Downtown Stadium Public Artists Chosen: Two Local and One National

The City of El Paso's Public Art Program has chosen three artists for the upcoming downtown stadium project, two individuals from the El Paso area and one national team from California. The artists will design, fabricate, and install their creations at the Triple-A ballpark that will be built where the current City Hall sits.

Gaspar Enriquez illustration created for the Rudolfo Anaya book
Elegy on the Death of Cesar Chavez.

The first local artist is Gaspar Enriquez, a native El Pasoan who was raised in the Segundo Barrio. Enriquez received degrees from both UTEP and NMSU, and devoted 34 years to teaching art to Bowie High School students in El Paso. Several of his works have been purchased by multiple art museums and galleries in the United States. Currently, Enriquez is rehabilitating a centuries-old adobe building in San Elizario.

Robert Davidoff is the second local artist chosen and specializes in large, metal sculptures. Davidoff has more than 30 years of experience.

Cradle, a 2010 Ball-Nogues sculpture in Santa Monica, California.

Ball-Nogues Studio of Los Angeles is the national firm that was chosen by the Public Art Committee. Led by Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues, the artistic team has exhibited at several renowned galleries including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Guggenheim Museum. According to the studio's website, the team aims to create "environments that enhance sensation, generate spectacle and invite physical engagement."

Ball-Nogues creation Built to Wear,
constructed for the 2009 Shenzhen Hong Kong Biennale of Urbanism.

Concept designs for the art installations at the upcoming ballpark have not yet been made available. The project's budget is $850,000.

Gaspar Enriquez website: http://gasparenriquez.com/
Ball-Nogues website: http://www.ball-nogues.com/

City May Demolish City Hall for Ballpark

Update: City Council approved a plan to build a baseball stadium at the City Hall site. Click here.

Original Story: 

City Hall Property

If local businessmen are successful in acquiring a Triple-A baseball club, the City may be willing to demolish City Hall in order to make the land available for a baseball stadium. That's according to a KVIA story by long-time reporter Darren Hunt. City officials are reportedly considering the idea due to timelines associated with the ball club acquisition; the understanding has been that a baseball stadium would have to be built downtown quickly in order to accommodate the deal.

Kress Building (from Wikipedia)

City offices, of course, would have to find new quarters, and talk of renovating the old Kress Building a few blocks away has been overheard at City Hall. The historic building is too small to accommodate all City offices, but it is a solution for some relocation. It is unclear what other spaces the City may move to, but there have been rumors for years of occupying the Blue Flame building near County and Federal offices. The Blue Flame buildings is owned by Paul Foster, one of the businessmen reportedly working on the deal to acquire the Triple-A club. The City also recently showed interest in the Roberts-Banner Building on the same block as the Kress.

City Hall is also in consideration as a future Arena site.

City Hall was built in 1979, and is reportedly in need of many repairs. In addition, the design of the building and surrounding surface parking lot are not in line with the vision the City has for Downtown. City Rep. Steve Ortega has asked the City Manager for cost estimates of emptying and demolishing City Hall, and states in the KVIA story that it all could happen withing the next eight to 16 months. In contrast, trying to acquire other properties for a ballpark could take years, so the City seems to be in favor of the City Hall option.

KVIA Story: http://www.kvia.com/news/31099991/detail.html