Here’s a roundup of some culture and civic events in the borderland in the coming week.
El Paso Museum of Art Star Ceiling
Celebrate the unveiling of Star Ceiling, a new installation by artist Leo Villareal, during an event from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, the El Paso Museum of Art, 1 Arts Festival Plaza. The inaugural illumination of the 120-foot LED array, featuring 13,500 energy-efficient lights in non-repeating patterns, takes place at 5:45 p.m. This free community event includes music, complimentary beverages, pan dulce from local bakeries and a lightbox-making activity inspired by the installation.
Visitors can also take tours led by EPMA curators, offering insights into Villareal’s creative process. This project, privately funded by the EPMA Foundation and the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, transforms the museum’s space with a unique blend of art, light and Chihuahuan Desert-inspired design. Information: epma.art
Ultraviole(n)t Exposures Exhibit
Explore the hidden impacts of ultraviolet radiation in vulnerable borderland communities during Ultraviole(n)t Exposures, an innovative exhibit opening Friday, Jan. 17 in the Museum Connect Lab at the El Paso Museum of Art, 1 Arts Festival Plaza. The project, led by architecture and urban planning experts in collaboration with border historians, sheds light on the inequitable distribution of public shade and its health consequences in the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez metroplex.
Featuring oral histories, spatial analyses, and multimedia displays, the exhibit will run through June 15 and focuses on Segundo Barrio while serving as a prototype for future traveling exhibitions. The project is spearheaded by Ersela Kripa and Stephen Mueller, directors of the Project for Operative Spatial Technologies at Texas Tech Health El Paso, alongside Yolanda Leyva, a University of Texas at El Paso historian. Information: epma.art
MLK Read & Ride Aboard the Streetcar
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special Read & Ride event aboard the El Paso Streetcar at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18. Hosted by the NAACP El Paso Chapter, this free event invites riders to journey through history and honor the civil rights leader’s enduring impact. Boarding begins at the El Paso Convention Center stop in Downtown, located at Santa Fe Street and Henry Trost Court. Download the free Ride Sun Metro app to track the Streetcar in real time. Information: sunmetro.net
El Paso Pro-Musica Chamber Music Festival
Kick off the El Paso Pro-Musica Chamber Festival ‘25 with a performance by Russian-American pianist Natasha Paremski at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at the University of Texas at El Paso Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. Paremski has played with several professional orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and military, and $5 for students. Tickets: elpasopromusica.org
Bridal, Quince and Sweet 16 Expo
Plan your special day at the 35th annual Winter Days of Remembrance Bridal, Quince, and Sweet 16 Expo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at the El Paso Convention Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza. Hosted by Elegant Penguin Enterprises, this longstanding event is the largest of its kind in the region, offering an array of vendors ready to help you craft an unforgettable celebration. Admission is $5, and children younger than 12 enter for free. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Paso del Norte Center of Hope, an organization dedicated to assisting victims of human trafficking.
Coming Up
Latinx Museum Professionals Event: The El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe St., will host “Latinx Museum Professionals: Digital Humanities” from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. This free event, presented by the Stanley and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts at the University of Texas at El Paso, invites the public to learn about careers in museums and related fields. Highlights include a keynote address by Carolina A. Villarroel, a renowned scholar in U.S. Latino literary heritage. Supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the event welcomes participants of all backgrounds and experience levels. Information and schedule: utep.edu
‘A Story of Stories’: Join University of Arizona professor and researcher Cristina D. Ramírez for a lecture on “A Story of Stories: The Texas Border Barrio Life and Writings of Doña Ramona González,” a free event hosted by the El Paso County Historical Society at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Burges House, 603 W. Yandell Drive. The lecture will delve into the rich cultural history of El Paso’s Chihuahuita neighborhood through the lens of Doña Ramona González, whose early 20th-century writings were uncovered in a “magic box” of family documents. González, a pioneering Chicana writer featured in the 1970s journal “El Grito,” provides a rare glimpse into Southwest borderlands history and the lives of barrio residents in 1915. Event will include a book sale and signing.
Mark Your Calendar
Swan Lake: Take in the timeless tale as performed by the Nylia Ballet Academy at the University of Texas at El Paso’s Magoffin Auditorium. Follow Prince Siegfried’s journey as he meets Odette, the Swan Queen, and vows to free her from a sorcerer’s curse that traps her in swan form by day. This classic ballet weaves together romance, betrayal, and the power of true love in a mesmerizing performance. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Feb. 1-2. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets: ticketmaster.com
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