The Franciscan, Spirit of the Southwest

Modeled El Paso, 1996
Cast Lubbock, Texas, 1998
Bronze

Artist’s Statement
The Franciscan depicts Fray Garcia de San Francisco who was the founder of the first mission at the Pass of the North in 1659. This mission became a frontier way station for early explorers and merchants and later evolved into the twin city metroplex of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chichuahua, Mexico. This bust was cast from the mold originally used to create the imposing figure of this Franciscan priest for downtown El Paso, as part of the XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest.