The city’s Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, in collaboration with Sun Metro, bring the annual Culture Cruise to downtown El Paso Thursday, May 15, from 5 pm to 9 pm. The Culture Cruise will feature 15 stops listed below.

This year, the Culture Cruise is part of the “We Celebrate our Heritage” celebration series, which has been created to heighten awareness on El Paso’s ancestry and to honor and celebrate its cultural diversity by featuring the traditions, folklore, art and other significant contributions its ancestors left as a legacy to this community. In 2008, MCAD chose to highlight Spain. For this reason the culture cruise will incorporate elements of Spanish Culture. Galleries will feature food and beverages that are staples in Spanish culture, inn addition to a few special collections developed by some of our cruise venues.

Buses will depart from the Union Plaza Transit Terminal located at 400 w. San Antonio Ave. and will continuously loop around the downtown area. Stops will be at close proximity to the participating galleries to pick up and drop off cruisers. The wait time for buses should be no more than fifteen minutes at a time.
Admission to all locations is FREE unless otherwise noted. Refreshments will be served and live music will be offered at many locations.
Sun Metro will provide trolley transportation for .25 cents a ride, or free to anyone and their guests who park at Union Plaza Transit Terminal, 400 W. San Antonio (parking is $3).

For more information please call 915.541.4481.

List of Participants:

Clarkston Art, Guitars & Gifts - www.jamesclarkston.com. Clarkston Art, Guitars & Gifts 407 E. Nevada, El Paso, TX 79902, (915) 351-0875. Features the art of acclaimed artist Mel Clarkston, CDs by well known guitarist James Clarkston, as well as hard to find retro candy, guitars/accessories and fun gift items. Ph: 915-351-0875 Hrs: Closed Sun and Mon, Tues-Fri 11-6:30 pm, Saturday 10-2 pm

Creative Kids oLo Gallery - www.creativekidsart.org - 504 San Francisco in the Union Plaza District, (915) 533-9575.

Creative Kids and the oLo Gallery are dedicated to enhancing the lives of children through the arts. Creative Kids offers a variety of classes that include: painting, drawing and digital media to name a few.

De Franco Designs Jewelry Expressions – 500 N. Oregon (facing Franklin St.), Suite D. (915) 351-1832.
Experience the delicate artistic talent of Patricia Vaupel through her indistinguishable one-of-a-kind jewelry creations.

The El Paso Chile Company - www.elpasochile.com - 909 Texas Avenue , El Paso , Texas 79901 - 915-544-3434. The El Paso Chile Company is synonymous with fun, interesting, original flavors and incredibly creative labels on a line that now proudly boasts 17 dips and salsas, 5 barbecue sauces, 6 condiments, 6 best-selling cookbooks (written by Park), and a dizzying array of imaginative gift, snack and drink mix selections. The El Paso Chile Company's Chile Shop is housed in a rustic factory building. Full of unique treasures from south of the border and beyond, you'll find a wide array of useful and fanciful items! Open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.

This shop offers a variety gifts and Mexican food products from salsa to cocktails.

El Paso Museum of Art - www.elpasotexas.gov/art. One Arts Festival Plaza. (915) 532-1707. In addition to displaying works from its holdings, the Museum offers a diverse schedule of temporary exhibitions, films, lectures, concerts, and other educational programs to the general public.

El Paso Museum of History – www.elpaostexas.gov/history. 510 N. Santa Fe St. (915) 351-3588. Two permanent galleries and two temporary galleries explore the history of El Paso's evolving culture. The Museum also offers lectures, films, concerts and workshops. For the Culture Cruise the Museum of History has developed a special exhibition of historical clothing worn by Spanish soldiers and explorers in the Don Juan de Oñate expedition.

El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center - www.elpasoholocaustmuseum.org - 715 N. Oregon (915) 351-0048 - Educates the public, particularly the youth of today, about the Nazi Holocaust. It memorializes and pays tribute to those who perished in the Holocaust and honors those who survived. Visitor galleries feature Jewish life in Europe before the Holocaust, the rise of Nazism, Kristallnacht-The Night of Broken Glass, deportation to ghettos and the concentration camps and killing centers, heroes of the Holocaust, liberation by the allies, and a memorial room that pays tribute to relatives of El Pasoans who were murdered in the Holocaust, and a survivors gallery that features Holocaust survivors who have made El Paso their home.

El Paso Public Library – www.elpasolibrary.org - 501 N. Oregon St. (915) 543-5401. In commemoration of We Celebrate Our Heritage – Spain!, the Main library is showcasing “The World of Don Quixote de la Mancha” consisting of over 225+ paintings and artifacts from the private collection of Albert Askenazi. This vast exhibit will be on display from April 1 to May 31, 2008.

FORUM, Arts and Culture - www.forumac.org - 705 Texas Ave. (between N. Ochoa and N. Virginia) (915) 351-6521. Forum is an artist-run, non-profit arts organization which provides studio space for artists, and presents the highest quality contemporary art, and discourse, in the region.

HusH Gallery - http://hush.thisisinfo.com - 504 Stanton, El Paso, Tx 79901, 694-8617. HusH Gallery was founded as a "thought space" artistic in its expression, pragmatic in its execution and Spartan in its presentation, HusH is an innovation in the southwest located in the heart of downtown El Paso.

Insights El Paso Science Museum – www.insightselpaso.org – 505 N. Santa Fe (915) 534-0000. Insights El Paso Science Museum will be showing "The Nature of Holography" a spectacular meeting of science and art with over 75 world class holograms on display. The exhibit will next be traveling to the Olympic Games in Beijing and this is a great opportunity to see this display while it is still in El Paso. Also our permanent gallery will be open and science demonstrations will be occurring through the evening. admission is $6 for adults, $5 for students military and seniors, and $4 for children ages 4-11.

Marie Otero Hair-Make-up-Art - 500 N. Oregon (facing Franklin St.). (915) 351-4477. Puntamayo world music, paintings and jewelry. Marie Otero is the perfect place for haircuts, highlights, color and makeup, in a space surrounded by art!

Lynx Exhibits - www.lynxexhibits.com - 300 W. San Antonio (915) 533.4330. $10.00 admission. Tut's Treasures-Re-Creating The Tomb. In a truly stunning exhibit, we have brought together a dazzling collection of 126 reproductions of Tut's magical treasures that evoke the splendor of ancient Egypt and offer a look into the daily life of a young pharaoh.

Enter the exhibit through a full motion simulator ride to visit Ancient Egypt and Tut's tomb. Discover its riches through reproductions and marvel over genuine artifacts from his era including jewelry and an ancient stone carving of the royal family.

The Hal Marcus Studio & Gallery - www.halmarcus.com - 800 N. Mesa, Corner of Mesa & Yandell, Top Floor (915) 533-9090

See the stunning loft views of downtown while you enjoy the incredible original art of Hal Marcus, Bill Sullivan, Teresa Fernandez and many Early El Paso Artists such as Manual Acosta and Eugene Thurston.

The charming Gift Shop features Prints of Hal Marcus’s most famous & beloved paintings. Also Prints by other Area Artists, Cards, Glass Evil Eye Hearts, Clay Chanchitos, Magnets, Finger Puppets, Art Books, CDs by local Musicians & DVDs.

Enjoy drinks, hors d'oeuvres, live music and fun!

Regular Hours Tues.-Fri. 11-4pm or by Appointment or Chance.