DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District is the artistic manifestation and architecture constructed by Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia. The property is a series of buildings scattered throughout a 10-acre natural desert setting. Built in Tucson near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline the property is now a museum open to the public.

Images

Entrance to Gallery of the Sun

Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia

DeGrazia’s Mission in the Sun, built 1952

Our Lady of Guadalupe altar

Rotating Exhibitions in the Lower Gallery

DeGrazia’s Sketch of the Gallery in the Sun

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

By the late 1940s, the city of Tucson began encroaching on DeGrazia's gallery. He felt cramped with so many people moving to Tucson and he wanted to escape its growth. In 1949, he and his wife Marion bought 10 acres of isolated property in the Santa Catalina Foothills, north of Tucson. It has stunning mountain views and rolling terrain filled with colorful cactus and desert vegetation.

What started as a small construction project for a new gallery space developed into a 10-acre artistic refuge. Proof of DeGrazia’s artistic vision is scattered around the desert; from the arches with flowers made of recycled cans, to the Yaqui Deer Dancer sculpture in the courtyard.

Construction began in 1951 with the open air Mission in the Sun followed by a series of other expressionistic adobe buildings. Construction was aided by his Yaqui and Tohono O'odham friends. The gallery/museum was completed in 1965 with details like cactus flooring, exposed wood beams, rafters and unique artistic finishes. This main gallery houses thirteen separate galleries of original artwork.

The only way for DeGrazia to avoid a huge amount of government taxation was for him to turn his Gallery In the Sun into a non-profit foundation. In this way he was able to keep his collection and his fortune intact. DeGrazia died of cancer on September 17, 1982 at the age of 73. His beloved Gallery In the Sun was listed on the National Historic Registry as a Historic District in 2006.(1)

Sources

1. "DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun," Official Website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/

2. "Gallery Tours," Gallery website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/visit-gallery/tours/

3. "Exhibitions," Gallery website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/exhibitions/

4. "Education," Gallery website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/education/

5. "Events," includes annual La Fiesta de Guadalupe, Gallery website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/events/

6. "Brief bio of DeGrazia," Gallery website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/about-degrazia/bio/

7. "National Register of Historic Places- Registration Form," The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NRHP/Text/06000932.pdf

8. "Shop Online," Gallery website, accessed November 13, 2016.

http://degrazia.org/shop/

9. "Facebook Page," DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, accessed November 14, 2016.

https://www.facebook.com/DeGraziaGalleryInTheSun/?ref=ts&fref=ts

10. "DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District," Wikipedia Entry, accessed November 14, 2016.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeGrazia_Gallery_in_the_Sun_Historic_District

11. "Ettore DeGrazia," Wikipedia Entry, accessed November 14, 2016.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ettore_DeGrazia

12. "Video," Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance on YouTube, 35 secs., accessed November 14, 2016.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vLHaLy8AbTk

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information