All Exhibitions 2015 SNAP! GEOLogic Crossing Between Worlds Women Artists of the West Bittersweet Harvest 2016 The Dirty Thirties Desert Relations Art of Circumstance Behind Barbed Wire Paul Kitagaki's Gambatte! 2017 The Dazzled Eye The Wayfinder's Perspective The Wayfinder's Dilemma Under A Vast Sky Vaquero & Charro 2018 Colors to Dye For The Sawmill Fire 2019 Effie! Plein Air Pioneer SNAP 2! Snapshots of History through Vintage Advertising 2020 The REDress Project Art is the Seed Buffalo Soldiers 2021 All The Single Ladies Sacred Dancers 2022 Citizen/Enemy 2023 ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues 2024 Gold Fever September 27, 2023 Circa 1930s: Memories of the General Store, Feed Sacks, Quilting and More Repair, reuse, make-do and don't throw anything away in this 1930s based exhibit that includes an era-inspired General Store. Read More May 1, 2019 SNAP! Visualize History Through the Art of Vintage Ads! Read More November 1, 2015 GEOLogic: Michael Holcomb Read More November 1, 2015 Crossing Between Worlds: Life, Land and Culture of Canyon de Chelly Read More November 3, 2015 Women Artists of the West 45th Annual National Exhibition: WAOWing the Grand Canyon State Read More December 5, 2015 Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942 - 1964 Read More December 5, 2015 The Dirty Thirties: New Deal Photography Frames the Migrants’ Stories Read More March 11, 2016 Wayne Norton: Desert Relations Read More November 5, 2016 Art of Circumstance: Art and Artifacts Created by Japanese Americans Incarcerated During WWII Read More November 5, 2016 Behind Barbed Wire: Japanese American Incarceration in Arizona Read More

Pastel Expressions Quick View You Got Flies Price $125.00 Quick View Rain Meets Light Price $400.00 Quick View Alaska Wetlands Price $350.00 Quick View Reflections Price $500.00 Quick View Exploring San Miguel Price $350.00 Quick View Rocky Gorge Price $750.00 Quick View Cooling Down Price $850.00 Quick View Sabino Beauty Price $450.00 Quick View Emerald Glow Price $450.00 Quick View Entering Monument Valley Price $400.00 Quick View Catalina State Park Price $400.00 Quick View Look for Thorns Price $375.00 Quick View A Majestic Sky Price $375.00 Quick View Got an Itch Out of stock Quick View Fancy Flyer Price $650.00 Quick View Spring Day in the Tortolita Mountains Price $350.00 Quick View Last Song of Summer Price $350.00 Quick View La Mariposa Price $475.00 Quick View Desert Colors Price $550.00 Quick View The Burden Basket Price $700.00 Quick View Heading Out Price $700.00 Quick View Quacker Price $250.00 Quick View Singing Bowls Out of stock Quick View Tres Amigos Price $500.00 Quick View Mountain Moonrise Price $500.00 Quick View Morning Breeze Price $500.00 Quick View Singing Bowls and Dragonfly Lamp Price $500.00 Quick View Red Hat Price $700.00 Quick View Reflections of the Truckee Price $900.00 Quick View Evening Hillwalker Price $325.00 Our Artists Al Glann Arturo Chavez Barbara Blattman Barbara Mulleneaux Becky Smith Dobbins Bud Heiss Charles Thomas Danuta Tomzynski Darrell Sheppard Dawn Sutherland Denyse Fenelon Dinah Jasensky Erynn Knowles Greg Wallace Irene Klar Jesse Borque Jonathan Shirey Judith Johnson Kathy Falla Howard Lou Heiser Lyla Offield Malu Nicolette Mark Daniels Mary Baum Mary Martin

