About Joel D. Valdez Main Library - Art Gallery Exhibits

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About the Gallery and Juried Art 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. The next Call will take place in September of 2013. 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.

Please see the Art Submission Guidelines (if applicable, see also Guidelines for Sculpture and Three Dimensional Art) and Exhibitor Waiver Form

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

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Current Exhibits

Artwork of Troy Boswell - painting

May 1, 2013 - May 31, 2013

Artist's Statement:

Art, to me, is a one way road of expression, enjoyment, and evolution. My formal training laid the groundwork for my art, giving me the skills needed to express my vision. Though my college days are over, I continue to learn, exploring and discovering new techniques. It is this continuous learning that keeps art exciting and fun. I have no “best” work, and never will. I may be content with a work and be thoroughly pleased with how it turned out, however, not long after the last stroke is applied I start see different directions that my work could have taken. These different directions provide the inspiration for my next work. When that work is finished the cycle repeats and I, once again, pick up my brush and bring my vision to life.

1943: The Turning Point of World War Two - Sonoran Desert Model Builders

May 1, 2013 - May 31, 2013

Using scale models to illustrate history, the Sonoran Desert Model Builders have created a display themed around the Turing Point of WWII. Drawing on actual events, these highly detailed models illustrate what was happening in this pivotal year when the outcome of the greatest conflict in history hung in the balance. In addition, members of the club will be displaying their modeling skills with models ranging in scale and across topics such as space, figures, cars, science fiction, and special displays for children. The display will be shown in the large windowed room and the glass cases in the lobby.

The Model Builders will also be hosting a free Make-N-Take program on Saturday, May 11 from 1-5 pm. Kids 6 and up can build a model and take it home. Register here for Scale Model Make-N-Take.

CreateIT – Think IT. Make IT. Do IT. Exhibit

May 1, 2013 - May 31, 2013

An exhibit highlighting the creations of CreateIT students from across Tucson will be displayed on the wooden towers in the Cafe area.

CreateIT provides media and technology classes, as well as mentoring opportunities with local experts for youth to increase 21st century learning skills in the areas of information, media and technology literacy. CreateIT offers free classes in video production, photography, sound production, and web animation. All middle and high school students are welcome to attend. Check out upcoming CreateIT classes.

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Upcoming Exhibits

Arts for All – 3D artwork

June 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013

The mission of Arts for All is to provide accessible education, training, and experiences in the arts to children, particularly those with special needs. Arts for All currently has nine programs which merge human services and the Arts: preschool, daily after-school classes, Summer/Winter Arts Camps, Third St. Ensemble Company, support services, day program for adults with disabilities, community-wide public performances, direct support professional training, and AmeriCorps.

Participant artwork will be displayed on the glass cabinets in the lobby.

Sonrisa Designs

June 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013

Member artwork of Sonrisa Designs, a co-op of artists primarily from the Phoenix, Yuma, and U.S./Mexico border areas, will be on display on the wooden towers in the Main Library lobby. The co-op was formed in 2002, and artists enjoy showing their collection of work at art fairs and exhibits throughout the region. Their mission is to provide encouragement, support, vocational training, and marketing opportunities for creative individuals.

Edmund White GLBT Author Event

June 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013

A display coinciding with the Edmund White GLBT Author event at the Loft Theater on June 12 will be on display in the windowed room in the lobby.

In biography, social history, travel writing, journalism, the short story and the novel, prolific and versatile author, Edmund White, has chronicled the gay experience in the United States from the closeted 1950’s through the AIDS crisis. Mr. White, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Award for the biography Genet, will speak at the Loft Theater on June 12, 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Artwork of Dee Bates – painting

June 1, 2013 - June 30, 2013

Artist's Statement:

To interact with the landscape forms around me, abstracting the essence of their shadow world; to sense the vibrations or the very absence of palpable movement; to reduce all discoveries to minimal imagery; to play with paint and infuse with color and see the world in a new way;...all these inspire and direct me in my art.

Artwork of Kafka Zvezdana Vodka – mixed media

July 1, 2013 - July 31, 2013

Artist's Statement:

Home: A Series of Intergalactic Landscapes started out as a project to illustrate the landscapes of astral and other non-physical planes observed through out of body travel and during meditation. Through a series of ten mixed media illustrations, six of which are on display tonight I want to take you on a wild, abstract ride through the galaxies.
What would it look like to have limitless potential for a landscape, removed from the restrictions of earth? What if our bodies were just neon-hued beams of light and we could travel forward and backward through the illusion of time just as easily as earth humans hop in the cars or bicycles? How is physical structure and the essence or concept of life oriented in an elsewhere land, an other place? What are these bodies and why are they so weighted, and in this weight how do we find our freedom?

Artwork of Lowell Richardson - painting

August 1, 2013 - August 30, 2013

Artist's Statement:

These watercolors were all made at the locations pictured, none in the studio. They are snapshots, souvenirs, of a brief time in a specific place. The materials for watercolor are very portable, making it possible to work quickly in pajamas looking out of a hotel window, or inconspicuously in the park. Sometimes the subject itself is fleeting, as when seen from the deck of a ship. I have no stylistic agenda, whether commercial or aesthetic (although I wouldn't mind selling something, and I always hope that the resulting picture holds up to some formal standards).

I am a Tucson native, a graduate of the University of Arizona. I worked 45 years in Chicago as a graphic designer, and returned to live in Tucson in 2006.

Artwork of Victor Beer – photography

September 1, 2013 - September 30, 2013

Artist's Statement:

I started my present journey into landscape photography about 10 years ago while providing care for individuals with HIV and AIDS. Photography developed initially as a means of getting outdoors but soon became a passion. I found myself drawn to its artistic lure and creative passion. After a rewarding 24 years in my Los Angeles practice, I answered the call of the Southwest with a move to Tucson, Arizona where my wife and I make our home.

Landscape photography allows me to capture my dream of travel and exploration. My images are meant to inspire, in you, an increased awareness for the beauty that exists in our remaining wilderness and national parks. The images you will experience are created, processed and printed in my Tucson studio.

Artwork of Ingrid Williams – painting

October 1, 2013 - October 31, 2013

Artist's Statement:

Everywhere in the news we hear of the shifting balance between fire and water in our world. We have too much carbon dioxide in the air, the oceans are rising, water disasters occur, while drinking water grows scarce. Even from space, the earth looks different now. The Fire and Water Show paintings talk visually about the course we have pursued in the “Promethean Age” while the beauty of water is all around us. These water textures delight the desert eye; all exploit techniques possible with the ancient medium casein.

Artwork of Chris Richards – photography

November 1, 2013 - November 30, 2013

Artist's Statement:

Chris Richards is an award-winning photojournalist based in Tucson, Arizona. His work has been published internationally, on the front page of the New York Times, in USA today, the Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone and elsewhere. He spent ten years as a staff photographer at the Arizona Daily Star, photographing life in Southern Arizona, with a particular fondness for moments of joy. Now he devotes his work to families and their celebrations in Tucson and around the country.

