2nd Annual Art in the Gardens
Art in the Gardens, now in its second year, is a fundraising event benefiting PVNA where Palo Verde residents can show off their interesting, beautiful, unique or quirky gardens and artworks.
The event is a walking tour of participating gardens, and at each garden you’ll find a few artists with their work on display and available for sale.
Where to start? You may begin at any location, but be sure to stop by for the art raffle & food trucks, at our ‘Central Booths’ located at the Catalina High School Student Parking lot on Pima just east of the tennis courts.
Fundraiser Raffle:
This year’s fundraiser art raffle will benefit beautification projects in the neighborhood.
The raffle drawing will take place at 3:30 PM at our booth in the Catalina High School Student Parking lot. (You do not need to be present to win)
Enjoy artwork on display and tour the gardens of Palo Verde residents. See art and buy art from over 40 local Tucson artists See the list of artists below. (Artists keep 100% of their sales.)
Neighborhood food truck Under Pressure, and You Sly Dog are providing food available for sale, or head to one of the many local eateries Palo Verde Neighborhood has to offer.
Event Sponsor
SOUTHERN ARIZONA CLAY ARTISTS (SACA)
SACA is a non-profit organization serving as a cooperative forum and network for clay artists and enthusiasts.
Thank You’s
Thank you to PVNA local business Skyline Printing for supporting our printing needs for this event.
Find them at 1133 N Jones Blvd, or reach them at (520) 327-5706.
Thank you to PVNA local business The Loft Cinema for advertising our event.
Find them at 3233 E Speedway Blvd, or at (520) 795-0844
Meet the Artists
Jill Janis
Artist. Organizer. Educator. Writer. Observer. Questioner.
What’s on display? Paintings and drawings and painted objects.
Website: jilljanisart.com
Matt Valiquette
Mixed media artist working primarily in clay and digital media.
What’s on display? Functional ceramics and digital collage fine art prints.
Patricia Dickson
Member of Contemporary Artists 0f Southern Arizona. Taught watercolor classes for seniors at The Drawing Studio.
What’s on display? Floral and abstract images on medium size canvas.
Jen Derbyshire
I paint and dye silk scarves. I also paint in oils and draw in mixed media.
What’s on display? JenScarves: I make designed and dyed 100% silk scarves in two sizes. They are colorfast. Please wash in cold water if you need to, and iron on silk setting.
Website: www.jenderbyshire.com
Denise Gullett / We R Sisters Fired Art
I've been working in fused glass for over 12 years and pottery for about 8 years. I love creating whimsical art.
What’s on display? Whimsical pottery yard and garden art. Fused glass sculptures, plates and suncatchers.
Cindi Flowers
I enjoy creating art using Gourds as my canvas. Each gourd is unique as is each design. My designs are an eclectic collection of Southwest, mystical, and whimsical.
What’s on display? Gourd luminaries, wall vases, bowls, wall hangings, vases, decorative masks, Spirit Dolls and drums. These gourds are grown locally. I use Pyrography, carving and painting to create a unique design on each gourd.
Peggy Marlatt
I am a Southwest plein air landscape artist that paints in pastel. Also, I paint with the Tucson Barrio Painters to capture the unique architecture and history of Tucson Barrios.
What’s on display? Pastel paintings of the Tucson Barrios
Website: www.peggymarlattarts.com
Facebook: Peggy Marlatt Arts
Mary Swallow and Jerry Turner
Mary has been doing pottery for 25 years and Jerry has been making pots for over 10 years. We have a home studio on our back patio and Mary is also an instructor for Parks and Recreation. We mostly make functional work, but anything that strikes our fancy can find its way into the kiln. We love experimenting with new techniques or challenges.
What’s on display? Planters, bowls, mugs, jars, bottles, bells and other items. Also watercolor and mixed media note cards.
Instagram: @randomazpots
website: randomazpots.com
Will Whitehouse
Will graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2007, with a BFA majoring in painting. He moved to Ho Chi Minh City in 2008 and exhibited in group shows and a solo show there, and in art fairs in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He moved to Tucson, Arizona in 2016, where he has lived until now, and where he has participated in group and solo shows.
What’s on display? Various paintings and mixed media pieces. A few figures and landscapes, but mainly abstract work.
Website: willwhitehouse.com
Instagram: @willwhitehouseart
Ruth Reiman
I have been making pots for over 25 years. Most of my work is wheel thrown using high fired glazes. I have taken workshops at NAU, Penland, Arrowmont, Indianapolis Art Center, Romero House, and Tucson Parks and Rec.
What’s on display? I will be selling mostly wheel thrown high fired pots, including vases, bowls, plates and mugs.
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.
What’s on display? Digital prints on metal from digital abstracts to realism. Assorted pattern works on plastic and ceramic housewares.
