Dearest El Paso Community,
This past year has been illuminating. As I round out my first full year as Director of the El Paso Museum of History, I am honored to share our accomplishments with you, our most dedicated supporters. In 2022, the El Paso Museum of History worked to renew and redefine what it means to be an anchor institution in the Downtown El Paso Arts District. We reinforced our commitment to accessibility, equity, and creativity hand-in-hand with our most vital stakeholders: the El Paso community.
In April, the El Paso Museum of History was honored to be selected as a finalist for the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. As one of 15 museums nationwide, and the only finalist in Texas, this nomination further validates our work to expand the range of voices centered and celebrated in public spaces. We were flattered to share our philosophy and practice of “nothing about community, without community” with colleagues from across the nation to emphasize the urgent need for community collaboration and representation and to exemplify how museums should work as change agents in addressing the needs of our populations.
In June, the Museum received the attention and support of the esteemed Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Latino, becoming the first organization in West Texas to host its Young Ambassadors Program (YAP). This nationally recognized program for graduating Latinx high school seniors allowed the Museum to offer local students a paid opportunity to work in the humanities, an invaluable chance to foster the next generation of community-conscious leaders in the arts.
Our commitment to all communities also inspired bold, innovative, and thought-provoking exhibitions. For example, a significant grant from the Art Bridges Foundation allowed us to present Black Survival Guide, or How to Live Though a Police Riot, an interactive art installation by artist Hank Willis Thomas that brings to light the history of resistance in Black communities through images printed on a retroreflective vinyl. This powerfully unique physical and visual experience allowed visitors to activate gripping images from the 1968 uprisings following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination by using the flash on their cameras, deepening their engagement with the content. To accompany this, the Museum fostered connectivity, solidarity, and community through roundtables and innovative programs such as a fashion show, a community dinner table series, and a music-making summer camp for youth aimed at celebrating Black excellence.
Today, as our biggest champions and supporters, I ask that you consider making a gift to enhance this community-driven and community-inspired work. Your unrestricted support is critical and helps us to—together—make history.
With Gratitude,
Erica Marín
Director, El Paso Museum of History
Thank you for your support!
P.S. All donations made to the El Paso Museum of History Foundation are tax-deductible so be sure to get your gift in before December 31, 2022. Thank you for your support!
