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:

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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Travel the World in Arhchitecture- El Paso

JAN 31

FRIDAY

10 AM

Travel the World in Architecture
-Downtown El Paso

The storied architecture of El Paso contains symbols of both pre-Columbian and modern world cultures. This tour provides a comprehensive look into the diverse architecture of downtown El Paso.

‣ Henry C. Trost's Trost & Trost wanted to showcase the flexibility and strength of the the newly pioneered, reinforced concrete. By designing buildings in different architectural styles, Trost made it so that one could travel the world without leaving the city.

‣ Mabel Weich, one af the first women to become a certified architect in Texas worked prolifically throughout El Paso and became known for her Spanish Colonial Revival style designs. Two of which are located in downtown El Paso.

ALOFT EL PASO DOWNTOWN• 303 Texas Avenue El Paso, TX 79901

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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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MAR 28

FRIDAY

10 AM

¡La Revolución Mexicana! - Downtown El Paso

Anchor 2

Did you know the Mexican Revolution was planned in El Paso? Join us in exploring the Mexican Revolution as we see firsthand some of the most critical sites for Pancho Villa and his Revolutionaries!

See the building from which Francisco Madero and Pancho Villa planned the revolution and encounter the soda shop Pancho Villa frequented.
Learn about the impactful friendship of Tom Lea and refugee Jose Cisneros.
See Tom Lea's Mexican Revolution art in beautiful Downtown El Paso.

HOTEL PASO DEL NORTE, AUTHOGRAPH COLLECTION

• 10 Henry Trost Court El Paso, TX 79901

RSVP HERE

MAY 30

FRIDAY

10 AM

Downtown Treasures -
Downtown El Paso

Have you ever walked through El Paso, captivated by the art around you? This tour takes you through the heart of downtown El Paso, unveiling the stories behind these artistic treasures.

- Learn about the old masters and the new contemporary artists.

-Compare the different art styles between old and new artwork. -

-Determine how local artists have contributed to the growing cultural history of El Paso.

- Learn the history behind sculptures, buildings, murals, etc.

OLD FEDERAL COURTHOUSE • 511 East San Antonio Avenue El Paso, TX 79901

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