Lectures

About Lectures

Each year the Tucson Museum of Art presents an exciting series of lectures that offer unique insights into TMA’s collections, exhibitions, programs, or related art world topics. Through these programs, engage with a diverse array of artists, community members, curators, museum professionals and scholars for an innovative lecture series on art, community, and more.

Lectures are $5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

Upcoming Lectures

January 2023

Curator Spotlight: Modern and Contemporary Art
Friday, January 27 at 11:00 am
Stonewall Community Room

Modern and Contemporary Art have been an important part of the Tucson Museum of Art’s core collections. Chief Curator Dr. Julie Sasse will discuss some of the key works that have built and enhanced the collection of works from the 20th and 21st centuries and focuses on some of the new works in the collection that have broadened our understanding and scope of art of our time.

$5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

Curator Spotlight: Modern and Contemporary is presented by Stuart J. Meinke.

February 2023

Enduring Legacies Panel Discussion
Thursday, February 2, at 5:30 pm
Stonewall Community Room

Celebrate the opening of Enduring Legacies with a panel discussion featuring Monica Buckle, Julia Arriola, and David Tenario—humanities scholars who supported the curatorial process—to learn about the various meanings and histories behind the exhibition.

$5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

Enduring Legacies: The James T. Bialac Indigenous Art Collection is presented by the Arizona Humanities, Anne and Jeff Gartner, Kit and Dan Kimball, and the Tucson Museum of Art Western Art Patrons. The 2022/2023 Exhibition Season at TMA is presented by Jim and Fran Allen, Jon and Linda Ender, James and Louise Glasser, and I. Michael and Beth Kasser. AC Hotel Tucson Downtown/Loveblock is the official hotel sponsor of TMA.

Leadership Circle Lecture Series – Victoria Lyall
Voicing History: Curating in Community Today
Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Stonewall Community Room

As curators, we are storytellers. We seek the stories, the invisible or hidden histories, and bring them to light through works of art. The public platform of the museum space offers a unique opportunity to present and explore the cultural narratives, memories, and aesthetics of communities previously ignored. In this talk I will reflect on the role of community engagement and participation in my own experience as a curator and most specifically in the recent exhibition, Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche.

Free for museum members, non-members $5. The lecture will take place in the Stonewall Foundation Community Room located in the Alice Chaiten Baker Center for Art Education.

2022/2023 Leadership Circle is sponsored by Ann and Roger Looyenga. AC Hotel Tucson Downtown/Loveblock is the official hotel sponsor of TMA.

In conversation with Gloria Lucas and Yesika Salgado: Nalgonas, Mangos and Building a Legacy
Friday, February 10, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Stonewall Community Room

Come meet the founder of Nalgona Positivity Pride, Gloria Lucas and poetic luminary Yesika Salgado. Listen to them tell all about their journeys in activism, DIY social movements, gossip and building a sisterhood along the way.

$5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

Helen Hardin: Her Art, Her Influences, Her Legacy, presented by Linda Friedman
Sunday, February 12 at 2:00 pm
Stonewall Community Room

Helen Hardin was Contemporary Artist you might not know! She was a trailblazing Indigenous artist from Santa Clara Pueblo whose art was unexpected. Helen Hardin was known for creating complex contemporary works of art that combined colorful symbols from her Native American heritage with abstract art techniques and geometric patterns.

Lectures are $5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

March 2023

Winslow Homer: Art that Challenged America’s Early Beliefs, presented
by Kit Kimball
Sunday, March 12 at 2:00 pm
Stonewall Community Room

As America recovered from the Civil War, Winslow Homer’s art was ahead of its time. His art portrayed subject matter in ways that gently challenged America’s values. Also, he elevated watercolor to become a serious art form by creating large, dazzling and colorful visions, often of the tropics. You will enjoy seeing many of his famous works in a new light!

Lectures are $5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

April 2023

Arizona Biennial 2023: Artists Spotlight
Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Stonewall Community Room

Join Arizona Biennial 2023 artists as they discuss their process, share insights on their works in the biennial and discuss how they relate to their larger body of works.

$5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

Image: Eli Blasko, We Choose the Moon, 2020, office paper, .5 x 7 x 7 in.

Arizona Biennial 2023 is presented by the Tucson Museum of Art Contemporary Art Society. The 2022/2023 Exhibition Season at TMA is presented by Jim and Fran Allen, Jon and Linda Ender, James and Louise Glasser, and I. Michael and Beth Kasser. AC Hotel Tucson Downtown/Loveblock is the official hotel sponsor of TMA.

Fritz Scholder: A Walking Paradox, presented by Jan Weidenhammer
Sunday, April 9, 2023 at 2:00 pm
Stonewall Community Room

Fritz Scholder revolutionized Native American art. Explore his sometimes uncomfortable “Indian paintings” to learn how this master of color and composition turned stereotypes on their heads, becoming a celebrated mainstream artist in the bargain.

Lectures are $5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

May 2023

Artist Talk: Justin Favela
Thursday, May 4 at 5:00 pm
Stonewall Community Room

In conjunction with Popol Vuh and the Maya Art of Storytelling, join contemporary artist Justin Favela as he offers insights to his creative practice and his relationships with the Popol Vuh story and the work of Carlos Mérida. Then, enjoy the kick-off for his Family Fiesta—a public celebration and performance work featuring his family’s traditions, live music, art-making activities and more!

Lecture is $5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

First Thursday is presented by an anonymous donor.
Artist Talk: Justin Favela and Justin Favela’s Family Fiesta is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Motherhood: The Greatest Gift, presented by Martin Randall
Sunday, May 14 at 2:00 pm
Stonewall Community Room

The gift of motherhood is something that we can all relate to at a very personal level. In honor of Mother’s Day, we take a look at how motherhood has been depicted in art throughout history and across many different cultures, from the Ancient Americas to the present day.

Lecture is $5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.

June 2023

Arizona Biennial 2023: Artists Spotlight
Thursday, June 1 at 5:30 pm
Stonewall Community Room

Join Arizona Biennial 2023 artists as they discuss their process, share insights on their works in the biennial and discuss how they relate to their larger body of works.

$5 for non-members; free for members and students with ID.