Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch

Art dealer Elaine Horwitch was a major force in contemporary art in the Southwest from the early 1970s until her death in 1991, responsible for launching the careers of hundreds of artists from the region. With galleries in Scottsdale, Santa Fe, Sedona, and Palm Springs, she was a leader in fostering what has been called “new Western art” or “Southwest pop.”

This exhibition highlights the works of some of the Elaine Horwitch Galleries’ most popular artists. Drawn from the Tucson Museum of Art collection and loans from Arizona and New Mexico, these paintings, sculptures, and works on paper reveal the breadth of art and innovation that occurred in the Southwest at a pivotal time of change. 

Featured artists include: Tom Palmore, Lynn Taber, Billy Schenck, John Fincher, James Havard, Fritz Scholder, Georgia O’Keeffe, Anne Coe, Louise Nevelson, Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, and Bob Wade.

Auxiliary galleries will present other prominent Arizona and New Mexico artists who played an active role in the rise of contemporary art in the region. Featured artists include: Philip C. Curtis, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Emmi Whitehorse, Harmony Hammond, Richard Hogan, and Paul Pletka.

This exhibition is accompanied by a book of the same name written by Dr. Julie Sasse and co-published by Cattle Track Arts & Preservation and the Tucson Museum of Art.​

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website