The El Paso City Council is bringing back its traditional Art Festival on the occasion of the 2024 Descent of the Virgen del Pino Festival, it said in a press release. The event, it added, which will take place this Wednesday, August 28, at 9:30 p.m., in the Plaza Francisca de Gazmira, will pay tribute to Rodrigo de Paiz, a multifaceted artist and key figure in the cultural history of the municipality.
The mayor of El Paso, Eloy Martín, recalls that the Art Festival will go back to the ancient artistic celebrations of the municipality, combining texts in romance, written by Pedro Pérez ‘El Gasio’ and music in an allegorical journey through the life of Rodrigo de Paiz.
“This work will show the multiple facets of our neighbor and also Favorite Son,” says the mayor, thanking Sergio Acosta and Cris González for their work in directing the Art Festival, as well as Pedro Pérez ‘El Gasio’ for his texts and the local actors and actresses who participate in the event.
For her part, the Councillor for Culture and Festivals, Irinova Hernández, encourages citizens to enjoy this tribute to Rodrigo de Paiz while also extending her gratitude to the work of Sergio Acosta and Cris González, “whose work on the Bajada goes beyond the Art Festival, given that they have been responsible for the design and creation of the decoration of our municipality during the festivities”.
About the Art Festival and Rodrigo de Paiz
The Art Festival will be an emotional journey through the life of Rodrigo de Paiz, highlighting his various facets, both personal and creative, with allegorical characters that will symbolize the various artistic expressions of the honoree.
Rodrigo de Paiz is known primarily for his landscape painting, although his artistic influence spanned multiple fields. From a young age, he became deeply involved in the cultural life of El Paso, participating in and organizing festivals and artistic events, including plastic paintings, evenings and Art Festivals at the Fiestas de la Cruz de Las Canales and the Bajada de la Virgen del Pino.
His creative ability led him to explore diverse forms of expression, which was reflected in the canvases of his studio, in his exhibitions, and in the elaborate tapestries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This range of expressions confirmed Rodrigo as one of the most important artists of El Paso.
In recognition of his legacy, he was posthumously named the city’s Favorite Son in 2018, and the Braulio Martín Hernández House of Culture currently has an exhibition hall named after him.
