DeGrazia Gallery

This is pure old Tucson. Ted DeGrazia mixed Cowboy/​Native American/​Mexican culture and created beautiful, crazy, colorful folk art. There was a time in Tucson when if you visited restaurants around town or went into many Tucson homes you’d find a DeGrazia print or sometimes original DeGrazia art because he was such a local icon that «got it» about our cultural mix and the colors he used were wild. The gallery buildings themselves are a treat to see because DeGrazia built them using many native materials done in this adobe mission style meets mid century modern meets Desert/​Tucson fantasy with nods to local history throughout. He built a chapel on the grounds with frescos that is non-​denominational and meant for reflection. This guy was so cool. The value of his art ballooned in the 70’s according to the IRS although he and his heirs didn’t actually have the money, so to save them the financial burden if he died, DeGrazia burned many pieces of his work in a theatrical way in the mountains, creating a funeral pyre (a Southwestern style pyre, of course) and burned them… or did he? That’s the best part, the urban legends that float around Tucson that maybe he didn’t burn everything he said, maybe he kept some or secreted them away. Maybe they’re still out there somewhere. *Sigh* Anyways, I’m sad that the museum is not free anymore because I can’t wander around the grounds whenever I feel like it but I understand that after decades of free admission all good things must come to an end — because it costs money to maintain the art and grounds. Hopefully they’ll consider doing a free day or discount day OR even better, perhaps a wealthy donor out there can save the day? Any takers? Come visit and if you get a chance, visit on an event day like Ted’s birthday or concerts.

If you are ever visiting Tucson, you should not miss this gem! Thank you Ted DeGrazia for leaving this beautiful treasure to the community and for visitors around the world. The gallery only recently started charging admission, but it’s only $ 8.00 for adults and children under 12 are free. Be sure to see the grounds where you can view the humble home he built and lived in on the property. The area is absolutely gorgeous.

Great Southwestern gallery and little church. Beautiful setting and grounds!
We didn’t go into the main building because it was about to close… but, we’ll be back.
Admission is $ 8 for adults
$ 5 for teens and free for under 5

This place is truly a photographers paradise. There are so many gorgeous details to shoot on this property.
The staff is really gracious with letting you photograph on the grounds. I really hope this place is not taken advantage of by the public, it’s always clean and beautiful, I hope that doesn’t change ever.

Always enjoy coming here when I am in Tucson. Wandering the grounds is almost as enjoyable as viewing the gallery. There is an authentic Adobe chapel built by the artist. DeGrazia’s home and studios.
They now charge for entry which I understand. While the galley was once far out of town, it has been subsumed by an upscale neighborhood and I have to imagine the taxes alone are expensive to maintain without admissions.
If you have never enjoyed the gallery, pay the admission. It is well worth it. The tours are very informative and the artwork ranges from dark to whimsical.
If you have visited before. The grounds are still free and gives you a wonderful perspective on the artist and the times he lived in. Every time I visit, I see something new.

Love the grounds and the gallery and always like to bring out of towners there to see his art. However… was very disappointed to arrive there yesterday with a number of out of state family members to discover that they are now charging admission. This is directly against what DeGrazia had stated emphatically before he died. The history shows that at his death bed, he was insistent that admission should NEVER be charged for people to see his work. We walked the grounds but opted not to pay admission, so they weren’t able to see his work.

The location of this place is nothing but beautiful views and great vibes. I’ve come here several times to enjoy all of the art and history I definitely recommend this place because it is a piece of Tucson’s heart. All this all the hostess and staff were nothing but wonderful polite and extremely knowledgeable keep it up guys.

The thing I like to do every time I visit the gallery and it’s grounds is to go into the peaceful courtyard which you can access from the gift shop. It’s filled with plants and flowers, cactus and trees. A fountain with a Yaqui Deer Dancer sculpture is my personal fave item in the courtyard. Also a must-​see is DeGrazia’s house, to the left of the gallery. So simple, so humble yet so perfect. Tucson is blessed to have such a place to visit.

DeGrazia is a lovely gallery! It had been years since my last visit to the gallery and was such a sweet treat today. A friend prompted the visit, as he had recently gone and sang its praises. So we made it a family affair and went for a morning visit. Even if you are not a huge fan of his art or of Southwestern art, there are pieces to be found and enjoyed. My oldest son found a piece that he was thrilled to show us (of a reptile) and it was stunning. Look for it on your next visit! The small gallery was my favorite part of our visit. They have guest artists displaying their work for two weeks. Today, Mary Alice Kellogg was the guest artist and her work was a stunning new approach to depicting the southwest. In the small gallery, visitors are able to meet the guest artist! Wonderful!
It is a Tucson treat and a fantastic place to bring out of towners!

