Reprinted from El Paso Inc. May 30-June 5, 1999
By Betty Ligon
There are people here now who never knew the artist or heard of him. That’s why it’s so gratifying that two of his old friends are gathering a retrospective of his work so El Paso doesn’t forget this dear, free-spirited, generous artist. Fellow artists Lupe Casillas-Lowenberg and Hal Marcus have spent months tracking down his art work in El Paso for the exhibition at Ysleta Student Entrepreneur Cultural Center, 8544 Alameda Ave. from 2 to 7 p.m. June 5.
Unfortunately, 100 paintings have been locked up in a bank vault for 10 years awaiting resolution of a dispute over ownership.
His niece, Nina Marie Escobedo, who lives in the house that belonged to Manny’s parents, said the 25 paintings that were in the house when Manny was killed and were considered owned by his parents, will be in the show. A handwritten will was discovered months after his death. Nephew Albert Jimenete was named as administrator, but the heirs never could come to an agreement about division of holdings.
So the art work found in his studio was impounded and confined to a dark Texas Commerce Bank vault, now Chase Bank, its future languishing in the confines of lawyers’ files. Over the years, there’s been talk about his paintings being donated to the El Paso Museum of Art, a place he would have liked. Becky Duvall, museum director said the only contact to her knowledge was a letter sent by a lawyer to the city’s legal department offering one painting with major strings attached, but nothing came out of it. She said the museum would be most interested in his works.
"People forget that we have two Acostas in our collection now and one is on permanent view. It’s certainly not in his interest to have the works tied up so long."
Probate judge Max Higgs says he’s been trying to get the case settled since 1991.