ASU Art Museum
Bead Museum
Center for Creative Photography
Heard Museum
Mesa Arts Center
MOCA - Tucson
Phoenix Airport Museum
Phoenix Art Museum
SMoCA
Shemer
Tucson Museum of Art
West Valley Art Museum

 

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Exhibitions

Window to the West: Landscapes by Howard Russell Butler
October 4, 2008 - February 8, 2009

Howard Russell Butler (1856 - 1934) accomplished great academic success during his lifetime becoming a recipient of one of the first Bachelor of Science degrees conferred by Princeton University. As a graduation gift, Butler's father presented him with a train ticket to California and the journey helped create his fascination for the American West.

According to the artist's son, Butler worked rapidly with pastels and executed many of the drawings from a Pullman car window while in transit, making rough sketches with the train in motion then subsequently adding details when stopped. His aim was to depict the general character of the region rather than specific places. Focusing on depth of color and nature, he excelled at capturing passing effects of sunlight. It is not known what year these drawings were completed or if they were indeed products of the same journey.

right: Howard Russell Butler, Storm in the Desert, 1921-1923

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A Place of Refuge: Maynard Dixon's Arizona
October 11, 2008 - February 15, 2009

Tracing the artist sojourns into Arizona, this exhibition focuses solely on the renowned painter’s depictions of Arizona subjects. This monumental exhibition will be the largest presentation of the artist's work to date with more than 135 works. Organized by the Tucson Museum of Art, the works have been drawn from public and private museums, libraries, and collections throughout the United States.

In 1939, he made Tucson his winter home and spent his remaining years painting his beloved desert landscape. Examining Dixon’s Arizona subjects allows for an in depth study of key aspects of the artist’s career. A Place of Refuge will include approximately 60 paintings and 50 drawings. An illustrated catalogue, distributed by the University of Oklahoma Press, will accompany the exhibition. The exhibition is sponsored by the Palice Foundation

right: Maynard Dixon, Desert Peaks and River Bottom, 1943, oil on canvas board, 16 x 20, Lent by Drs. Mark and Kathleen Sublette.