GALLERY IN THE SUN

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District in Tucson was listed on the National Register in October 2006 because of its association with the life and art of Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia.

"The district is truly a unique manifestation of the artist's vision of the romance and splendor of the Southwest, and his own personal philosophy of architectural design," said Kathryn Leonard, National Register Coordinator. "The National Register designation provides federal and state recognition of what many who have visited the DeGrazia complex have already realized—that this fabulous collection of buildings is a unique treasure for Arizona's patrimony and worthy of preservation."

Beginning in the early 1950s, DeGrazia designed and built the Gallery in the Sun complex from the ground up with Native American friends who made traditional adobe bricks on the ten-acre foothills site. The first buildings include the Mission in the Sun, the artist's home, a studio and small gallery.

The main gallery opened in 1965, a place where the prolific artist could exhibit his growing collections of work. Six permanent collections of paintings trace historical events and native cultures of the Southwest. Rotating exhibitions display some of the 15,000 DeGrazia originals housed at the gallery, including oils, watercolors, sketches, serigraphs, lithographs, sculptures and ceramics.

Before his death in 1982, the artist created the DeGrazia Foundation to preserve his beloved Gallery in the Sun and display collections of his life's work for future generations.

MISSION IN THE SUN

Adjacent to the main gallery, the Mission in the Sun was built by DeGrazia in honor of Padre Kino and dedicated to our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico.

Unique to the Mission in the Sun are colorful DeGrazia murals and a roof that opens to the sky. The mission is open to the public from sunrise to sunset and is available for small ceremonies. Call the Gallery in the Sun at (520) 299-9191 or (800) 545-2185 for more information. (Please note there are no changing facilities on the grounds and restroom facilities are only available during regular gallery hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

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