Tours

Each year, the Tom Lea Institute provides free walking tours that take the community to beautiful and historic sites throughout the region, many of which reference Tom Lea's work. Experience decades of cultural wonders and historical landmarks like never before.
RSVP today. ( Spots fill up quickly!)

RSVP ➽ THROUGH EventBrite here or links below

Full Schedule of Events:

SEPT 28

Saturday

10 AM

Fossils in Our Walls, Cisneros in Our Halls, Tom Lea on Our Windows

Did you know that El Paso's desert was once under water? Discover what's in the layers beneath our feet by looking at the stones of El Paso's historic Church of St. Clement. Also, explore the halls of St. Clement's Church and see Cisneros's unique leaded glass windows featuring his biblical designs. Learn about the little-known Tom Lea book The History of Christianity, Stained Glass Designs in the McKee Chapel of Saint Clement"s Church in El Paso, written by Tom Lea and designed by Carl Hertzog.

ST. CLEMENT'S CHRUCH • 810 North Campbell Street El Paso, TX 79902

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Segundo Barrio has been the first home for thousands of families in El Paso since the 1880s. The adobe and brick neighborhood has been described as “the Ellis Island of the Border.” Join Jesus “Cimi” Alvarado, a native muralist, and learn the Mexican and Indigenous motifs, as well as political statements. Come with us for a no-host authentic Mexican lunch afterward.

FATHER RAHM MURAL • 111 W. Father Rahm Ave, El Paso, TX 79901

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El Paso del Norte was born more than 100 years before the United States was born. Travel with us to its birthplace, across the international bridge! This tour features iconic places like El Tin Tan Museum, Museum of Revolution in the Border, Historic City Hall, and Cuauhtemoc Market. At Guadalupe Mission and Cathedral, José Mario Sánchez Soledad, an opera singer, performs Ave Maria. After the tour, enjoy a no-host lunch at The Kentucky Club, the birthplace of the margarita.

LIONS PLAZITA • 910 S Santa Fe St., El Paso, TX 79901

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Join us for a walking tour with stops at the Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center, and the Chancellor’s office to discover UT's rich history through its Tom Lea holdings and see treasures generally not available to the public. Tour embarks from the lobby.

MEET AT HARRY RANSOM CENTER • 300 West 21st Street, Austin, Texas 78712

• Harry Ransom Center:

Stand in awe of Tom Lea's preparatory drawing for Sarah in the Summertime painting, the artist’s self-proclaimed magnum opus. A life-sized portrait of his wife was made in the gratefulness of being home after World War II. The drawing was painstakingly restored by HRC Conservators in 1997.

• Blanton Museum of Art:

Explore the study for Stampede, originally featured on the cover of J. Frank Dobie's book The Longhorns. This study, a one-inch to one-foot model for Lea's 1940 Stampede mural in the Odessa Post Office, is a remarkable piece. Also see the Toro Suelto in black ink and learn about the C.R. Smith Collection of Western Art, which includes notable works such as The Year It Rained and The Lead Steer.

• University of Texas System Office:

Enjoy two Tom Lea paintings chosen by Chancellor J.B. Milliken for his office while hearing comments from him and former Chancellor William Cunningham, who also had Lea paintings in his office. Discover what a lead steer can teach us about leadership.

• After the tour:

Enjoy wine and charcuterie at the Byrne Reed House, headquarters of Humanities Texas, with a peek at more art by Tom Lea from the collection of Pamela Pitzer Willeford, former ambassador to Switzerland, and fellow regionalist Thomas Hart Benton.

BYRNE REED HOUSE • 1410 Rio Grande St, Austin, TX 78701

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Tom Lea wrote and illustrated the two-volume history of The King Ranch. Arguably the greatest ranching history ever written, it was originally intended as a monograph for King Ranch’s 100th anniversary. Hear James Clement, a sixth-generation member of the King Ranch family, rancher, and former Horse Division manager. Under his direction, King Ranch won the AQHA Best Remuda Award, the most prestigious recognition awarded to a ranch horse program, and raised the first-ever King Ranch-bred and owned World Champion. Afterward, get an exclusive guided tour of the Henrietta Memorial Center and Museum. See the historic remuda while visiting over ranch-themed refreshments. Join the insider's bus tour of King Ranch quarter horses and meet a champion horse. Separate registration is required for the bus tour on Eventbrite.

HENRIETTA CENTER • 405 North 6th St., Kingsville, TX 78363

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