PVNA Inaugural Art in the Gardens Event 2023
Thank you to the artists and volunteers who made this event possible! The art raffle raised over $1,500 to be put towards Palo Verde Neighborhood traffic calming projects. We appreciate everyone who was able to make it out to the event to support local artists and the neighborhood. Find the artist list below for when you need local art.
To join the PVNA Traffic Circle Team or submit photos to the photo gallery, email info@paloverdeneighborhood.org.
Special thanks also to The Loft Cinema for hosting our central booths, Skyline Printing for helping with printing needs, Under Pressure Food Truck for feeding the crowd, and Tucson, Clean, and Beautiful for supporting neighborhood projects.
2023 List of Artists
Save this list of local Tucson artists for when you’re looking for local art for gifting or for displaying in your own home. (Contact us to get in touch with any artists who don’t have website information below.)
Lex Gjurasic
Mixed media artist with a focus on temporary immersive art installations.
Website: www.lexgjurasic.com
Instagram: @lexgjurasic
Facebook: Lex Gjurasic Studio
Patricia Dickson
Since moving to Tucson in 1999 I have taken art classes at PCC, UA, TDS and with Diana Thibault and several other local artists. I have been a member of SAWG and am currently active in CASA, I enjoy painting in watercolor and acrylic in both realistic and abstract styles.
Diane C. Taylor
Although I have always been fascinated by glass, I wasn't able to pursue my interest until 2002. After trying stained glass and lampworking, I found my passion in fusing glass.
What’s on display? My work is simple but elegant, with bright colors and geometric patterns and sometimes whimsy. Besides jewelry, I create bowls, plates, tiles, wall pieces and decorations for recycled wood boxes. Favorite themes: the Sonoran desert where I was born and raised, leaves, faces, and outer space.
Website: dianesfusedglass.com
Facebook: dianesfusedglass
Giada Gallo-Quiroz
My name is Giada Gallo-Quiroz, I have both a BFA in studio art and MA in Art Education from The University of Arizona. My primary media of focus is both photography and drawing. I primarily focus on photographing landscapes, choosing to photograph both the vast expanse of the landscape and the intimate details I observe while emmersed.
Instagram: Galloquiroz
Peggy Marlatt
I paint pastel landscapes of the Southwest, primarily plein air. I also paint the Tucson Barrio with a group of Tucson painters. I show in various galleries in Tucson.
http://www.peggymarlattarts.com
https://www.facebook.com/peggy.marlatt
Joan Pevarnik
My work is all hand thrown or hand built. I make my own glazes and fire them to 230p f in a gas kiln. The colors reflect the beautiful environment we have in Arizona.
Website: Elfuegopottery.com
Ruth Reiman
I have been doing ceramics and making pots for over 20 years in studios around the country. I have taken wood firing workshops at NAU and Arrowmont.
Barry Dodge
I explore the intersection of the analog and the digital worlds working in styles ranging from realism to abstract. My fascination with patterns has been expressed from large wall pieces in wood to small domestic items such as plates and cups. I'm currently in a deep dive through pastel painting and digital arts.
Website: artbeardodge.com
Instagram: beardodge
Mastodon: @beardodge@mastodon.lol
Vivian Mackinnon
Vivian MacKinnon is focused on bold colorful ceramics for any space. From small trinket trays, to mobiles, to full-sized mosaics her obsession with color is evident. She is the former Ben's Bells Studio Manager, an "ON Media Tucson Arts Hero", and a featured artist with Mayco glazes.
What’s on display? Colorful ceramics including pots and bowls, mobiles, jewelry, tiles, and mosaics
DeeDee DuPlessis
Long-time photographer who finally fulfilled her dream of studying photography and added darkroom practice to digital. Also converting some of her images into cross-stitch patterns with up to 100 colors. Currently working on sound and video projects.
Instagram: @dba_fotografie
Sara Heitshu
I have been drawing since childhood. Now I work in pastels, drawing from photographs taken during hikes in the mountains and desert, walks in my neighborhood, and visits to public and private gardens. I am trying to convey to the viewer through color and the balance of dark and light the beauty of nature at a moment in time.
Mary Swallow
I started making pottery in 2000 and focused on mainly functional items. I recently branched out into garden art and musical instruments. I have been teaching pottery for 5 years.
Will Whitehouse
I studied drawing and painting at the University of Tasmania, graduating in 2007, and moved to Vietnam in 2008. I exhibited in group shows in Ho Chi Minh City, and in art fairs in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei. In 2015 I had my first solo show at Vingallery, HCMC. I moved to Tucson in 2016, where I have lived until now, and where I have participated in group and solo shows at Untitled Gallery.
Website: willwhitehouse.com
Instagram: willwhitehouseart
Vickee Lopez
I enjoy painting, jewelry making, calligraphy, photography, sewing, weaving, stained glass, gardening, and so much more. The only art class I took in high school was ceramics, and is reason I am a retired art teacher of 38 years.
Facebook: facebook.com/vickee.lopez
Ursula Basinger
Ursula Basinger makes ceramics that balance modern form with traditional technique and earthy appeal. She has resided in Palo Verde since 2018 and is grateful to be a part of this vibrant community.
Website: ursulabasinger.com
Instagram: ursulabasinger
Sara M Curtiss
Sara Curtiss Westlund is a ceramic and 2D artist who focuses on the natural world as a source of inspiration. Having grown up playing in the desert, much of her work is inspired by the plant life found locally. Her undying love of the insects that maintain our desert fauna is, also, present in her work.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connectedearthclay
Pete Kresan
Website: kresanphotography.com
Ellen Sidor
Stone Carver for 42 years, juried member NH League of Craftsmen, represented in 6 NH galleries
Website: sidorstudio.com
Jeanne Oberg
Instructor for the City of Tucson Parks and Rec Casting Class
Marissa Johnson
Marissa Johnson is a creator of works of art on paper and beyond. Inspired by the quiet magic of animals, plants, and materials, and drawn to the deep order of nature, she uses cardboard, collage, drawings, paintings, and photographs to stir feelings of delight and nostalgia.
What’s on display? Paper goods including prints and greeting cards, bandanas and other special treats.
Website: https://www.chollapalace.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cholla.palace
Gerald Turner
What’s on display? Pottery
Maria Arvayo
I'm an artist and Arizona native. I paint in a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, watercolor, encaustic, and pastel. My images are inspired by the southwest.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/
Facebook: Maria Arvayo fine art
Sara Falconer
Sara Falconer has lived in 8 states and Canada, earned multiple degrees, worked in radio, the travel industry, produced and performed in live theatre, moonlighted as a Nanny, ridden in the Tour de Tucson 7 times, and she likes to crochet and make paper in her free time. She moved to the Palo Verde neighborhood in 2015 with her dog, Lulu. She now works for the Aging Life Care Association, and dreams of living in France.
