DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District facts for kids
The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District is a special place in Tucson, Arizona. It's filled with unique buildings and art created by a famous artist named Ettore DeGrazia. This property is like a village of buildings spread out in the natural desert.
DeGrazia started building this amazing place in 1951. The first building was an open-air chapel called the Mission in the Sun. Over the years, he added more buildings made of adobe, which is a type of sun-dried brick. These buildings have a very artistic and expressive style. The main gallery, which is now a museum, was built in 1965. It has cool features like floors made from cactus wood, exposed wooden beams, and other artistic touches.
This gallery replaced DeGrazia's first art building from 1944. Many artists and friends, like Thomas Hart Benton and Jack Van Ryder, spent time at this new gallery. In 2006, the 10-acre property became a museum of DeGrazia's artwork. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site.
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The Mission in the Sun Chapel
The Mission in the Sun was the very first building DeGrazia created on this site. It was built as a chapel and dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Padre Eusebio Kino. DeGrazia painted beautiful murals all over the walls inside. He also included a large painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe above the brick altar.
Many visitors use the Mission as a peaceful place for reflection. They often leave photos, candles, and other small gifts. The Mission has also been a popular spot for weddings over the years.
Fire and Restoration
On May 30, 2017, a fire caused a lot of damage to the Mission. Luckily, there were no DeGrazia paintings hanging inside at the time. However, the walls, murals, and roof were badly damaged. Experts called conservators began working to save and fix what they could.
The walls were plastered over to protect the remaining parts of the original murals. About 80% of the murals were destroyed. One of the conservators working on the project was an artist who had learned directly from DeGrazia himself. The restored chapel reopened to the public in the fall of 2019. Some of the fire damage was even kept on purpose, as a reminder of what happened.
Buildings at the Gallery
The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun includes many different buildings, each with its own story. Here's a list of the main structures and when they were built:
- Mission in the Sun (1952)
- DeGrazia House (1952)
- Ceramics Studio (1954)
- Brian's House (1955)
- Ghost House (1956)
- Gate House (1960)
- Gallery in the Sun (1965)
- Garage (1966)
- Nun's House (1968)
- Underground House (1969)
- Apartment (1972)
- DeGrazia Grave (1982)
Images for kids
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Front Exterior of the Gallery In the Sun
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Cholla Walkway
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Gallery In the Sun gift shop
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Interior of the Gallery In the Sun
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DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun
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DeGrazia Mission
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Interior of Mission In the Sun (damaged in 2017 fire)
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Chapel Mural (damaged in 2017 fire)
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Festivities at the Mission In the Sun
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Interior of Chapel and Altar (damaged in 2017 fire)
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Festivities at the Gallery In the Sun
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DeGrazia's Grave
