Tucson Museum of Art

Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block celebrated its century mark just last year. The downtown institution today boasts a growing collection of nearly 12,000 works of art, spanning over 3,000 years of history. Its legacy is owed in part to the power of women. Three members of the Tucson Woman’s Club, a group that educated itself in literature, history, civics and economics, would create the Tucson Fine Arts Association in 1924 to bolster lecture series and exhibitions of artists such as Robert Henri and Maynard Dixon. Its growth and influence led to a dedicated museum building, which settled into its final digs on Main Avenue in 1975. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum has benefitted from myriad donors over the years, notably I. Michael and Beth Kasser, who recently backed a 6,000-square-foot expansion for the museum and contributed extensively to its pre-Columbian and Latin American art collections.

PHOTOS COURTESY TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART