Watercolors have been in existence since they were used in China around 100CE, and over time have developed into a distinguished artistic medium worldwide. It provides artists with the ability to create images quickly as well as provide different degrees of color transparency and opacity. In  19^th century America, water-soluble pigments were often employed to create studies before making final oil paintings. They also began to be used outside, in plein air, to capture fleeting moments in nature or events. Artists who explored the American West used watercolors while on expeditions, as they were light and transportable; however, by the 20^th century, watercolors became a major medium which showcased stylistic diversity. Many artists who lived in or visited the Southwest applied their knowledge of watercolors to images of the landscape and architecture of the region.

This exhibition contains a selection of watercolors from the Art of the American West collection, ranging from the early-to-mid 20^th century. Artists slated to be included are Arthur Bowen Davies, Norma Bassett Hall, B.J.O. Nordfeldt, Gerry Peirce, Don Perceval, and Stanford Stevens.

This exhibition will be a selection of watercolor works from the TMA’s permanent collection, selected by Christine Brindza, the Louise and James Glasser Curator of Art of the American West.

Generous support of the 95^th Anniversary exhibition season at the Tucson Museum of Art is provided by the Connie Hillman Family Foundation, James J. and Louise R. Glasser, and Jon and Linda Ender; with additional support by RBC Wealth Management: Richard A. Schaefer, Vance L. Falbaum, Bobby Present, Doug Mance, Tim Dunne, and Linda Immerman-Stoffers.