Artwork of Bill Baker – photography

December 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013

Artist's Statement:

The intention of my photography has always been to present elements in space and moments in time simply as they are, believing that each has its own significance. Most of my images are meant to be meditative, to quiet the mind of the observer, and resonate on a sensory level.

My choice for images has always been influenced by Eastern thought and aesthetics. The use of emptiness in composition often evokes a sense of timelessness allowing a connection between the observer and the observed. I want people to cease trying to intellectualize and just feel themselves being there, a reminder of the transitory nature of ourselves and everything around us. From the beginning I have believed in the words of Lao Tzu:
Give people a void to look at and simplicity to hold. There will be little selfishness and few desires.

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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.

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.

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

Nuestras Raíces Art at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library

February 14, 2010 - March 10, 2010

Several art exhibits will be on display at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library from Sunday, February 14 through Wednesday, March 10, 2010 as a part of our Nuestras Raíces annual celebration.
Raíces Taller 222 Art Gallery: Raíces Taller 222 Art Gallery will exhibit artwork in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library Gallery.
Nuestras Raíces: Our Roots Celebrating Mexican-American Heritage and Culture: The Museum School for the Visual Arts will exhibit student artwork based on the theme of Nuestras Raíces: Our Roots Celebrating Mexican-American Heritage and Culture. The artwork will be displayed on the wooden towers in the Café Lounge Area.

15th Annual High School Art Invitational

March 13, 2010 - April 24, 2010

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.

Artwork of Kevin Barbro

May 1, 2010 - May 30, 2010

Artist's Statement:

I am interested in exploring various social, political, and economic relationships impacted by fear, fragmentation, and alienation that typify modern life. The loss of balance between humans and the natural world raises questions concerning the relationships within these various systems we all exist within.

My work incorporates these themes and topics to not only expose and draw attention to the negative conditions that shape public spheres and internal psyches, but also to illustrate my own internal fears and anxieties about my place within these structures.

The symbols in my work of people, animals, and objects provide an opportunity to reflect ideas that speak to these fears and expose the way this leads to an alienated state, both individually and also within group dynamics.

The artwork of Kevin Barbro will be on display on the Gallery walls in May.

Artwork of Alexander Nesler

May 1, 2010 - May 30, 2010

Artist's Statement:

I’ve always struggled with identity in portraiture. At some point the image ceases to be an image and becomes a portrayal of the subject.

I want to depict form that is independent of identity, form with a weight in the sheer physicality of its presence. I want to explore and record a hyper-reality that does not dehumanize the body, but separates it and watches the implications.

By examining this relationship between the image and the identity, our understanding of both becomes far more clear.

The artwork of Alexander Nesler will be on display in the wooden towers, also located on 1st floor.

Artwork of Bart Jennings

June 1, 2010 - June 30, 2010

Artist's Statement:

I arrived in Ghana, West Africa in June of 2003 to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer. I spent the next two years teaching visual art at Wa School for the Deaf, located in the Upper West Region, near the boarder of Burkina Faso . During this time I had the opportunity to photograph the people and daily life in Wa and the surrounding villages. I had two wonderful years spent in Ghana.

Artist's Reception:
Join us on Wednesday, June 30, 4:30-7:30 pm, at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of Nick Bunch

July 1, 2010 - July 31, 2010

Artist's Statement:

I try to explore the creation process involved in the formation of myths or legends. Often this includes the dehumanization of individuals in family relationships. I use printmaking to explore the way a single key image or theme can be presented in multiple different versions through added layers and mono-typing.

Artist's Reception:
Join us on Saturday, July 3, 4-5 pm, at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library

Still Life In Rwanda, by Eleni Sakellar

August 1, 2010 - August 31, 2010

Artist's Statement:

Still Life in Rwanda is the result of my investigation into genocide and into philosophical discussions surrounding the nature of reality today, where those of us who live in technologically advanced societies are able to observe such atrocities from afar.

Genocide is a recurring theme that spans human existence. This past century was the bloodiest of them all, with more than 50 million people having been systematically murdered because of race, religion or belief. Despite Never Again commitments by world leaders, genocide continues.

In today’s world, we have the ability to instantaneously become aware of what is happening as it happens elsewhere in the world. Does this knowledge make us individually more responsible? Has seeing these atrocities as media events, one after another, made us more complacent?

My work does not suggest answers. Instead, it asks us to consider, and reconsider, our own questions. Not to understand others, but to understand ourselves.

Artist's Reception:
Please join us on Monday, August 2, from 5-7 pm in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Artwork of Kate Breakey

August 6, 2010 - August 31, 2010

The artwork of Kate Breakey will be on display on the wooden towers, located on 1st floor.

Artist Kate Breakey is known for her lush portraits of birds and flowers that she painstakingly photographs and hand-colors. In 2007 she produced the Cactus Portfolio, a special limited edition, two-volume set, featuring 20 signed and numbered archival inkjet prints reproduced at actual size from original hand-colored photographs of potted cacti. The limited edition prints you see here are from those volumes. Long interested in all aspects of the natural cycle—birth, death, order and the mystery of our natural world—here Breakey takes tiny cactus and makes them front and center, surviving, even thriving in their human made, albeit unnatural, environments. For more information on Kate Breakey, please contact : Etherton Gallery.

Artwork by Molly Stothert-Maurer

September 1, 2010 - September 30, 2010

Artist's Statement:

My work is centered on color and line, and I use these aspects to convey exuberance and motion. I frequently mix drawing and painting media and like to use paper and panel which better expose evidence of pressure and strokes. I work in multiple layers adding and subtracting to create textures by wiping and scraping. Thematically, I tend toward subtle humor and peculiar storyline. My subject matter includes irons, birds and punctuation.

Artist's Reception:
Please join us on Wednesday, September 8, from 6-8 pm in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Artwork of Catherine Eyde

October 1, 2010 - October 31, 2010

Artist's Statement:

My artwork is About Place and how it reflects life, culture and signs of the times. It continually changes in direction with each new series of work.

Dense with symbolism, the work is often personal, political, escapist, and ‘sweet’ with dark undertones of emotion and mood. I have been making and studying art as long as I can remember and my passion for it never seems to tire or diminish.

I have had numerous exhibitions since moving here in 1996, and I continue to be an artistic presence and supporter of the arts in the city of Tucson. I look forward to the opportunity to show at the Joel D. Valdez Library in Downtown Tucson because I enjoy showing in public venues, where a wonderfully diverse group of our community will encounter the work.

Artwork of Tabitha Adams

November 1, 2010 - November 30, 2010

Artist's Statement:

A myriad of emotions seem to be unveiled when I put brush to canvas. Happiness, moodiness, contemplation and skepticism are only a few colors of the human palette that I work with. I work mostly with the female subject because that is what I identify with the most, and through her I can recreate my own sense of female history and complexity.

Female heroines in classic books as well as in contemporary books inspire me. My paintings are often portraitures of such characters. I strive to capture emotion and shifting of moods through use of color and texture with my paints.

