Uraling to the De Grazia Gallery in the Sun Museum, Catalina, AZ

Friday, January 24

Martha and I left the campsite shortly after 10AM when temps had risen to above 50 degrees under sunny skies.  We rode down to the Catalina suburbs of Tucson to check out the De Grazia Gallery of the Sun Museum.

Martha's parents had liked De Grazia's art work and had taken their girls for a visit, this was a nostalgia trip for Martha.

I must admit, I like his work a lot.  I'd seen some of his stuff down in Bisbee, AZ's museum and had found it dark and unsettling.  Not the stuff in the museum though, it was quite nice and pleasing to the eye.

Here's some of the art work (various mediums) created by Ettore (Ted) De Grazia/

Here's the entrance to the studio/gallery....built by De Grazia to emulate a mine entrance.

There was way more art work in various mediums than shown here, these are only the ones that caught my eye so to speak:

Stained Glass versions of De Grazia's work

Oil on canvas, St Xavier de la Bac Mission

Stained Glass 

Deer Dancer

I liked the notion of a nun

swinging whimsically

(tile on copper)

White Dove

Don Quixote and Sancho Pancha

(Tile on Copper)

Dog Soldier

We lucked out in that there was a temporary exhibit of de Grazia's Roadrunner collection:

Mother and Child

Kino's soldiers and pack horses

Celebrations at St Xavier's Mission

West side of the Baboquivari Peak?

de Grazia's easel and painting gear

The Bus

De Grazia at St. Xavier Mission

Martha and De Grazia

Father Kino brings cattle to Altar Valley

Raiding indians steal horses from Kino's Village

Kino's soldiers battle Apache

La Compañia Volante

Altar Valley Padre Kino Entrada 1687

Chapayecas - Clap Clap Clap Clap

Yaqui Indian Easter Celebrations

Pase de Muerte

Outside the gallery there was a large collection/display of cacti and other vegetation.

The Deer Dancer

Music Room?  The paintings are the Mariachis

Small "mission" built by De Grazia

So, for a $10/person fee, you get to view and enjoy De Grazia's work, well worth it and a recommended stop if you're ever in the Tucson area.

After the tour of the gallery, we adjourned to the El Charro Mexican Restaurant nearby.  It's one of four of a family owned franchise which has been in operation since 1922 and its the oldest single family run restaurant in the nation.

The food was excellent!  Highly recommended if you're in the area.  We had gone there based on a recommendation from Martha's sister: Laura.

Fresh Guacamole made at one's table

Prickly Pear Margarita and fresh Guac

Yummy

Sunset was pretty good though distant.

Here's the sunset on our last night at this camping location, Jan 27.