DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum is honored to present two new exhibits: “Rodeo” and “DeGrazia’s Master of Arts Thesis Paintings.” A community reception will be held Friday, Jan. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Gallery in the Sun Museum to celebrate the opening.

New Exhibit: “Rodeo”
“Rodeo” is a 1954 series of oil paintings inspired by the Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo and Fair in Sells, Arizona. Behind the scenes views of Native American rodeo cowboys waiting in downtime complement DeGrazia’s dynamic action paintings of traditional rodeo events such as bull riding, bronc riding, and steer roping. Painted with bold exuberant palette knife strokes, DeGrazia referred to these impressionistic interpretations as his “drastic” paintings – works that capture a decisive, dramatic moment in paint. The exhibit will remain on display through Sept. 4, 2024.

New Exhibit: “DeGrazia’s Master of Arts Thesis Paintings”
“DeGrazia’s Master of Arts Thesis Paintings” is a selection of watercolors and oil paintings from his 1945 University of Arizona Master of Arts thesis, “Art and its Relation to Music in Music Education.” This accompanying work, based on movements from popular works of classical music, demonstrates his theories about the correlation between the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms of music, and the shapes, colors, and rhythms of abstract paintings. The exhibit will remain on display through Sept. 4, 2024.