“The Rim,” a steel sculpture created by UTEP senior and graphic design major Denisse Ortega, is set to be installed on Jan. 23 during a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Rim Road and Hauge Road roundabout.

The Rim Road Area Association (RANA) selected Ortega’s sculpture maquette among nine other student proposals for a public art project, at the roundabout at Rim and Hague Roads. 

RANA collaborated with David Griffin, professor and chair of UTEP’s Department of Art, and Assistant Sculpture Professor J. Angel Cabrales to create a sculpture for the roundabout. Where RANA Vice President Suzanne Dipp met with the students and provided a brief presentation on the neighborhood’s history at the roundabout. 

Ortega has been working on this sculpture for about four months, continuously, with the help of Cabrales and her fellow classmates. 

“It’s been such a crazy experience but I’ve learned and grown so much through this,” said Ortega.

Ortega and Cabrales sat down with The Prospector to discuss the project.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Denisse Ortega

Q: What inspired you in creating the concept of your design?

A: The history about Rim Road. Before Rim Road, there was a flood so the land was bought, from there 75 houses were built. My piece has 75 windows to represent those houses that were built and it’s a rim because of Rim Road, play-on words.”

Q: What are the  technical aspects of your sculpture and what materials where used in creating this project?

A: It’s all steel, I used about 24 feet of rectangular tubing and the saw, along with all the grinding tools, the cutting disk, welding machine and patina to finish off.”

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when  creating the sculpture?

A: How long it has taken. I didn’t have a team starting off so I didn’t know how to problem solve on my own and I had to seek out help.

Q: How long have you been working on the sculpture?

A: I’ve been at this for four months and it was supposed to take one month, but it was unrealistic, based on how big it was. So, we got the extension. They gave us an extra month. I’m so happy and so proud to finally have ‘The Rim’ up.

Q: What is your professional goal?

A: I would like to continue making public art.

J. Angel Cabrales

Q: How far has Denisse progressed as an artist and a student?

A: Denisse is a student who brings a lot of energy to the studio. She’s the one who made “Running in the Night,” our theme song in sculpture because she would always ask for us to play it and then after that everybody started loving that song. As for her development, she’s come really far, especially with this program. You can see the development in her welding technique, her critical way of thinking and problem solving. It’s really made her step forward and take leadership roles. I’m really proud of her.

Q: How was Denisse chosen to design the sculpture for the roundabout ?

A: We had a committee. Each student gave their proposal to the committee and presented their maquette. In the end the committee voted, and (Ortega’s) was selected. She did her research into the history on Rim Road,  and looked into Mr. Storms, who owned the property, and how he helped people that had lost their homes in the flooding of the Rio Grande. She’s referencing the houses that were built out of the kindness of Mr. Storms. It’s a nice, contemporary representation of the history of El Paso in that area.

Q: Who will benefit from this project?

A: Students and the City of El Paso and pretty much everyone that goes and looks at it because when you look at it you are going to wonder what it’s about. People can talk about the history within it; the students will learn. Well she learned quite a lot from it. The program itself gives the experience that artists need to get into the public arts, so that we can have more well-rounded students, when it comes to making art work.

Q: What role do you think the artist has in society?

A:We create dialogue and conversation in areas people sometimes don’t even think about. The role of the artists is to really make people think, not to just look at something as a thing of beauty but why is there or why am I here.