About Joel D. Valdez Main Library - Art Gallery Exhibits

Open since 1990, the Joel D. Valdez Main Library Gallery has been a place for community artists to exhibit their work. Two-and three-dimensional works, created in a variety of media, are on display. Many of the works are available for purchase. The gallery, which is on the first floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, is open during library hours.

Local artists are encouraged to submit an application to exhibit when the library extends its Call to Artists. Submissions are reviewed by an Art Selection Jury. Those chosen for exhibition are on display for 4 to 6 weeks and scheduled up to two years in advance.

Biographical information about the artists and price lists for each ongoing exhibit are available at the first floor Information Desk.

Return to top

Current Exhibits

TPAC Rural Art Showcase

October 30, 2009 - November 30, 2009

Don't miss this opportunity to meet artists of Pima County as they share their stories, inspiration and techniques with the public at the Tucson Pima Arts Council's Rural Art Showcase Artist Talk.

Event Info

Date: Sunday, November 15
Time: 2-4 pm
Location: Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave.
Cost: FREE

Presenting Artists

Louis David Valenzuela, Yaqui wood carver and visual artist
Time:2-2:45 pm
Location:Main Gallery, 1st Floor

Nationally acclaimed Yaqui wood carver and visual artist Louis David Valenzuela will discuss the process he uses to produce his Pascola masks and traditional wood carvings.

He studied with artist Arturo Montoya, graduated from the Chicago Art Institute, and his works have been exhibited in the Arizona State Museum and featured in publications such as the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Guide, and American Indian Art magazine.

The artwork on display at the Main Library is the first and only Tucson exhibit of his new body of work, which includes seven Pascola masks representing the Mayor, Goat, Wolf, Clown, Monkey, Rooster and Humans, commissioned by the New Mexico State University Museum.

His work was most recently exhibited at the Tohono Chul Gallery and he is the recipient of the TPAC Emerging Artist 2009 Lummie Award. He is native to Southern Arizona, and was born in Eloy, Arizona and raised in Tucson.
Pilar Hanson
Time:3-3:45 pm
Location: Lower Level Conference Room

Ajo-based artist, Pilar Hanson, will produce a slideshow representation of her work and share her process. Hanson's work is content-driven and addresses subject matter pertaining to history and myth, land and sky, and of observing and recording natural cycles.

"I am interested in the marks and symbols we use to explain the world, and in methodologies of mapping and documenting," she writes on her website.

She spent her early years in southern California, but resided in the Pacific Northwest for much of her life. She studied art in both Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, receiving an MFA degree from Portland State University.

She works with acrylic paint, charcoal, oil pastel, pencil, and photocopy transfers in a process of layering and mark making. Her work has been exhibited nationally, and featured in the Pacific Coast edition of New American Paintings.

This free artist presentation is offered in conjunction with TPAC's Open Studio Tour 2009.

The Rural Art Showcase at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library begins Friday, October 30 through Monday, November 30. This year's participating artists include Albert Calalano, Yeul A.L. George, Susie Gilliatt, Candace Greenburg, Pilar Hanson, Mary Ann Johns, Ciri Johnson, Tom Kiefer, Daniel McQuestion, Nancy Rhodes, Reissa M. Salamat, Marti White and Louis David Valenzuela.

The annual, non-juried, curated art exhibition, is an opportunity for emerging and established professional artists living outside of the Tucson city limits to get some exposure for their artwork in a municipal gallery setting.

It is supported in part by the Pima County Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The exhibit is produced by the Tucson Pima Arts Council in partnership with the Joel D. Valdez Main Pima County Library.

Return to top

Upcoming Exhibits

Serena Tang – Acrylic, Oil on Wood: December 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009; Serena’s paintings are accumulations of the stories she has heard and experienced in her life; stories that articulate love and heartache found in our everyday experiences. She creates personal narratives filled with lonely trees, animal caretakers, comfort foods, and bittersweet emotions of childhood. As a new mother, her recent work explores life though a child's eyes, capturing their vulnerability and curiosity.
Wayne Sumstine – Cosmos: String’s Attached in Mixed Media: January 2, 2010 - February 10, 2010; Artist's Statement:

In order not to entangle their own souls in their creation, Navajo weavers often run a “spirit line” or string of thread to the edge of each weaving, forming a path by which the artist can escape the creation they have become a part of by creating it.
Cosmos: String’s Attached, features mixed media paintings influenced by my Native American ancestry as well as scientific speculations about string theory and space-time, the idea that everything in the universe is connected with everything else through the infinite emissions of pulsing, glowing filaments of energy.
I believe that the relationship between modern science and Native American spirit practices has in many ways already fused. What art does in this process is express the forces of healing and change in an intuitive way. And hopefully in an aesthetic way.
Cosmos: String's Attached

Return to top

Past Exhibits

Charles Denson-Photography

June 10, 2006 - July 21, 2006

Artist's Statement:

I have been fortunate to grow up with a father who has given me an interest, desire and an eye for photography. Our love for pictures has been passed down for generations in my family. Nothing serious, we just enjoy capturing special moments. With fear of taking the meaningfulness from my pictures I would rather not give them my personal interpretation. I hope you find these unique moments that I've frozen in time enjoyable!