About Us Welcome to the Tucson Desert Art Museum, a nonprofit institution dedicated to showcasing the art and artifacts of the Desert Southwest. Our Mission Since opening our doors on November 1, 2013, our mission has been to educate our guests about the rich history, diverse cultures, and vibrant art of the region. At the heart of our collection lies one of the Southwest’s premier collections of Navajo and Hopi pre-1940s textiles, showcasing chiefs' blankets, Navajo saddle blankets, optical art textiles, and Yei weavings. We also house a diverse range of historical artifacts, and classic as well as contemporary Southwestern paintings, including works by renowned artists such as Maynard Dixon, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, Gerald Cassidy, Ed Mell, Ray Roberts, Peter Nisbet, and Howard Post. Our museum features rotating special exhibitions that change annually, ensuring that each visit offers a new and engaging experience. From exhibits on Navajo Sand Painting to early armaments of the Southwest and artifacts from the Mesoamerican period, our collection offers a unique and eclectic array of Southwestern art and artifacts. Conveniently located on Tucson's Eastside, our museum offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in history through our beautiful art while enjoying the magnificent panoramic views of the Catalina and Rincon mountains. Our building spans 25,000 square feet. James E. Conley Jr. About the Founder (1943-2020) James E. Conley Jr., along with the Museum’s first executive director, Rhonda R. Smith, founded the Tucson Desert Art Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2013. The Museum showcases Jim’s premier collection of Southwestern art, artifacts and textiles. Jim always encouraged the Tucson Desert Art Museum to actively pursue special exhibitions that address or expose bias in our history, so that we may learn from these difficult periods and never repeat them. His order to, “never whitewash history” but to tell the truth about our past will continue to be part of the Museum’s mission. His extensive art and artifacts (collected over the course of his entire lifetime) will continue to be an important source of public and scholarly learning for centuries to come. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting!

Previous November 5, 2016 Next Behind Barbed Wire: Japanese American Incarceration in Arizona November 5, 2016 April 30, 2017 This exhibition examines the federal internment facilities in Arizona, it also includes photos and details of the Japanese American men and women who served during WWII.

Previous May 3, 2017 Next The Wayfinder's Perspective: Landscape Paintings from the Permanent Collection May 3, 2017 October 1, 2017 This exhibition features contemporary landscape paintings culled from the Museum’s permanent collection. Guest curated by exhibiting artist Camden Hardy, the selection of paintings highlight the Southwest desert as a rich and varied subject matter for a diverse group of artists.

Previous September 5, 2018 Next Joseph Labate: The Sawmill Fire September 5, 2018 January 9, 2019 The Sawmill Fire, originating ten miles southeast of Green Valley, AZ started on April 23, 2017. It was a human-caused fire that consumed 470,000 acres of tall grass, cacti and succulents, riparian woodland, mesquite and oak brush, oak woodland, pinyon and juniper. The fire was eventually contained in May, an effort that involved 800 personnel and cost 4.25 million dollars. I began photographing the landscape of the Sawmill Fire in early July. In that landscape both the destruction of the fire and the recovery from the fire’s damage are visible. The earliest photographs clearly show the extensive damage caused by the fire with just a hint of a recovery beginning. Just a few weeks later, fed by the heavy monsoon rains, green vegetation is abundant, traces of the fire disappearing, recovery (with scar) rapidly progressing. This continuing photographic project is not intended to tell or illustrate the story of the Sawmill Fire. Rather, it is about a landscape, a landscape for reflection. It is landscape as metaphor. Joseph Labate Tucson, AZ Joseph Labate is a Professor of Art in the School of Art at the University of Arizona and was the Chair of Photography from 1996 until 2014. Labate’s artwork and his teaching focus on the use of digital technology as applied to the medium of photography. Labate has a B.S. in engineering from Clarkson University, a B.F.A. in photography from Massachusetts College of Art and an M.F.A. in photography from the University of Arizona. Labate is a recipient of a Visual Arts Fellowship from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an Artist’s Grant from the Contemporary Forum of the Phoenix Art Museum and an Artist’s Grant from Polaroid of Tokyo, Japan. He has exhibited and taught photography nationally and internationally. His work is in many private and public collections.

Previous December 5, 2015 Next The Dirty Thirties: New Deal Photography Frames the Migrants’ Stories December 5, 2015 April 30, 2016 "The Dirty Thirties" explores the journeys of rural migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl, drought, and economic difficulties during the 1930s. In desperate search for jobs and new opportunities, thousands of former farm owners and ex-tenant farmers left their homes in the Southern Plains states and set off to the cotton fields of Arizona and the “Promised Land” of California, where supposedly work could be found. This exhibit explores why the migrants left, their journey westward, their experiences living and working in Arizona, and what life could be like for those who traveled onto California. Told primarily through the compelling documentary photography taken under the auspices of the New Deal programs of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, some images from this exhibit will likely stay with you throughout your lifetime.

