Press Release

Tucson Museum of Art delves into broader perspectives and narratives overlooked in the American West Genre with the support of the Terra Foundation for American Art

Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) is proud to present More Than: Expanding Artist Identities from the American West Artist exhibition. Examining how artists identify and infuse their experiences into their artworks, this exhibition explores multifaceted interpretations of the American West. More Than highlights the work of forty-three artists who are women, people of color, and persons of intersectional backgrounds from across the nation.

“This exhibition centers on the stories that are often left out of dominant narratives and expands the ways that we define art of the American West. It engages in conversations about how artists incorporate ideas that are important to them into their work such as community histories, the continuance of traditions, and current-day issues.” says Christine Brindza, Senior Curator, Glasser Curator of Art of the American West.

“As a regional museum, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block prioritizes a focus on the identities, perspectives, and experiences that make the American West, and particularly the American Southwest, unique. More Than: Expanding Identities of Artists from the American West exemplifies this commitment while also seeking to broaden understandings of Art of the American West.” said Christopher Gordon, Interim Director and CEO/CFO/COO. The exhibition includes poems by the 2019 Tucson Poet Laureate TC Tolbert and supporting texts written by local community members to broaden dialogues about how identity and the art of the American West are seen and interpreted.

The Terra Foundation for American Art awarded the museum a $75,000 grant for the first time to help fund public programs and a publication with More Than. “We are honored to receive this grant that calls for a re-examination of permanent collections in exhibitions. More Than considers how we can refocus ways that TMA’s Art of the American West collections are presented in this feature show, but it can ultimately have an impact on exhibitions in the future.” says Christine Brindza, Senior Curator, Glasser Curator of Art of the American West.

Additional programs, events, and resources related to More Than can be found at TucsonMuseumofArt.org.

About the Terra Foundation
The Terra Foundation for American Art, established in 1978 and having offices in Chicago and Paris, supports organizations and individuals locally and globally with the aim of fostering intercultural dialogues and encouraging transformative practices that expand narratives of American art, through the foundation’s grant program, collection, and initiatives.

Featured Artists
Marla Allison (Laguna Pueblo)
Angela Babby (Oglala Lakota)
Christi Belcourt (Âptîkosan (Metis))
George Catlin
Nani Chacon (Diné)
Michael Chiago, Sr. (Tohono O’odham)
Chitimacha basket weaver (historic)
Anne Coe
Diné basket weaver (historic)
Diné textile weaver (historic)
Steffi Faircloth
Ruth Fehr
Anita Fields (Osage)
Frank Buffalo Hyde (Onondaga)
Yowshien Kuo
Laguna Pueblo Potters (historic)
Lakota beader (historic)
César A. Martínez
Maria Martinez (San Il Defonso Pueblo)
Mayan potter (historic)
Ivan B. McClellan
Kent Monkman (Fisher River Band Cree)
Northern Plains/Lakota dressmaker (historic)
Quechan doll maker (historic)
Kate Russell and Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Roseta Santiago
Sarah Sense (Chitimacha)
Louise Serpa
David Benjamin Sherry
Mian Situ
Tohono O’odham basket weaver (historic)
Ezra Tucker
Rosa G. Valencia (Jemez Pueblo)
Bobb Vann
Monica Wapaha (White Mountain Apache and Tohono O’odham)
Daniela Werneck
Western Apache/ Yavapai basket weavers (historic)
Dyani White Hawk (Sičaŋǧu Lakota)
Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo and
Korean)
Agnes Yerkes
Ni Zhu

Exhibition Details:
October 15, 2022- March 19, 2023

On view in the James and Louise Glasser Galleries and Earl Kai Chann Gallery

More Than: Expanding Artist Identities from the American West is accompanied by a full-color catalogue, available for purchase at the Museum Store. Additional programs, events, and resources related to the exhibition can be found at TucsonMuseumofArt.org

Museum Hours:
Thursday – Sunday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

About Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
As an institution built upon the original territories of the O’odham, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) acknowledges the Indigenous Sonoran Desert communities, past and present, who have stewarded this region throughout generations.

TMA connects art to life through meaningful and engaging experiences that inspire discovery, spark creativity and promote cultural understanding. Founded in 1924, TMA encompasses an entire city block in historic downtown Tucson and is committed to developing quality exhibitions, expanding and diversifying its collection and presenting relevant and innovative programs while broadening public access to the arts.

The museum features exhibitions of Modern and Contemporary art, Latin American art from ancient to today, Indigenous arts and Art of the American West. A permanent collection of over 10,000 works of art spans continents, centuries and media. TMA’s campus includes five properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an art education center and research library, the Museum Store and the highly acclaimed museum restaurant Café a la C’Art. TMA is a private 501(c)(3) charitable arts and education organization. For additional information visit TucsonMuseumofArt.org or call (520) 624-2333.

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