Sun City Salute
by Cassandra Yardeni • photography by Rene Leon

Although El Paso has long been known as the Sun City, a labor of love by the non-profit organization Impact Programs of Excellence has truly brought this moniker to life. For the past 25 years, Impact has enriched the community by presenting various cultural and educational programs. To celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary, Impact’s directors decided to treat the city to something special. “We wanted to think of a project that would be in the spirit of celebration. The idea came to do a public art project to benefit the entire city,” says Sally Gilbert, Impact’s president and program director.

After extensive brainstorming and numerous collaborations, the Art and Sol Project was born. Paying homage to El Paso, the project takes its name from the city’s warm people and sunny weather. It is the first large-scale public art project in El Paso, featuring 12 sols (Spanish for “suns”), which are fabricated, painted and decorated by some of the region’s finest artists. From Cesar Ivan’s metal and mosaic masterpiece, on which facts about the sun swirl about the sphere’s surface, to Francisco Enrique Delgado’s “Aguila O Sol,” which colorfully speaks to the Borderland’s distinctive heritage, the finished products are breathtaking works of art. The 12 sculptures echo the Sun City’s rich cultural spirit, each extraordinary and uniquely beautiful.

As part of Impact’s master plan, the works were sold upon completion. Rather than holding a nationwide auction, it was decided that the sols remain in El Paso to brighten our own city streets. “When public art goes for sale, staying in the city is very important. The sols would serve to beautify Downtown, so we approached the city as they have a strong public art program,” says Gilbert.

Enter MCAD, the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department of El Paso. The organization’s primary goal is to assist in developing a world-class art community in the Sun City, making the acquisition of the Art and Sol Project an ideal endeavor. The Cultural Affairs division of MCAD concentrates on funding public art programs, cultural tourism initiatives and performing and visual arts events to celebrate the city. MCAD and Impact worked together to iron out a deal that would benefit all parties involved and then some. The sale of the spheres, Gilbert describes, was a “paradigm for collaboration as there were multiple beneficiaries.” Twelve corporate sponsors, each of whom commissioned an artist to decorate a particular sculpture, financed the project. At the point of sale, 60 percent of the proceeds of each sun went to a non-profit organization of the sponsor’s choosing. Another 20 percent of the profit was donated to Impact, while the remaining 20 percent was presented to the artists.

Pat Dalbin, MCAD’s Public Art Program Coordinator, reveals that the project’s future shines brightly. MCAD “plans to sell replicas of the sols for education and merchandise and to create figurines and tourist items, like souvenirs,” she says. In the coming weeks, Dalbin will announce an open call for more artists in an attempt to expand the project. As of now, the suns will be displayed twice a year throughout the city. From June to September, they will be collectively shown in the Downtown area. From October to May, the spheres will be housed at various city departments throughout El Paso.

As the sols continue to command attention and beautify the streets of Downtown, it is apparent that the project has been successful in promoting public art awareness. If Art and Sol is any indication of what to expect from El Paso’s Urban Renewal Program, it is safe to say that the Sun City is on the rise!