El Paso - As part of his Paseño Art Exhibit, Senator Shapleigh will display the work of three El Paso artists in his Capitol office in Austin during the 81st Legislative session, which began January 13, 2009.

Senator Shapleigh created the Paseño Art Exhibit upon taking office in 1997 as a venue for El Pasoans in the Texas Capitol. The exhibit was created to convey to visitors from across the state a sense of El Paso's rich history and culture through artwork created by local artists.

The three artists featured this Legislative Session are El Paso natives Carmen Navar, Oscar Moya and Steve Salazar.

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Carmen Navar is a professional artist who teaches art lessons at her studio, located at 6320 Falling Star Way in El Paso. Her pieces "Cowboy Boot" and "God's Country" will be featured in Austin.

"Art is the visual music that soothes my soul and brings peace and beauty
in a stress-filled world," Navar said.

Navar may be reached at 915-833-4635 or by email at mysticart@aol.com.

Oscar Moya is an accomplished artist and art activist. His work has been showed at museums across Mexico and the U.S., including the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. His pieces "Cuello Azul," "Ride Home" and "Desert Fruit Stand" will be featured in Austin.

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"Since moving to El Paso in 2005, I feel that I have come full circle as an immigrant.  I first arrived in this country with my family in 1971 moving from Mexico City to San Antonio, Texas. Integration into the United States of America was easier at that time.  In 2007, I started the “Maquila Blues” series of work to document my experiences and the experiences of those around me.  My work “Ride Home” and "Desert Fruit Stand" are a part of that series."

Moya may be reached at 773-547-2003 or by email at oscarmoya@scbglobal.net.

Steve Salazar is a professional artist and art educator at Bowie High School. A Chicano artist, Salazar describes his art style as "chicano-sur-pop-adelic."

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"As an American artist of Mexican descent, my art exists as a voice for the people of my community along the U.S - Mexico border. The Paseño Art Exhibit with Senator Shapleigh is a wonderful opportunity to express this voice," Salazar said.

Salazar's pieces "Spring 2008" and "Los Coyotes" will be featured in Austin. Salazar may be reached at 915-274-7009 or by email at ss5648@aol.com.

All three artists' works will be on display through the 81st Legislative Session, which ends in May, in Senator Shapleigh Capitol office, E1.610 in the Capitol extension. Please see map below.

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