The Arts in Tucson

An Oasis of Culture in the Desert
The Wall Street Journal has referred to Tucson as a "mini-Mecca for the arts." Here's a short list why:

Performing Arts - Art Museums - Galleries - Concerts - Public Art

Performing Arts

Arizona Folklore Preserve
Located near Sierra Vista, in Ramsey Canyon, on the eastern slopes of the Huachuca Mountains. Local historians collect and preserve Arizona folklore, music, poetry, legends and tales.

Arizona Opera Company
This state-wide professional company features internationally acclaimed conductors and composers in five productions a year. The season runs Oct.-Apr. with performances in the Tucson Music Hall.

Arizona Theatre Company
Arizona's leading professional theater company. Performances Tues.-Sun., Sept.-May, at the Temple of Music & Art.

Ballet Arizona
The state's official ballet troupe. The ballet company performs traditional as well as contemporary ballets under the direction of internationally acclaimed Ib Anderson.

Borderlands Theater
A nonprofit, professional theater company whose works reflect the diverse voices and issues of the Southwest Borderlands.

Tucson Symphony Orchestra
Established in 1929, the Tucson Symphony is the oldest orchestra in the Southwest. Concert series includes classics, pops, masterworks, ensemble and just-for-kids concerts.

UApresents
UApresents brings international stars of jazz, pop, classical music, plus Broadway hits, ethnic arts, dance, avant garde works to The University of Arizona's Centennial Hall.

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Art Museums

Center for Creative Photography
The world-famous center houses over 50,000 prints including the largest collection of works by Ansel Adams in the world.

DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun 
Fans of Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia should definitely stop by DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun. It houses many of DeGrazia's personal favorites. The artist designed and built the unusual gallery and adjacent chapel himself.

Tubac Center of the Arts
Tubac Center of the Arts presents a full season of art exhibitions that include members' open and juried shows, traveling exhibitions of regional significance and important national shows.

Tucson Museum of Art
The museum's permanent collection includes pre-Columbian, Hispanic, Western, Asian and Contemporary art.

University of Arizona Museum of Art
The University's expansive collection of more than 4,000 pieces includes works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Lipchitz and O'Keefe.

Galleries

Company Name	Phone Number
Arts Partnership Gallery, L.L.C.	520-624-9977
Located in downtown arts district featuring juried emerging artists.
Chris Bubany Studio	520-885-2960
Chris Bubany invites you to visit her working ceramics studio where you will see the artists at ...
Conrad Wilde Gallery	520-622-8997
Featuring contemporary paintings, sculpture, and works on paper emphasizing abstraction and innovation ...
Davis Dominguez Gallery	520-629-9759
Don't miss Tucson’s favorite contemporary art destination! This big, beautiful gallery holds the ...
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun	800-545-2185
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is a legendary landmark of Southwestern art and architecture created ...
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun	800-545-2185
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is a legendary landmark of Southwestern art and architecture created ...
Deja Vu Art Gallery & Photography Studio	520-624-1800
Discover a versatile range of subjects in copper sculpture, wall art, fountains, and more. From ...
Desert Artisans' Gallery	520-722-4412
Relax and enjoy some of Tucson's finest Southwestern artwork by more than 50 local juried artists ...
Etherton Gallery	520-624-7370
For 25 years Etherton Gallery has been a destination for photography collectors in the Southwest. ...
Gallery West	520-529-7002
An exquisite gallery in the foothills. Antique and new American Indian art, textiles, baskets, ...
Madaras Gallery	520-615-3001
Best selection of local desert and Southwest scenes by well-known Tucson artist Diana Madaras. ...
Mahlia Collection	800-819-2725
The flagship showroom, located in the Historic Train Depot, features custom-crafted heirloom furniture, ...
Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery	800-422-9382
Medicine Man Gallery specializes in the lifework of famed Tucson painter and illustrator Maynard ...
Old Town Artisans/La Cocina Restaurant & Catering	800-782-8072
1860s historic adobe. Largest collection of local/regional art, fine craft, with jewelry and Native ...
Pamela Laurence Collection	520-577-4994
Opening November 1, 2008. A store embracing uniquely curated, high-end art and ...
Philabaum Glass Studio & Gallery	520-884-7404
Featuring a wide collection of contemporary glass art for the home or office, and a glass blowing ...
Skyline Gallery	520-615-3800
A unique gallery featuring the work of more than 100 highly skilled North American artisans. Offering ...
The Gallery at 6th & 6th	520-903-0650
The only Tucson gallery featuring mid-century American Modernists as well as contemporary artists ...
Tubac Center of the Arts	520-398-2371
At the heart of the arts and culture of Tubac Village since the 1960s, this non-profit organization ...