Robin Riley-Mosaic and Glass Marbles

June 10, 2006 - July 21, 2006

Artist's Statement:

I create visual art that can be felt and read like Braille. Growing up with a blind mother taught me to create and appreciate art with my hands as well as my eyes. My childhood home was filled with wild colors and patterns that confused my eyes and was filled with paintings and art objects that could not be seen by my mother. Yet everything seemed balanced based on how they felt in terms of touch.
I cannot conceive of visual art without a tactile experience, which is probably why I found I could not paint unless what I painted was cut up and then sewn together or why I could not create a mural unless the image was made up of broken pieces of tile and glass.
Visually with color and form, I bring the viewer to a mood and feeling, but then with the ability to touch the artwork, elements of culture, history, and memories are more personally experienced My ongoing challenge is to create images using pieces of material (whether it is canvas or tile or something new) to help you see what I want you to feel and feel what I want you to see.

Quilts for a Cause

July 22, 2006 - September 2, 2006

Visit their website at http://www.quiltforacause.org/.

All Library Staff Art Invitational

September 3, 2006 - October 6, 2006

Staff from Pima County Public Library display art pieces they have created.

Art Exhibit: "Retro Roadside America" by Warren H. Anderson

October 25, 2006 - January 4, 2007

Enjoy an opportunity to see selected southwestern images from "Retro Roadside America" by Warren H. Anderson on the second floor's three display towers. Warren H. Anderson spent more than three decades exploring early pre-interstate highways and harvesting them for what would soon vanish: the early neon signs of diners, motels and old sculptural gas pumps.

The 30-year Professor of Art and founder of the Department of Art Education at the University of Arizona, painstakingly crafted his prismacolor drawings in the manner of vintage high chroma linen textured postcards. Now, long after the interstate highway system has helped Americans skirt the back roads of the country, distinct signage for gas, food and lodging along Routes 66, 80, 40 and others has been preserved in Anderson's drawings for us to see.

Signs had to do a lot in a quick bit of time; while beckoning to you in your swiftly moving '57 Chevy, a sign had to say what it was and instantly guide you to the roadside attraction, business or lodging you may or may not have been seeking. It is this not so subtle form of early advertising, often in neon colors, that Warren Anderson closely scrutinized in the letters, shapes and symbols he recorded.

In addition to the actual signage, at times imaginary signs from the "old roads of my mind" crept into Anderson's work and he created his own signs based on the late, great vanished memorabilia along the country's roads.

Warren Anderson's work has been widely exhibited from Washington D.C. to California. His work is in the permanent collections of several museums including the University of Arizona Museum of Art. A retrospective of his work was recently held at the Temple Gallery at the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson, Arizona.

For further information and availability regarding Warren H. Anderson's work, please contact Etherton Gallery, 135 S. 6th Ave., Tucson, Arizona, 85701, www.ethertongallery.com.

To see and learn more about his work in this series, you can also go to the third floor's Arizona Collection, and look at a reference copy of the artist's book, Vanishing Roadside America, published by The University of Arizona Press in 1981. (Call number: 741.60973 An 246v 1981)

Artists of Rural Pima County Exhibit

November 3, 2006 - December 1, 2006

The Tucson-Pima Arts Council arranges this annual juried group show in conjunction with their annual Studio Tour weekend. Work by artists residing outside of the Tucson city limits, but within Pima County, was on display.

Jan McDonald-Pastels

December 2, 2006 - January 5, 2007

My goal in portraits and figurative work is usually to capture something fleeting in everyday life - an expression, lighting, or a moment of concentration. I don't pose people, but I spend a lot of time photographing them doing ordinary activities before starting a portrait. For the last five years, I have focused on children, drawing my son and nieces and nephews while reading or playing, hoping to capture something of their childhood. I work in pastel, pencil and oils, and some examples of my work can be found on my website at www.janmcdonald.com.

I grew up in Tucson and have spent most of my life here. I studied scientific illustration at the University of Arizona with Dr. Sayner and Joanne Coleman, then transferred into the art department and got a degree in studio art. I currently work for the Pima County Wastewater Management Department managing websites and other projects.

Favorite quote about portraiture: "A portrait is a picture with something wrong with the mouth." - John Singer Sargent. If you've ever tried a portrait, you'll appreciate this one.

Paperworks

December 8, 2006 - January 1, 2007

A book and paper arts show in the 1st floor lobby display cases. PaperWorks is the Sonoran Collective for Book and Paper Artists. The organization has over 150 members state and nationwide, with the common thread an interest in book and paper arts. Paperworks provides educational and creative opportunities for all who work with and on paper and promote the appreciation and enjoyment of the paper and book arts through regular and special events. You can visit their website to receive more information on programs and special events and to view members' work in the Gallery.

At right: "The Cat and the Moon" with a holder for an accordion book printed with the poem by the same name by William Butler Yeats.

Jerry Kelsch-Watercolors

January 6, 2007 - February 9, 2007

Artist's Statement:

When I see a rustic building or barn it grabs my attention. There is beauty that I am compelled to share with others. Light and color can convey what words cannot. I paint what I like to see and what makes sense to me.

Jerry Kelsch has been painting most of his life. At a very young age he received his first instruction and creative influence from his father, San Diegan artist Robert Kelsch. He has traveled extensively in the west studying art in California, Utah, Arizona and British Columbia, Canada. Jerry paints watercolors of nature and unique rustic buildings.

