Ted DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun

I've been wanting to visit Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia's "Gallery in the Sun" ever since I first read about him when coming to Tucson. The internationally known artist of Southwestern culture, especially Indian children and family life, chose a 10-acre site to build his home, studio, and gallery in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains.

An American impressionist painter, sculptor, and lithographer. Self-described as "the world's most reproduced artist", DeGrazia is known for his pastel images of Native American children of the American Southwest and other Western scenes. In 1951, with the help of local Indian friends, he built the Mission in the Sun using water and construction materials he hauled to the site with his old car. Other buildings which came later included his home, a studio, and gallery to showcase his artwork. The gallery was built in 1965.

In 2006, the ten-acre property, now a museum of DeGrazia's work, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He died in 1982, and is buried by the Mission.

DeGrazia's work first appeared in "Arizona Highways" magazine in 1941. In 1960, DeGrazia received a commission to produce cover art for UNICEF greeting cards. His designs have appeared on lithographs, collector plates, greeting cards, and in a series of Hummel figurines.

Photos from my visit to the Gallery in the Sun

The ten-acre site has walking trails and a wonderful collection of local plant life. The property is open each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local artists can usually be found sitting on benches along the trail, as well as locals and tourists just wanting a peaceful moment in the beautiful setting.

The Gallery contains many photographs of DeGrazia at work on the Mission and construction of the other buildings. I took a couple of snapshots showing the artist at work (below).

In the picture above, he is working on the murals which he painted throughout the complex, especially on the interior walls of the Mission in the Sun

This picture is of DeGrazia and his wife Marion at their original studio location on Campbell Road in 1946. The Gallery in the Sun was begun in 1951 on a different site, on Swan Drive just north its intersection with Skyline Drive.

The following photos were taken inside the Gallery. Describing the inspiration for building the structure, DeGrazia says:

"The gallery was designed by me and I wanted to get the feeling of the Southwest. I wanted to build it so that my paintings would feel good inside of it. As you come to it, the Entrance, there's the Yuma Prison gate. And it's built like a tunnel. I like tunnels. Then I tried to have the feeling around the gallery, no windows, because my business is pictures, and if you have windows you can't have pictures, so all the lighting in the Gallery's from the roof. And then I try to control that by achieving, through color, different effects."

The photos below were taken from a display of DeGrazia's personal belongings, representing his work as an artist. You'll notice his boots, a cigar, his easel, paint and brushes, a bottle of whiskey, and Redman tobacco.

Inside the Gallery, one room has seating for groups where they can watch a video documentary of DeGrazia's life and work. The walls of the room are covered with huge photographs of the artist (see below).

A couple of scenic shots from my walk along the trails winding their way throughout the property:

Photographs of the "Mission in the Sun" (Below)

The Mission or "Chapel" was the first structure DeGrazia built on the ten-acre site in 1951. The interior walls have murals painted by the artist. The Mission was built to honor Father Kino and dedicated to our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico.