Featured Stories
Big Bend border wall nears reality
Feds seek staging areas for construction After months of talk about “smart” border barriers along the Rio Grande, traditional steel walls are nearing…
Cody Barber’s latest ‘Moiré Work’ pays homage to early chair restoration
Artist experimented with ‘psycho color’ chairs When artist Cody Barber graduated from Texas Tech with a mass communications degree in 2009, he applied…
Beebe to hold meet and greet Sunday
David Beebe–challenging incumbent County Judge Joe Portillo in the March 3 Democratic primary–is inviting all to a meet and greet on Sunday, February 8,…
Hijos de la localidad compiten por un puesto de comisionado
Presidio En las primarias demócratas del 3 de marzo, Presidio presenta una contienda a tres bandas entre hijos de la localidad por su único…
MAINTENANT inviting submissions for group exhibition
Marfa Founded in 2020, MAINTENANT is an art and fighting laboratory in the Chihuahuan High Desert, with two gallery spaces—one also a boxing gym—and…
Guitar in the Big Bend features Bokyung Byun
“Here is a simple fact: with artistry such as Ms. Byun’s, the state-of-the-art of guitar performance has reached a new level.” —Soundboard Magazine Guitar…
Historical Society hosts Valentine’s art sale
Fort Davis Do you have a sweetheart who is a work of art, a beauty in spirit and appearance, or at least amusingly ornery?…
Obit Calderon: 20-year veteran enjoyed fishing and gardening
Antonio Aleman Calderon, age 91, passed away January 13, 2026, at Focused Care in Fort Stockton, Texas. He was born June 13, 1934, in…
We need to uphold constitutional rights
In recent weeks, our nation has been shaken by the tragic deaths of Renée Good, a mother of three, and Alex Pretti, an ICU…
Letters to the Editor: February 5, 2026
Leadership, perseverance needed for ordinance fixes At last month’s meeting of the City of Marfa’s Planning and Zoning Commission, their first meeting in half…
Publisher sues Jeff Davis County
David Flash, the publisher of Big Bend Times—an online news outlet—has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Jeff Davis County officials alleging they…
Capital Highlights: February 5, 2026
At least 11 dead in state after winter storm At least 11 people have died in Texas, nearly half of them children, after Winter…
Massive AI data center coming to Pecos County
Fort Stockton Pacifico Energy is moving forward with its GW Ranch, a massive AI data center on Highway 18 north of Fort Stockton. According…
Hijos de la localidad compiten por un puesto de comisionado
Presidio En las primarias demócratas del 3 de marzo, Presidio presenta una contienda a tres bandas entre hijos de la localidad por su único…
El “muro fronterizo” de Big Bend se acerca a la realidad
El gobierno federal busca “áreas de preparación” para la construcción Después de meses de hablar sobre barreras fronterizas “inteligentes” a lo largo del Río…
New substation rezoning application submitted
Marfa AEP, the electric utility providing power to Marfa and Presidio, has submitted a new application for the city to rezone a plot of…
Valentine Post Office unveils 2026 postmark
Valentine The Valentine Post Office has revealed the official 2026 customized pictorial postmark that will grace Valentine’s Day greeting cards and letters this year.…
School board turns down prayer periods
Enrollment continues to drop Marfa The Marfa ISD School Board met on January 26 to discuss student withdrawals, the consideration of prayer periods, the…
Native sons vie for commissioner seat
Presidio In the March 3 Democratic primary, Presidio has a three-way race among native sons for its only open seat on the county commissioners…
Mental Health Series
In a mental health crisis, Big Bend residents have options for help
Direct Hotline 988 is in place, but few know of its existence TRI-COUNTY — Few Americans are aware of a relatively new…
The weight of the badge: Customs and Border Protection responds to rash of agent suicides
US-MEXICO BORDER — As journalists and politicians endlessly dissect the current situation on the southwest border, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is…
Alpine program provides mental health support for seniors
TRI-COUNTY — A program housed in the Big Bend Regional Hospital provides crucial mental healthcare services that brighten the lives of seniors,…
A ‘deficient’ safety net
TRI-COUNTY — Jeff Davis County Justice of the Peace Mary Ann Luedecke picks up her frantically chiming cell phone. “I don’t know…
Hospital district, Big Bend National Park explore addition of mental healthcare providers
BREWSTER COUNTY — The Big Bend region’s dire need for more mental health resources was central to discussion among local political and medical…
Big Bend’s isolation creates challenges to addressing mental health
TRI-COUNTY — Brian Enlow is much different than his brother Greg was. Greg embraced an artistic world, immersed himself in music and lived…
The Big Bend Sentinel partners with Presidio County Community Fund for mental health reporting series