I like working with the human figure because it is the body that is a captive vessel for the mind. Thoughts have no boundaries, no limitations, yet it is the human body that limits and always brings us back to earth.

Artist Reception:
Join us on Friday, November 12, 4-5 pm, at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of Pilar Hanson

December 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Artist's Statement:

My work is content driven and addresses subject matter pertaining to history and myth, the geography of the land, and the phenomena of the sky. I am interested in the marks and symbols we use to explain the world, and in the methodologies of mapping and documenting.

I use acrylic paint, charcoal, oil pastel, tape, pencil and photocopy transfers. The application of these materials is one of layering and mark making. I begin most pieces with purposeful content, but this soon becomes obliterated by layers of paint and other materials. I build with shapes, and cover them up.

Sometimes small fragments are left to suggest something beneath, something of the past. The paintings are composites of shape and line, their surfaces reveal a history of both the physical activity and the thought process that occur in creating the work.

The artwork of Pilar Hanson will show on the Gallery walls.

Artwork of Beata Wehr

December 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Artist's Statement:

Most of my work relates to my experience as a European living in the U.S. I came here 24 years ago from Warsaw. Since my connection to Poland is very strong, culturally I am in between the two worlds.

In my work I address the problems with complete understanding on both verbal and non-verbal levels, adaptation, nostalgia, isolation, dislocation and identity. I moved many times. I had 12 homes - so I started to define again the idea and meaning of home. I had to tame the new space in order to make Tucson, which is so different than Warsaw, my new home.

I am also interested in recording the passage of time, obsessed by the changes happening in our life, changes of our fragile bodies, our minds. In my work the past is mixed with the present, experiences from Poland with those from here.I found artists' books to be especially useful in talking about the issues of identity, immigration, and dislocation, transience. I like their intimate format, and the fact that many media could be combined on the pages, creating layers of images.

The artwork of Beata Wehr will be displayed in the glass cases on the 1st floor.

Artwork of Carol Ann Miraben

January 2, 2011 - January 31, 2011

Artist's Statement:

After eight years of painting semi-realistic expressive watercolors, I began to experiment with collage, acrylic, and a more abstract style. This new nonobjective evocative approach now anchors my contemporary work and has become my passion.

Worldwide travel and the American Southwest where I live continue to be my primary influences and inspiration. I love the labor-intensive layering of paint and paper as I mine and refine my work to represent the concepts and the heart of the places my paintings represent.

My paintings have between 15 and 25 layers of paper, paint, and found materials. I put on and I paint over and I take away, always building, tearing down, and altering the surface. Sometimes I feel like an archaeologist - searching, digging, scraping, pounding, looking for the meaning of the painting. Oftentimes, the final painting is completely different from the original concept that I envisioned. It is this unpredictable evolutionary process that I find most challenging and most exciting.

Artwork of Sonrisa Designs & Handmade Animals

January 3, 2011 - January 31, 2011

Sonrisa Designs & Handmade Animals was founded unofficially in l993-95 when Grandma Ruby first saw the Amazing Artwork by four teenage brothers of Mexican birth and one Native American Quilter, age 50, in Phoenix, and felt that they needed exposure to the public. Nine years later, they finally agreed to let her purchase their artwork, and the group was given its name by the boys' former School Art Teacher, because “Sonrisa means smile in Spanish.”

Eighteen years have passed since that fateful day, and the collection now includes approximately 450-500 Objets d'Art: pen & ink drawings, watercolor and acrylic paintings, ceramics, sculpture, handmade baby blankets, pillows, and aprons by 23 different artists, ranging in ethnic background from Mexican to Hispanic-American, Afro-American, Native American, Scotch, Middle Eastern, and Jewish.

The artwork and crafts of the thirteen newest artists in the group are now on display in the glass cases and on the wooden towers in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Kino Heritage Society

February 1, 2011 - February 28, 2011

In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, S.J.’s death, the Kino Heritage Society is exhibiting photographs and maps on the wooden towers in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library café lounge area.

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

February 1, 2011 - March 13, 2011

To celebrate Nuestras Raíces, the Raíces Taller 222 Gallery and Workshop will be exhibiting members' art at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library Gallery. Raíces Taller is the only Latino-based nonprofit, cooperative, contemporary, art gallery in Tucson. Enjoy the art of this nationally recognized cooperative, awarded by the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC).

Also on display in the library's 1st floor windowed room are mannequins wearing Mexican traditional style of dress. 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.

Fantography Baseball Photograghs

March 1, 2011 - March 31, 2011

Fantography will be exhibiting photographs taken by fans over the last 100 years that capture poignant personal moments in professional baseball. The photographs will be displayed on the wooden towers in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library café lounge area.

16th Annual High School Art Invitational

March 15, 2011 - April 24, 2011

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 on the first floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. The reception for art students will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 2-3 pm in the Main Library lobby. All are welcome.

A Small Painting Show by the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild

April 1, 2011 - April 30, 2011

For forty-four years, Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild has continued as an association of watermedia artists who are dedicated to exhibiting work, increasing skill, exchanging ideas, promoting art education and public appreciation of watermedia through community outreach. The SAWG Art Gallery location is River Center Plaza, Suite 131, (next door to Ric's Cafe) 5605 East River Road (NE corner of Craycroft & River Roads). Hours: Tues.-Sun. 11am-4pm, Closed Mondays. Phone: 299-SAWG (299-7294).

Artwork from SAWG will be displayed on the wooden towers in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library café lounge area. Please join us in the Children's Meeting Room and Main Library lobby on Saturday, April 2, from 2-4 pm for an artist reception.

Fotovitamina, by Rosanna Salonia and Matthew Yates

April 28, 2011 - May 31, 2011

Fotovitamina is the work of Rosanna Salonia and Matthew Yates, two fine-art photographers based in Tucson.

Salonia and Yates are set on living their dream - discovering the world through photography, while utilizing a variety of old-school cameras and techniques, including toy-cameras and expired film. The approach is serendipitous and playful; the intent is to capture the feel of a situation rather than to describe it.

For the Library's public, they have prepared a delightful selection of works about their beloved Southwest, some of them produced for the Tucson Film Office. Simply beautiful color prints, images captured with the usual mix of Diana, Holga, and Hasselblad. Images and colors that speak for themselves.

Read more at fotovitamina.com and Holga Inspire and Curious Camera.

Sonoran Desert Model Builders

April 30, 2011 - May 31, 2011

In recognition of Memorial Day (May 30, 2011), the Sonoran Desert Model Builders (SDMB) has organized an exhibit featuring an assortment of scale models. The exhibit will be located in the windowed room and glass cases in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

One showcase will have special appeal to veterans and history buffs of World War II, and features a recreated set of more than fifty scale "Air Spotter" aircraft models, which existed in both model and playing-card formats. These were used extensively to help train military and civilian personnel on how to distinguish 'friend' from 'foe'. This display was built entirely by SDMB club-members, and was first shown at the 2010 International Plastic Modelers Society, USA National Convention held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Other display cases feature a wide range of models including aircraft, cars, military vehicles, figures, science fiction subjects, and dioramas. All the models displayed celebrate the astounding accomplishment their builders have achieved, and the high level of artistic talent that exists in this unique field of interest. Also on display will be a piece of aviation history – The engine cowling from an actual restored WWII aircraft, complete with 'Nose Art'.

