EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A new exhibition opening this weekend at the El Paso Museum of History is putting the spotlight on the art form of hand-painted signs.
Museum officials said the exhibition brings together newly commissioned artwork, historical objects and personal stories to document nearly 150 years of sign-painting history in the Paso del Norte region. The exhibit was developed in collaboration with The University of Texas at El Paso professor and graphic designer Anne Giangiulio.
According to the museum, the region’s sign-painting tradition began to flourish after the railroad arrived in El Paso in 1881, when businesses increasingly relied on hand-painted signs to advertise their services. Over time, the craft evolved into a style influenced by both traditional American sign painting and the vibrant commercial art found across the border in Ciudad Juárez…