Chalk the Block pics

I had a great time this weekend attending Chalk the Block with my fiance.  The sidewalk drawings were very impressive and it seemed to be well attended.  Events like these are great for the city and I hope to see it grow even more next year.  My only request was that  some of the restaurants like Rulis and El Pisto would have been open when I was down there but as downtown improves and becomes more busy, these establishments will begin to hold more regular hours…up to us to prove it to them that they should stay open.

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Guerrilla art in El Paso? How about Chalk the Block?

Raise you index finger if you know what Guerrilla art is…..ok, thanks for your participation!  So, for those who kept the fingers to the keyboard, let me give you a very brief explanation of what guerrilla art is.

Guerrilla Art: art that has been developed for a public space….unsanctioned/anonymous/meant for a large group of people…and usually is meant to put across a message, whether political or obscure but can also be just for fun or to uplift people.  It can range from tagging (gang signs don’t count), sculptures, pictures, sidewalk chalk, paintings, video projection, etc…

I don’t endorse the tagging of private property, because if you don’t have permission, then don’t touch it…you wouldn’t want me to write livingelpaso on your car would you??…however, I think a few dedicated walls around town would be a great way to let artists who are talented with graffiti to show their skills.

So what about guerilla art?  It has been around for a while and one never knows when it is going to show up.  The following pictures will give you a better idea of what Guerilla art is.

 

The first pictureis of the Charging Bull up near the New York Stock Exchange.  Police confiscated it after it showed up but after public insistence, the parks department installed the sculpture a few blocks down from the NYSE.

The second picture you saw was of a very recent piece of guerrilla art in Gas Works Park up in Seattle. 

Finally, the third picture come from the West Bank.  Pictures were created by Banksy on the giant security wall that separates the Israelis and Palestinians.

 Personally, I wouldn’t be opposed to waking up one morning and hear about a huge sculpture that was put in San Jacinto Park that reflected someones feelings about the city.  Doing a quick google search, I came across this article from newspapertree about graffiti art.  

So where can you get a good look at artists in El Paso…well, you can head on out to Chalk the Block this weekend (Sept 18th-20th)  Not exactly guerilla art, since it is sanctioned and you can see who is doing the work, but it will be a great event to attend with family and friends. 

I didn’t get a chance to go last year, so I am really looking forward to making my way downtown to check it out.  These are the types of events that make a community a special place to live.    Did I mention that their website is awesome?

So when will you want to head down?  The days you will want to go are Saturday & Sunday.  The festival opens up at 10 a.m. on Sat/Sun and goes until a time that I don’t know. 

However, if you do decide to head downtown, be sure to hit up some of the restaurants down there like Rulis, Percolator, El Pisto, Pot Au Feu, etc.  Also, be sure to hit up the museums downtown, including Lynx Exhibits and Insights!

I hope to see you there this weekend!

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Springtime festivals in El Paso

Spring is pretty much here, and as this is my first one in the Sun City, I was wondering if there are any large festivals that take place.  No better place to experience an outdoor/indoor festival than El Paso.  One of my favorite festivals that was started last year by Mayor Hardberger in San Antonio is called Luminaria.  It is a day and night dedicated to the arts in San Antonio.  I will be in San Antonio next week and am hoping to get to stay through Saturday so that I can attend the event. 

With such a strong/unique arts scene in El Paso, I think a festival like Luminaria could do well here.

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Community for El Paso area artists

Blue Star Arts complex

Wouldn’t a community of artists be great for the city?  A space where all those who love creativity, whether through story, dance, music, or picture, can live and work.  How about utilizing a whole block downtown?  Take some older low rise buildings and convert them into studio/apt/gallery space?  These artists can capitalize on Alfresco Fridays and Third Thursdays.  Maybe a ballet company can move downtown and have huge windows on

picture from Joffrey.com

the second floor so passersby can watch.  I am just throwing ideas out there and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Tell me what you think and what you would like to see.

  

 

My name is David am living El Paso.

Museum tour in pictures and words

I took two hours on Wednesday to go visit the museums downtown.  Two hours wasn’t enough, but I only had 4 quarters on me.  Our first stop was the Insights Science Musuem.  This place was great!  If you were one of those kids growing up that always liked to touch and play with things, this is your place.  They have this air cannon where one person stands 10ft away and the other person hits the sides of the cannon where a gust of wind will fly out hitting said person in the face.  I think I did that five times.

Get ready for a burst of air!

 

They also had a great exhibit on Nanotechnology.  The staff is very friendly and informative.  I plan on going back in the near future.  One concept that I would like to see is a unique structure like the HEB Science Treehouse in San Antonio.   That would be a great add on to the museum.

Inside Insights

 

The next stop on the list was the El Paso Museum of History.  This was probably my favorite, only because I love history.  I learned so much about El Paso from just touring the museum.  From the Conquistadors, to the Salt Wars in San Eli and the building of the Trans-Continental Railroad, this place will teach you about all of it.  I am going back again because I need more time to read through all the information.  The facility is also great looking. 

Outside of History Building

 

Inside the museum

 

They currently have an exhibit on the women of El Paso.  Very interesting to read about the women who helped shape the El Paso of today.

My final stop was the El Paso Museum of Art.  So many pieces of art to look at, it could truly take a day to appreciate every piece.  I had limited time, so I made a fairly quick sweep.  My favorite section was the Kress Collection.  I learned that the building that the museum is housed in used to be the old Greyhound Bus Station.  I would have never imagined that! 

One event that I hope to check out is 3rd Thursdays.  Seems to be one of the big events that goes on downtown.  So next time you are in the neighborhood, go check out the downtown museums.  Did you know that the El Paso area is home to 27 museums?  I only visited 3, so I have a ways to go and I look forward to seeing them all. 

I think my next visit will be to the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, NM.

Also, the first interview for the Living El Paso video series took place today and will be posted on Monday.  I look forward to sharing it with you!

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

How often do you visit the museums?

I am going to go downtown today and tomorrow to visit some of the museums that El Paso has to offer.  When I was little, we would take field trips to the Witte Museum and Children’s Art Museum in San Antonio.  I always had a great time and think that these destinations are great places for individuals, families, and schools.  I look forward to sharing with you my experience tomorrow.

 

 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.