Fort Bliss Monitor

Tom Lea honored with exhibit
Work of late El Paso artist showcased at airport

SPC. STEVE BAACK
Monitor Staff

PHOTOS BY SPC. STEVE BAACK

El Paso Mayor John Cook speaks about the late Tom Lea during a ribbon cutting event at the El Paso International Airport. Lea’s artwork is now featured there.

The El Paso International Airport and the City of El Paso Arts and Culture Department unveiled the work of late artist Tom Lea at the Art Windows of El Paso exhibit inside the airport with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday.
Lea, who was born in El Paso in 1907, distinguished himself as a nationally and internationally recognized artist through his paintings, illustrations, murals and novels. His work is slated to be displayed through Oct. 27.

Approximately 50 people attended the ceremony, including El Paso Mayor John Cook; Tom’s wife Sarah; Adair Margo, owner of Adair Margo Gallery; Betty Jaraba, interim director of the Arts and Culture Department; and Patrick Abeln, Director of Aviation, El Paso International Airport. All, except for Sarah, spoke before the ribbon cutting.

“Usually when [people] are stuck at the airport … it’s always nice to have the opportunity to entertain them,” said Cook, the first guest speaker at the event. “That’s especially true with this exhibit where people are waiting for passengers to arrive or they’re waiting to say goodbye to them before they go up in the airplane. So it’s a really nice way to spend a few hours at the airport, to see some beautiful artwork.”

“These windows are such a wonderful addition to our community, said Margo, who recorded Lea’s oral history and later published it as a book. “It’s just a gram of the richness that is in this community, and I don’t know if you all know it, but this is a very special gathering. Whenever people have gathered around Tom Lea, there’s something special going on.

Adair Margo, owner of the Adair Margo Gallery, praises the late Tom Lea on his artistic contributions.

“Tom loved El Paso,” Margo continued. “And although he traveled all over the world, the place he always called home was El Paso, and the place he loved maybe the most was the sunrise-side of the mountain – on the east side of Mount Franklin. And he loved communicating, not just the history of our area through historic figures which you see behind us, but also he loved capturing this region, the environment – the people in this vast environment with this clear light.”

Margo went on to mention his novels, and how he was at one time on the bestseller list with John Steinbeck and Earnest Hemingway, and that both of his books were turned into movies.

“He was the greatest talent to ever come out of the state of Texas – one of the greatest talents in the United States of America,” said Margo. “When people ask him what he loved about this dried up, barren place he called home, this is what he said and this is what I’ll leave you with: ‘First, I say I was born in it and then I say, furthermore, I love it for the intensity of its sunlight, the clarity of its sky, the hugeness of its space, its revealed structure of naked earth, primal form without adornment.’”

The show ended with Margo, Cook, Jaraba and Sarah cutting the ribbon to officially open the exhibit.

Tom Lea’s widow, Sarah, cuts the ribbon, officially opening an exhibit at the El Paso International Airport that features his artwork.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	August 4, 2005

COURTESY PHOTO This well-known Tom Lea painting depicts what came to be known on Bliliou as the "thousand yard stare." After weeks of prolonged and intense fighting against a tenacious and well dug-in enemy on Bloody Nose Ridge, the bone weary Marines took on the look. <map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Tom Lea honored with exhibit Work of late El Paso artist showcased at airport SPC. STEVE BAACK Monitor Staff PHOTOS BY SPC. STEVE BAACK El Paso Mayor John Cook speaks about the late Tom Lea during a ribbon cutting event at the El Paso International Airport. Lea’s artwork is now featured there. The El Paso International Airport and the City of El Paso Arts and Culture Department unveiled the work of late artist Tom Lea at the Art Windows of El Paso exhibit inside the airport with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday. Lea, who was born in El Paso in 1907, distinguished himself as a nationally and internationally recognized artist through his paintings, illustrations, murals and novels. His work is slated to be displayed through Oct. 27. Approximately 50 people attended the ceremony, including El Paso Mayor John Cook; Tom’s wife Sarah; Adair Margo, owner of Adair Margo Gallery; Betty Jaraba, interim director of the Arts and Culture Department; and Patrick Abeln, Director of Aviation, El Paso International Airport. All, except for Sarah, spoke before the ribbon cutting. “Usually when [people] are stuck at the airport … it’s always nice to have the opportunity to entertain them,” said Cook, the first guest speaker at the event. “That’s especially true with this exhibit where people are waiting for passengers to arrive or they’re waiting to say goodbye to them before they go up in the airplane. So it’s a really nice way to spend a few hours at the airport, to see some beautiful artwork.” “These windows are such a wonderful addition to our community, said Margo, who recorded Lea’s oral history and later published it as a book. “It’s just a gram of the richness that is in this community, and I don’t know if you all know it, but this is a very special gathering. Whenever people have gathered around Tom Lea, there’s something special going on. Adair Margo, owner of the Adair Margo Gallery, praises the late Tom Lea on his artistic contributions. “Tom loved El Paso,” Margo continued. “And although he traveled all over the world, the place he always called home was El Paso, and the place he loved maybe the most was the sunrise-side of the mountain – on the east side of Mount Franklin. And he loved communicating, not just the history of our area through historic figures which you see behind us, but also he loved capturing this region, the environment – the people in this vast environment with this clear light.” Margo went on to mention his novels, and how he was at one time on the bestseller list with John Steinbeck and Earnest Hemingway, and that both of his books were turned into movies. “He was the greatest talent to ever come out of the state of Texas – one of the greatest talents in the United States of America,” said Margo. “When people ask him what he loved about this dried up, barren place he called home, this is what he said and this is what I’ll leave you with: ‘First, I say I was born in it and then I say, furthermore, I love it for the intensity of its sunlight, the clarity of its sky, the hugeness of its space, its revealed structure of naked earth, primal form without adornment.’” The show ended with Margo, Cook, Jaraba and Sarah cutting the ribbon to officially open the exhibit. Tom Lea’s widow, Sarah, cuts the ribbon, officially opening an exhibit at the El Paso International Airport that features his artwork.