The Sonoran Desert Model Builders is a chartered club of the International Plastic Modelers' Society (USA). SDMB meets in Tucson each month.

Paintings by Niki Glen

June 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011

Artist's Statement:

I paint from my experiences. Being outside in the natural world is often my inspiration. When I move about in nature, with quiet thoughts, the boundary between observer and participant blurs. In my studio I paint subjectively from memory. My paintings are a collage of light and movement and the personalities that I’ve observed or overheard along the path.

I have directed over 100 pieces of large-scale public art. My work has been published in Public Art: A World’s Eye View and in Street Murals: The Most Exciting Art of the Cities of America, Britain, and Western Europe. When I collaborate with other artists and the public I am a catalyst for community participation and creativity. My work appears on the walls of schools, libraries, botanical gardens, hospitals, and office buildings throughout the United States.

Between public art projects I paint in my studio. Currently my work is focused on themes relating to water, Argentine Tango, and peace. At my easel I express my love of nature and its interplay with light and universal truths.

As a professional artist for over four decades I have focused my work on living in harmony with nature. My art transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary and special places.

River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest

June 1, 2011 - July 20, 2011

Come to Main Library and see the winning entries from the annual River of Words Youth Poetry and Art Contest, which will be displayed on the wooden towers and in the glass cabinets in the Main Library lobby.

Tucson's River of Words is a local affiliate of the national River of Words program based out of Berkeley, California.

Artwork of Tad Lamb

July 1, 2011 - July 31, 2011

Artist's Statement:

As I travel and hike around our state of Arizona, I am always struck by the beauty and uniqueness of our natural environment. New trails and vistas bring out sensations of wonder and awe. It’s this sense of exploration and discovery, as well as the peace and solace that comes with it, which inspires me to put brush to paper. In my painting I hope to express and share the serenity I experience while roaming the canyons and mountains of the desert southwest.

Artwork by Guillermo Escudero

August 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011

Guillermo Escudero was born and raised in Argentina. In 1991, he moved to New York City where he continued to study art at the Arts Student League and various other institutions.

While living in NYC, he worked as a light and stage designer for plays and dance shows in theaters in the metropolitan New York area. He studied Batik under an artist in Argentina, and continued to work with the medium in New York City. He exhibited his artwork in galleries and Libraries in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, wining competitions in Pennsylvania and Connecticut galleries.

Guillermo has worked primarily through photography since moving to Tucson in 2001. His love for the desert attracted him to photograph the beauty that Tucson offers. In this case, his love for architecture and nature was combined in a series of photographs of missions and lightning.

Artist's Reception
Join us on Wednesday, August 17, 6-8 pm, at the Joel D Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of B. Amé Branson

August 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011

Artist's Statement:

My new work has been inspired by the many global, environmental, and socio-political issues facing humanity today, and by scientific notions of what our world might be like without human beings. Each "portrait" is presented in a non-representational space in order to emphasize the particular nuances of each model portrayed.

I also incorporate more abstracted elements connoting things like: shelters, vessels, paths and bridges, playful "mark-making," or the idea of "play" itself.

I endeavor to reveal the innate nature of my models and at the same time, I wish to create a level of glorification in order to convey the idea of the tenuous stature of these incredibly complex, beautiful, and often fragile beings on our planet today.

Displayed on the wooden towers in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Sonoran Glass Art Academy

August 1, 2011 - August 31, 2011

The Sonoran Glass Art Academy is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the appreciation and awareness of glass as a visual arts medium. SGAA aims to educate our greater community about glass making and glass art through classes, workshops, and community events.

Member artwork will be on display in the windowed room and glass cases at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library during the month of August, 2011.

Paperworks

September 1, 2011 - September 30, 2011

Paperworks: the Sonoran Collective for Paper and Book Artists provides educational and creative opportunities for all who work with and on paper, and promotes the appreciation and enjoyment of the paper and book arts through regular special events.

Member artwork will be on display in the glass cases at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library during the month of September, 2011.

Art of Summer 2011, The Drawing Studio

September 1, 2011 - September 30, 2011

The Art of Summer 2011 exhibit shows the work of students from the tenth year of the program held every year at The Drawing Studio. Students ranged in age from 9-18 and worked in a variety of media, from drawing to painting, to printmaking, to found object sculpture. The Art of Summer program is unique in two distinct ways. First, the immersion aspect of the studio activities allows participants to bring visual learning and creativity into their lives without the time limitations seen in typical school classrooms. Second, students work with professional master teaching artists, who – besides being expert teachers – are leaders in their fields of expertise. Both distinctions set the groundwork for groundbreaking experience that The Drawing Studio has become known for: learning by engaging in visual practices, regardless of intent to become an art professional.

On display on the wooden towers in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of Ann Tracy-Lopez

September 1, 2011 - September 30, 2011

Artist's Statement:

Inspiration for my work comes from interaction with books, nature and quiet moments. Each piece tells a small personal story with the use of text.

Semi-abstract / representational mixed media works are on either canvas or wood panels. I often incorporate some recycled materials.

Flat color represents space, reflective of the space from my childhood on a farm in the Midwest, and now the wide-open space of the Sonoran Desert.

I find myself seeking nature and simple living more each year, as I turn my back on corporate greed and excessive consumption. I love to create, but the goal is to make thoughtful handcrafted fine art.

Artist's reception for Ann Tracy-Lopez:
Join us on Sunday, September 11, 2011 from 2-4 in the lobby and Children's Meeting Room of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Tropicana Motor Hotel Sign

September 22, 2011 - November 30, 2011

Commissioned by motel owner B. Migliore in 1960 for the Tropicana Motor Hotel, the pole-mounted sign was designed to evoke tropical palm trees blended with a fruit-loop color palette and classic 1950s/1960s design forms. The sign was installed along the highway at the front of the motel at 617 Casa Grande Highway (today, Miracle Mile.) The sign was designed and manufactured by Arizona Neon Advertizing, Inc. at the same time the motor lodge was constructed. The sign was a luminescent landmark thought the 1960s, 70s and 80s until it was unceremoniously cut down in 2004 with the demolition of the Motel.

The sign, almost lost to the scrap yard, was rescued by Lance Lesney who donated it to the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in early 2011. The exuberant sign was beautifully restored in August 2011 by Cook & Co Signmakers. This restoration would have been impossible with out the support of Buffalo Exchange. Thank you to the Pima County Public Library for displaying this Neon Icon.

