Tom Lea's mural: Pass of the North, 1938

Tom Lea's 1938 "Pass of the North" mural measures 11 x 54 feet and was painted in oil on canvas. Located in the Historic Federal Courthouse in El Paso, Texas, Lea's mural continues to encourage an appreciation of El Paso's multi-cultural richness with its depiction of the giants of our history. “I hold two hopes for this work just completed. One, that it may bring to life in a few minds that vivid history of the Pass of the North. And the other, that the point of view I have taken as a creative artist may help to demonstrate that the function of a mural painting in a community is to deepen and to enrich a people’s perception of its own tradition and the character of its own land.” – Tom Lea, El Paso Herald Post. June 24, 1938.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: Tom Lea Institute

Uploaded by: Tom Lea Institute