El Paso Was Nominated For USA Todays Top Ten Arts District

El Paso’s creative moment has been building for years, and now it is officially in the national spotlight.

Last year, El Paso was recognized as Texas’ newest arts hotspot, beating out longtime art destination Marfa. That moment signaled something locals already knew: the Borderland’s creative scene is no longer emerging, it is thriving. From film and photography to painters, sculptors, muralists, and neon light artists, El Paso’s artists are creating bold, original work rooted in culture, history, and community.

READ MORE: EL PASO ARTS DISTRICT BEATS MARFA FOR TEXAS HOTSPOT

El Paso Downtown Arts District Nominated for USA Today Top 10

USA Today has nominated the El Paso Downtown Arts District for a spot in its Top 10 Best Arts Districts in the United States. This is a nationwide recognition placing El Paso alongside some of the most celebrated creative districts in the country.

Downtown El Paso stands out for its striking Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, massive murals honoring Mexican American history, and iconic cultural institutions like the Plaza Theatre and the El Paso Museum of Art. It is a district where art lives in public spaces, not behind closed doors.

Why El Paso’s Arts Scene Is Gaining National Attention

What makes El Paso special is not just the art, but the way artists support one another. Filmmakers collaborate with musicians. Painters share space with photographers. Poets perform alongside visual artists. Creativity here is communal, not competitive.

This interconnected energy is exactly why El Paso keeps earning recognition. The arts district reflects a city that believes its stories are worth telling and worth celebrating on a national stage.

READ MORE: EL PASO IS BECOMING A 2026 TRAVEL HOTSPOT

Voting Has Ended And The Wait Begins

This is where the community comes in. Or where it should have come in!

El Pasoans were able to vote for the Downtown Arts District once per day until February 16, and every vote put us closer to hitting the top ten but the voting has officially ended and now we have to wait until all the counting ends.

The Decision Is Being Made Now!

This nomination is not just a win for downtown, it is a win for every artist, organizer, and supporter who has helped build El Paso’s creative ecosystem.

El Paso’s arts scene is blooming. We already showed up just by being nominated! Lets see if El Pasoans voted enough to make this MORE than a nomination.