Lew Schnellmann-Watercolors

January 6, 2007 - February 9, 2007

Artist's Statement:

My paintings are about the "Place". Location is the subject matter that is the inspiration to create the watercolor. It may be the color of the light or the colors of shapes of the shadows being cast or the shimmer of the reflections in water. I use my skills in the handling of the medium, to present to the viewer what I believe is the ultimate aspect of the beautiful. I hope to transmit some similarity of my sensations, which I experience about the "place," to the viewer through the artwork.

Michael Pasquet-Don Quixote Sculpture

February 10, 2007 - March 16, 2007

Artist's Statement:

Here presented as a work of art is the most illustrious Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. Created in Tucson, Arizona, this inexhaustible and ever striving knight travels the wide world in search of truth, adventure, and romance inspired by his beloved books and a princess. The crowned winged head of Sancho Panza is seen billowing gusts ahead of The Knight of the Rueful Figure into imaginary sails. He is no doubt on his way to his appointment to become the governor of some island. The open book on the base is an invitation to verify facts which pertain to knighthood and chivalry and may include photos of the guests of honor for the occasion. The castellated walls, candlestick turrets (fitted for actual candles) and formidable helmet culminate with the biting portrayal of the knight himself.

In the words of Bachelor Carrasco:

Here lies the noble fearless knight
Whose valor rose to such a height;
When death at last did strike him down,
His was the victory and renown.
He reck'd the world of little prize,
And was a bugbear in men's eyes;
But had the fortune in his age
To live a fool and die a sage.

Pamela Reed-Silver Gelatin Prints

February 10, 2007 - March 16, 2007

Artist's Statement:

I studied Painting, Life Drawing and Photography at the University of Kansas and various Junior Colleges in both Kansas and Arizona. In my youth, my father, a journalist, would take me to The Kansas City Star newspaper, where I met the photojournalists. I had the privilege of learning alongside some of the best photographers in the country. In joy and wonderment I watched as an image emerged from the liquid baths of the darkroom. A passion developed.
Although my path deviated over the years from Graphic Artist to Landscape Designer, it has come full circle back to my first passion, capturing an image on film. In my subjects I look for power, intensity, depth and passion. Although my subject matter may vary, the underlying thread of continuity remains. My techniques and presentation are constantly evolving with each new subject that graces my viewfinder. Each subject brings with them an individual power that I must capture for the world to see.
My tools of the trade include Canon 35mm EOS 1n camera bodies, an array of lenses, a Holga Toy Camera, Antique Kodak Camera, Film and a Darkroom.

High School Art Invitational 2007

March 15, 2007 - April 28, 2007

The High School Art Invitational features artwork by local students. Each year art teachers from Tucson high schools and charter schools are invited to select up to five pieces of their students' work to submit for display.

View photos on Flickr.

Thomas Rossi-Photography

April 30, 2007 - May 22, 2007

Artist's Statement:

In this body of work I was trying to capture the moment of abandon when we let down our guard whyle having fun and laughing with friends.

These images are not posed.

They can not be posed, in order to capture some one in a moment of abandon you have to be fast and patient. Whenever a camera is introduced into a situation people put their guard up and it makes it rare to capture some one with their guard down and still get a good image composition.

Photographer Lisa Folino

May 22, 2007 - June 1, 2007

Photographer Lisa Folino says she is "fascinated with the ideas of reality and perception and how they are interpreted by the unconscious mind."

Long interested in Indonesian shadow theatre and Surrealism, Folino uses the still-life format to present dreamlike objects in silhouette. A floating hat above forks, a carefully balanced pair of scissors, a ladder tipped through a smoke-like ring all encourage viewers to create their own dream narratives. These are images that seem created part by chance and part by what we know from our day to day world; they may be the snapshots of our lives as seen through our dreams.

Folino's ink jet images are scanned from Polaroid type 55 paper. Folino peels away the negative and then prints the positive on glossy paper using an Epson printer. Because she maintains the adhesive border of the negative, the edging creates a decorative border that calls to mind antique illuminations taken from faded manuscripts, adding to the blurred world of memory that we often come back to in our dreams.

Although Folino, an award-winning photographer, has a traditional foundation in photography, she continues to experiment with new digital technologies, alternative processes and hand finishing techniques. Her eclectic style is reflected in a substantial body of work which has been exhibited in galleries around the United States, and is part of the permanent collection at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (More information is available at www.lisafolino.com)

Folino's work is on exhibit on the 2nd floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. Her work is shown courtesy of Etherton Gallery, 135 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701. Contact the gallery at 520-624-7370.

Marisa Muro - Mixed Media

May 26, 2007 - June 19, 2007

Artist's Statement:

I have struggled over the years about what I want my art to be. I have read every book and have taken every class possible. In the end I've realized that art never stands still. My work has been metamorphic in the last three years and 2005 has been a formative year. I look for simplicity in nature and man made materials. I am influenced by train yards and old warehouses as well as minimalist architecture. The bold and vibrant color in my work adds beauty and complexity to this landscape.

Tucson Youth Week Community Message Board Banners

June 1, 2007 - June 17, 2007

Two banners, which create a visual display representing the voices of Tucson's young people, are on display in the first floor lobby.

Tucson Youth Week is a series of fun community events that acknowledges young people and their positive contributions, and motivates youth and adults to take action to address our world's problems. 2007 was Tucson Youth Week's inaugural year, and it was a great success. Tucson Youth Week April 16-21, 2007 culminated with a community-wide celebration in Himmel Park. Approximately 1,000 people attended this event, recognizing Tucson youth for positive contributions they have made to the community. The highlight of the event really turned out to be the Community Message Board. Unveiled in the community for the first time, the Message Board displays over 300 4" x 4" squares from Tucson Youth Week nominees, containing their personal message to the community - drawings, photographs, poems, inspirational quotes, or anything the youth wanted to share.

