Tag Archives: Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens

For 25 years, the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens has been on a mission to get as many native and desert-thriving plants into local yards and gardens as possible. This year, the tradition continues through its annual native plant sale, FloraFEST.

FloraFEST gives area gardeners the opportunity to purchase these types of plants and get their questions answered by local plant experts.

The annual native plant sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 in the outdoor area between the museum and the Undergraduate Learning Center.

This year, the plant sale will offer more than 3,000 plants from about 300 different species — many of which can’t be found in area nurseries. FloraFEST favorites include red yucca plants, hesperaloe parviflora, and chocolate flowers, berlandiera lyrata, but returning gardeners will notice the addition of a variety of succulent plants.

FloraFEST is not only a fundraiser for the maintenance and operation of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, but it is a chance to educate the community on local plants and their environment.

“We really see this event as an outreach component, a way to get people to become knowledgeable about local plants and learn what does well in the Chihuahuan Desert in El Paso,” said Daniel Carey-Whalen, director of the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. “We’ve built this relationship with the community for 25 years and El Pasoans have come to expect FloraFEST every year.”

Carey-Whalen recommends plant enthusiasts get their early on Saturday if they are seeking rare items or looking for the most variety.

First-time gardeners who are unsure about what they want and would like to spend more time speaking with local master gardeners and other volunteers are encouraged to arrive later in the day Saturday or Sunday morning.

Shoppers can visit with local master gardeners, horticulturists and other plant experts for advice on how to care for their plants at home. John M. White, garden curator for the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, has some advice for novice gardeners.

He said native plants and desert-loving plants, “Don’t look so hot in the pot.” The sooner you plant them in the ground, the sooner they will start to look healthier and more appealing, White said.

What:             Annual native plant sale

When:            9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28

Where:          Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, at the corner of University Avenue and Wiggins Way

The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens will host an opening reception for the exhibits, “Bracero Memories” and “La Frontera: A Century of Division and Resistance.”

Bracero Memories explores the complex history of the Bracero Program, which brought Mexican laborers to work in the United States from 1942 to 1964. While considered a success, few braceros have had the opportunity to tell their story.

Using photographs, oral histories and artifacts, this exhibit presents the braceros’ memories, accomplishments and frustrations while living and working in the United States. In collaboration with the Center for Border Farmworkers, this exhibit will feature unique artifacts and photographs.

“La Frontera: A Century of Division and Resistance” explores the increased “hardening” of the border since 1917 as well as the resistance of fronterizos/borderlanders to the governmental policies and legislation that create separation.

This exhibit was curated by the Department of History’s graduate public history interns and features artwork about the border from local artists.

Both exhibits will be open to the public from Sept. 16 to Dec. 16, 2017. The museum’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The reception and the exhibits are free and open to the public.

What: UTEP Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens opening of the exhibits “Bracero Memories,” and “La Frontera: A Century of Division and Resistance.”

When: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, September 16.

Where: Centennial Museum, corner of University Avenue and Wiggins Road on the UTEP campus

The Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens on The University of Texas at El Paso campus will reopen to the public Oct. 11, 2016. The museum had been closed for repairs following a water pipe break that caused extensive damage.

Along with the re-opening, the museum will also present the new exhibit, “The Notebook of Nancy Lea” in conjunction with the Tom Lea Institute in honor of Tom Lea Month.

The opening reception of “The Notebook of Nancy Lea” will take place at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Many people know about the artist Tom Lea. Few, however, know of Nancy Lea, Tom’s first wife who died at a young age. Nancy was an aspiring writer with a strong point of view.

Though none of her works were ever published, her writings continue to tell her story more than 80 years after her death. “The Notebook of Nancy Lea” is Nancy’s story in her own words. The exhibit includes excerpts from Nancy’s journal as well as stunning photographs of Nancy and Tom.

The exhibit, which will be on display through Dec. 22, is partially funded by a Humanities Texas grant.

In addition to the opening, the museum also will present a talk by Adair Margo, founder and president of the Tom Lea Institute, titled “Nancy Lea: In Her Own Words” at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20.

All events are free and open to the public.

Samantha Winer, curator of collections and exhibitions, worked closely with Nancy Lea’s journal to curate the exhibit and said she developed a deep respect and admiration for Nancy Lea.

“It has been fascinating to enter the thoughts of a woman who dismissed early 20th century stereotypes,” Winer said. “Furthermore, what is exhilarating about this exhibit is that in her writings, Nancy experienced a wide a range of emotions from happiness to sorrow, anger to love. It reminds us, no matter the year, that we are human.”

Audiences will also see the improvements to the museum, which include beautiful new floors and an elegant new color scheme. The museum’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

What: Centennial Museum reopening and opening of the exhibit “The Notebook of Nancy Lea”

When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016 

Where: Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, UTEP campus