Art Museums

Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block

Today the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block encompasses an entire city block in historic downtown, and features original and traveling exhibitions focusing on Art of Latin America, Art of the American West, Modern and Contemporary Art and Asian Art as well as tours, education programs, studio art classes, and a museum store.

The Historic Block includes the J. Knox Corbett House, the Fish House, the Stevens/Duffield House, and the Romero House.

Click Here to view our original video Introduction to the Tucson Museum of Art

The J. Knox Corbett House, an elegant two-story, stucco-covered brick structure built in the Mission Revival style, was completed in 1907. Its primary residents, the Corbett family, lived in the home for fifty-six years. J. Knox Corbett and his wife Lizzie Hughes Corbett built the house on Main Avenue, next to the Stevens House to be near to Hiram Stevens’ widow, Petra.

The J. Knox Corbett House is currently close to the public but you can click Here to view our original video tour of the J. Knox Corbett House.

140 North Main Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701

Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
The Museum is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Tucson Desert Art Museum

The Tucson Desert Art Museum is a fine and fascinating museum and gallery with permanent collections of magnificent Romantic landscape paintings, Navajo and Hopi Textiles, the works of Howard Post and Maynard Dixon as well as changing exhibitions that are contemplative and of historic proportions. There is also a gallery of changing exhibits and sale items. It is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

7000 E Tanque Verde Rd.
Tuscon, AZ 85715
520-202-3888

Hours: Wed – Sun, 10am – 4pm
Closed July, August & all major Holidays.

Ted DeGrazia’s Gallery In The Sun, Tucson

It started as a small construction project in the early 1950s. It developed into a 10-acre National Historic District designed and built by acclaimed Arizona artist Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia.

Following a regional tradition of building a chapel or shrine in thanks, DeGrazia’s built an adobe mission at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Near the mission are the original home DeGrazia built on the property and the first small gallery where he displayed his art. As his fame and finances grew, DeGrazia designed a larger gallery on the property where he could exhibit his steady stream of new originals.

Six permanent collections of paintings trace historical events and native cultures of the Southwest. Rotating exhibitions display some of the 15,000 DeGrazia originals housed at the gallery, including oils, watercolors, sketches, serigraphs, lithographs, sculptures, ceramics and jewelry. A consignment room displays DeGrazia originals available for purchase, while the gift shop offers a wide selection of reproductions.

Click Here to view our original video introduction to the Gallery In The Sun.

6300 N Swan
Tucson, AZ 85718
520-299-9191

Hours: Daily 10am – 4pm
Closed Holidays

University of Arizona Museum of Art

The University’s Art Museum is not just art by students and faculty. It is a world class museum showing art from as early as the 14th century through the 21st both European and American.

1031 North Olive Road
Tucson, AZ 85721-0002

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 9am – 4pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm
Sunday 12pm – 4pm
Closed University holidays.

Center for Creative Photography

Located on the University of Arizona, the Center for Creative Photography archives a large collection of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston as well as a recently acquired the collection of David Hume Kennerly, Presidential Photojournalist. It was founded in 1975. Ansel Adams was one of the founders. The museum is free and open to the public.

1030 North Olive Road
P.O. Box 210103
Tucson, AZ 85721-0103

Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 9am – 4pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm

Tubac Center of the Arts

Tubac is known as an arts community. The Center of the Arts, is probably one of the first museums we visited after arriving in Tucson over 15 years ago. It is a quaint, small museum in a brick building. One can get actually get their head into this museum and not get overwhelmed. When we first explored the museum, they were having a textile exhibit where I purchased a great bolero I still wear today. They also have art classes. It is, a real community art museum.

9 Plaza Road, Tubac, AZ 85646

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Closed major Holidays and the months of June/July

Parks & Garden Art and a Few Galleries in Unexpected Places

The following gardens offer exhibits in tune with the themes of their parks. There are numerous other galleries in town, including Wilde Meyer Gallery, Maderas Gallery, Philabaum Glass Art Gallery, and the Etherton Gallery to name a few.

Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson

A new Japanese Botanical Garden with rotating exhibits of Japanese Artists.

2130 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712
Phone: (520) 272-3200

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 9:30 am-4:30 pm;
Sunday 12-5:00 pm, weather permitting.
Closed Holidays

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Art Institute at the Desert Museum has exhibitions and classes teaching nature photography and art of the Natural World.

2021 N. Kinney Rd,Tucson AZ
520-883-2702
365 Days Year

Summer Hours:
March – September: 7:30 am – 5pm
Winter Hours:
October – February: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Tohono Chul Park

Tohono Chul Park has several buildings of small permanent and rotating art exhibits, including many local artists as well as unique theme exhibits.
7366 N Paseo Del Norte, Tucson, AZ 85704
Gallery Hours: Daily 9am – 5pm
Closed Holidays
520-742-6455

Tucson Botanical Gardens

Tucson Botanical Gardens has National Exhibits throughout the year, throughout the gardens as well as indoor exhibits.

2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ
520-326-9686

Hours: Daily 8:30am – 4:30pm
Thurs & Fri 8:30am – 8pm

Galleries at Tubac

There are many galleries in Tubac that rank up there with a museum. Some of their Art is for Sale others you can admire. It is worth a walk through these places for arts and crafts that will knock your socks off. Try the K. Newby Gallery or Tubac Arts and Gifts.

Amerind Museum Gallery

The Amerind’s Art Gallery is housed in a separate building from the Main focus building. They have a gallery of eclectic works emphasizing the Southwest. There are also temporary exhibits that focus on Native Indian Art. As of this writing there are two exhibits featuring and Hopi and Yoeme artists.

2100 N. Amerind Rd., Dragoon, AZ
520-586-3666