Website: artbeardodge.com
Instagram: @beardodge
Mastodon: @beardodge@mastodon.lol
Joni Pevarnik
Bio coming soon
Vivian Mackinnon
I'm Vivian MacKinnon and I'm a ceramic and mosaic artist here in Tucson AZ. I'm the former studio manager for Ben's Bells, an OnMedia Tucson Arts Hero, a featured artist for Mayco glazes, and currently a production artist at Carly Quinn Designs and I really like to play with mud...
What’s on display? It's all about tactile color and just for fun! Bright and bold and fun to hold, games, trinkets, mosaics, and more.
Dale Wesner / D E W Studio
I enjoy working with my hands and manipulating materials for both aesthetic and functional purposes. The versatility of Clay and Cardboard make them conducive to creating for me.
What’s on display? Presenting a Repurposed Cardboard Chair that comfortably supports 200 lbs., along with assorted hand-built lanterns for Gardens, Patios, and pathways. Utilizing LED illumination, and suitable for Dark Sky applications.
Zach Gordon
Zach Gordon is a ceramic artist and instructor living in Tucson, AZ. He teaches raku, sculpture, and fountain design courses at Pima Community College, Tucson Parks and Recreation, and Romero House Pottery Studio. His one-person ceramic show, Ant-asm, is on display at the Mesa Museum of Contemporary Art until April 28, 2024.
What’s on display? Functional and decorative ceramic wares. Various firing techniques.
Website: www.zachgordonceramics.com
Jerald Pederson
I have worked with both clay and glass since the last century. Each has its quirks and challenges, but both yield enjoyable visual and tactile enjoyment. I enjoy seeing the delight and interest in a person's eyes as that handle a piece of my work.
What’s on display? Fused glass that is both decorative and functional.
Sara Heitshu
I am a pastel artist. I depict desert flowers and things from local gardens. I also do miniature pet portraits for friends.
What’s on display? Original framed pastels, prints on metal of work, and note cards in a variety of designs. I will also have a few watercolor, colored pencil and ink works, unframed.
Suzanne Poirier
Tutored in pottery at the LillStreet ArtCenter in Chicago, in Tucson she works in a group studio connected with the Tucson Clay Coop. In 2020 she was in a two-person show at the JCC with painter Lauren Harvey. Her work is currently on sale at Tohono Chul and the SAAG Gallery.
What’s on display? I will be selling handbuilt functional and decorative work: vases. bowls, and boxes.
Mary Beth Tyndall
Mary Beth Tyndall is a professional cellist and music teacher. She always encouraged her students to create art works for her studio on musical themes, and in the pandemic she was inspired to combine nature, music and children in art works of her own.
What’s on display? My whimsical world consists of what someone called 3-D collages. I combine seed pods, tree bark, and other found items with small toys, feathers, marbles, and even old CD's to bring my imaginary world to life. Some of my pieces are inspired by children's songs.
Angel De La Torre
Hello, my name is Angel De La Torre and I’ve been doing pottery for around 6 years. I started in high school towards the end of my schooling. I enjoyed it so much I went to college to pursue ceramics and took 2 years worth of pottery. Then I moved to Tucson, Arizona for family. I started working at Romero house of potters and have been making pottery ever since.
What’s on display? I make a variety of cups and vases that can be symmetrical. All my cups do not have handles.
Instagram: @prometheusopus
Pete Kresan
My photo work is published in the following: Magazines, including Arizona Highways, Astronomy, Audubon, Geo Magazine, Geotimes, Geological Society of America, Natural History, Esquire, New York Times; and Book Publishers, including Arizona Highways, Britannica, W. H Freeman, West, McGraw-Hill, National Geographic, Reader's Digest, Saunders, Sierra Club, Time-Life, Wiley, Oxford Press.
What’s on display? Large selection of notecards featuring images of wildflower, flowers and Arizona Landscapes. Selection of fine art inkjet prints.
Website: kresanphotography.com
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: @chollapalace
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.
What’s on display? I'll have landscapes and abstracts in a variety of sizes and mediums.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/
Facebook: Maria Arvayo fine art
Sid Henderson
Sid Henderson obtained a BA from UC Davis. After completing two major public bronze sculpture installations, he taught ceramics at Randolph Recreation center and served as the studio director for seven years. In the fall of 2024 he will be attending Georgia State University in Atlanta as an MFA candidate with an "Award of Distinction" fellowship.
What’s on display? Cone ten porcelain cups, bowls, and other dinnerware, glazed in exotic crystalline and oilspot glazes.
Instagram: @sid.henderson.art
Bobbie Anglin
What’s on display? Drawings/artwork/cards plus jewelry and a few glass mosaics
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.
