By Vilis Inde
Lineaus Lorette ran for United States Senate — Citizens Party in 1982 — but the incumbent, Lloyd Benston, won. Decades later, after moving to West Texas, Lineaus would eagerly share his Communitarianism ideals (related to Communism). He was a man of ideas who believed in helping the oppressed. He saw American Imperialists and robber barons as evil. Russian and Chinese Communists and Mexican Revolutionaries were examples of the heroes helping the oppressed.
I became close with Lineaus during the last seven years of his life. He had been in Marfa, Fort Davis and Presidio long before my brief 13 years (at that time). We became friends while serving as board members of the Presidio County Appraisal District. Lineaus was a CPA, and I was a former attorney.
We helped determine the appraisal values of real estate in Presidio County that were in dispute. We began to discuss a myriad of topics over cups of coffee (his black and mine a latte). Although we had our differences, we had a mutual respect for our respective passions.
Many people knew Lineaus because he always traveled with a pack of dogs. He went to the weekly farmstand to sell his leather medicine balls. He would pontificate at his lamp store which would become the New Star Museum. He often challenged people’s thoughts and beliefs.
Lineaus moved to El Paso in late 2019. He had plans for his life in El Paso but was diagnosed with lung cancer. The cancer was aggressive, and he died in April, 2020.
While in El Paso, Lineaus revised his will and asked if I would serve as the executor of his estate. This will provided that all proceeds of his estate would be distributed to arts organizations of El Paso. Once appointed, most of my actions would follow the question, “What would Lineaus want?”
This proved to be a messy job. Years of adobe dust and dog fur covered everything. Following the liquidation of his mid-century modern lamp collection, his 250 pieces of Chinese porcelain of the Cultural Revolution (Mao Tse Tung), his art collections and his real estate, the estate had approximately $800,000 to distribute to arts organizations. While selling the items, the estate often advised buyers that their purchases would support arts organizations of El Paso.
Distributions
The estate did not simply distribute funds to be used at the recipient’s discretion. Lineaus would not have carelessly distributed funds. Many factors affected the decision in directing how the beneficiaries could use the funds. Discussions were had with directors of organizations to determine their needs. But all funds and art were carefully directed to support concerns that Lineaus held dear.
Ultimately, the majority of funds were given to the two major arts organizations, the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) and the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts (Rubin Center) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Each received more than $250,000 in funds or in kind. Their reach in the community is broad.
The estate provided the El Paso Museum of Art one series of six photographs from Zoe Leonard’s Al rio/To the River. This gift related to the border and more importantly was intended to provide a connection between all people who resided in the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez metroplex. The estate also donated Lineaus’ extensive collection of illustrations by Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican Revolutionary.
The Rubin Center established an endowment to support an annual lecture series. Zoe Leonard will be the first speaker on October 24, 2024. These presentations will be held in a newly renovated auditorium that the estate helped fund. What better way to support Lineaus’ love for exchanging ideas than to fund a place designed for this goal.
The estate also provided funds to transborder arts organizations, the El Paso Museum of History, and organizations that help the underprivileged to receive art classes. Gifts of $10,000 or $25,000 helped fledgling organizations.
It’s been an honor to promote Lineaus Lorette’s legacy by ensuring that his funds would serve the people. He will be remembered in El Paso as a generous donor supporting the arts.