​Space in downtown El Paso is becoming more and more limited each year, not only that but rent near or in downtown are also going up. It’s one of El Paso’s most popular areas full of historic places, San Jacinto Plaza, the Plaza Theater, the art museum, Dream Chasers Club, Barrio Skate shop, general shops, bars, an art space and many other things. It is no wonder why people want to live near downtown. There are so many things to do. However, I want to introduce THE 501 S. Campbell Apartments, which are about a mile away from the downtown area and won’t break your wallet.
 
Here is what they have to say:
 
“Just built! Brand new upscale apartments in the heart of downtown El Paso! Conveniently located three blocks fro the mirrored county courthouse building, THE 501 has easy access to I-10, Paisano, the Border Highway and the soon-to-come streetcar trolley, Be the very first to live in your unit! All apartments come equipped with brand new washers and dryers, water and trash bill paid, refrigerated air, granite countertops, upscale appliances, garbage disposals, microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, faux wood floors, modern 9-foot ceilings, brushed nickel fixtures, energy efficient lighting, convenient trash chutes on every floor, balconies in select units, a shared community space, and more! Within a mile from all downtown attractions and vents, it’s the place to be! Join our community of people with a passion for downtown and its vibrant future. All are welcome to THE 501 GRAND OPENING PARTY on Thursday, August 17, from 5:30-7:30pm, to enjoy great music, good food, a free ice cream bar, free refreshments, door prizes, and more, while seeing what we have to offer!”
 
More info at: https://www.apartments.com/the-501-501-s-campbell-apartments-el-paso-tx/yq5j08s/

​Skip, who describes himself as effervescent and highly energetic “spastic trash.” is an El Paso artist who has been filling the border land with his weird vibes for the past 10 years. One conversation with him, or a look at his art, and you will realize how special him and his work are.

Skip started doing art for a local “noise spastic electronic musician” called The Shock Deformity and Amputee, a noise artist that Skip recalls would play in his underwear and have very destructive and heavy shows. He was a very big fan at the age of 17, when he was still in high school and he created a flyer, which featured M.I.A. (with her arms and torso as a penis) and The Shock Deformity and Amputee really enjoyed it.

Having worked with someone he was a fan off, began to open doors for him and his work. Next, The Dozal Brothers, another local group, enjoyed his flyer so much that they contacted him to do some artwork for them. Ever since then, Skip has been doing artwork in El Paso and making magic happen.

When you talk to Skip, you’ll immediate realize that he really is one of a kind. He describes his work as “weird vibes” because of where he gets his inspiration for all his work. He explains that his artwork is based on modern psychedelia, heavy music that is noisy and chaotic, and posters from the 70s that are full of color, splashy, drippy and wet. All of these elements put together are enjoyable to him.

Some concepts and ideas come from the people that he works with, for example when he was working with Miijas the idea of aliens partying came up. Skip did that he does best, being true to himself and making these concepts his own. As for long term aspiration, he draws ideas from psychedelic punk rock bands, noise bands, and screen printing. Some ideas that really excite him are colors, splatters, “rainbow waste,” the desert, our mountains, and ditches. Yes, ditches a place that Skip describes as a man-made ecosystem where we find the most unexpected things.

For Skip, working with a lot of different bands and being able to share his artwork with so many people from different places around the country, and even the world, is very rewarding. By working alongside his friends and all these cool people his artworks is so much more than just artwork and it can be shared with the world.  
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Not only does Skip work with many different cool artists and other individuals, but he also has published two books with his work. The recently partnered up with Rio Sangre, a print collective, to publish a book with his drawings from Ruidoso, titled Moss. He also has a book where he collaborated with Mike Carrasco called Lenguaje Humano. You can also find his work on his Instagram and his Tumblr page (coelacanthart.tumblr.com) and we highly recommend you follow him, and Rio Sangre!
 
Thank you Skip and you can go follow him on Instagram as:
coelacanthart !!!!

Raul the Third is an El Paso native who shows the love for his hometown through his artwork, as you can see in his Pura Belpré Award winning book, “Lowriders in Space.”

Raul grew up in the border and even now, while living in Boston, he still has a love for these two sister cities. If you ask Raul what he does at El Chuco when he visits his first answer is “to visit my parents.” Something that he loves to do while in town is to walk around Downtown El Paso all the way to the bridge and walking on over to Juarez, maybe even pay a visit to the Mercado Cuauhtémoc. Raul’s art speaks for his love of his hometown, a place he calls unique, safe, and full of culture. Raul believes that El Paso is the city of the future.

Raul is going to be visiting soon to talk about his book “Lowriders in Space,” where the world of the characters is heavily influenced by his upbringing in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. You might ask yourself, how does he do that? If you pay close attention, you can find a restaurant called “Tortas Nico”, familiar to you Juarez natives, as well as many eloteros. You can also see a mountain with a Thunderbird that will leave you thinking of our beloved Franklin Mountains and a lot of nopales. Raul even included one of his characters whistling to “Noa Noa” by Juan Gabriel, and if that wasn’t enough to show his appreciation, he dedicated his book to Juanga!

As for the process of illustrating a children’s book, Raul is very grateful and appreciative of his team at Chronicle Books. Raul works closely with different editors and an art director to make the book happen. Of course, his collaborator, Cathy Campers, helps Raul create a cool script that goes along with what he feels inspired to illustrate. The illustrations for “Lowriders in Space” are unique because Raul decided to complete the entire book only using Bic ballpoint pens, something that anyone would be able to draw with.  

For all you aspiring illustrators, Raul’s advice is to be truthful to representing yourselves and the community you grew up with above all else. He believes that people sharing their own stories is the perfect way for people to be passionate about their work. The art should be about people that you know, care, and love so that you can become invested in your work. Above all, representation is important, and it is up to us border natives to demonstrate our love for our city through our work so that others can learn about it.
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Make sure to stop by for Raul’s book signing happening at Chuco Relic August 6 from 11 am to 2 pm!