UTEP’s Arts Alive Plans Free Open House on Campus
Last Updated on June 03, 2021 at 12:00 AM
Originally published June 03, 2021
By UC Staff
UTEP Communications
EL PASO, Texas – The University of Texas at El Paso invites members of the public to visit campus and reacquaint themselves with UTEP’s public art, museums and cultural exhibits on Saturday, June 5, 2021. “Open House: Celebrating the arts, natural history and culture on campus” is part of UTEP Arts Alive. This free family-friendly event will include music and complimentary refreshments.
While the community continues to recover from COVID-19, organizers encourage the use of masks and social distancing for the safety and comfort of all guests.
The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens has three exhibits that explore the nature and culture of the Chihuahuan Desert: “Beyond the Borderland: A Look at Chinese and Japanese Objects in El Paso,” “Into the Great White Sands,” and “Tiny Tunnels, Big Connections: Ant Relationships Shape the World.” UTEP alumna and musician Nancy L. Green will perform traditional flute music from the East. The museum – open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – will serve treats and refreshments.
The 2021 Annual Juried UTEP Student Art Exhibition, which consists of 131 pieces representing all media created by 71 undergraduates, is in the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts. Families also may want to participate in the “Head in the Clouds” self-guided tour of Donald Lipinski’s “Cloud” sculpture in the Schuster roundabout on the south end of campus. The Rubin Center, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., also will offer a free take-home activity. A DJ will provide music and the gallery will offer light refreshments.
The Lhakhang, a cultural exhibit gifted to the people of the United States by the Kingdom of Bhutan, is open for self-guided tours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. People may use the new interactive interpretive guide to enhance their visit to the Lhakhang on the western edge of UTEP’s Centennial Plaza. Augment El Paso recently enhanced two murals inside the Lhakhang that feature the birth of Buddha and the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
Denis O’Hearn, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts, which manages the museum and Rubin Center, said this event is an effort by the University to help the community heal after the pandemic. He said he looked forward to seeing many people at the open house.
“We hope people of all ages and all backgrounds will come to our campus and see UTEP as a resource for the whole community,” O’Hearn said. “As a white-haired still-kid who always loved ant farms, I know where I intend to be on June 5."
