Local artist claims city removed sculpture without warning, reason

Traffic is flowing smoothly on the newly constructed Country Club Road in El Paso’s upper valley, but a new roundabout is missing its public art piece.

Local artist Margarita Cabrera left her sculpture called “UPLIFT” on Country Club Road and Memory Drive partially completed when she took her kids on a spring break trip to Mexico in March. When she returned, the piece had already been removed by the city. Cabrera told ABC-7 she’s not getting answers and has now hired a lawyer. She said her reputation has been damaged to the tune of half a million dollars.

The sculpture-less site sits with an empty concrete circle in the middle today. Last month, when the piece was taken down, the city’s Quality of Life Managing Director, Bryan Crowe, told ABC-7 “UPLIFT” deviated from its design, and that there were unspecified concerns with its fabrication. The city says it’s being stored for safekeeping but won’t say where.

Cabrera said she’s been paid $59,500 for the piece – so far – out of a $70,000 agreement.

When ABC-7 first reported on the removal, some viewers took to our social media pages to say you thought it was because of gun fragments set to be included in the piece.

“The transformational power and process of public art can trigger challenging conversations. I am hopeful that the city will resolve this situation and return ‘UPLIFT’ to Country Club Road to honor the community it represents,” Cabrera said in an emailed statement.

We will update you on any developments.