If you enjoy Native American inspired art, go.
If you enjoy unique architecture, go.
If you enjoy a free adventure, go.
I drove up to this gallery one day when someone on Twitter mentioned that it was free and open over the holiday weekend. I didn’t regret it.
There isn’t really a right or wrong way to begin your browsing at this gallery, but don’t hesitate to ask if you need a little guidance…
A visitor said to me that the site is like a wonderful labyrinth, and when I ended my walk by reading how Degrazia built the area, I laughed. In the descriptions, it said that he wanted it to feel like a series of tunnels.
I adored the architecture and how he chose his materials. Take note of the ceilings and floors while you’re there for a visit. And bring a snack if you want to enjoy the outside area!

I can’t recommend DeGrazia Gallery enough! As a Tucson native who now lives in Phoenix, this is one of my favorite spots to visit whenever I’m back in town. The views of the mountains coupled with it’s great proximity to my favorite restaurants and shopping, make it a must do.
DeGrazia’s life story is fascinating and it’s wonderful to be able to visit the exact place where so much beauty was created. It’s a great afternoon outing and if you have friends or family visiting from out of town, in my experience the gallery is always a hit.
If you want to see more photos and learn interesting historical tidbits, I’d recommend checking out the gallery’s Instagram (@degraziagallery). Whoever runs the feeds does an excellent job!

This is a FIND. At first blush this is a dusty little nothing of a tourist trap. But MY GOODNESS — this is a sweeping museum of the artist’s life and work. His studio still stands and houses an interesting artist resident program, this art will rotate and is variable in quality. The grounds, small chapel, and lovely collection is interesting and really feels true to the artist’s original vision for the space.
I must say — please do not come around closing time — like even within an HOUR of closing time. I’ve made this mistake twice and was greeted unkindly by the ladies in the gift shop. Don’t mind that sign outside that says open until 4… around 3:30 they actively shoo everyone out!

The rustic DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is such a treat even for this long time Tucsonan. The grounds are beautiful, the buildings old and full of history, and art is everywhere. EVERYWHERE! Turning from Swan on to the property, I was immediately hit with the simple, rustic beauty just from the fencing that lines the road leading to the parking lot. My friends and I learned that a wedding would be taking place in the little open air mission in a bit so we hurried over to see it first before the wedding guests arrived. The mission is so simple and unsophisticated as is everything on the property yet so full of beauty. I am a sucker for altars with pictures, trinkets, candles and written words of love so this was right up my alley.
The actual Gallery is a surprisingly large maze of rooms full of DeGrazia’s art. Admittedly not a fan of the art he is most known for and uneducated about his wealth of talent in various mediums, I was so surprised at everything I saw. The looping video midway through the gallery is worth the 20 minutes it takes to watch. One really gets a sense of who Ted DeGrazia was and his love for the desert and its people.
The beautifully whimsical garden area is really a treat and as I walked throughout the area I constantly found new items and art that brought a smile to my face.
I have a new appreciation for DeGrazia’s art and really enjoyed everything I saw especially the bullfighting pieces and the work dedicated to Padre Kino. There is so much emotion in those pieces — pain, admiration, love and harshness. I only wish the gift shop contained a better cross section of his art instead of what he is so well known for… little children.
I always thought DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun was a bit of a tourist trap but I think every person who lives in Tucson owes it to themselves to visit the property.

I have been here several times and still get goose bumps. This precious museum holds DeGrazia’s life in its delicate hands. From the building structures to the museum itself, this place is definitely worth a trip. I love the chapel as well. If you sit quietly, you can just feel the energy in that little room, good and bad.

Learning about DeGrazia in a place he set up was pretty cool, especially considering that part of the beautiful environment is devoted to other artists trying to succeed.
Oh did I forget, the artwork was awesome!

This is one of my favorite places. I grew up with Degrazia’s art work so I might have a skewed view of this place. It is beautiful, the cholla floor needs to be seen in person. I do get a little creeped out in parts of it, so who knows, maybe it’s haunted.
I love the Chapel and feel that if I was to be married in a religious setting that would be it.

Beautiful gallery situated in a scenic, desert setting! Love the vegetation and the art… all for free!