The incredible restoration team included:
Project Management & Layout: Jude Cook
Crane & Rigging Work: Scott Reeves & Isaac Reyes
Wiring Steve Gaspard
Metal Work & Lettering: Mike Spronken
Neon: Sam Richardson
Layout & Patterns: Rudy Flores
Painting: Mike Braun
Assembly: Cisco Campista

Tucson Neon

Throughout the middle of the 20th century, Miracle Mile, Oracle Road, and Drachman Street were together known as Tucson's "Miracle Mile Strip." This was the northern segment of Tucson's primary automotive corridor: the vehicular route into the city from the north, a crossroads for those traversing the nation on Routes 80 and 89, and an economic arterial that fostered development in several regionally popular architectural styles. For many, this defined their Tucson experience; for others, it shaped their first impression of the Old Pueblo. Swimming pools, flickering neon and lush grassy courtyards welcomed visitors to motels with names like La Siesta, El Rey, Frontier, and El Rancho. Restaurants served steak and music for under $2.00.

Today, these iconic buildings and glowing signs have emerged from history to provide a vivid reminder of the continuing American fascination with the Automobile, and to enhance our society's understating of the mythic 20th century West. Classic neon signs still evoke the American era of fast cars and a slower pace of life. These wonderful examples of mid-20th century commercial art are an evocative night experience.

The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation is working with community partners and Pima Community College to restore and reinstall, a series of these historic neon signs along Tucson's Mid-Century Modern highway.

All Souls Exhibit from Many Mouths One Stomach

October 1, 2011 - October 31, 2011

In honor of the All Souls Procession taking place the first weekend in November 2011, Many Mouths One Stomach will be displaying an exhibit in the windowed room of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

The Procession of Little Angels is scheduled to take place at Armory Park on Saturday, November 5, 2011.

The All Souls Procession, Grand Finale and Dance of the Dead will be held on Sunday, November 6, 2011.

Pima County Public Library - Teen Fantasy Art

October 1, 2011 - October 31, 2011

On display on the wooden towers in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Artwork of Dlyn Fairfax Parra

October 1, 2011 - October 31, 2011

Artist's Statement:

Always the one to play in the paint, the colors, my work is filled with whorls, worlds, windings and wanderings. I love to see the beauty manifest. The colors and movement are my favorite things as well as their relationships and the subtle or huge shifts that occur in these relationships with a brush stroke.

My favorite tool is water when in abundance, it creates swells and rivers, when scarce the thickness of things cleaves heavy. Besides that, I like large brushes for wide sweeping strokes.

Color is my favorite material even though I let the colors chose themselves, I am amazed by their cooperation, competition, and brilliance, stimulating and informing the whole.

My current work has developed primarily into larger format pieces. I have a number of 30 x 40 paper pieces that hold strong color and emergent images. It would seem that my work is organic rather than geometric, on the dark side rather than lighter, and metaphoric.

People will tell me what they perceive; I am often surprised!

Artist's reception for Dlyn Fairfax Parra:
Join us on Saturday, October 1, from 2-4 pm in the Children's Meeting Room and lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of Tom Dudley

November 1, 2011 - November 30, 2011

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, down-cuts, 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.

Global Art Project

December 1, 2011 - December 30, 2011

The Global Art Project for Peace is a grass roots volunteer effort that offers opportunities to create a work of art expressing your vision of global peace and goodwill to exchange with another person or group.

On display in the glass cases of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Artwork of Alfonso Elia

December 1, 2011 - December 30, 2011

Artist's Statement:

I was born in 1967 in Salerno, Italy. I was 14 when I got my first camera, a mechanical reflex with 50mm and 135mm lenses. During my studies of architecture at the University of Naples, I started to work with humanitarian associations and photography studios.

As a photographer I am attracted to visual differences, oppositions and contrasts. I think they express nature's beauty and lifegiving power and humans' need for material and spiritual changes and evolutions, both positive and negative. The need to explore the often abandoned and ruined spaces created by men throughout the centuries and to capture with the camera the feeling I get when walking through those empty spaces, grew as soon as I started to work as an architect. I began to experience that each modification of the human environment causes and mirrors a change in the human spirit and I learned that not all that counts can be counted.

Flight: Mid-Century Masters Interpret the Escape for Survival

December 1, 2011 - December 30, 2011

A travelling exhibit hosted by the International Rescue Committee will include works by mid-century masters such as Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, Jacques Lipchitz. A collection of twelve original signed prints compiled by Varian Fry, founder of the International Rescue Committee, the work depicts each artist's interpretation of the struggle of refugees to find safety from war, oppression and persecution.

Art is a powerful communicator, and this collection is both beautiful and haunting. Several of the artists were themselves refugees fleeing oppressive regimes in WWII and 1950s Eastern Europe. Understanding this power, dictatorial regimes often target artists as a means of controlling mass messages and voices of dissent. The IRC invites Tucson to not only marvel in the masterful technique of these artists, but to open up a dialogue about the importance of art as a means of expressing personal experience as well as collective experience.

Artists:
Eugene Berman (Russian 1894-1972)
Marc Chagall (French/Russian 1887-1985)
Alexander Calder (American 1898-1976)
Adolph Gottlieb (American 1903-1974)
Wifredo Lam (Cuban 1902-1982)
Jacques Lipchitz (French 1891-1973)
André Masson (French 1896-1987)
Joan Miró (Spanish 1893-1983)
Robert Motherwell (American 1915-1991)
Maria Elena Vieira Da Silva (French/Portuguese 1908-1992)
Edouard Pignon (French 1905-1993)
Fritz Wotruba (Austrian 1907-1975)

On display on the wooden towers in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Artwork of Nick Bunch

January 3, 2012 - January 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

I use printmaking as a medium in order to view the transformations a fixed image can go through when presented in multiple environments. This allows for a more thorough exploration of a specific concept. The idea of changing repetition of a flat images shifts the idea from a singular subject to complex combination of ideas. Specifically my art work explores the gap between physical everyday bodily actions and the mental life that goes on behind the physical world. While two people may inhabit the same physical space and experience the same actions, they can often exist on completely different mental planes. My newer work explores the relational foundations set by Anais Nin's short stories and the contemporary idea of an ideal situation.

Arizona Best Fest

January 3, 2012 - January 30, 2012

Arizona Best Fest is an exhibit promoting the Centennial, Arizona's 100th birthday, which takes place on February 14, 2012. The goal of the Arizona Centennial is to inspire all Arizonans to appreciate and celebrate our state's rich past, celebrate the present, and, together, create a vibrant and sustainable future. The Arizona Centennial Commemoration will be a statewide, multi-year observation, with events and projects taking place from 2010 through 2012 in communities across the state. The Arizona Centennial and its Arizona Centennial 2012 Foundation – in collaboration with the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission – heads up commemoration planning and implementation.

On display on the wooden towers in the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Global Art Project

January 3, 2012 - January 30, 2012

On display in the glass cases and windowed room of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Wish You Were Here – Etherton Gallery

February 1, 2012 - February 29, 2012

In celebration of Arizona’s Centennial, a display of vintage Tucson postcards exhibited by the Etherton Gallery will be on display on the gallery walls of the Main Library. Reproduced as archival inkjet prints on canvas, the historic postcards represent Tucson during the 1930s and 1940s, capturing Tucsonans’ vision of their city in the years leading up to and during World War II, highlighting the landscape and thriving downtown of a vibrant desert city. They depict a bustling downtown with shops, theatres, restaurants and automobiles, and a train station – all symbols of the modern city.