Exhibitions current Now Showing Ignacio Garcia: Las Sonoras Paintings Dates: September 23 – November 29, 2026 Rare Exhibition Showcases the Fine Art of One of Tucson's Most Celebrated Muralists. Learn more Upcoming Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en Los Estados Unidos Dates: December 5, 2026 - March 7, 2027 Lowrider Car Show and Kids Garage: January 16, 2027 Learn more Ongoing Colors to Dye For: The Mysterious World of Navajo Dye-Making From gathering the finest of wool, to infusing design through the use of special dye formulas and patterns passed down generationally, the Navajo weaver’s process in creating majestic textiles is a special, unique story. Learn more All The Single Ladies: Women Pioneers of the American West "All the Single Ladies" tells select stories from the trailblazing lives of unmarried women in the 19th century, who were homesteaders, Harvey girls, boarding house owners, teachers, madams, prostitutes, and entertainers. Made possible through a grant from AZ Humanities. The Dirty Thirties Explore the journeys of rural migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl, drought, and economic difficulties during the 1930s through compelling documentary photography taken under the auspices of the New Deal programs. permanent Permanent Exhibitions Weavings of the Diné Dawn of American Landscape Pueblo Artistry Arizona Women Uncovered True Grit: Southern Arizona's Women of Determination Teachings of the Spider Woman Past Exhibitions Cruzando La Linea: Contemporary Art in the Borderlands Learn more The Twisted Road: Finding Home in America Details Gold Fever: Glory and Greed in the Western Expansion Years Learn more ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas Details Citizen/Enemy: Japanese American Incarceration Camps Details Sacred Dancers: Ceremonial Navajo Weaving Details Load More Past

Visit Image Credit: Dorothea Lange access Address 7000 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, AZ 85715 Hours Museum/Gallery Hours Fall/ Winter/ Spring Hours Starting September 23 Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm- 4:00 pm Admission Adults: $15.00 Seniors: $12.00 Students: $6.00 Museum Members: Free Children under 12: Free Tribal Members: Free Blue Star Active Military: Free (with ID) Group Tours (8 or more): $8.00 Accessibility For those requiring an accessible entrance, please use the ramp located just south of the main museum entrance at the large wooden door. For security reasons, this door remains locked during business hours. To gain access, please call our front desk at 520-202-3888, and a staff member will promptly unlock the door and escort you to the admissions desk. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Service Animals & Wheelchairs Service animals are welcome at the museum. The museum provides a wheelchair and walker for use upon request. If you have any questions or need special accommodations, please call us at 520-202-3888. Group Tours In addition to our guided tours every Friday at 12 Noon, the Tucson Desert Art Museum is proud to offer tours tailored to the interests of your group. Whether you're visiting with a school, community organization, or special-interest group, we can customize your visit to match your interests. To arrange a special tour or discuss how we can best serve your group, please fill out the form on our website, email us, or call us. We look forward to sharing our collection with you! Directions The Tucson Desert Art Museum is located on Tucson's Eastside on the SW corner of Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon Road. Entrance faces Sabino Canyon Road on the east side of the complex, behind Chase Bank. We are pleased to offer our museum visitors free parking located in front of the museum.

Previous January 12, 2018 Next Colors to Dye For: The Mysterious World of Dye-Making January 12, 2018 June 30, 2018 Colors to Dye For explores the mysterious industry of dye-making. The beautiful southwestern palette created in early Navajo textiles was produced through a variety of materials found in nature. This exhibition takes a close look at the history of indigo and red. Why was indigo referred to as a “color of the devil,” and how did a beetle from the Sonoran desert change the history of red? Come see the fascinating transformation of how wool is made into yarn and yarn is turned into beautiful textiles.

Previous May 1, 2019 Next SNAP! Visualize History Through the Art of Vintage Ads! May 1, 2019 November 30, 2019 The art of print media is a direct “snapshot” of the practices of society. The good, the bad and the ugly. Walk down memory lane through vintage American ads spanning fifty years. Warning! Some images may depict graphic stereotypes that history would like to forget!

Previous October 12, 2022 Next Citizen/Enemy: Japanese American Incarceration Camps October 12, 2022 December 23, 2023 Citizen/Enemy" confronts an uncomfortable period in American history, when the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led to the relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans to incarceration camps. The exhibition features historic documents, installations, and large-scale images from noted photographers Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee, offering a guide for reflection on this tragic political action and its repercussions for Japanese Americans.