River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest

June 18, 2007 - July 31, 2007

Come to Main Library and see the 55 winning entries from the 4th annual River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest.

Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, Tucson-Pima Arts Council and the Tucson Children's Museum present the fourth installment of Tucson's River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest traveling exhibit. With water conservation at the forefront of today's environmental concerns, Tucson's River of Words combines the sciences and arts in a truly unique experience to promote stewardship of our natural resources.

The contest helps connect students with the natural world and encourages them to take responsibility for conserving water. This year nearly three thousand of Tucson's youth, ages five to eighteen, learned about watersheds and water conservation and expressed their knowledge through original works of poetry and visual art. This year, fifty-five students were honored for their creative and award winning contributions to the contest along with their parents and teachers who supported enrichment in the classroom. All fifty-five pieces of award winning poetry and art are published in a 2007 Tucson's River of Words award winner's book and displayed in an exhibit which travels to several venues throughout the city.

Tucson's River of Words is a local affiliate of the national River of Words program based out of Berkeley, California. In 2005, Tucson produced a national award winner and the 2007 contest boasts a national finalist in the art category. For more information about Tucson's River of Words, Youth Poetry and Art contest or to obtain an entry form for the 2008 contest, contact Katy Goudschaal at 520.877.6000.

Untitled
Rachel Haymore, age 7
Painted Sky Elementary
Teacher: Ms. Vande Voorde
Grand Prize - Art - Category 1

A Day at the Lake
Brenden Scheller, age 8
Agua Caliente Elementary
Teacher: Mrs. Ratajczak
Grand Prize - Art - Category 2

Tree Frogs
Maggie Klawunn, age 10
Montessori School House
Teacher: Ms. Pugnoli
Grand Prize - Art - Category 3

Monsoon Boom
Brian Gilpin, age 14
Pistor Middle School
Teacher: Mrs. Dorr
Grand Prize - Art - Category 4

Pueblo de Colores - Mixed Media Fine Art Photography Exhibit

June 20, 2007 - July 17, 2007

The Joel D. Valdez Main Library presents Pueblo de Colores, a mixed media fine art photography exhibit. The advent of digital photography has ushered in an era of new techniques and technologies providing photographers a greatly expanded vocabulary for artistic expression. Mixed media Fine art photography involves the integration of photography, digital images and the personal computer and is an innovation that is transforming the visual arts. Pueblo de Colores provides a look at this expanded vision and artistic expression by Tucson photographer, Dan Chavez.

The Exhibit's collection features Tucson's Barrio, Presidio and Ft. Lowell Districts' rich and varied architectural heritage. These neighborhoods depict the color and beauty of the late 1800's and the influence of Mexican craftsmen and Hispanic culture on the community that continue to this day.

The exhibit is funded in part by the generous support of the Tucson Pima Arts Council.

Mixed Media Fine Art Photography: Mixed Media Fine Art Photography involves the integration of photography, digital images and the personal computer. Applying the basic principals of composition, color and design the photographer is able to re-master original photographs in the virtual darkroom, cropping, editing, lightening and darkening the image; then adjusting hue and saturation to improve the image. The final step used by Chavez involves digitally applying layers of brush strokes and other art effects in varying degrees and intensities to create the final image. Each image is individually produced using the giclée printing process with close attention to detail, color and density using state of the art technology and only the highest quality pigmented inks and canvas. The image is then sealed with a UV and moisture resistant giclée varnish. Giclée is a French term which means "the spraying" of paint or ink; the term is used today to refer to this unique printing technology. Art galleries and museums sell, collect and display giclée prints.

More About the Artist/Photographer: Dan has traveled extensively scouting locations in Colonial Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, France, California's Missions and Tucson's barrios and historical neighborhoods in search of unique settings for his photography. Dan's inspiration and subject matter reflect his interest in history as well as his fascination with the architecture and craftsmanship of the past. "Individuals can look at the same subject matter, yet each person's experience is unique and their own. Hopefully through my eyes and camera lens my images will allow people to experience the beauty of other places and other times." The end result of Dan's adventures is a varied and eclectic collection of images. In 2002 Dan founded FotoVentures and the following year he began to actively pursue marketing and showing his work.

For more information visit the photographer's website at www.fotoventures.net.

Ingrid Dohm

July 18, 2007 - August 14, 2007

Artist's Statement:

The raison d'etre for my floral and landscape paintings can be traced directly to the influences that surrounded my early childhood. Born and raised in a small town in Austria near forests, glens and mountains, I was constantly seeking out the many varied kinds of floral beauty which is ever present in this land.
I paint in a representational and impressionistic style. I take my cue from nature, utilizing watercolors, oils and acrylics, hoping to bring out the myriad shapes, forms and colors that the creator has bestowed upon us. If I can lend my own interpretation to it, then I am satisfied.

The works consist of watercolors, oils or acrylics either on paper or canvas. My favorite subject matter is florals executed in arrangements or garden scenes. I also create landscapes, cityscapes and still life.