This period was also the heyday of Tucson guest ranches, designed for Eastern and Midwestern tourists looking to relax, rejuvenate and ride into the sprawling Sonoran desert. The prints express Tucson’s appeal to tourists; the desert landscape of the giant Saguaro, Tucson’s historic roots, represented by San Xavier Mission, the quiet elegance of the Arizona Inn, outdoor activities like riding and fishing offered by the Santa Rita Hotel, and the presence of Native American and Mexican cultures.

Arizona Geological Survey

February 1, 2012 - February 29, 2012

A display by the Arizona Geological Survey will be on display on the wooden towers in the Main Library lobby.

Annual High School Art Invitational

March 1, 2012 - March 30, 2012

Each year, the art and photography 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 on the first floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

A reception for art students will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 2-3 pm in the Main Library lobby and Children's Meeting Room. All are welcome.

The next Big Read is The Great Gatsby

March 1, 2012 - March 31, 2012

An exhibit related to The Great Gatsby as part of The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to "inspire people across the country to pick up a good book," will be on display on the wooden towers in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature.

Discuss the book at Café Book in the Martha Cooper Branch Library on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

Tucson Decorative Painters Guild

April 1, 2012 - April 30, 2012

Art from the Tucson Decorative Painters Guild will be on display in the windowed room in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault

April 1, 2012 - April 30, 2012

An exhibit by the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault will be on display on the wooden towers in the lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of Hollis McCracken - sculpture

April 1, 2012 - April 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

My artwork is based on my personal life and hardships that I have experienced. While each piece may be inspired by something specific to me, such as my struggle with substance abuse or a death of a close friend, I aim to convey broader themes of a long battle or carrying grief around. To communicate my concepts I use familiar objects and imagery, such as shoes, bottles, and cards, as a metaphor for the overall idea.

I use a wide range of materials and processes to create my work but there is always a similarity in formal concerns. I work life size in the hope that my pieces come across as relatable and tangible to the viewer. My work has included woodworking, ceramics, bronze, metal, and neon, and I always use representational and clean techniques.

On display in the glass cases.

It's up 2 You!

April 2, 2012 - April 30, 2012

Hosted by the Arizona State Museum, this traveling exhibit includes enlargements of an original comic book, It’s Up 2 You!, illustrated by Ryan Huna Smith (Chemehuevi/Navajo) and co-written with Lisa Falk, ASM director of education. The comic’s storyline grew out of talks with Native American and Hispanic teens.

The story’s heroine, Samantha, a teenage skateboarder, challenges her peers, Brandon and Tomás, to avoid the temptations of fast food and video games and to see the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating. A dream visit from a Native American elder illustrates what being healthy was traditionally and how an unhealthy lifestyle can result in diabetes and its consequences. As the comic’s title indicates, It’s Up 2 You! to decide how you want to live your life.

It's up 2 You! is available on the web at healthypima.org and as a free downloadable app on iTunes. Bonus features include a health challenge quiz game and audio in Spanish, Tohono O’odham and English.

Models that Tell a Story: the Art of Dioramas and Vignettes

May 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012

Amazing scale models will return to the Joel Valdez Library for the month of May. In addition to a wide variety of models-types (military, ships, figures, space, science-fiction, etc.), members will include a special display highlighting the art of dioramas and vignettes. These are models that “tell a story” to the viewer, and have often been described as being “3-dimensional paintings”. On Saturday, May 26 (10 – noon), there will be a special model-making event for children in the café/lounge area.

Presented by the Sonoran Desert Model Builders; a local club of dedicated model-builders whose award-winning models have appeared both nationally and internationally.

On display in the windowed room and the glass cases.

Artwork of Karen Bellamy – painting and mixed media

May 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012

Artist's Statement:

I’m drawn to the shapes and colors of our southwestern landscapes, and especially to the ways that time and weather affect these landscapes.

Artist’s Reception:
Join us on Sunday, May 6, 2012 from 2:30-4:30 pm at the Joel D. Valdez Main library.

CreateIT Exhibit

May 1, 2012 - May 31, 2012

An exhibit highlighting the creations of CreateIT students from across Tucson.

CreateIT offers free classes in video production, photography, sound production, and web animation. All middle and high school students are welcome to attend. Check out upcoming CreateIT classes.

CreateIT Art will be displayed on the wooden towers in the Cafe area.

Join us for an opening reception on Wednesday, May 2 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

Youth Farm Project

June 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012

A photography exhibit of the Youth Farm Project, part of the Tucson Community Food Bank, will be displayed on the wooden towers in the café area.

The Youth Farm Project is made up of the Youth Apprentice Program on the 10-acre Marana Heritage Farm; the Summer Street Team, a 3-week intensive exploration of our community's food systems; and the Youth Internship Program, where young people are given the opportunity to develop a relationship with the food they eat. This information, and more, can be found at the Youth Farm Project.

A Collection of Sleeping Mexicans

June 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

Jill Janis states, "A recent Tucson Weekly article highlights my collaboration with Southwest scholar Maribel Alvarez. We recently started The Sleeping Mexican Project together with Borderlands photographer Raechel Running, who is documenting the collection in her unique style on Flikr.

We would like to publish a gorgeous coffee-table book, also to put together a traveling show of parts of the collection and eventually to find a permanent home for the entire collection where it could be enjoyed and studied by the public. This is all in the interests of increased understanding, leading to improved relations between Mexico and the US. This is so necessary - now more than ever."

The project aims to educate the public about the history of this image and to inspire dialogue about the varied interpretations of the iconic symbol of the Sleeping Mexican.

No matter what you think of this wide-spread, controversial image - reviled and beloved - you'll be impressed by all the different kinds of objects that were decorated with it, starting from the 1930s. Please come and see!

On display in the glass cases, the show presents a small sampling of the broad range of objects incorporating this controversial icon, taken from Jill Janis's personal collection accumulated over the last 34 years. It includes over 1,300 items, plus scrapbooks of paper and photograph examples.

Artwork of Pete Arriola – painting and digital art

June 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve been interested in art since i was a child and proud to say I make a living doing what I love. I work as an illustrator for a company where all day i design tattoos and illustrate kids paint books. The mediums I usually work in are Traditional Drawing & Digital Art. On my free time I like to do more comicbook style art and recently I've been painting with acrylics. Someday I would like to study other mediums such as animation, sculpture or writing, until then I’m content where I’m at.

Artwork of George Penaloza – sculpture

June 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

Sculptures expressing iconic American issues, ideals and popular figures in a surrealistic manner.

Made in High fire clay with low fire, cold glazes, stains, lusters, and utilizing decoupage techniques.

On display in the windowed room.

Pima County Public Library Staff Art Show

July 1, 2012 - July 31, 2012

Staff from the each of the 27 Pima County Public Library branches have been invited to bring in their artistic creations. The entire gallery space on the first floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library is reserved for the show. Please come in to view this diverse collection of amazing artwork!

