May 6, 2023
2023-05-06T13:00:00
491 N. Main St.
P.O. Box 20000
Las Cruces, NM 88001
Gaspar Enriquez: Chicano Pride, Chicano Soul
Saturday, May 6, 2023
Please join us for a wonderful opportunity to hear Chicano artist Gaspar Enriquez speak about his experiences as a Chicano artist, the changes he has seen in the field of Chicano art, and where he sees Chicano art headed in the future. This presentation is the concluding program for the Museum of Art's retrospective exhibition of his work.
Gaspar Enriquez is a nationally recognized Chicano artist from El Paso, Texas, who uses an airbrush to create hyper-realistic portraits. His portraits show the humanity of the El Paso Chicano community and the tensions they face when living in a two-culture environment. Enriquez's Chicano heritage is a consistent thread that ties together his work, which reflects his life experiences, the urban environment, and the people of his hometown.
Gaspar Enriquez was born and raised in the Segundo Barrio of El Paso, Texas, in 1942. He earned a Bachelor of Art from University of Texas, El Paso in 1971 and a Master of Art from New Mexio State University in 1985. Enriquez was an art teacher at Bowie High School in El Paso for 32 years. Since his retirement, he has focused on his artwork and renovating adobe structures in the historic downtown of San Elizario, Texas. His artwork is in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, the El Paso Museum of Art, and other prominent institutions.