There was a time when you could be driving down George Dieter and suddenly spot a man in black slacks, a crisp white shirt and tie, topped off with a captain’s hat, sweeping something beautiful into existence.
El Paso knew him as Alberto Avila, but most of us simply called him the Sandman.
READ MORE: EL PASO MAN HONORS ‘SANDMAN’ FOR HALLOWEEN
For more than 15 years, Avila turned medians, parking lots and empty stretches of pavement into temporary works of art. Armed with nothing more than a broom, a rake, a dustpan, sand and a few rocks, he created intricate designs, Christian symbols, birthday messages and even proposals on request. His canvas was the city. His medium was whatever the desert left behind.
In 2017, KFOX14 reporter Kandolite Flores shared his story, introducing many El Pasoans to the gentle soul behind the sweeping motions. Avila often worked near the Chico’s parking lot off George Dieter and Rojas, drawing quiet crowds who would stop to watch the image slowly appear beneath his broom.
He said the talent came to him at 50 years old, after years of hardship and recovery from heroin addiction in the 1990s while living near Coronado, California. One day, while picking up trash, he felt called to draw. The first image he recognized was a Christian fish symbol. From there, “Mr. Sandman” was born, a name inspired by a passerby and a beloved song.
Avila passed away in 2019 after battling advanced liver cancer. In his final years, his family shared that even while in hospice care, his spirit remained high and he wanted to continue creating as long as he was able. The community in both El Paso and Coronado embraced him, recognizing that what he was doing was bigger than street art. It was testimony, redemption and faith etched briefly into sand.
His art was never meant for museums. Wind and traffic eventually erased each piece. But that was part of the beauty. It belonged to the moment and to the people who happened to witness it.
Years later, many El Pasoans still slow down when they pass those familiar corners, half-expecting to see the Sandman sweeping hope into the dust once again.
Women’s History Month “Love Letters”
Gallery Credit: Iris Lopez
Another El Paso Hidden Gem: Artist & Sculpture Ho Baron
Discover the otherwordly art of Ho Baron, a local artist whose life-size sculptures can run anywhere from $25 to $25K, and can be seen around town, including locations in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Round Rock, and Georgetown in Austin, Roswell, Silver City, and Baltimore.
The Falstaff Art Space
A beautiful art space in Central El Paso filled with local collaboration and tons of cultural and community events!
Gallery Credit: Grizz