Ironwood Gallery

Exhibitions and Special Events

In the Ironwood Gallery

The Ironwood Gallery is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Please call 520-883-3024 to check gallery hours for the day you plan to visit. The Ironwood Gallery may occasionally be closed for special events.

See also our Baldwin Education Building Exhibits

Ironwood Gallery Exhibition Prospectus

© Susan T. Fisher

Sea of Cortez
March 16 - June 2, 2013

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 16, 2013, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

The Sea of Cortez and its surrounding landmass have long been a favorite place for scientific study and conservation efforts on behalf of the Desert Museum. Among the participants in the exhibition are thirty professional artists who traveled to San Carlos, Sonora in 2011 to sketch, paint and photograph the unusual terrain of Nacapule, the Estero Soldado and the beautiful Sea of Cortez. The Ironwood Gallery is proud to debut this traveling exhibition in celebration of our museum's new aquarium exhibit.

Produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.
Sea of Cortez Field Trip on YouTube

Cita Scott, Hummers & Bricolage: A Four Year Journal
Wil Lala; Sculptural Tapestries
June 29 - August 18, 2013

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 29, 2013, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Cita Scott (Tucson) shares her photographs documenting four years of Broad-billed hummingbirds who inhabit the jasmine tangelo, tombstone rose and abandoned wiring in her Tucson garden. Wil Lala (Belize) creates "green art" by turning recycled aluminum cans into shimmering landscapes and paintings. This exhibition opens in conjunction with the June Summer Saturday Evening events. Check our website for details on artist talks and workshop with this exhibition.

Botanical Art of the Sonoran Desert: Past & Present
August 24 - October 27, 2013

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 14, 2013, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

A partnership project with The Sonoran Desert Florilegium Program, this exciting exhibition of original artwork celebrates the art form and educates the public about traditional and contemporary botanical illustration. This exhibition includes juried artists who have created original botanical art and illustrations accurately depicting plants from the Sonoran Desert region.

In Search of Sheridan Oman: The Art of a Desert Recluse
November 2, 2013 - January 5, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday November 2, 2013, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

For the first time, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has reached out to collectors throughout the West to assemble a retrospective of the work - and the story - of Sheridan Oman. His remarkable ability to capture the soul of the animals and birds that surround us here in Arizona's Sonoran Desert was quite extraordinary. Thanks to collector John Leydon, the Ironwood Gallery will be showcasing Oman's full series of intricate and beloved etchings to the public for the first time as part of this retrospective exhibition.

Art & the Animal
January 11 - April 6, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 11, 2014, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Art and the Animal is the flagship exhibition of The Society of Animal Artists (SAA). SAA is regarded worldwide as the most prestigious artist membership organization dedicated to the theme of animals in art. This traveling exhibition is comprised of flatworks and sculptures which combine natural history and fine art in creative ways to exemplify SAA's mission to promote excellence in the portrayal of domestic and wild animals in art.

Deep Blue
April 12 - July 12, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 12, 2014, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

The Gulf of California is one of Mexico's natural treasures and a source of inspiration and wonder for all who come to its waters. It is this world heritage that has given rise to the exhibition Deep Blue. This installation exhibition presents underwater photographs which create a vivid journey into the depths of the sea. It captures the visitor's imagination by inviting them to plunge into an adventure of discovery, leaving behind their daily routine to witness nature at its splendor. This collection offers an opportunity to create a different experience for the general public, bringing about a new consciousness that emerges from the sea to renew the optimism and hope in all.

America's Parks of the Southwest
September 13 - October 26, 2014

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 13, 2014, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

America's Parks of the Southwest features original works of art depicting parks of the southwest. The history of park art in America is broad and deep, going all the way back to 1871 and the campaign to rescue Yellowstone by transforming it into the nation's first National Park. Watercolors by Thomas Moran and photos of William Henry Jackson were used by Congress to pass a bill to protect and preserve Yellowstone. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill creating the nation's first park on March 1, 1872. This exhibition is an artistic tribute to parks of all kinds by a range of talented artists working today.

"Portraits" Photography by Rhonda Spencer
November 1, 2014 - January 4, 2015

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 1, 2014, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Birds in Art
April 4 - May 24, 2015

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 4, 2015, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Birds in Art presents the very best contemporary artistic interpretations of birds and related subject matter. Whether the subjects are backyard feeder favorites or exotic species from around the world, an international cast of renowned artists interprets avian themes and habitats employing diverse styles and mediums. Art lovers and bird lovers alike will discover the harmony and serenity or the power and tension that infuse these artworks.

Andrew Denman: The Modern Wild
October 31, 2015 - January 13, 2016

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 31, 2015, 2:00 - 4:00pm

Andrew Denman: The Modern Wild is the first ever solo museum exhibition of the artist's work. Thirty-five original paintings as well as preparatory studies, drawings, and photographs, will showcase Denman's artistic evolution and art-making process. Visitors to this exhibition will find themselves captivated, challenged, and informed by images that push the boundaries of the wildlife art genre. A poet as well as a painter, Denman uses nature's innumerable inspirations not as a template for illustrative mimicry, but as a springboard for metaphor seldom seen in animal art.