I have lived here in Tucson for than 20 years and grew up coming here to visit my grandparents, I have seen DeGrazzia’s on tacky little plates and postcards, I am not a fan so I never went there. I moseyed to the place for another artist in the Little gallery, great show super space. The grounds and buildings were and are exquisite and so are the views, It is well worth going to see the old adobe architecture meet a little Frank Loyd action. While DeGrazzia’s art leaves soooooooo much to be desired, his fabric prints are extraordinary, I never knew he did fabric, I would take a bitchin’ shirt made of it anytime, to bad they reproduce the art but not the fabric. So if you are ever up on Swan and Skyline and have a few minutes to kill do this, you won’t be sorry,.

Fellow Unilocaler Toni M.‘s review describes this gallery perfectly.
If you love art, love Tucson history, and love visiting a gorgeous desert oasis that’s listed on the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, head on out Swan and visit the De Grazia Gallery. Delightful, quirky, peaceful, and filled with beautiful light that photographers and artists will appreciate, the gallery is free and open to all with much of his art displayed in various settings. One special room I especially like is his studio with all the accoutrements he last used in painting. And yes, the light falling on the canvases is stunning.
A true Tucson and Arizona Treasure.

12/​29/​2009
Tweet: Iconic Arizona Artwork, A Good Tucson Art Visit
The ladies are headed out on a one day Tucson road trip tomorrow. Sweet D mentioned De Grazia’s. I never met Ted Degrazia, but I’ve known several people who knew him. From the Clifton/​Morenci mining district, he was a product of Arizona and his Spanish/​Southwest heritage. His brushwork is instantly recognizable. It iconically defined the Arizona Highways-​style Arizona of the 1960’s and ’70’s.
He was talented, hungry, and prolific. He built this gallery and property reflecting his soul, drive, and marketing genius. The gift store has it all. Cute cards, prints of all sizes; mass market, numbered editions, originals. There are sculptures, castings and things for sale from every medium he worked in.
The store is not the most important part of this very personal gallery. I don’t know what the future will do with Ted De Grazia, but he may end up being a defining southwest/​Arizona artist as centuries pass. He traveled all places rural and indigenous in Arizona. He captured in his style, the look and life of American Indian people in the age between deeply traditional lives and the modern life of HUD homes, indoor plumbing, and youth adopting the look and values of MTV.
He built rooms to exhibit series of his theme work. For example, Yaqui Pascua ceremonies mixing Christian Easter tradition with ancient deer dances. His depictions of Apache, O’odham, Hopi, Navajo and other southwest peoples are found throughout the gallery.
Another room is a Southwest arboretum, light streaming through the ceiling, lighting the colorful walls. Surviving plants line shelves and one leopard-​leaved sprouter has its bulblets plucked and taken home to grow by those wanting a little of what Degrazia, or one of his women, liked.
DeGrazia captured his connection to his Spaniard ancestors. A passage guides you to a gallery devoted to the epic journey of that tough Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca and his equally tough companion Esteban on their shipwreck-​caused journey from the Gulf of Mexico to Zuni Pueblo searching for Cibola’s cities of gold. The Zunis have a kachina figure for Esteban. When Esteban arrives in a ceremony, greed and lust have come to play their part in the night dance dramas. The story says Esteban’s dark skin and nappy headed uniqueness made him a favorite among women wherever he walked. He demanded the wrong Zuni woman or women and wanted to be king. His journey ended at Zuni pueblo. Cabeza de Vaca wandered down the Rio Grande to the Gulf and back to Spain alone. That body of work, in it’s own gallery, isn’t on greeting cards, calendars, or cello-​wrapped mattes. It was non-​commercial, straight from the heart.
A lot of DeGrazia’s finer details are weathering away. Entering his home and gallery was entering his art. The colorful scrap aluminum flowers at the front gate of his saguaro-​rib and ocotillo fence fade and fall. Years ago, Sweet D and I found a crippled wind chime/​mobile providing sound and movement near a small gallery that was probably his original home. Chimes were on the ground, the aluminium chains and connectors disconnected and dangling. Somebody cared a lot for the big stuff, but didn’t see the details that tell about the guy who took his wispy, colorful brush-​streaked art, raised it to a form that let him live where and how he wished on a few acres that used to be a long way from anywhere.
Sweet D is taking Mom and the sisters there today. I hope they fix the mobile. If you’re in Tucson, go to De Grazia’s Gallery in the Sun on a quiet spring weekday. I think it’s worth the trip.

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is what’s left of DeGrazia’s property after his greedy new wife sold his cool hippie art studio on Campbell/​Prince to a Chevron gas station in the 80’s.
This place is run like a for profit art gallery, complete w/​old snob employees, corny mass manufactured DeGrazia «prints», «do not yawn» signs & bored paranoid security.
There’s a great little church that old man DeGrazia built before he went nuts. It’s a nice place to visit if you love cactus or rabbit poop.
His art is overrated though.