Patssi Valdez, The Cactus Queen, 1992, lithograph, ed. 61 of 100. Collection of the Tucson Museum of Art. Gift of MARS Artspace. 2003.13.5.

“Defining the region is no easy task, but we sought to answer two main questions,” says Marianna Pegno, director of engagement and inclusion at TMA. “Are there key stories that should be told through the artwork on view? What stories define the past, present and future of the Southwest? Guiding our curatorial process were three aims: challenge the expected and contextualize the historic dominance and erasure while acknowledging the collection’s limitations (it should be framed in radical inclusivity); explore multiple ways of crossing or stretching across a border or binary; and create ownership or a deep connection between the viewer and the artwork.”

Dale Nichols (1904-1995), Evening in the Foothills, 1940, oil on canvas. Collection of the Tucson Museum of Art. Virginia Johnson Fund. 1992.398.

Christine Brindza, senior curator at TMA, adds, “This exhibition broadens not only the way that the Southwest can be understood but also how curatorial work can be expanded. By including community members in the process from the beginning, ideas generated impacted how themes were developed and works of art were chosen. For me as a curator, this was an exciting experience because it stretched traditional practices and brought new perspectives into the museum, and it can be seen physically in the exhibition space.”

Alfred J. Quiroz, Aztec TV, 2004, wood, paint and metal springs. Collection of the Tucson Museum of Art. Gift from the Charles and Virginia Sonett Collection. 2013.6.1.

One of the primary objectives within the exhibition, Brindza says, are the ways in which the themes of land, materials, perspectives and identities overlap in each work of art. She cites Patssi Valdez’s 1992 lithograph The Cactus Queen, which “speaks to concepts related to identity, land and perspectives present in the Southwestern United States. Its depiction of saguaro cacti and the woman’s presence within this desert landscape may evoke thoughts about the various communities, histories and viewpoints that exist in this region. This piece, juxtaposed with the Ancestral Acoma vessel, for instance, may connect with the themes in different ways. The organic materials from which it is made are taken from land of the Southwest, its design is intertwined with the cultures and identities of its maker(s), and it presents a unique perspective of a certain time, place and story.”

Ancestral Pueblo Acoma Storage Jar, ca. 1890-1900, clay. Collection of the Tucson Museum of Art. Gift of Frederick R. Pleasants. 1973.36.

A 1940 painting by Dale Nichols, Evening in the Foothills, depicts the landscape of the Sonoran Desert, with two cowboys on horseback. “This image also connects with the exhibition themes, but in [the] context of the relationship to the land that ranchers may have, their perspectives of life and directing attention to the dramatic flora and topography unique to the region,” says Brindza. “These types of connections are endless and can be made with all works of art contained within the exhibition. We hope that visitors to the exhibition will make their own associations with the works on view, as well as think about their own ideas of the Southwest.” —