El Pasoans can offer input on proposed August 3rd ponder park memorial

EL PASO, Texas– Starting Wednesday, The City of El Paso Museum and Cultural Affairs and Department (MCAD) will hold multiple community meetings to seek input about a new public art piece honoring the victims of the August 3, 2019, mass shooting.

The new memorial will be located at Ponder Park, just blocks away from the Walmart where the shooting occurred. 

With two other memorial sites, The Grand Candela Memorial – funded by Walmart and The Healing Garden– funded by El Paso County, a city official said they now have funds for a new art piece. 

The City's Public Art Program will fund the memorial through an ordinance requiring two percent of every capital improvement project budget within the City to be used for original art.

Rick Isaias, City of El Paso Lead Public Affairs Coordinator, told ABC-7 that these community meetings would allow the public to voice opinions on how it should look. 

Isaias said the public feedback would go to the commissioned artist. 

Artist Albert (Tino) Ortega is a self-taught artist who has been creating artwork for the past decade. Some of his most notable works are El Paso's iconic Mylar balloon murals that Ortega started after the mass shooting. 

Ponder Park now has a temporary structure, but once approved, the new sculpture will replace the temporary one, according to city officials.

The meetings will be held virtually and in person.

The first of several meetings are as follows:

• Feb. 9, at 6 p.m., Eastside Senior Center, 3200 Fierro Dr.

Virtual link: https://tinyurl.com/2p8vu4cm

• Feb. 16, at 6 p.m., Marty Robbins Recreation Center 11620 Vista Del Sol

Virtual link: https://tinyurl.com/2f7hmu8z

Isaias said community meetings would be held throughout the City.