Pamela L. Reed, Photographer

August 1, 2007 - September 12, 2007

Artist's Statement:

In 2003 I passed the boneyard on Kolb. In my mind, I immediately saw the pilots dressed in their flight suits holding their helmets, standing next to these aircraft which carried them home safely from war now covered in spraylat to protect the aircraft from the elements. I knew somehow I would find a way to reunite these pilots one last time with the aircraft that carried them safely home from war.

Men who have served our country in Vietnam as pilots are celebrated in a photographic and oral history exhibition at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. Most are matched with the original aircraft they flew over Vietnam which are now residing in the Boneyard here in Tucson, AZ. at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Photographer Pamela L. Reed has captured the stories of these men in her exhibit, Days Gone By, The Aircraft of the Boneyard and the Pilots That Flew Them.

Days Gone By, The Aircraft of the Boneyard and the Pilots That Flew Them is an ongoing project as more men step forward to stand in front of their planes for one last reunion and remembrance of "Days Gone By." This is an ongoing project as more pilots join in to be photographed and interviewed. The project will travel the United States with a book in the future and hopefully bring Americans closer to understanding the courageous men who flew these aircraft.

As part of our weekly Thursday lunchtime series, Food for Thought, Joel D. Valdez Main Library will be hosting a bonus Friday program on Sept. 7 at noon. Join photographer Pam Reed and several servicemen who will share background about the project and memories of their planes and experiences.

All Creatures Great and Small...and fantastic: An exhibit of recent paintings and prints by Mary Theresa Dietz

August 15, 2007 - September 18, 2007

Artist's Statement:

I do oil stick painting mostly, but I also do sculpture, printmaking, and drawing. My subjects are mainly animals. Sometimes I like to combine different types of animals and animals with humans. My work is all about aesthetics. My art is my obsession - my reason for living. I use subject, form, texture, and color to create objects that are more than the materials that make them. They communicate feelings and emotions that cant be explained in words. My aim is not to make statements, social comment, or illustration, rather I strive to arrest the viewer with a visual feast.

Adam Kizanis - Altered Photographs

September 19, 2007 - October 23, 2007

Artist's Statement:

A recent transplant to Tucson, Adam has been fascinated by photography since childhood. Beginning in the early eighties he has been shooting, manipulating, and developing pictures and continues to do so to this day.

Through the exploration of line and tone, Adam creates images with strong moods that evoke a world of magical realism. Focusing on both the familiarity and the mystery of the human form in relationship with our environment (internally as well as externally) and how this relates back to a deeper sense of connection with ourselves and the world around us. A form of exposed humanity that seeks to bring the viewer immediately closer to the common language within us all. The ordinary. The extraordinary. And the place where the two meet.

BICAS - Bicycle Art Exhibit

October 20, 2007 - November 10, 2007

Come see some of the unique and clever art that will be available at a silent auction to benefit BICAS, Tucson's Bicycle Collective for inter-community action and salvage.

Their annual auction event will be Saturday, November 17, 6-10 pm and Sunday, November 18, 6-9 pm at Artfare, 55 North Sixth Avenue. Contact BICAS for details: 628-7950; www.bicas.org.

Tucson Pima Arts Council's Rural Art Showcase

October 25, 2007 - November 25, 2007

Come celebrate the diversity of our rural arts community as the Joel D. Valdez Main Library hosts the The Tucson Pima Arts Council's Rural Art Showcase.

This annual art exhibition is an opportunity for emerging and established professional artists living outside of the Tucson city limits to get some exposure for their artwork in a municipal gallery setting.

Participating Artists include:

Barbara Cowlin, Barbara Naylor, Bob Spittler, Brian Banks, Ciri Johnson, Ellen Fountain, HG Dickey, James Cowlin, John H. Gerdes, John Jefferies, Joyce Nelson, Judy Wurtz, Ken Tesoriere, Lauralyn Sciretta, Lorrie Parsell, Marie Elenor Scales, Marti White, Mary Ellen Palmeri, Patty C. Willis, Rebecca Bushner, Saundra Trumbull, Susan Oyler, Susie Gillatt, Terry Bowman, William DeRaymond, Zoe Walsh, Tom Kiefer, and representatives from the Yoeme Artists' Association (YAA).

Bill Mackey - Collage

November 28, 2007 - January 7, 2008

Artist's Statement:

What are the objects we hold onto and when will they end up as trash?

How do we present ourselves to the world?
How does the world (the mail we receive, the landscapes we view, the shopping we do) influence our self-presentation?
Who are we presenting ourselves to?

Does anyone want to "do lunch?"
What is the perception of your work?
How many business cards does a person collect?

What is nature, and where is it?
Is science fabricated to mask our ignorance?
Does science comfort or increase paranoia?
Is smoking a slow form of suicide?

How long does it take to feel rooted, or does it matter?
Why is the information in life difficult to read and understand?
Why do people complain about traffic but continue to drive their car?

It takes 268 licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop.

Sally Elliot - Sculpture in Wood and Mixed Media

December 8, 2007 - January 6, 2008

Artist's Statement:

My interest in creating stick sculpture began in 1993 when I moved to the red rock canyon country of Utah. Hiking expeditions revealed an endless supply of fantastic "body parts" found in the twisted and gnarled branches shed from juniper, piñon and cottonwood trees - inspiring an artistic urge to create stick figures. Slowly but surely I amassed a sizable stock of raw material for my sculpture.
Since my first figure I have tried to remain "true to the stick" - allowing the shape to inspire the end result. A stick in its raw form triggers a concept for a figure, and that single stick may be anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of the finished form. It is then completed with the necessary stick body parts (created with the help of hand tools) that are then jointed and pegged into place. Each figure is brought to life with seed beads, acrylic paint and/or other objects found in hardware stores. I particularly love the rough versus refined element of combining the natural wood with intricate beading and painting.
Two years ago I moved to Tucson and have become newly inspired by the myriad possibilities found in the desert and surrounding alpine landscapes.

