IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 978 

Expressing profound sorrow upon the death of Luis Jimenez and recognizing 

his distinguished career and great contributions to American art. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 28, 2006 

Mr. REYES (for himself, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. HINOJOSA, and 

Mr. ORTIZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing profound sorrow upon the death of Luis Jimenez 

and recognizing his distinguished career and great contributions to American art. 

Whereas Luis Jimenez’ Jr. was born on July 30, 1940 in El 

Paso, Texas and grew up in the border city’s Segundo 

Barrio ward; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. was the son of Luis Jimenez, Sr., 

who crossed into the United States from Mexico in 1924 

at the age of 9 and rose to become the owner of an El 

Paso sign shop and eventually received national recognition for his spectacular neon sign creations, which the 

son described as ‘‘individual works of great imagination’’; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. attended Texas Western College 

(now the University of Texas at El Paso) from 1958 to 


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•HRES 978 IH 

1959, received a Bachelor of Science degree in art and 

architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, 

studied at Ciudad Universitaria in Mexico City, and assisted abstract expressionist sculptor Seymour Lipton in 

New York; 

Whereas reflecting on his experiences in Mexico City, Luis Jimenez, Jr. said, ‘‘I learned that although I am of Mexican descent, my thinking formed on this side of the border.’’; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. revolutionized the art world by 

creating monumental fiberglass sculptures that drew on 

a broad understanding of the American experience at a 

time when other sculptors chose not to connect with their 

audience through narrative content; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. elevated the medium of pop art, 

establishing the form as a vehicle for expressing powerful 

social and political meaning; 

Whereas in his art, Luis Jimenez, Jr. proved adept at blending past and present, articulating a connection between 

the men and women who have previously contributed to 

the building of the country, the prosperity of contemporary America, and those who continue to contribute 

today; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. was committed to the notion of 

art as a public gesture and determined that his works 

speak to a broad population and have meaning in a direct, popular way; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez, Jr. provided singular, essential representation of the Latino experience in America, the saga 

of migration and border life, and the mystique of the 

Southwest United States; 


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Whereas Luis Jimenez died on June 13, 2006 in a tragic accident while working on one of the monumental fiberglass 

sculptures of mustangs commissioned for the Denver airport, in his Hondo, New Mexico studio; 

Whereas Luis Jimenez is widely acknowledged as being 

among the most influential and important American artists, literally changing the face of contemporary art, and 

his works are highly sought after by appreciators and collectors of fine art and his sculptures grace public areas 

in El Paso, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Houston, Albuquerque, Fargo, and Washington, D.C.; and 

Whereas the Smithsonian American Art Museum displays the 

monumental Luis Jimenez, Jr. statue Vaquero next to its 

front entrance, along with holding several of his drawings, lithographs, and smaller statues: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the United States House of Rep2 resentatives expresses profound sorrow at the untimely 

3 death of Luis Jimenez and recognizes his distinguished 

4 career and great contributions to American art. 

Æ 


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