Arizona Dawn: From Canvas to Conservation

A century-old sunrise is shining again at Tohono Chul. Arizona Dawn—a 1917 oil painting by trailblazing artist and museum founder Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton—has been carefully restored through the dedication of local volunteers, donors, and Tucson’s own Tohono Restoration. This single canvas carries a remarkable story: a pioneering woman artist, a family legacy that helped shape Tohono Chul, and a community that continues to preserve and celebrate art and culture in the Sonoran Desert.

Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton (MRFC) was born on March 25, 1889, in Louisville, Kentucky, and was raised in Philadelphia. She attended the esteemed Philadelphia School of Design. At the age of 15, she was the youngest in her class, where she studied oil painting and watercolor. After graduating with honors in 1909, she opened a studio with one of her classmates. MRFC was a founding member of The Ten, also known as The Philadelphia Ten, a group of American female artists who exhibited together from 1917 – 1945. Their goal was for women to be accepted as professional artists and move beyond being viewed as simply hobbyists. After moving to Arizona, MRFC remained part of The Ten and exhibited with them regularly through 1940.

Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton always had her sketch box with her. She would often make quick sketches of scenes that caught her eye, transferring them to canvas later in her studio. Many of these scenes became the lovely southwestern landscapes that she is known for today, like Arizona Dawn. In 1920, the Christian Science Monitor acknowledged her emerging southwestern aesthetic: “In her Arizona canvases, Mrs. Colton gives full sway to her love of color. One is impressed by the sense of vast remoteness that she manages to capture for these western paintings that are bringing her ever-increasing recognition.”

Before Arizona Dawn made its way to Tucson, the painting was exhibited at the Atlantic City Art Association (1926), the Brooklyn Museum (sometime before 1932), and the Art Club of Philadelphia (1936). So, how did Arizona Dawn end up in Tohono Chul’s permanent collection? Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton and her husband, Dr. Harold S. Colton, were the aunt and uncle of Tohono Chul’s founders, Richard and Jean Wilson.

The desire to preserve and exhibit objects is deeply rooted in the Wilson family. Richard’s great, great, great-grandfather was Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827), a portraitist of the Federalist Era and founder of Philadelphia’s Peale Museum, one of America’s first major museums. Roughly a century and a half later, Harold S. Colton and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton founded Flagstaff’s Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA).

In 1910, Mary-Russell Ferrell and Harold Colton were both living in Philadelphia; however, they met on a backpacking trip in British Columbia and visited Flagstaff for the first time on their return journey. They married in 1912 and honeymooned throughout the southwest, including a return visit to Flagstaff.

For the next several years, the couple would visit Flagstaff every other summer – the Coltons had discovered the remains of a prehistoric village on a trip in 1916 and were determined to document and map other sites throughout the area. The Colton family moved permanently to Flagstaff in 1926. Not only to continue exploring and mapping the area, but also for the health benefits the region offered to their son, Ferrell, who suffered from asthma. Their love of the native cultures and natural history of the Colorado Plateau region led Harold Colton and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton to establish the Museum of Northern Arizona in 1928.

Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton served as the museum’s Curator of Art and Ethnology from 1928 – 1948. During her tenure, she advocated extensively for Arizona artists and for native artists. Established in 1929, the Arizona Artists Exhibition served as a venue for local and regional artists to share their work with the community. This annual exhibition lasted for roughly a decade.

MRFC was also a champion of indigenous people and art in the region. Renowned Hopi Katsina carver, Jimmy Kewanwytewa, joined the Museum of Northern Arizona’s staff in 1930 and remained there until his death in 1966. Jimmy K. was the first carver to initial his Katsina dolls thanks to the encouragement of MRFC. In 1930, MRFC launched the first Hopi Craftsman Exhibition – an opportunity for Hopi artists to display and sell their artwork. MRFC initially worked with the Hopi tribe because she had established many friendships, and she recognized that their remote location lacked a market. MRFC later became involved with the Navajo Craftsman Exhibition held originally at Wupatiki National Monument (1936), eventually moving to the Museum of Northern Arizona (1949). These Craftsman Exhibitions evolved into MNA’s Heritage Festival of Arts & Culture, still held annually.

Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton’s love of the natural world was palpable and could be seen through her paintings, through her actions, and through her own words: “As night came on the great peaks seemed to lean nearer us, the stars came out behind their huge black forms, and the rosy alpine glow faded from the highest pinnacles. The frogs began their chorus, a bat whirred by, the fire roared… and we found ourselves sole possessors of this wondrous night. And when we next awakened, a huge pale moon filled the valley with a mystic radiance.” – Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, July 1912.

Arizona Dawn was lent to Tohono Chul on an indefinite basis by Richard and Jean Wilson in 1988. It hung above the mantle in the Tea Room (now Tohono Chul’s Garden Bistro) for almost 25 years. The painting was bequeathed to the park in 2012 after Richard and Jean’s passing.

In November of 2012, conservator Gloria Giffords assessed the condition of the painting and provided a treatment proposal. For over a decade, the Arts Department looked for funding sources and/or potential donors to restore the painting to its original glory. Lucky for us, in 2024, a fundraising initiative spearheaded by dedicated docent Carol Massanari meant this dream would soon become reality.

After the fundraising goal was met, Arizona Dawn was transported to Tohono Restoration for treatment. We are grateful to art conservators Matilde Rubio and Timothy Lewis for accepting the project and allowing the painting to remain in Tucson.

Overall, the painting was deemed in good condition – remarkable considering Arizona Dawn was created over 100 years ago! The painting was examined in normal and ultraviolet light, as well as under magnification, to determine the best treatments. The canvas was re-stretched – it had become loose from the stretcher and frame, resulting in warpage throughout the lower left corner. Iron nails were replaced with aluminum staples. The canvas and frame were brushed and vacuumed to remove dust and lint. The original varnish was removed as it had oxidized and turned yellow over time. A layer of smoke over the varnish was also removed – not surprising since smoking was not banned in restaurants in Arizona until 2007. A small hole in the canvas was repaired with a patch (originally covered with yellow tape on the back). After the cleaning and repairs were complete, the canvas was once again varnished. A lower relative humidity index caused the frame’s wooden support to shrink, resulting in cracks, detachment, and missing layers of paint. The frame was repaired by injecting organic glue and stucco into the missing areas, and then it was repainted.