Concerts

Tucson Convention Center
The Tucson Convention Center is the place for intimate jazz concerts, major headliners, full-blown Broadway productions and more.

Desert Diamond Casino
Desert Diamond brings in music headliners and other events.

Casino Del Sol
The AVA Ampitheater at Casino del Sol hosts top entertainers in a beautiful open-air venue.

The Rialto Theater
The historic Rialto hosts a broad array of performers and talent, including rock bands, jam bands, comedians, heavy metal, hip hop, film, jazz, flamenco, country, skiffle - you name it, we've hosted it. Except chamber music. That belongs in chambers only.

Tucson Jazz Society
Your source for Tucson's jazz scene. In our 28th season of promoting, presenting and preserving America's music through concerts and educational activities.

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Public Art

There are literally hundreds of works of public art in every part of Tucson. Here's a list of the must-see works. For more information call the Tucson/Pima Arts Council at (520) 624-0595.

Exchange at the Presidio, by Clyde Ross Morgan, 1996

El Presidio Park. 255 W. Alameda.
This sculpture commemorates the first raising of the American Flag in Tucson in 1846 by the Mormon Battalion. It depicts the peaceful entry of the battalion into the small settlement and the exchange of goods with settlers at the Presidio.

Father Kino, by Julian Martinez, 1988
Northwest corner of Kino Blvd. & Winsett St.
This equestrian sculpture commemorates the role of the Jesuit priest, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, in the European colonization of Northern Mexico and Southern Arizona. Additional castings of this sculpture are on display in Kino's birthplace, Trento, Italy and Magdalena, Mexico, where he is buried.

Gila Monsters, by Robert Vint, Dan Wilhelm & Mike Wilhelm
Bridge on Irvington Rd. over the Santa Cruz River near Mission Rd.
Two larger-than-life Gila Monster lizards rise out of the bridge deck, their tails touching at the exact center of the bridge. The work is built of sprayed concrete and encrusted in a mosaic of broken ceramic tile.

Murals at El Rio Neighborhood Center,
by Antonio Pazos, David Tineo & Others, 1975-1997
1390 W. Speedway Blvd.
There are more murals at the El Rio Neighborhood Center than at any other location in Tucson. Rich in Mexican and Mexican-American images, several of the early murals celebrate the success of the community in getting the center built.

Pioneer Memorial, by Benjamino Bufano & Bernard Maybeck, 1920
200 S. 6th Ave.
This sculpture is the oldest work of public art in Tucson. The large marble bench was designed by a pioneer of modern architecture, Bernard Maybeck. Beniamino Bufano executed the relief in Classic Revival style.

Sonora, by David Bleck, 1991
Main Library Plaza. 101 N. Stone.
The large abstract red sculpture was commissioned in conjunction with the construction of the Main Library downtown. The painted steel structure was funded by the "percent for the art" program, which sets aside one percent of all city and county capital improvement projects for public art.

Diamondback Bridge, by Simon Donovan, 2003
East Broadway Blvd, West of Euclid Ave.
Also known as "The Snake Bridge," this controversial work is a functioning pedestrian bridge in the shape of a diamondback rattlesnake. 

 

Browse businesses specializing in The Arts

Tucson Downtown Alliance
Central Tucson Gallery Association
Broadway in Tucson
Tucson Scene
Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association