MARFA –– The Big Bend Sentinel is publishing a series of articles on mental and behavioral health starting with next week’s issue,…
Schools play a vital role in student mental health but face several challenges meeting needs
TRI-COUNTY — The need for mental and behavioral health resources in schools has never been more dire, with rates of depression, anxiety and…
Few options available for substance abuse treatment in the Big Bend
FAR WEST TEXAS — Big Bend residents are no strangers to tackling problems posed by the physical isolation of their home turf.…
New community-based therapy offers benefits for rural areas
TRI-COUNTY — A series of articles on mental health published by The Big Bend Sentinel the past two months has highlighted both…
Visuals
The ARTS
Melendez exhibits assemblages
Marfa Country Clinic announces Aquarius Rising, an exhibition of new works by Natalie Melendez, featuring recent collages, reliefs, and a video installation. The works will be on display…
Junior high students writing with Marfa Live Arts this week
Marfa This week Marfa Live Arts is back in Marfa Junior High for the 10th Annual Marfa Live Arts Playwriting Preparatory workshop. “It’s been 10 years of working…
Cal Poly professor to work with Marfa High School
By JD Garcia Marfa Marfa Live Arts’ collaboration with Marfa ISD has entered its 15th year with playwright and California Polytechnic State University assistant professor of theater Ramón…
Art in Review: Part II
Shoshannah White and Andrea Caretto join forces on Ghost Keepers Ghost Keepers, a two-person show at RULE Gallery opened on December 13 and is scheduled to continue until…
Art in the Rearview Mirror Part II
By R. Parks Shoshannah White and Andrea Caretto join forces on Ghost Keepers Ghost Keepers, a two-person show at RULE Gallery opened on December 13 and is scheduled…
Joe Ely — A Tribute
1947-2025 Very few musical collaborations have been as successful and long-lasting as the beloved Texas troubadour band The Flatlanders—Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock. Many Texans…
Art in the rear view mirror
Origin myths worth retelling: Art’s intrinsic value 2025 may be remembered as a tumultuous year in the world of the global art market, especially for Los Angeles. (In…
The Trio performs poetry and music at Do Right Hall
“The Trio” will perform at Do Right Hall Thursday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. The group includes guitarist Steve Gunn, who has played many times in Marfa, and…
‘Ghost Keepers’ brings ancient ice and pillars to RULE
Marfa RULE Gallery is pleased to present Ghost Keepers, a duo exhibition featuring works by Andrea Caretto and Shoshannah White. Together, their practices consider the material world as…
Marfa Book Co. features Terry’s ‘watercolors’
Join Marfa Book Co. on Friday, December 12, from 5 to 7 p.m., for an opening of watercolors, an exhibition of new work by Nick Terry. The event…
Ornament sale raises $8K for food pantry
The spirit of Marfa rose up and shone brightly Saturday night at Do Right Hall as throngs of folks seeking some 400 ornaments made by those near and…
Mosaic adds sparkle to historic Murphy Street
Alpine Dozens of area residents recently took part in a project to install hundreds of mosaic eyes in a wall along historic Murphy Street in Alpine. For months,…
The real horror of the Epstein story isn’t the crime—it’s the indifference.
As someone who was subjected to childhood sexual abuse for years, I have a complicated relationship to the Epstein story (as I expect most people in my position…
Valverde on display at the Museum of the Big Bend
Visual artist Miguel Valverde of Chihuahua City, Mexico, has more than two decades of experience devoted to the exploration of color, identity, and cultural symbolism. His body of…
NIGHT DRAG
PRESIDIO, established in 1683, may be a lesser-known West Texas border town,but it boasts its own history and personalities. The town is located at the meetingof two rivers––the…
Poet seeks dreamers in Marfa on Monday night
Marfa Poet Mathias Svalina will be in residence in Marfa over the next few weeks and is seeking volunteers in town to record their dreams on the night…
Art in Context
Chinati’s ‘Art in Context: Art, Architecture’ set for Houston this weekend There are plenty of examples of someone’s hard work and creative genius vanishing without a trace. It…
Poet recollects experiences at father’s diner
New Jersey poet Frank Rubino will be reading from his work and in conversation with Marfa resident, poet Eileen Myles, at Stop & Read Books—215 Highland Street in…
Presidio Artist is highlight of annual Artwalk
Alpine Artwalk Alpine, West Texas’ longest-running arts festival will celebrate its 32nd year on November 21–22. The street festival transforms the main streets of Alpine into a vibrant…
Library features ‘Mexican Fiestas’ exhibit
A variety of photographic works await visitors to the Jeff Davis County Library which is hosting a travelling exhibit, Mexican Fiestas, from November 3 through December 12. Created…
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