TTUHSC El Paso: Art, Inspiration and Impact

Art, Inspiration and Impact

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Works of public art have the capacity to resonate deeply, stimulate curiosity and inspire the imagination in unexpected ways. The Texas Tech University System public art collection is one of the most distinguishing features of each campus, shaping impressions and offering a distinctive setting for memorable experiences.

The Public Art Program at the Texas Tech University System was initiated by the Board of Regents in 1998 to enrich the campus environments and extend the educational mission at all of its universities. Through the program, public artworks are funded using one percent of the estimated total cost of each new major capital project.

Since then, more than 150 items created by some of today’s leading artists have been added to the TTU System’s multiple campuses.

The public art collection ranges from antiquities to modern and contemporary art, with over 150 artworks by American and international artists. The collection is thoughtfully curated by a panel of faculty, staff, community members and artists. Most pieces are original commissions selected to be conceptual functions of the building in which it is selected for installation. The collection is firmly rooted in the culture of all campuses in the Texas Tech University System. The Texas Tech Public Art Program operates out of the Texas Tech University System Office of Facilities Planning & Construction.

Learn more here: texastech.edu/fpc/public-art.php

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Foreword Akin to the Borderland, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso has a style of its own. Its location in the heart of the city – and the history of the area that surrounds it – has created a campus that hums with culture, blending science, art and the familial nature El Paso is known for.

The contents of this book are the work of people in our community who believe we can move mountains by working together, whether through the support of artists or by educating future generations of health care heroes. From its first buildings to its newest, TTUHSC El Paso is filled with artwork that represents where we came from and where we are going.

The artists who have contributed to TTUHSC El Paso’s collection capture the spirit of the Paso Del Norte through paintings, photography, sculpture and inventive mediums that set the tone for the future of innovation – much like the students and faculty who bring life to this university, and have since its inception many years ago.

As TTUHSC El Paso’s art committee, we hope these pages are an inspiration and reminder of the many ways this university adds to the beauty of our Borderland – each photo emblematic of who we are: El Paso Proud and working together for a stronger community.

TTUHSC El Paso Art Committee GINGER FRANCIS, MARGIE ESCUDERO, GAYLE HUNT

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El Intercambio LARRY KIRKLAND TTUHSC El Paso campus

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At the heart of the TTUHSC El Paso campus, El Intercambio connects the university’s Medical Education Building and Medical Sciences Building, symbolically representing the link between biomedical research, medical education and patient care. Flowers engraved on one of four sculptures in the series are a reflection of El Paso’s Hispanic culture.

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Helix Garden ELIZABETH BILLINGS and ANDREA WASSERMAN Hunt School of Nursing

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The Helix Garden, TTUHSC El Paso’s second permanent public art piece, was designed to communicate healing and wellness. Its overlapping glass panels are etched with sandblasted designs and LED lights that illuminate the Hunt School of Nursing in the evening. The double helix-shaped design winds through the accompanying architecture of the nursing school’s building.

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Between Earth and Sky THOMAS H. SAYRE / CLEARSCAPES, INC. Medical Sciences Building II

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TTUHSC El Paso’s latest installation, Between Earth and Sky, is a representation of human anatomy and medical sciences that also highlights the beauty of the community that surrounds the university. Twenty-three wind-activated sculptures symbolize the 23 chromosomes of the human body, and are adorned with hand-blown glass spheres that glow at night. Sayre, who assisted artist Larry Kirkland with the university’s first public art piece, El Intercambio, used similar design elements to create intricate metal flags in the installation.

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In 2016, Warren Love, graphic designer in TTUHSC El Paso’s Office of Institutional Advancement, added his artistic flair to the campus. Utility boxes throughout the university are dressed in Love’s designs, which reflect a biomedical research theme featuring test tubes, chemical bonds and bacteria in vibrant hues.

Love’s designs have inspired far beyond El Paso. His work caught the eye of the Austin Transportation Department, which explored the idea for a similar concept associated with its Complete Streets program.

Campus Utility Boxes WARREN LOVE top: Hunt School of Nursing, bottom: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, right: Foster School of Medicine (Medical Education Building) 12

“The thought behind the graphics is centered around the campus landscape and the sculptures installed throughout,” Love said. “I wanted the health sciences center’s value in this region to shine through, while also bringing awareness to the level of growth our campus will flourish into in the future.”

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El Paso Cultura JOSE BARRIGA PHOTOGRAPHY Medical Sciences Building II, first floor

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Prickly Pear in Red / El Paso’s Star CANDY MAYER ART Medical Sciences Building II, fifth floor

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Poppies / Prickly Pear in Yellow CANDY MAYER ART Medical Sciences Building II, fifth floor

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Science Tiles GRACEANN WARN Medical Sciences Building II, third floor

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Human Body Illustration Series ARTIST UNKNOWN Medical Sciences Building II, fourth floor

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Desert Plants ARTIST UNKNOWN Office of Admissions, Medical Education Building, first floor

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Sculpted Colored Glass ARTIST UNKNOWN Medical Education Building, first floor

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Folklorico Dancers / Montana Street Charro BRIAN KANOF PHOTOGRAPHY Medical Sciences Building I hallway

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Bowen Ranch Cattledrive / Sotol BRIAN KANOF PHOTOGRAPHY Medical Sciences Building I hallway

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El Paso’s rich history got its beginnings as early as the 1500s, when both Native American tribes and Spanish explorers trekked through the area now known as “El Paso del Norte,” or “the Pass of the North.”

Tom Lea, muralist, illustrator, war correspondent, portraitist, landscapist, novelist and historian, captured the history and character of El Paso’s earliest years in art dating back to the 1930s. From Southwestern frontiersman and Franciscan friars, to the Apache Indians and El Paso’s first inhabitants, Lea’s portraits and murals depict the eternal connection between the three regions that make up our Paso del Norte.

El Paso del Norte (the Pass of the North) Mural TOM LEA Lawrence Tyler Francis Grand Lobby, Hunt School of Nursing, first floor

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TTUHSC El Paso’s Tom Lea collection is proudly displayed in the Lawrence Tyler Francis Grand Lobby at the Hunt School of Nursing, joining the numerous public buildings – from El Paso to Washington, D.C. – that feature his historic art.

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Yucca Plants at White Sands VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic hallway

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Radiant Pulse DV8 STUDIO Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic lobby

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Coalescence 1,2 and 3 BUMIN KIM Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic hallway

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Parametric Mandala SAM GADDIS WITH STUDIO METRIC Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic lobby

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Art in the Heart of the City Since the 1970s, Texas Tech has been transforming El Paso. First as a regional campus – teaching medical students and residents, and providing quality patient care to our community. And then in 2013, as an autonomous university with medical, nursing, graduate research and dental schools – all while improving the quality of life of mothers, fathers, and children and changing the life trajectories of Borderland families.

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso reach includes 108 West Texas counties, a global health footprint in Vietnam, as well as preventative care to and collaborative efforts with our friends across the border. Our impact is especially meaningful thanks to the support of our El Paso community, including our neighbors in 79905 – once the poorest ZIP code in the United States.

Their spirit and strength surround our campus, just like the resilient murals in nearby Lincoln Park.

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