Eyes of Tomorrow, Creative photography by at risk young people - La Paloma Family Services Creative Photography Group

December 14, 2007 - January 31, 2008

Artist's Statement:

Using photography as the vehicle, we develop creative thinking and awaken natural talent. The program is completely voluntary. The students (boys and girls) are 12 to 18 years in age. Classes are in the classroom and in the field. Included is a wide spectrum of involvement ranging from social awareness, basic art training to an introduction of all arts, fine and media.
Building self-esteem and gaining respect from positive endeavors is a key element in behavioral development.
The Creative Photography Group is a part of that process.

For more information about La Paloma Family Services Creative Photography Group, please call 520- 750-9667 or visit www.lapalomakids.org.

"So many children come to us battered and beaten by circumstances most of us cannot imagine. We teach these children that they are not broken, that they are valuable!"

--David Bradley, CEO

Danielle Niebling - Bronze Sculptures

January 5, 2008 - February 14, 2008

Artist's Statement:

Self consciousness has been in the fore of the conceptual art world since Modernism. It confronts us dramatically in the guise of installations, somewhat more subtly in the form of sculpture, and it dons the scepter of power in traditional 2-D mediums. Self-consciousness is: us asking us who we are as American, as Latin, etc. as part of a place we live in and identify with historically.
Here in the Southwest we are privileged to experience a flickering sense of pioneer spirit that began colonization, a movement of peoples who asked the question: "Who are we, and what is life?" We are still coasting on that momentum of "the pursuit," that deliberation, that incentive which authenticates Americana within current art. This is the subject of my images.

Tom Dudley - Acrylics and Charcoals of the San Pedro River Valley

January 8, 2008 - February 13, 2008

Artist's Statement:

I've been hiking the San Pedro River now for almost 20 years, and every time I hike a new section, I'm amazed to rediscover how each new section reveals a wealth of new images, another way to look at reality. The river's channel, bed, banks, sand bars, point bars, gallery forests, meanders, downcuts, flood plain, flood debris, not to mention the time of day, time of year, changes in weather and even the mood I'm in, provide all sorts of possibilities for examining the river's formal qualities. Clipped from its context in the San Pedro River series, a vast landscape suddenly becomes an intimate experience.
Similarly, the intimate experience of a small drawing can become a vast landscape. In the Revival series, images culled from any source I could find - newspapers, magazines, and films to old photographs, paintings, satellite images, and even my memory - provide new images for new ways of seeing another aspect of reality. This body of work, in turn, strongly influenced the San Pedro River series which I began shortly thereafter.

Nuestras Raíces Celebration Art Show: Raíces Taller 222 Gallery and Workshop

February 15, 2008 - March 10, 2008

To celebrate Nuestras Raíces, the Raíces Taller 222 Gallery and Workshop will be exhibiting members' art at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library Gallery from February 15 - March 10, 2008. Raíces Taller is the only Latino-based nonprofit, cooperative, contemporary, art gallery in Tucson.

Also on display in the library's 1st floor windowed room are mannequins wearing Mexican traditional style of dress and a beautifully embroidered shawl. These items are provided by the Arizona Historical Society - the world's largest collection of Arizona history artifacts, documents, and photographs - and by Irma Juanita Moreno, a forth-generation Tucsonan and Living Historian.

Aviation, Aerospace, and Astronomy Art Show

February 19, 2008 - March 30, 2008

Artwork by Rouch, also known as Rouchworks.com, worked with students at Sahuarita High School, Cottonwood Elementary School, Sewell Elementary School, and the YMCA Mulcahy, as well as independent students, to create the Aviation, Aerospace, and Astronomy Art Show, a traveling exhibit in Tucson through Aug. 2008.

The purpose of their art project is to motivate students in gaining knowledge of Tucson's history in aviation, aerospace, and astronomy.

Artwork by Rouch, also known as Rouchworks.com, is a member of the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA), International Plastic Modelers' Society (IPMS), long standing members with Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson Museum of Arts (TMA), the Tucson Contemporary Art Society, and International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA).

To learn more, go to http://www.rouchworks.com.

13th Annual High School Art Invitational

March 15, 2008 - April 28, 2008

Each year, art teachers from Pima County high schools and charter schools are invited to select up to five pieces of their students' work to submit for display. This year we have received 64 student entries from 19 teachers at 13 schools.

Featured Artist

The Showcase includes a feature exhibit through Friday, November 28, of Yoeme Artist Association member and nationally acclaimed Yaqui wood carver Louis David Valenzuela. Learn more about Louis and his work.

Participating Artists

The Showcase will also include selected works from participating artists including:

For More Information

For more information about the Rural Art Showcase, contact the Leia Maahs, Community Arts Development Coordinator at 520-624-0595, ext. 19.

Photo at right:
Title: Pascola Masks
Artist: Louis David Valenzuela.

