Sarah and Tom Lea Purchase Award for Best Life Drawing or Life Painting Award
Each year, the Tom Lea Institute grants the Sarah and Tom Lea Purchase Award to a UTEP undergraduate in the Liberal Arts program for Best Life Drawing or Life Painting. The award is presented during Ruben's Center's annual art exhibition, celebrating emerging artists' talent and dedication.
2026
Angelica M. Soto
Angelica M. Soto is a multidisciplinary artist who specializes in Drawing and Printmaking. As a Mexican American, she explores cultural and self identity and the importance of connecting to roots. She aspires to graduate from UTEP with her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts Drawing and Printmaking in 2027.
“Tormenta” is a colored pencil self portrait based on a Spanish phrase, Cara de Tormenta (storm face). With a neutral facial expression, there’s always the assumption that we’re upset or that something is wrong. A simple “Why are you mad?” can get very far stretched, quickly.
“Tormenta” connects the face to actual lightening bolts, still, with a neutral expression. If not smiling, everything is wrong somehow. This piece shows an exaggerated view of how fast an expression can be misinterpreted.
2024
Tierra and Dirt Collective
Artist [from left to right] Linda Palleres, Kristie Rodarte, Allan Iniguez, Vivian Wilson, Teresa Castellanos, Caleb Jolly, Emma Chavarria, Fernanda, Ana Montes, Sara Beuchot, Jorge Rubio, Leslie Ulloa-Polloc, Emmy Chapa, Will Alvarez, Mariana Chavez, and Lizeth Castro
“Multiverse” is a project made by UTEP Ceramic Students who are part of the Tierra and Dirt Collective. It focuses around the idea of collective alternate realities. Each one of the members created an imagined character that they would enjoy being if they were in an alternate reality.
2023
Carolina Armendarez Moreno
Necropsy” is the name of this piece by the student Carolina Armendarez Moreno and the winner of the Sarah and Tom Lea Purchase Award for Best Life Drawing or Life Painting in 2023 for her intricate design and scale with charcoal.
2022
Leslie Alcala
“Me, Myself, and I” is the name of this piece by the student Leslie Alcala; and the winner of the Sarah and Tom Lea Purchase Award for Best Life Drawing or Life Painting in 2022, for her realism drawing with color pencil.
2020
Miguel Aguilar
BFA in both metal-smithing and drawing from the University of Texas at El Paso, 2020
El Paso born artist who specializes in jewelry, small sculpture, and drawings. Although still exploring his artistic fields, he has exhibited his work throughout El Paso and has been featured on multiple occasions in the Annual Juried UTEP Student Show, showcasing his large figural drawings, typographical prints, and rustic works in metal. Miguel Aguilar won the Sarah and Tom Lea Purchase Award for Best Life Drawing or Life Painting at the 2022 with his stunning morphed drawing, XXII & XXIII, Graphite on tarpaulin, 190"x125", 2019.
For more information on how to receive the Sarah and Tom Lea for Best Life Drawing or Life Painting Award: Andres Payan Estrada | apayanestrada@utep.edu