In 1994 the International Association for the Visual Arts established the El Paso Artists’ Hall of Fame to honor artists for their accomplishments and contributions to the visual arts scene in the El Paso region. Artwork of the honorees resides in the museum collection. There is also a bronze plaque listing each member of the Hall of Fame in the Museum’s Foyer.
Eugene Thurston- 1996
Eugene Thurston was born in Memphis, Tennessee on November 5, 1896, but moved with his family to El Paso in 1906. He attended El Paso High School, where he was a cartoonist for the school newspaper. After serving in the Army until the end of WWI, Thurston began taking correspondence art courses and learning about commercial art from local proprietors. He then established a greeting card business. The card business lasted only until the Depression, and Thurston began teaching art at El Paso Technical Institute. While he continued to teach for twenty-five years, Thurston also busied himself with establishing El Paso as a visual arts center. He was a charter member of several associations including the El Paso Art Guild, the De Norte Arts and Crafts Guild, The El Paso Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters and the El Paso Art Association.
Mr. Thurston’s paintings are displayed in the Congressional office building in Washington, D.C. and New Mexico’s governor’s office. Mr. Thurston was the recipient of the Mentors of Today Award given by the Texas House of Representatives and an award from the National Society of Arts and Letters.
Mr. Kolliker has created countless works of art which hang in the most prestigious places. Among his many accomplishments:
Designed 2 silver plaques presented to Mexican President Lopez Mateos and U.S. President LBJ on the occasion of the Chamizal settlement
Created a mosaic mural in the downtown El Paso Savings Bank
Designed the 7 ft. high eagles for the Amistad Dam dedicated by President Nixon
Designed 10 ounce medals cast by the U.S. Mint
L. B. Porter- 1997
Born on March 3, 1929, as Lawrence Benjamin, Porter was a third generation El Pasoan. After completing high school in El Paso and completing a stint in the air force, Mr. Porter moved to New Mexico. Attending New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now New Mexico State University), Mr. Porter received a B.A., B.S., and M.A in Fine Arts. He also received an honorary doctorate degree from the London Institute of Applied Sciences. After having taught school and working as a visual information specialist at White Sands Missile Range, Porter has spent more than fifty years as a full-time professional artist. A self-proclaimed ultra-realist, Porter paints primarily in acrylics, and his primary subject matter is the land and people of the Southwest. Porter was a true pioneer in the Southwestern art scene, introducing nudes into more traditional Southwestern landscapes.
Mr. Porter has won countless honors, including several best of show awards. He has been accepted as a “signature artist” in Knickerbocker Artists of America, and received national honors in the Campbell Soup Company competition. He has had many shows throughout the United States, and has a hefty list of private collectors from Peace Corp directors in El Salvador to movie producers in California.
William M. Bissel- 1997
December 31, 1929- September 15, 2023
William “Bill” M. Bissell was a dedicated disciple of the craft of painting. He built his career as a professional engineer, combat veteran in the Korean War as a Colonel, then went full circle to devote his life to teaching art, painting, and producing his interpretation of Americana. His success is in imparting the knowledge he has gained to aspiring artists through lectures, classes, demonstrations and workshops.
John Sherrill Houser- 1998
John Sherrill Houser has led a life of artistic excellence. Perhaps his talent is genetic; his father was an assistant sculptor on Mount Rushmore. Mr. Houser received a degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, pursued graduate art studies at UCLA, attended classes at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, and studied under masters the world over. He has traveled extensively in Europe, Morocco, Mexico, Ecuador, and the United States in order to truly understand the subjects which he recreates in sculpture and painting. His work has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, and in a PBS documentary. His current project is entitled “The XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest,” a public art sculpture project which commemorates the history of El Paso.
Mr. Houser has received many prestigious national awards and participated in numerous exhibitions including the National Academy of Western Art , the National Sculpture society, and many others. His work can be found in prestigious locations such as the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, the Portland Museum of Fine Art, and the U.S. Library of Congress.