Janet K. Miller - Reverse glass paintings

November 29, 2008 - December 28, 2008

Artist's Statement:

I spent five weeks in Yemen in the spring of 2006. I discovered that the more I veiled, the more I was welcomed into Yemeni homes and women's lives. I became quite comfortable wearing full burqa, and liken it to the architectural idea of refuge and prospect, where I could see everyone and everything, but I was anonymous and invisible. In that privacy I felt tremendous freedom. The paintings of veiled women come out of that experience.
The paintings of Map Shoes come from my love of maps and shoes, travel and language.

Mainly Books Handmade Book Display

December 10, 2008 - January 9, 2009

Mainly Books, a display of mostly hand-made books, is in the 1st floor lobby of the Main Library from December 10, 2008 to January 9, 2009. These books and paper arts are created by members of Paperworks, the Sonoran Collective for Book and Paper Artists.

The organization has over 150 members state and nationwide, with the common thread an interest in book and paper arts. Paperworks provides educational and creative opportunities for all who work with and on paper and promote the appreciation and enjoyment of the paper and book arts through regular and special events. To learn more, go to http://www.paperworks.info/.

Gary Bjorklund – Digital on Canvas

January 2, 2009 - February 14, 2009

Artist's Statement:

My art is an expression of who I am and what I am thinking. Thoughts may be complex with many layers or as simple as the desire to create beauty. Words can rarely capture all I feel or am trying to express. Brilliant sunsets and summer storms racing across desert landscapes are very much a part of me. Wave patterns, whether in water, sand, rocks or space fascinate me. Many of my paintings reflect thoughts of the magical mysteries of the universe.
If you look closely, you can see into my soul. The universal themes are expressions of thoughts, feelings and experiences shared by most. Many see and feel what I’ve never imagined. I hope that my work will speak to you, too.

Zoe Walsh – Clay and Bronze Sculpture

January 10, 2009 - February 14, 2009

Artist's Statement:

My work is about honoring the Divine Feminine in humanity. The beauty and imperfect experience of this life is seen through the word of a strong, singular, emerging voice of woman. This implies a "reconstruction" or "transformation" always exemplifying the belief of joy in the process.

Artist's Reception

Join us on Saturday, February 14, from 1-3 pm, at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Nuestras Raíces Art Exhibit

February 17, 2009 - March 10, 2009

The Raíces Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop will exhibit art in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library Gallery from February 17 through March 10 as part of our 6th Annual Nuestras Raíces Literary Arts Festival, our celebration of Mexican-American authors, arts and culture.

Raíces Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop is Tucson's only Latino-based non-profit contemporary arts cooperative and is committed to providing workshops and outreach to children and adults in the community. Enjoy the art of this nationally recognized cooperative, awarded by the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) and named the outstanding emerging arts organization last year by the Tucson Pima Arts Council (TPAC).

Also look for authentic Mexican-style fashion on display in the first floor window of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. The clothing was provided by Irma Juanita Moreno, a fourth-generation Tucsonan and living historian.

High School Art Invitational

March 14, 2009 - April 27, 2009

Each year, art teachers from Pima County high schools and charter schools are invited to select up to five pieces of their students' work to submit for display. Read more about it.

Experience the Photo Exhibit: The Missing Story of Ourselves

April 3, 2009 - April 30, 2009

Experience a nationally-touring exhibit of 24 photographs with narratives created by students who are welfare-eligible single parents changing their lives through higher education.

This free exhibit, The Missing Story of Ourselves: Poverty and the Promise of Higher Education, will be on display on the second floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library throughout April.

It is part of a larger exhibit curated by Dr. Vivyan Adair, the Elihu Root Endowed Peace Fund Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of The ACCESS Project, which serves welfare-eligible student parents at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY.

Adair will give a presentation at the University of Arizona, The Missing Story of Ourselves: Women, Poverty and the Politics of Feminist Representation, on Thursday, April 9, from 11 am to noon in the Rincon Room of the Memorial Student Union.

The library exhibit and UA presentation are sponsored in Tucson by FARR (Feminist Action Research in Rhetoric) and co-sponsored by: University of Arizona’s Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, & Families; The Department of Women's Studies; The Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW); the Writing Program; and Campus Health.

Jon Howe - Photography

April 28, 2009 - May 29, 2009

Artist's Statement:

My photographs are taken using handmade pinhole cameras. The photographic paper displayed was the paper in the camera. Beyond the initial development, the image is not manipulated or reproduced. Therefore, each image is one-of- a-kind and painted with the light reflected off the landscape.
Each camera has between 1 and 45 photo chambers, each with an associated pinhole. The camera with 45 photo chambers and pinholes, for example, can simultaneously project up to 45 images of the same scene onto a piece of photographic paper. These twenty five images can then be separated, combined or eliminated depending on the arrangement of the chambers in the camera and by opening or closing the assorted pinholes. Objects are sometimes put into the chambers to further describe the reflected play of light.

Paul Virgin – Earthenware and Watercolors

April 28, 2009 - June 5, 2009

Artist's Statement:

After thirty-five years of teaching art, I am now making my art. My areas of interest are my subject matter: history, archaeology, geology, and Native American peoples. My ceramics show the effects of the passage of time in the ancient pueblo ruins of Utah. My paintings are about people and their place in the landscape. I am trying to show who these people are by choosing their surroundings. Watercolor allows me to show that connection between the land and the people and to expand on what we see.

