Oro Valley Residents Will Love the Degrazia Gallery in the Sun

No artist has left their mark on Sonoran culture quite like Ettore “Ted” Degrazia. His love of the Southwest and his distinctive style have made him the most reproduced artist in history. Oro Valley residents are lucky enough to have a chance to see his original work at the Sun Museum, a 10-acre historic district featuring his architecture, sculpture, and paintings.

The first building, the Mission in the Sun, which was constructed in 1951, features a tile altar dedicated to La Virgen de Guadalupe, and it has long been used as a religious site by locals, who would leave offerings in her honor. The walls also contained original murals painted by Degrazia himself. A fire in 2017 damaged the site, but it has since been restored, leaving a portion of the fire damage intact. 12 other buildings have been constructed since, each in a unique impressionistic style, resembling Southwestern architecture.

The gallery has a rotating series of exhibitions, displaying approximately 15,000 Degrazia originals. That includes Degrazia’s Ballet, a series of paintings done between 1950-1961, which represent a divergence from his usual depictions of the Southwest. There’s a series on Degrazia’s representation of Paleolithic Art, and what is known as Degrazia’s Procession, a collection of work spanning 28 years detailing the procession rituals of the Native American and Latino communities. There’s also a consignment shop where customers can purchase authentic originals and a gift shop where a wide variety of reproductions are available for sale.