Holly Cox

She is survived by her two sons, Curtis Cox and Chris Cox; her daughter-in-law, Sylvia Cox, and her beloved granddaughter, Heather Cox. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sanford C. Cox, Jr.

Holly grew up surrounded by the art community of El Paso, including her father, artist Eugene Thurston, and her grandmother, artist Fern Thurston. She began painting as a child, when her grandmother Fern would tell her, “You sit here, and I’ll sit there, and we will paint.” (Holly did the very same thing with her own granddaughter, Heather, teaching her the magic of transferring an idea onto the canvas.)

Holly took art lessons at 12 years old with Cristo Rey sculptor and artist, Urbici Soler. In later years she would recount that he once looked at one of her drawings, and then told the class, “That’s how you draw people.”

She began showing her paintings with her father and grandmother in 1949. She also studied privately with Eloise Hobble, Robert Massey, Ellen Coogler, Vera Wise, Rogelio Madera de la Peña, Win Korf, and Ben Konis, among others.

She shared close friendships with many El Paso artists, including Hal Marcus, Bill Rakocy, Manuel Acosta, and Jose Cisneros. She kept the paper flowers Manuel Acosta gave her for many years.

Holly received her bachelor’s degree in art in 1954 from Texas Western College, and taught at El Paso High School, the YMCA, and The El Paso Museum of Art. Her paintings are in the collections of the El Paso Museum of Art, the International Museum of Art, Providence Memorial Hospital, the El Paso Art Association, and many private collections.

She co-authored three books: Into the Desert Light: Early El Paso Art 1850-1960; Guide to Early El Paso Artists; and Eugene Thurston: Master Painter of the Southwest.

Art was Holly’s world, second only to her family. She will be missed.

A memorial will be scheduled at a later date.