Announcing the Winners of the 14 Annual High School Art Invitational

April 29, 2009 - May 12, 2009

More than 90 items were received for the 14th Annual High School Art Invitational and were exhibited from March 14 to April 27 in the Gallery at the Joel D. Valdez Main library.

This year's winners are:

Best of Painting - Italian Hillside, Rachel Childers, Ironwood Ridge High School
Best of Drawing - Self-Portrait in Red, Yellow and Blue, Alex Nesler, Ironwood Ridge High School
Best of Mixed/Other Media - Vessel of the Earth, Tania Verdugo, Pueblo Magnet High School
Best of Photography - Behind Blue Eyes, Chloe Tarvin, Canyon Del Oro High School
Best of Sculpture - Bikes and Toys, Kemper Brightman, Tucson High Magnet School
Special Recognition - Regeneration: The New Creation, Yesica Aguirre, Sabino High School

Each year, art teachers from Pima County high schools and charter schools are invited to select up to five pieces of their students' work to submit for display. Read more about it.

Elizabeth Burkholder – Acrylics, Collage

May 30, 2009 - June 30, 2009

Artist's Statement:

My paintings are intended to be fun. I use things that I love to create surfaces that are attractive to me. In that sense they are more like domestic crafts or design. Examples of things I love are found in beading, scrap booking, and quilting. I also find the costumes my daughters wear for dance competitions very appealing. However, the vulnerable, intuitive aspect of my works is offset by the intellectual; art vs. craft, nature vs. artifice, decorative vs. figurative. The works can transcend "mere" decoration because they question themselves. Or perhaps they just humor themselves.
I currently use the grid as a tool to weave the natural and artificial forms together. This allows the flat decorative (but real) surface of canvas/paint to play against a false deeper space of representation. I have begun adding collage elements – rhinestones and decorative paper. The newest works have both "real" collaged elements and "faux" painted collage elements (lace, wood grain, paper, etc.) So, the paintings start with a grid at heart, and then an underlying organic or natural layer forms from photos of plants. Finally, on top I use an icon or icons (often red) with the collaged elements to "decorate" nature. I hope the audience finds many layers of thoughtfulness in my paintings but more importantly I hope the audience has fun viewing them.

Gazelle Samizay – Photography

July 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009

Artist's Statement:

Through video art, I explore the intersection of my Afghan heritage and American upbringing. Memories are reinterpreted and performed to express the complex, layered world of an immigrant Afghan family, touching on both the personal and sociopolitical. Whether it is the awkward silence of a married couple, or the exasperated breaths of a woman, I use ambient sound to give voice to unspoken words. The artistic process serves as a testimonial, where my inner conversations become public. It allows me to negotiate the space between "Afghan" and "American" and to express myself independent of cultural definitions and constraints.

Community Food Bank – Fields to Tables Photo Exhibit

August 1, 2009 - August 31, 2009

Over 4,000 years ago, farming began along the Santa Cruz River. Today, native peoples and more recent arrivals to the basin continue the farming tradition as a national movement to support locally grown food expands in Arizona.

The Fields to Tables exhibit shares the past and present stories of locally produced food. It explores the production, distribution, preparation and consumption of of watermelons, squash, corn, tepary beans, chili and other locally grown foods from 1905 to today.

Through thirty color photographs by Josh Schachter and interviews and text by Dr. Anita Fonte and Dr. Steven Harvath, the exhibit celebrates locally grown food and its connection to culture and community.

Samuel Ponce – Paintings & Drawings in Various Media

September 1, 2009 - October 29, 2009

Artist's Statement:

This exhibit has been extended through October 29.
The very process of trying to express an unclear idea can end up revealing it. Often the most particular can speak universally and the seemingly innocuous and perfunctory can illicit very personal associations. It is between these opposing lenses, micro and macro, that I vacillate, chipping away at larger themes of existence, work, memory, love, sex, and isolation in some works while sifting through random human detritus in others. The inconsistent, human quality of handwritten notations and the ghost images of erasures further serve to expose and thereby explore process.
These divergent approaches result in works that are either starkly iconic or collage-like and comprised of fragments of images and discarded text. Process then, becomes an element at times precluding other concerns of composition and technique. The finished work in this case becomes a sort of geologic-type record or broken narrative the way advertisements, graffiti, and time ravaging an abandoned urban storefront might.
The mix of mediums (acrylic, charcoal, graphite, watercolor) and juxtaposed disparate images give a firm nod to Dadaism and Pop Art punctuated with strokes of Expressionism. The language is concise and more poetic than political. It is tempered and elegant, never bombastic and proselytizing. The works become fragments of a larger confession.

Gerardo Campos – Acrylic on Canvas

October 1, 2009 - October 29, 2009

Artist's Statement:

This exhibit has been cancelled.
While going to art shows with my wife, who is a painter, a little worm got into me and I started painting chiles, which I felt no one was representing. We did many shows throughout the Southwest. After a couple of years we started traveling in Mexico. While traveling in Mexico, I continue painting chiles, and the nature and people are so inspirational that I began painting landscapes, figures and animals, moving my art into a new direction.

Return to top

Pima County Public Library

Biblioteca Pública del Condado Pima

About Joel D. Valdez Main Library - Art Gallery Exhibits

On this page:

About the Gallery and Juried Art Exhibits

Current Exhibits

Event Info

Presenting Artists

Upcoming Exhibits

Past Exhibits

Featured Artist

Participating Artists

For More Information