time: 6 p.m. Where: The Art Avenue Gallery 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E Cost: $25
Tickets can be purchased at theartave.com, by calling 915.213.4318, or at the door.
Her call came the week of Aug. 3, just as we were finishing up the listing of programs for Tom Lea Month 2015. A family friend, A.J. DeGroat needed an appraisal of her Tom Lea art since her insurance company was requesting an update. Eager to see the paintings, I drove up the Franklin Mountains the next day, having told her the Tom Lea Institute was building a digital library and, if she’d pay to digitally photograph what she had, I’d give her the appraisals. Entering her home, I was thrilled to see the paintings on her walls.
Tom Lea “Down from Bloody Nose Too Late, He’s finished washed up Gone” 8 ½” x 10 ¾”, Graphite and ink, 1944 A.J. Degroat Collection, El Paso, Copyright James D. Lea Photographed by Marty Snortum
In the living room was “Dream of a Fair River: Yang-Tze,” a bird’s-eye view of a Chinese hillside patch-worked with tilled earth on the shore of a wide, milky river with misty mountains in the background. The figures are so small I could not see their faces as they go about their daily lives in their part of the world. The landscape is vast, sparking in me an awareness of our own diminutive size. Tom painted it in 1946, three years after visiting China during the war.
In the next room, I saw above the red brick fireplace, a handsome portrait of Dr. Bob Homan, DeGroat’s father and childhood friend of Tom Lea’s. Tom chose whose portraits he painted, never accepting commissions. It pleased him to have his portraits in the homes of a few friends, a constant reminder of their friendship and his admiration for them. Homan, whom Tom knew since the third grade, kept a scrapbook of his artist friend’s many LIFE articles while Tom was away as an artist correspondent during World War II. In the portrait Homan is as handsome as Cary Grant, his slightly turned profile chiseled and strong, his eyes with a fixed and determined gaze.
After showing me a small ink wash of a calf branding, the forms of man and beast defined through shadow and light, A.J. said, “I found something I’d almost forgotten my father had,” leaving theroom to retrieve it. Returning with a leather folder impressed with letters reading “Tom Lea The Two Thousand Yard Stare,” she laid it on the table. Slowly opening it, I lifted a sheet of tissue so thin I could almost see what was underneath. There, on a piece of paper with ink marks as visibly agitated as the day they were put down, and with an inscription equally shaky, was the head of a man looking at nothing with these words written beside it: “Down from Bloody Nose Too Late He’s Finished—Washed Up—Gone.”
Tom Lea “That 2,000 Yard Stare” 36” x 28” Oil on canvas, 1944 Life Collection of Art WWII, USACMH, Washington, D.C. Copyright James D. Lea Photograph courtesy of US Army
Tom Lea’s most famous picture of World War II is called “That 2,000 Yard Stare,” a testament to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, often reproduced in articles on the subject. At the entrance to the Peleliu exhibit at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX, an enlarged version introduces the American assault on Peleliu, a brutal battle in the Palau Islands with the highest casualty rate of any amphibious invasion in the Pacific War.
On Sept. 15, 1944, Tom Lea landed with the 7th Marines on the southern end of the island. As an artist correspondent for LIFE magazine, he was a civilian, with no obligation to go. The marines didn’t have a choice, but he did. Yet his desire was to record what the United States Marines experienced in combat and Lea said if he didn’t go, he knew he would be a fake for the rest of his life. Tom Lea stayed with the marines for 32 hours under fire, hunkering down on the beach with mortars coming too close, and running up the slope on coarse coral. Unable to sketch or write, he could only try to keep from getting killed and to memorize what he saw and felt. One horrific scene was a man with his face a “half bloody pulp and the mangled shreds of what was left of an arm hung down like a stick…The half of his face that was still human had the most terrifying look of abject patience I have ever seen,” said Lea.
The evening of the second day, he returned to a naval vessel offshore, making drawings and writing his experience before his hand could stop trembling. About the shattered marine Tom Lea saw as he passed by sick bay before leaving Peleliu, he wrote, “His mind had crumbled in battle, his jaw hung, and his eyes were like two black empty holes in his head.”
Taking a picture of the drawing on the table with my i-Phone, I sent it to Joe Cavanaugh, director of the National Museum of the Pacific War, telling him about my find. For four years we had worked on a Tom Lea exhibit that will be part of Tom Lea Month in October 2015. The NMPW, located in the hometown of Admiral Chester Nimitz whom Tom Lea met at Pearl Harbor, will exhibit 26 paintings on loan from the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Among the paintings is the famous “That 2,000 Yard Stare.”
