Painter. Life Magazine War Artist. War correspondent. Author. Romantic. Friend. Texan Tom Lea lived a long, illustrious life to the age of 93. Despite his accomplishments, Tom Lea was largely unknown outside Texas when he died on January 29, 2001. His work had taken him to every continent, but he always returned home to El Paso far from current fashions and art world trends. Tom Lea never sought the approval of a critic or the favor of a museum director. He placed the majority of his paintings after World War II in the private collections of his personal friends.
Adair Margo will speak to a probable packed house at the Visitor Center on October 13th, 2016. She has devoted her life to the telling the world about Tom Lea. Founder of the Tom Lea Institute, Margo is a champion of the arts herself. She is former Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities under George W. Bush. She shared a life-long friendship with Tom Lea, but it was after recording his oral history that her appreciation grew deeper. Margo serves on numerous prestigious arts boards, and she has devoted her life to the legacy of Tom Lea.
We are honored to have Ms. Margo speak at our museum. We invite the public to hear her remarkable lecture and to attend the reception that follows.
For more information about the artist and the speaker, please go to http://tomlea.com/