Tom Lea's House

Marina here again. My interest in Tom Lea--artist, painter, war correspondent, El Paso resident, etc.,doesn't come so much from admiration for his work. Truth be told, I'm mad about one of his paintings and one painting only, the others are great because he was actually there--present in all the places and situations he painted--aesthetically speaking, none of the speak to me like Sarah does, and that's cool, art is subjective and we can like and dislike whatever we please.

My favorite Tom Lea painting is Sarah in the Summertime.  Seeing this painting in person is a beautiful experience. I volunteer with the FEMAP Foundation, and back in the day, they officed out of the same space as the Adair Margo Gallery.  They had a Tom Lea show and I'd go into the gallery to spend time with Sarah. Tom Lea's legacy is grand and if you'd like to learn more, you can click here to visit the Tom Lea Institue web page.

My curiosity was peaked when I learned that Tom Lea lived in my neighborhood and that his house is still owned by his estate. While I believe it's vacant, they keep it well maintaned.  I knew he lived on Savannah Street and for a while there, I would drive up and down that street guessing which house was Lea's. I guess it's because he was an artist that I expected him to live in some sort of "stand out" house. But no, he lived in a normal house on a normal street just like the rest of us.  Below is a photo of his house/studio.  I think it's cool that one of the bushes looks like Texas. 

 Tom Lea's home/studio on Savannah St. in El Paso

Sarah in the Summertime. If I had 5 million dollars, I'd buy this painting.