Speechless at first, Joe blurted, “We’ve got to show it!” The next day a loan form was signed and the drawing was on its way to Fredericksburg to be displayed with the painting it inspired, for the first time side by side.
Tom Lea “Sarah in the Summertime” 69’ x 28’, Oil on canvas, 1947 Catherine Lea Weeks Collection, Houston, Copyright James D. Lea Photographed by Marty Snortum
With most of Tom Lea’s work inaccessible to the public except for a collection at the El Paso Museum of Art, this Tom Lea Month provides a rare opportunity to see private works at three other public museums listed below. A highlight will be the magnificent “Sarah in the Summertime” he painted right after the war, as if lighting a votive candle in the gratefulness of being home.
Exhibited Works:
“That 2,000 Yard Stare,” 1944
“Down from Bloody Nose Too Late, He’s finished washed up Gone,” 1944
“Sarah in the Summertime,” 1947
National Museum of the Pacific War
340 E Main Street | Fredericksburg, TX (830) 997-8600
Tom Lea, LIFE and World War II
Exhibition on view Oct. 17, 2015 – Jan. 16, 2016
Bullock Texas State History Museum
1800 Congress Avenue | Austin, TX(512) 936-8746
Tom Lea: Chronicler of the 20th Century America
Exhibition on view Aug. 22, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016
Events at a Glance
Ongoing:
The Texas Masters Gallery at the Bryan Museum | Galveston, TX
Aug. 4, 2015 – Nov. 29, 2015
Frank Reaugh: Landscapes of Texas and the American West | Harry Ransom Center University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX
Aug. 22, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016
Tom Lea: Chronicler of 20th Century America | The Bullock Texas State History Museum | Austin, TX
Aug. 27, 2015
Tom Lea as Draftsman and Illustrator |The El Paso Museum of Art | El Paso, TX
Sept. 19, 2015 – Mar. 20, 2016
Tom Lea Retrospective (Opening Reception Sept. 18 from 6-8 p.m.) | The Museum of the Big Bend | Alpine, TX
Sept. 19
10 a.m. | Knowing the North Star: The Life and Art of Tom Lea by Adair Margo | Morgan University Center | Sul Ross State University | Alpine, TX
6 p.m. | Second Annual Heritage Dinner hosted by the Museum of the Big Bend | Granada Theatre | Alpine, TX
Sept. 24
6 p.m. | Discovering Home: The Guadalupe Mission in Ciudad Juárez by Adair Margo | Mission Trail
Association, Nestor Valencia Mission Valley Visitors Center |Ysleta, TX
Oct. 1, 2015
Made in El Paso: The Traditions, Influence and Legacy of El Paso’s Cowboy Boots | El Paso Museum of History | El Paso, TX
Landscape of the Southwest by Nina Cobb Walker | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
Mills Building Promenade Window Displays
Oct. 1
11:30 a.m. | The Art and Life of Tom Lea by Adair Margo | El Paso Club | El Paso, TX
7 p.m. | Focus Talk | El Paso Museum of Art | El Paso, TX
Oct. 4
1 p.m. | Screening of The Wonderful Country | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
2:45 p.m. | Screening of Tom Lea: Dignity Beyond Borders | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
5 p.m. | American Aficionados, Tom Lea and Ernst Hemingway by Dr. Mimi Gladstein | Ardovino’s Desert Crossing | Sunland Park, NM
Oct. 5
3 p.m. | Downtown El Paso Educational Mural Tour by Stephanie Bulloch | Historic Federal Courthouse | El Paso, TX
Oct. 6
3 p.m. | by José Mario Sánchez Soledad | Lydia Patterson Institute | El Paso, TX
Oct. 8
2 p.m. | Downtown El Paso Mural Tour Experience the Pass of the North hosted by First Lady of El Paso, Lisa Leeser and led by Carolina Franco and Elisa Garrido | Historic Federal Courthouse | El Paso, TX
7 p.m. | Focus Talk | El Paso Museum of Art | El Paso, TX
Oct. 9
10 a.m. | Architectural Tour W.S. Hills Building: Tom Lea’s Artist Studio Tour by Dr. Max Grossman | W.S. Hills Building | El Paso, TC
12 p.m. | Is it worth it? Case Studies for Preserving Historic Buildings in Communities by J.P. Bryan | Anson Mills
Oct. 11
1 p.m. | Screening of Tom Lea’s El Paso | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
