The International Museum of Art is kicking off its 77th annual Sun Bowl Art Exhibit Thursday evening, and this year's show is set to feature more than 100 individual artists, making it one of the largest lineups to date. The opening reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the museum's Montana Avenue location, with awards and announcements scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
According to the International Museum of Art, the exhibit will remain on view from Thursday through January 17, 2027, giving visitors more than two months to take in the work. The museum says select pieces from the show will be for sale, with proceeds benefiting both the artists and the museum itself. Admission to the museum is free, according to KDBC, whose reporting also notes parking is available along Rio Grande and Brown streets near the museum.
A Show Rooted in El Paso History
The Sun Bowl Art Exhibit traces its roots to 1949, when it began as the Sun Carnival Art Exhibit. The museum describes it as one of the longest-running juried art shows in the American Southwest, a distinction it has carried for decades as the surrounding festival evolved. The exhibit is now woven into the broader Old El Paso Sun Bowl festivities, per the museum's program page.
Entrants this year submitted paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures for consideration, since the show is judged rather than open-hang. The museum's entry page lists a $60 fee for non-members and $40 for museum members at the Artist level or higher. KDBC's reporting on the opening describes the show as featuring more than 100 local artists, a count that lines up with the museum's own figure of 119 individual artists in this year's exhibit.
Entry Deadline Details Differ by Source
Exactly when artists had to submit their work depends on which account you check. KRWG Public Media listed the entry deadline as September 26, 2026, at midnight, while the museum's own exhibit page states the deadline was extended to Thursday, October 1, at midnight, without specifying the year on that particular page. The discrepancy wasn't addressed by either source.
Ahead of this year's show, KRWG reported that the museum described its 2025 Sun Bowl as one of its largest to date, featuring 97 local artists. The year before that, organizers told KDBC that the 2024 exhibit, its 75th iteration, celebrated 80 borderland artists. El Paso Inc. reported that more than 200 works from over 80 artists were entered in that 75th exhibit, and the museum said it had to cap the show at 140 works to fit the space. These figures use different descriptions from year to year — local artists, borderland artists, and total entries — so they aren't directly comparable, but they do suggest a show that has steadily grown its footprint in the community.
What to Expect Thursday Night
The museum plans to close from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday to prepare for the evening's festivities before reopening its doors for the reception. The International Museum of Art otherwise features exhibitions of local artists alongside regional and international artifacts, giving the Sun Bowl show a rotating home base. For anyone heading downtown for the opening, the event runs the full three hours, with the awards ceremony marking the midpoint of the evening at 6:30 p.m.
