Commissioners David Stout from Precinct 2 and Sergio Coronado from Precinct 4 have their eyes on the same prize.

From forming an arts master plan with a committee on one hand and a Zen garden and Chicano murals in another for various parts of El Paso County.

The county plans to add flare by keeping the feel of El Paso but creating space for new aspects, which both older and younger generations can appreciate.

With $50,000 worth of arts and culture money in the El Paso County commissioner’s hands, what will they build and create next?

Each commissioner with each portion of the funds, will plan strategically and creatively to enhance the arts and culture community for each of their precincts.

Commissioner David Stout talks about the exciting beautification projects for his area. Precinct 2 covers all iconic El Paso statement locations like El Segundo Barrio, South Central, Chamizal area, Lincoln Park, UTEP, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, University Medical Center and the military base. The art community has driven different areas of the borderland.

Stout explains how he will try to continue being as expressive with his upcoming arts and culture projects in this area like his constituents have been doing. More so, his objective is to help these local artists and creatives through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

“Part of the impetus to try to change that and to work with the county to invest more in our creative economy,” said Stout.

A priority of his is to help foment these projects economically.

“We also are in the process of creating an Arts Advisory Commission that would help, hopefully to do an arts master plan,” said Stout.

Precinct 2 has set aside, $150,000 from part of their arts funding of the grand total for this arts master plan to make room for creative space making in the community. Stout says the specifics have not been planned out yet, but he knows what he wants to invest his time on.

“I want to talk to the folks that would be part of that commission, to try to understand where they see gaps. Where they see needs and where they feel it could be utilized,” Stout said.

In regard to homegrown artists and creatives and how this funding will help their quality of life, Stout becomes passionate about this.

“These are the people that have been living and working in El Paso and trying to make the city a better place through their work,” said Stout.

“It’s (funding) supports them, and that’s a sector that really hasn’t been supported a lot, and we need to do more to do that,” said Stout.   

For example, Lincoln Park exhibits the epitome of arts and culture on the freeway pillars which mirror the Chicano reflected representation of El Paso.

“We try to focus on something like this aspect but again try to send out a helping hand,” Stout said.

This is not only a resource where the county cares with consideration of minorities like artists and creatives. It is a conversation in which all people can sit at the table and feel through artwork and creative outlets especially in a multicultural and artistic world like El Paso.

Commissioner Coronado speaks with great integrity about his upcoming projects for precinct four. His region is split off by the mountain range, which starts from the West Side at Sunland Park Drive from Hondo Pass and then goes all the way to the New Mexico State Line. And on the east side, it’s bordered by railroad drive.

Coronado is preparing a community meeting to hear what his constituents must say since the money plans belong to the arts and culture community.

“Our intention is to provide them with a list of recommendations that we have that our team is coming up with. One of those is going to be something like a Zen artistic garden. The other one could be like a sculpture of like a tree of life. Also, like a historic aspect of the Northwest area, or partly also the north area,” Coronado said.

The most important thing about these art projects is how the perception will change within the El Paso community.

“The arts have a way of engendering peace in people and pride, and it kind of brings people together,” said Coronado.

Both Commissioner Coronado and Stout are on the same page; this is a future endeavor in which the younger generations will be thankful for these arts and culture projects, not only from a creative standpoint but from a scholar of life.

There is a lot to consider within each commissioner’s budget.

However, the most consistent of all is the preservation and ownership of these projects. The County commissioners cherish El Paso’s artists.

Dominique Macias is a writer and photographer and may be reached at [email protected]