The El Paso Museum of History offers visitors a bilingual, multi-cultural experience through exhibitions that focus on the history of El Paso del Norte (The Pass of the North). The permanent and rotating exhibitions in the museum’s six galleries feature history beginning from pre-Spanish contact to present.
Neighborhoods & Shared Memories: South Central
May 4, 2023 - Apr 6, 2024
2nd Floor, Neighborhoods Gallery
Nestled in what was once land that hosted pear orchards and cotton fields flourished a working-class neighborhood that would become synonymous with El Paso’s warm and welcoming nature. Many of its residents settled into this area after being displaced from a neighborhood called Stormsville, which was condemned in 1928 These neighborhoods and their residents helped launch an area that would host iconic establishments and institutions such as Chicos Tacos, Ascarate Park, The County Coliseum, Good Luck Café, Washington Park, Thomas Jefferson High School, and the El Paso Zoo to name a few.
This exhibit is part of an ongoing series that features historic neighborhoods throughout El Paso. Previously highlighted neighborhoods include Chihuahuita, Segundo Barrio, Sunset Heights, and Manhattan Heights.
“Neighborhoods & Shared Memories: South Central” will be on display through April 6, 2024.
Ambos Lados: International Print Exchange
Mar 18, 2023 - Jun 15, 2023
2nd Floor, Gallery D
“Ambos Lados” is an exhibition of 158 prints from artists in six countries, primarily Mexico and the United States, including 18 artists from New Mexico and several Albuquerque artists. “Ambos Lados” translates as “both sides” in Spanish. The exhibition emerged out of a print exchange organized on both sides of the border by Manuel Guerra, Director of Horned Toad Prints in El Paso, and Adrian Aguirre and Beatriz Rivas of Taller Grafica Libre in Zaachila, Oaxaca. The prints and larger project emphasize the unity of artists and peoples across the political border of the United States and Mexico.
While there was no set theme for the exchange, many of the works explore political and social issues, specifically the border, while others are contemplative, humorous, or abstract. The print exchange, organized in 2018, was unjuried and open to anyone who wished to participate; the only rule for the exchange was a uniform print size. Prints have historically been made for broad distribution and they are an ideal medium for exchange as they are produced in multiples and easily packed, mailed, and dispersed. The prints included showcase a range of printing techniques including lithographs, serigraphs, relief, and intaglio. Egalitarian in nature, the project connected artists from a range of professional, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds, and the exhibition puts these perspectives in conversation. The prints emphasize how artistic expression is a unifying force across different kinds of borders and divides.
Still We Rise: El Paso's Black Experience
Feb 25, 2023 - Jan 13, 2024
1st Floor, Gallery B
“Still We Rise: El Paso’s Black Experience” highlights the vibrant history of El Paso’s Black community in the decades leading up to and following desegregation. Tracing back to the first documented African American individuals in El Paso, this exhibition highlights generations of Afro descendants’ contributions to the region as they built businesses, homes, and neighborhoods during slavery, Jim Crow era, and beyond. Based in the testimonies and oral histories of community, “Still We Rise” aims to showcase the joy and accomplishments of those who call El Paso home.
This exhibition will be on display through January 13, 2024.
