The Exhibits Program at Tohono Chul presents visual stories linking the nature, culture and arts of the Southwest. Focusing on the work of regional artists, we display vibrant works of art in a diverse array of thematic group exhibits. The charming adobe Exhibit House, built as a private home in 1937, is an ideal environment for visitors to view Southwestern artworks. 50% all exhibit sales help fund programs at Tohono Chul.
Questions? Please contact the Exhibits Department, exhibits@tohonochul.org
Exhibitions currently on display:
Día de los Muertos
Main Gallery | September 9 – November 8, 2021
The celebration of El Día de los Muertos is a joyful occasion of remembrance, involving feasts and festivities through which death is recognized as a part of the natural process of living. Contemporary celebrations of this holiday bear both ancient traditions and a modern flair and have become a rich part of Tucson’s cultural heritage. This exhibition celebrates the creative ways artists honor and enliven this deeply meaningful holiday through artistic expressions of personal and universal significance.
Arizona artist Manuel Fontes will be joining Tohono Chul’s curatorial team as co-curator for our 2021 Día de los Muertos exhibition. Manuel Fontes studied fine art photography at Phoenix College and earned his B.A. and M.A. in Ecological Anthropology from Arizona State University. He grew up in Southern Arizona celebrating the traditional Mexican Holiday, Día de los Muertos, with his family every year. The Sonoran Desert has always been his home. As an Environmental Scientist, the natural sequence of the Sonoran Desert fascinates him. As an artist, he has been exhibited his work in eleven exhibitions at Tohono Chul since 2015. He tries to capture the lives of rural people and their connection to the land. His work primarily focuses on the lifeways and folklore of the Hispanic Southwest.
Día De Los Muertos features 61 works from 42 Arizona artists including:
Cheri Anderson, Carolee Asia, Jan Bell, Heather Bentz, Alexandra Berger Clamons, Barbara Jo Borch, Jacqueline R. Bradley, Heather Buton, Melani Camacho, Veta Carney, Morgiana Correa, Vanessa Dearing, Linda Ekstrum, Jennifer Eschedor, Jeffrey Falk, Manuel Fontes, Diane Ganski, Susie Gillatt, Annie Gordon, Barbara Hall, Catherine Hanson, Cat Hill, Wendy Islas, Jerry Jacobson, Kathleen Koopman, Chuck LaVoie, Annie Lopez, Gloria Martinez and Pat Manion, Lydia Miszuk, George Penaloza ,Astrid Randall, Claire Roth, Timothy Schirack Patricia Silva, Rachel Slick, Aimee Smythe, Bonita Sur, Lisa Swanson, Megan Welker, Robin Westenhiser and Bobbie Wilson
50% of all sales from the Día de los Muertos exhibition help fund programs at Tohono Chul
Image | Cat Hill | We Remember Us | acrylic
Visionary Revisions
Entry Gallery | August 12 – November 7, 2021
Intuition is defined as “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.” Intuition is innate to the artist, from the self-taught to the master, it comes from the gut. The resourcefulness it breeds is responsible for the discovery of unique materials, the development of unique processes, and the creation of unique works.
VISIONARY REVISIONS focuses on several artists that trust the “spark of intuition,” it celebrates unusual approaches employed by artists that borrow from visionary, outsider, and folk art traditions and whose work elevates reclaimed, repurposed, and recycled materials to the level of the precious.
Image | Patrick Hynes | Notes on the Desert | found metals on board with artist frame
DIANE GANSKI and MELODY PRENTICE | Dreams of the Dead
Welcome Gallery | September 9 – November 8, 2021
Dreams of the Dead spotlights the fun-loving, playful, and funky work of Tucson artists Diane Ganski and Melody Prentice in a special exhibition of jewelry, sculpture and paintings. Having been a big part of the Chiles, Chocolate, and Day of the Dead Festival the last several years we are excited to welcome their Day of the Dead inspired creations to the Exhibit House.
Image Left | Diane Ganski | I Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin | mixed media
Image Center | Melody Prentice | Day of the Dead Bathing Beauty with Cactus Bathing Suit at Hacienda Del Sol | mixed media
Image Right | Diane Ganski | When Van Gogh Pulls Your Chain | mixed media
Art du Jour | William Lesch
Garden Bistro
Art du Jour features artwork by local and regional artists displayed throughout the dining rooms of the Garden Bistro. The work of longtime Tucson artist, William Lesch is currently featured in the Garden Bistro. Lesch is one of the region’s most recognized artists. He is an extraordinary photographer and a meticulous craftsman. He finds this world a miraculous place, and photography a means to explore it.
Art in the Gardens
Gardens
Sculpture from Tohono Chul’s Permanent Collection including Mark Rossi, Fred Borcherdt, Kioko Mwitiki, David Weinert, Greg Corman, Ned Egan, along with work for sale by Tucson artists Joy Fox, Phil Lichtenhan, Tidhar Ozeri and more can be discovered throughout the gardens.
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