What’s on display? Art is the result of human imagination, craft is a way of life. Come by for a demonstration of the centuries-old craft of papermaking. Using recycled office paper and old bank statements, come see how trash can be turned into a work of art! Finished sheets of paper, unique handmade cards, and card-making kits will be available for sale.
Lori Coan
Lori Coan is a ceramic artist and instructor. She is inspired by the vibrance of Tucson's communities and landscape. Her work focuses on dynamic shapes and colors to brighten life.
What’s on display? Modern, brightly colored, desert themed sculpture and pottery
Clara D Ochoa
I am a self taught potter and. my creations all come from my one woman studio in Thatcher, Arizona. Clay is my passion, I love the feel of the clay in my hands and the visual appeal as what's in my head manifests itself into something beautiful in my them. I love to see the spark in one's eyes when they feel and see the part of me which I have left in each and every piece.
What’s on display? It's unique, it's original, it's Created by Clara - The Arizona way of life, especially the sunsets, are the inspiration for many of my pieces. Bright colors bring to life the whimsical, one of a kind mini gnome sculptures. Most of which, come to be from a ball of clay not much bigger than a golf ball. The functional art includes bowls, plates, platters and drinking vessels in various shapes & sizes. As well, "pretties" that just bring joy and happiness into your life. With no exceptions, all pieces come with a bit of the heart and soul of the artist embedded into them. The art created by "Clara Themudslinger" is perfect for special occasions and everyday use. Whether it be on the table, to your lips, or up where all can see and enjoy it's beauty, all pots are handcrafted in the one woman studio in Thatcher, Arizona.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/C.OchoaThemudslinger
Doug Hively / Crafted by Fire studio
Full time studio potter for 28+ years making functional ware from porcelain and stoneware. Teacher, mold maker, consultant. Experience in high fire reduction, mid range oxidation firing and low fire, (Raku, Obvara, pit fired work).
What’s on display? My current work is a mixture of High fire porcelain and mid fire porcelain. Primarily functional work, vases, bottles, mugs, trays, bowls.
Joanne Fisher /
JoJo's Art Studio
I fell in love with clay 49 years ago and always and always felt the pull. Now I can finally indulge myself. When I am not working with clay, I practice and teach Tai Chi.
What’s on display? My focus with clay includes hand building, wheel throwing, coils, altered forms and Raku. I will have vases, tabletop fountains, wall hangings and more. There will also be jewelry and canvas art at this event.
Jenna DuPlessis
Instagram: @jenna_duplessis_art
Selina Hafer
Glass is my passion! I make lampworked glass beads and fused glass pieces in my Tucson home studio for the past 12 years.
What’s on display? Unique jewelry made with my glass beads. Offering loose beads for those who like to create their own jewelry. Fused glass wall decor to give a whimsical touch to your home.
Chris Huang
Chris Huang creates much of his artwork with colored pencil and ink on wood. The work reflects our connection with the natural world and is often represented through mandala, plant, animal, and human imagery. Though the art is meticulously hand-crafted, it is truly a labor of love and an opportunity for the artist to express and connect with higher, cosmic ideals and concepts.
What’s on display? Prints, cards and puzzles of original artwork created with colored pencil and ink pen on wood. Totebags, and other merchandise featuring original artwork
Website: http://www.yellowlotusdesigns.com/
Instagram: @chrishuang76
Kay Stevens
I am a born and raised Tucsonan and mother of three. I got my welding and fabrication degree about seven years ago and worked for a local company in their heavy fab department making large scale exhaust systems for the mines. Since that time, I have become a stay at home mom and use my free time to make steel yard sculptures in my shop.
What’s on display? My pieces are inspired by the rugged beauty of the Sonoran desert, and are mostly made from from recycled/reclaimed materials.
Instagram: @monsoonmetalworks
Alexandra Catalina Queen
I use traditional silversmithing techniques combined with clay hand-building to make my sculpture and art objects. A Tucson local, I am inspired by the Sonoran desert, and lean into the mystical and magical.
What’s on display? I will have some small ceramic sculptures, functional art objects like ceramic mirrors, tea bowls, ceramic bells, and clay bead garlands, as well as fine art jewelry made with vitreous enamel.
Website: http://www.alexandracatalina.com/
Instagram: @alexandraqcatalina
Samantha Kolb
Born and raised in Tucson, I grew up loving the desert Southwest. I've always appreciated the plants and animals of the area. As a wildlife biologist I have explored the region and use offerings from nature to make my art.
What’s on display? I make jewelry from wood, upcycled aluminum cans, and metal clay. For my metal clay jewelry I use textures from leaves, wood, flowers, animal skins, etc... I make replicas with a silicone mold that I can then put metal clay into before firing. I use found remains of animals for my skin textures and no animals are ever harmed for my jewelry.
Website: https://kolbdesigns.wixsite.com/jewelry
Instagram: @kolb_designs