El Paso Museum of Art

My recent visit to the museum was to spend time in the galleries devoted to the Old Masters, a collection overwhelmingly due to the Kress donation.Kress was a discount store from many decades ago. Mr. Kress had assembled a truly monumental collection. Upon his death, paintings were given to quite a number of art museums around the country. The El Paso Museum of Art is one of them.I'm always blown away whenever I see the paintings donated by Kress in various museums that I've visited. I think that this museum received an especially vigorous selection and so many of the works on display seem so fresh and bright. These aren't lesser works by iconic artists, either. These are amazing and the collection alone make this museum a must-see.My favorite work on display is Vincenzo Catena's 'Portrait of a Woman', an oil on canvas work from about 1520-25; oil on canvas. The young woman staring directly at the viewer looks quite modern-day as if she's posing for a selfie to show off her finery; and, what finery it is: red velvet and fur with a large-jeweled broach. This is where Catena is also showing off: his skill in making the velvet and fur seem so real. This is quite the lush painting.I was also sure to visit a selection of paintings on the first level that presented works by local students. My favorite was Zoey Odette Valles' 'Tumbled Away, an acrylic on canvas piece that seemed ready for the permanent collection. Well done, Zoey!Some museums are hindered by their spaces. This museum falls into that category. This is an overhauled Greyhound bus station that I remember using years ago when I'd travel with a little backpack across the country. The space works as well as they can make it work and the engagement with the local community is truly impressive. However, if this museum's collection were in a truly dedicated space, people would trek here just for the art.

If you are in the area go here. It's free and LGBTQ+ friendly. They encourage donations but if you don't have cash definitely you can leave it electronically. Not only that but this place definitely shows you some incredible pieces of art. You can take your time or go through it quickly. My favorite part was that there was an exhibit dedicated to Selena.

I had a short amount of time to do a run-through of the open exhibits here before closing time. The museum is accessible and while viewing inside, there was an engaging community mural being created outside of the entrance. Some of the museum was closed off, however much of what I did see was particularly impactful. Firstly, I enjoyed the Puente Libre, Francisco Delgado exhibit featuring what life is like for those commuting, living and working on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The tortoise and hare moral application through his work was powerful. Equally amazing were the mixed media works of many young artists displayed on the main floor of the museum. I was thoroughly impressed with the detail and meaningful themes exhibited and the overall talent displayed. What a treat for a quick afternoon visit!

What an awesome and interesting museum! Loved everything here and was completely immersed in what was offered and exhibited. The Selena exhibit was really cool especially seeing a lot of the items were donated by local El Pasoeons. It was very cool seeing some of her concert outfits up close. I think the installations through out the museum are definitely the highlights for me. Very thought provoking. If you're in El Paso definitely make a stop here!

Was in El Paso for the weekend. Popped by here to mostly beat the heat but ended up spending more than I imagined here. Was enamored by the various art work and the regional take on it. It was refreshing to not just see the typical Picasso and religious art. They have exhibits by Black and Brown artists and womxn of color which is really cool. There was a lot of art that represents the importance of natural resources in the area. Most notably light and water. With the border right there, there was a ton of art and a visiting exhibit from Juarez. It's free to visit but donations are encouraged. Its only open from 10am to 6pm. I went midday. It was very quiet. Maybe 15 people at the most. Even if it was packed, the halls and exhibits are large so I couldn't imagine you feeling claustrophobic there. It's also centrally located downtown so it's easy to spot and to get around to other places.

Decent venue with some interesting art. Very quiet and not much foot traffic visiting the museum. We decided to visit since we had extra time. Only negative was that a female security guard asked that I wear my small purse/backpack in my front vs the back. Reasoning was to prevent bumping into exhibits. Well, the museum isn't packed with items, actually has excessive space between their items. I decided to leave because I didn't want to feel uncomfortable. It's not the Louvre (which I have visited). On a positive side admission is free.

Such a treat. Been several times. Its not real big but they do rotate out some interesting exhibits. Standard items are present: religious, modern and abstract, creepy stuff, nudes, sculptures, beautiful nature scenes. Its usually pretty clean and quiet - always free - that's the best part. I love that I can stroll in anytime and that anyone can have exposure to art. Its right downtown with lots of other fun activities so include it in your next visit!

We visited the museum on a Saturday afternoon in an effort to get to know El Paso a little bit better without blistering in the summer sun. It wasn't too busy and there was just enough in there to keep us occupied for a bit of time. There's an interesting mix of modern Texan and Mexican photography as well as more classic European works of art. There were also a few sculptures around the museum, which added some variety. I'd love to see more art like that and hope they add more!

Here for a special event my niece was apart of. Foundation that helps children with different abilities in science, engineering and art. Beautiful Minds of MALI is the organization. MALI stands for Making Art with Love and Imagination.

I wanted to do something different with my family. We stopped by and received a bonus ourselves haha! There was a play with the UTEP theater majors. My kids loved it.