Looking Back
Julie Sasse with artist James de la Torre at Borderlandia, 2011. (Submitted photos)
Tucson Museum of Art’s Dr. Julie Sasse recalls her top exhibitions BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI July 6 marked 20 years since Chief Curator Dr. Julie Sasse began her tenure at Tucson Museum of Art. In that time, she has organized more than 100 exhibitions and authored more than 20 books and catalogues. Her expertise, dedication and passion for her work are invaluable contributions to the museum. Here, Sasse shares her top 10 curatorial projects from the last 20 years and a personal remembrance about each one, listed in reverse chronological order. How many did you get to experience? 1. “Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch” February 29, 2020, to March 13, 2020; July 2-September 20, 2020 “This exhibition is dear to me because of the many artists who have been a big part of my history in the arts, stretching back more than 30 years.” Works by more than 80 artists, including Tom Palmore, Billy Schenck, John Fincher, Fritz Scholder, Georgia O’Keeffe, Bob Wade, David Bradley, Joe Baker, Douglas Johnson, Merrill Mahaffey, Anne Coe, Suzanne Klotz, Susan Hertel, Marilyn Levine, Larry Rivers, Paul Brach, Douglas Kent Hall, Lynn Taber, Beth Ames Swartz, David T. Kessler, Masoud Yasami, Dick Jemison, Paul Jenkins and others. Inspired by Sasse’s book by the same name, this exhibition features some of
Elaine Horwitch Galleries’ most prominent artists with whom she worked in the 1980s. 2. “Dress Matters: Clothing as Metaphor” October 21, 2017, to February 25, 2018 “For this exhibition, I enjoyed discovering new artists and the wide range of creative expression and insightful messages that clothing has inspired.” Works by more than 50 artists, including Sama Alshaibi, Joseph Beuys, Willie Birch, Christian Boltanksi, Bob Carey, Nick Cave, Kate Daudy, Jim Dine, Bailey Doogan, Angela Ellsworth, Fausto Fernandez, Adam Fuss, Valerie Hammond, Graciela Iturbide, Robert Longo, Robert Mapplethorpe, Mark Newport, Wendy Red Starr, Miriam Schapiro, Jaune Quick-toSee Smith, Andy Warhol and others. This exhibition examines works of art that include the image of garments, which become powerful signifiers of who we are as people. The show examined how clothing delivers compelling messages about power, identity, desire, status, protection and transformation. 3. “Into the Night: Modern and Contemporary Art and the Nocturne Tradition” February 27, 2016, to July 10, 2016 “I’ve always been haunted by scenes of the night—not only are such works difficult to convey, but they are also loaded
Julie Sasse touring Trouble in Paradise, 2009.
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with metaphoric content.” Works by more than 65 artists, including Georges Braque, Kate Breakey, Gregory Crewdson, Marsden Hartley, Maki Kaoru, Rockwell Kent, Mark Klett, Richard Misrach, Lisa Robinson, Lynne Saville, Rocky Schenck, Amy Stein, Jamey Stillings, Masao Yamamoto and others. This exhibition examines mystery, drama, the esoteric and otherness in paintings, photographs and works on paper that investigate psychological concepts of darkness, the dreamscape and its connection to the night, and the inter-connectedness of the environment with cultural and artistic concerns through the enigmatic notion of the night. 4. “Desert Grasslands” January 26, 2013, to July 7, 2013 “This exhibition was important to me because I learned so much about the desert region in which I live. While researching for this topic, I found so many wonderful artists who made the grasslands come alive for me.” Works by Michael P. Berman, Kate Breakey, Stephen Capra, MF Cardamone, Diane Dale, Dornith Doherty, Matilda Essig, Deborah Springstead Ford, Moira Marti Geoffrion, Heather Green, Michael Haykin, Ben Johnson, Karen Kitchel, Mark Klett, Mayme Kratz, Joseph Scheer, Stephen Strom and David Taylor. This exhibition is part of the Desert Initiative Project: Desert 1, a multistate visual arts collaboration. 5. “Borderlandia: Cultural Topographies by Einar and Jamex de la Torre” February 12, 2011, to June 12, 2011
“This exhibition was important because Tucson was facing widespread backlash due to stricter immigration laws enacted in our region. While conventions and public events were being canceled and artists boycotted Tucson in protest, the de la Torre brothers persevered and presented their exhibition to educate and enlighten audiences. They were a joy to work with.” Internationally recognized artists Einar and Jamex de la Torre live and work on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, providing them with an insider-outsider perspective. Their blown glass and mixed-media works examine and confront the complexities of this geographical, cultural and historical divide with a sense of humor that is playful yet compelling. The de la Torre brothers simultaneously reference and erase the boundaries between “high” and “low” art and between “fine” and “folk” art. Central to their creative process are collaboration, humor and self-discovery. Their subject matter shifts between history, politics, immigration, identity, religion, popular culture, food and Meso-American symbols. 6. “Trouble in Paradise: Examining Discord Between Nature and Society” February 28, 2009, to June 28, 2009 “This exhibition was one of my favorites because I have a passion for nature and caring for our environment. These artists are similarly invested in highlighting nature’s dynamic forces as well as addressing the pressing issues of climate change.” Exhibitions...continues on page 5 www.LovinLife.com