Artwork of Mahala Lewis – painting

August 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012

Artist's Statement:

My paintings are inspired by nature and our human relationship with nature. I enjoy painting scenes that encompass beauty and love, but at the same time, I seek to portray the seriousness of our impact on the environment.

I would like to share my perceptions of life and death. Essentially, we are responsible for taking care of our mother earth. She brings us life but also death. This cycle sustains and enriches our unique existence.

Sonoran Glass School

August 1, 2012 - August 31, 2012

Blown glass art created by members of the Sonoran Glass School will be displayed in the windowed room and the glass cases.

American Sewing Guild

September 1, 2012 - September 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

About the Tucson Chapter:
"The Tucson Chapter averages an enrollment of 288+ members who sew at all levels of expertise. Periodic events, seminars and classes keep participants current on sewing industry trends and accommodate both basic and advanced educational interests." --the American Sewing Guild, Tucson Chapter

The more than 20,000 sewing hours contributed annually by the members of the American Sewing Guild's Tucson Chapter include projects like AVIVA Christmas stockings for youth in foster care and Chemo Caps for the AZ Oncology Foundation and the American Cancer Society. Learn more about the group's many community service projects.

The Tucson chapter of the American Sewing Guild will be exhibiting their members’ work in the windowed room and glass cases.

Hispanic Heritage Month – Cuadro Arte Latino Internacional

September 1, 2012 - September 30, 2012

In celebration of Mexican Independence Day (September 16) and Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), Cuadro Arte Latino Internacional is very proud to exhibit a collection of artwork on the wooden towers in the café/lounge area.

Cuadro Arte Latino Internacional is an Non-Profit International Cultural Exchange Organization representing and supporting artists from all over the world. Now located at 980 E University Boulevard, the organization has been working with the Marshall Foundation since October 2008.

Artists' Reception and Children's Art Activity
Join us on Saturday, September 1, 2012, from 12 - 2 pm in the cafe/lounge area of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Artwork of Jon Howe – mixed media

September 1, 2012 - September 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

The background of my work is orchestration. I bring together a number of media and combine them in a way that they play off each other: Harmonizing, contrasting, reinforcing, burying, creating rhythms, and opening and closing spaces. Lyrics often run through the visual play as in a song.

Artwork of Brian Powell - photography

October 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

Artist's Statement:

I am a Tucson-based photographer and ecologist. Most of my work focuses on natural landscapes, but for this series I chose a set of images from a recent trip to India. While there, I was moved by the people and the landscape they inhabit. My goal for these images is to reflect the resiliency and hope of people I encountered during my trip. Though poverty and despair abound in modern India, I hope that these images illuminate the qualities of wisdom, strength, and faith. In these increasingly uncertain times, I believe these are important lessons and reminders for us all.

Artist Reception:
Please join us on Tuesday, October 2 from 4-6 pm in the Children’s Meeting Room and lobby of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Artwork of Bonnie Gibson – sculpture

October 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

Artist's Statement:

Gourds are a versatile canvas for expressing my love of nature and native cultures. My work reflects the world that surrounds me; living in the southwest for over 35 years has provided me with an endless source of inspiration. A lifelong interest in many diverse forms of artistic media including woodcarving, scale miniatures, paints, glass, and clay, have influenced my work with gourds and provided me with valuable experiences and technical abilities. One of my primary goals is to help lift gourds out of the realm of "crafts" and into greater acceptance as fine art. To that end, I enjoy manipulating gourds in new ways, inviting the viewer to interpret them as something more while retaining their natural essence.

On display in the glass cases.

All Souls Exhibit from Many Mouths One Stomach

October 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

In honor of the All Souls Procession taking place the weekend of November 3-4, 2012, Many Mouths One Stomach will be displaying an exhibit in the windowed room of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Pima County Public Library - Teen Fantasy Art

October 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

Exhibiting entries in the 2021 Worlds of Imagination fantasy art contest for teens.

On display on the wooden towers in the café/lounge area.

Art featured here: Pirates of the Sun by Stephanie Tineo

Artists' reception:
Please join us on Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 2 - 4 pm in the Children’s Meeting Room of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library lobby.

Tucson’s River of Words

November 1, 2012 - November 30, 2012

Each year, Pima County Natural Resources Parks and Recreation partners with TPAC to conduct a free poetry and art contest for children and youth focused on the theme of watersheds. The contest is designed to help kids explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live in, and to express their scientific knowledge and discoveries through poetry and art. More information can be found on the website of Tucson Pima Arts Council .

The exhibit will be on display in the glass cases and the wooden towers in the café/lounge area.

Tucson Quilters' Guild

November 1, 2012 - November 30, 2012

Quilts created by members of the Tucson Quilters' Guild will be on display in the windowed room in the lobby.

The Quilters' Guild, a chapter of the National Quilting Association, Inc, features speakers at monthly meetings that often include workshops. The annual Tucson Quilters Guild Quilt Show is a highly anticipated event. The 35th Annual Quilt Show will be held at the Tucson Convention Center, January 11–13, 2013.

Artwork of Mel Dominguez – painting

November 1, 2012 - November 30, 2012

Artist's Statement:

Art has been my way of communicating with others since I was very young. I love to use different styles and techniques that I have learned along my career as a production artist. I use various mediums and colors. My inspirations include the people that I meet in my life, listening to different types of music, and translating stories into paintings. I paint with my heart and soul and always highlight social and political themes throughout my work. Art is my passion, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the youth of the community.

Artist Reception:
Please join us on Wednesday, November 7 from 6-7:30 pm in the 1st Floor Cafe Lounge and lobby.

Main Library Winter Village

November 30, 2012 - December 31, 2012

It may not snow in Tucson for the holidays, but you can enjoy a snowy miniature village complete with a moving train on your next visit to the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

Come view this winter wonderland in the exhibit room near the lobby of the Main Library during December.

Southwest Books of the Year

December 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

Southwest Books of the Year is our guide to all the books published during the year, both fiction and nonfiction, with a southwestern setting or subject.

Our panel of subject specialists review the books we receive and pick the ones they think are the best. Their choices are published in our annual publication, Southwest Books of the Year: Best Reading.

Find more information about the books chosen in years past on the Southwest Books of the Year web page.

On display in the glass cases in the lobby.

Artwork of Serena Tang – painting

December 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

Serena Tang’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 mother, her work explores life though a child's eyes, capturing their vulnerability and curiosity.

Ms. Tang is a native to Arizona and received her bachelor’s degree in visual communications from University of Arizona. She is an acrobat with Flight School Acrobatics and is a graphic designer.

Artwork of Chris Brozek - photography

December 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

Artist's Statement:

These photographs have been taken over a span of four years in and around the Tucson area. I have been attracted to the picturesque quality of everyday places. I was fortunate to capture some of the photogenic quality of Southern Arizona during my flights as a private pilot. I would like to share these moments with the public to remind us of the beauty that surrounds us.

On display on the wooden towers.

Artist Reception: Please join us on Sunday, December 16, 2012 from 2-5 pm in the Children’s Room and lobby.

Artwork of Whitney Morton – painting

January 1, 2013 - January 31, 2013

Artist's Statement:

I love Shakespeare. The Bard has been a part of my life since I was eight years old, when I saw “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for the first time. Since then, reading, watching, and occasionally acting in Shakespeare’s plays have been key experiences for me.

Theatre is one of my great passions, so it makes sense to me to incorporate it into my artwork. I first saw “The Tempest” at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland – a beautiful play, especially when you realize it was one of Shakespeare’s last. Every character is one you can relate to: Miranda the ingénue, Prospero the nobleman turned magician, Caliban the half-demon trickster. I have presented portraits of these three primary characters here, as well as two images of the climactic scene of the play: Prospero’s renunciation of the magical arts.

So, Master Shakespeare, the Swan of Avon, this is for you.

Artist Reception:
Please join us on Wednesday, January 2, 2013 from 6:30-8:00 pm in the Children’s Room and lobby.

Old Pueblo Knitters Guild

January 2, 2013 - January 31, 2013

The Old Pueblo Knitters Guild is the Tucson chapter of The Knitting Guild of America. Their mission is to provide communication and education to people wishing to advance the quality of workmanship and creativity in knitting. They meet the third Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at St. Phillips in the Hill’s Episcopal Church, at the northeast corner of Campbell and River.

Local guild members’ work will be on display in the windowed room in the library lobby.

The Author Talks

January 2, 2013 - January 31, 2013

Books from previous and upcoming authors from the library’s Author Talks series will be on display in the glass cases in the lobby.

The Joel D. Valdez Main Library invites authors to come and talk about their books. We host a variety of exciting authors and topics. Listen, ask questions, and meet the author. The library’s calendar offers more information about upcoming events taking place at 2 pm on certain Saturdays in the Lower Level Meeting Room. The program is free and parking is free on Saturdays.

The Authors are:

Nov 10, 2012 – Ken Lamberton, author of Dry River: stories of life, death, and redemption on the Santa Cruz
Dec 8, 2012 – Gregory McNamee, editor of The Only One Living to Tell: the autobiography of a Yavapai Indian
Jan 12, 2013 – Lili DeBarbiera, author of A Guide to Southern Arizona’s Historic Farms & Ranches
Jan 26, 2013 – Bill Broyles, author of Last Water on the Devil’s Highway a cultural and natural history of Tinajas Altas
Feb 9, 2013 – Mystery Author Panel with Susan C. Miller (author of Fracture, and Detachment Fault), and Elizabeth Gunn (author of The Magic Line, and The Ten Mile Trials)

Drawing Studio Youth Artwork

January 2, 2013 - January 31, 2013

During the Fall 2012 semester, the Drawing Studio offered an 8-week after school art class at six Boys and Girls clubhouses in Tucson.

Classes were grounded in the fundamentals of drawing from observation and in media explorations conducted by experienced teaching artists from the Drawing Studio. The curriculum is rooted on observation, and focused on developing life skills in addition to artistic skills, and provided an art-as-general-education approach appropriate to the thousands of students we serve. Exercises emphasized observation of both world and inner self. Subject matter incorporated individual, family, and community stories and interests.

Some of the resulting artwork from students ages 9-12 years old will be displayed on the wooden towers in the lobby.

Artist Reception:
Please join us for a reception for Boys and Girls Club artists on Wednesday, January 16 from 6–7 pm in the Children's Meeting Room.

The Seed Library of Pima County Public Library

February 1, 2013 - February 28, 2013

Did you know you can borrow seeds from the library? Humans have been saving seeds for over 12,000 years. When you grow and save your own seeds, you save money while developing seed stock that is well suited to the climate in Southern Arizona. The mission of the Seed Library is to help nurture a thriving community of gardeners and seed savers.

Seedlings and information about seed saving and starting a garden will be on display in the glass cases and the windowed room in the lobby.

Arts for All

February 1, 2013 - February 28, 2013

Participant artwork will be displayed on the wooden towers in the lobby.

In Dreams by Ellen Campbell – mixed media on paper

February 1, 2013 - February 28, 2013

Artist's Statement:

I am the kind of person who likes to know where I’m going but, as an artist, I push myself to stay on the edge of the unknown. Working abstractly, I add and subtract elemental forms without a clear sense of what will become part of a final piece and what will eventually be covered up or removed. Exposed staples, stitches and uneven edges hint at the physicality of this process, as do highly burnished areas of color that contrast with softer fields of monochromatic space. I view my mixed media compositions as narratives in that each one explores relationships while tracing the history of a certain cast of characters: symbols, circles, angles and lines are the lead players in these narratives and the dance that occurs when these shapes merge, diverge or intersect is the plot.

Artist Reception:
Please join us on Sunday, February 17, 2013 from 2 to 4 pm n the Children's Room and lobby.

18th Annual High School Art Invitational

March 1, 2013 - March 30, 2013

Each year, the art and photography teachers from Pima County high schools are invited to select up to five pieces of their students' work to submit for display on the entire first floor of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library.

A reception for art students will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 2-3 pm in the Children's Meeting Room. All are welcome.

Photos of the exhibit are here.

Artwork of Maria Thomas – painting

April 1, 2013 - April 30, 2013

Artist's Statement:

As an artist I’m interested in inspiring viewers to create their own stories in response to my images. What can an unusual character, a gesture, or even the play of color and light, spark in someone’s imagination? Our brains work so much by association, sometimes in a straightforward fashion and sometimes reflecting the twisted logic of our dreams and memories. Will it remind them of a personal experience, a favorite fairy tale, or have them daydreaming for the rest of the day about an entirely new story?

Artists' Books: Exploration and Discovery from PaperWorks

April 1, 2013 - April 30, 2013

PaperWorks, the Sonoran collective for paper and book artists, provides education and creative opportunities for all who work with and on paper, and promotes the appreciation and enjoyment of the paper and book arts through regular and special events.

Member artwork will be displayed in the glass cases in the Main Library lobby.

Tucson Handweavers and Spinners Guild

April 1, 2013 - April 30, 2013

The Tucson Handweavers and Spinners Guild is a fiber arts community that supports and encourages creative expression in weaving, spinning and other fiber related endeavors through gatherings, education and promotion of public appreciation for these arts and crafts.

Member artwork will be displayed in the windowed room in the Main Library lobby.

The Other White Cube Project (refrigerators as curated space)

April 1, 2013 - April 30, 2013

Stuart Robinson is a University of Arizona Doctoral candidate studying art and visual culture education. He will install an exhibit featuring the refrigerator as a decorative exhibit space within the home. Robinson is exploring the ways families serve as their own curators in deciding which magnets, photographs, calendars, postcards and other visual ephemera to display. Just like museum walls, the exhibit spaces on refrigerators allow residents to convey messages, provide information and draw attention.

The exhibit will take place on and near the wooden towers in the Main Library café area.

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