Tucson Desert Art Museum Announces “Cruzando La Línea: Contemporary Art in the Borderlands"

What: The Tucson Desert Art Museum is pleased to announce the opening of “Cruzando La Línea: Contemporary Art in the Borderlands”, a major exhibition exploring the complexities of culture, migration, and identity along the U.S. / Mexico border. The exhibition will be on view from October 8, 2025, through June 27, 2026.

Where: Tucson Desert Art Museum, 7000 East Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, AZ 85715

When: Opens Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Who: Bringing together four distinguished artists, Alejandro Macias, Vanessa Saavedra, David Taylor, and Alfred J. Quiroz, this exhibition presents painting, photography, video, and mixed media works that shed light on the lived realities of the borderlands. Each artist offers a unique perspective that contributes to a broader understanding of this dynamic region where histories converge and cultures intertwine.

Cost: Adults $12, Seniors $10, Students $6, Tribal Members, Active Military, and Children under 12 free

Featured Artists:

Alejandro Macias creates work that reflects his Mexican-American identity and the bicultural experience of the borderlands. His work has been featured in major exhibitions across the country, including the 2024 Texas Biennial at Sawyer Yards, the 2024 Border Biennial at the El Paso Museum of Art, and the 2023 Arizona Biennial at the Tucson Museum of Art. He has had solo exhibitions at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Presa House Gallery, Tucson Museum of Art, and LatchKey Gallery in New York. His paintings are part of the permanent collections at the Newark Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, El Paso Museum of Art, Tucson Museum of Art, Mexic-Arte Museum, and the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. His recent honors include the 2023 Lehmann Emerging Artist Award from the Phoenix Art Museum and the Artist2Artist Art Matters Fellowship. He has held artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, MASS MoCA, the Wassaic Project, Château Orquevaux in France, CALA Alliance in Phoenix, and the Elizabeth Murray Artist Residency in New York, among others. He is currently an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Arizona.

Vanessa Saavedra, a Tucson-based multidisciplinary artist, draws from her upbringing in Nogales, Sonora, and Arizona to create works centered on cultural memory and migration. Her exhibitions include the Tucson Museum of Art, the Chicano Park Museum in San Diego, and the Pink Collar Gallery in the United Kingdom. She received her MFA from the University of Arizona in 2025.

David Taylor, a Guggenheim Fellow, is recognized for his long-term photographic projects documenting the U.S.-Mexico border. His acclaimed works, including “Working the Line” and “Monuments: 276 Views of the U.S.-Mexico Border,” have been widely exhibited and published internationally. His artwork is in the permanent collections of numerous institutions, including the Nevada Museum of Art, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the MFA Houston. He has exhibited his work in venues such as the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, the MCA San Diego, the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington DC, Museo de las Artes Universidad de Guadalajara, Oficina de Proyectos Culturales, MFA Houston, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and the Boise Art Museum. He was awarded a 2019 residency at Proyecto Siqueiros: La Tallera in Cuernavaca, Mexico, a 2019 Arizona Commission for the Arts Research and Development Grant, and the 2023 Tucson Museum of Art Contemporary Art Society Prize. He is a Professor of Art as well as an Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs at the University of Arizona.

Alfred J. Quiroz is a celebrated painter and muralist whose career spans more than five decades. Born in Tucson in 1944, Quiroz is renowned for his satirical and politically charged works that confront issues of social justice, inequality, and Chicano identity. His vibrant, often large-scale paintings and murals employ humor, caricature, and bold color to address subjects ranging from U.S. presidential politics to community struggles. His work has been shown nationally and internationally, including exhibitions in Mexico, Spain, Slovakia, and China. He has received major honors such as the Fulbright-García Robles Grant, the Latino Artist Lifetime Achievement Award from LULAC, the 1988 Arizona Arts Award ($25000), three Visual Arts Grants from the AZ Commission on the Arts, as well as Best of Show in 1986 and in 2003 and the Pat Mutterer Memorial Fund First Place Award in the Arizona Biennial for his piece Border Is-Shoes that is featured in our exhibition. In addition to his artistic career, Quiroz dedicated decades to teaching and mentoring students, leaving a lasting legacy in the Southwest art community. He is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona, the first tenure-track Mexican-American/Hispanic hired in the Department of Art in its 100 year history.

Exhibition Statement

“This exhibition highlights voices and visions that resonate far beyond southern Arizona,” said Rhonda R. Smith, Director of the Tucson Desert Art Museum. “Through their diverse practices, these artists challenge, inspire, and reflect the complexities of borderland life. We are very excited to host four such accomplished artists at the Museum. We take special care to curate exhibitions with topics that resonate with the voices and history of all of Tucson’s population, including immigrants and minorities who have had a significant impact on Tucson's unique arts, culture, and history. This exhibition gives us an opportunity to celebrate the very substantial contribution of Hispanic artistic voices in our history through four extremely talented individuals.”