2 p.m. | Screening of Luciano Cheles on the Tom Lea Trail | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
Oct. 13
6 p.m. | Tom Lea’s Horses by Dr. Melissa Warak | Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center, UTEP
Oct. 15
12 p.m. | Tom Lea: Chronicler of 20th Century America Grand Opening and Presentation by Adair Margo | The Bullock Texas State History Museum | Austin, TX
6 p.m. | Tom Lea: Chronicler of 20th Century America Opening Reception| The Bullock Texas State
History Museum | Austin, TX
7 p.m. | Focus Talk | El Paso Museum of Art | El Paso, TX
Oct. 16
10 a.m. | Antonio Balderas Bullring Tour in Juárez by Cuauhtémoc Monreal | El Pasoans meet at 9 a.m. in Camino Real Hotel | El Paso, TX
7 p.m. | Tom Lea and the First Surgery in North America by Dr. Rubén Garrido | Hospital Ángeles | Ciudad Juárez
Oct. 17, 2015 – Jan. 16, 2016
Tom Lea, LIFE and World War II | The National Museum of the Pacific War | Fredericksburg, TX
Oct. 17
9 a.m. | Grand Opening and Conference Tom Lea, LIFE and World War II |The National Museum of the Pacific War | Fredericksburg, TX
10 a.m. | The Story Behind The Turning Point by William Stevens | Larry K. Durham Sports Center | UTEP
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Mata Ortiz Pottery EXPO | Ardovino’s Desert Crossing | Sunland Park, NM
Oct. 18
1 p.m. | Screening of The Brave Bulls | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
3 p.m. | Screening of Tom Lea’s An Awkward First Date Written and produced by Holly Cobb, directed by Derek Packard. A KSCE ch.38 production | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Mata Ortiz Pottery EXPO | Ardovino’s Desert Crossing | Sunland Park, NM
Oct. 19
3 p.m. | Downtown El Paso Educational Mural Tour by Stephanie Bulloch | Historic Federal Courthouse | El Paso, TX
Oct. 20
10 a.m. | Benito Juárez by Profra. Imelda Vega Miranda (El Pasoans meet at 9 a.m. at Camino Real Hotel | El Paso, TX) | Presentation at Old Historic City Hall, Ciudad Juárez
Oct. 21
12 p.m. | Thoracic Trauma: Five Centuries of Progress (Cabeza de Vaca to Present) by Dr. Alan Tyroch | Medical Education Building, Texas Tech University Health Sciences | El Paso, TX
1 p.m. | Pass of the North Mural | Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing | Texas Tech University Health Sciences | El Paso, TX
Oct. 22
1 p.m. | Tom Leain Las Cruces by Jamie Jones | Branigan Cultural Center | New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, NM
6 p.m. | Comanches, Seymour and Tom Lea – The Europeans are Coming! byAdair Margo | Whiteside Auditorium for the Performing Arts | Seymour, TX
7 p.m. | Focus Talk | El Paso Museum of Art | El Paso, TX
Oct. 23
11:30 a.m. | Bullfighting in the Southwest by Dr. Frank “Cinco” Feuille | El Paso Club | El Paso, TX
5 p.m. | Architectural Tour Tom Lea & San Jacinto Plaza, El Paso’s Identifying Center: Changing Architecture, Controversies, and History by Ken Gorski | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
6:30 p.m. | Making History: Stampede, Odessa and Tom Lea by Adair Margo| Ellen Noel Museum of the Permian Basin Rodman Auditorium |Odessa, TX
Oct. 24
9 a.m. |The Hands of Cantú: Horsemanship at the Pass of the North | Compadres Therapy, Inc. | El Paso, TX
Oct. 25
1 p.m. | Screening of Mexican Revolution Sites in El Paso: A Walking Tour with Leon Metz and Fred Morales | El Paso Public Library, Main Branch | El Paso, TX
Oct. 27
9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Downtown Juárez Walking Tour with Dr. Tomás Cuevas (El Pasoans meet at 9 a.m. at Camino Real Hotel, El Paso, TX)
4 p.m. | Downtown El Paso Mural Tour Experience the Pass of the North hosted by first lady of El Paso, Lisa Leeser and led by Carolina Franco and Elisa Garrido | Historic Federal Courthouse | El Paso, TX
6 p.m. | Art and Design; Comparisons and Contrasts by Louis Ocepek | Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center | UTEP
Oct. 29
Sunrise to 10 p.m. | MADE IN EL PASO | Downtown El Paso, TX
