Saguaro National Park

On the last day of my trip to Tucson, I was able to visit Saguaro National Park. Divided into two sections, separated by the city of Tucson, my aunts drove me to the larger eastern section of the park. The giant saguaro cactus is the state symbol of Arizona is known for it's white budding flowers that appear in spring. Saguaro cacti can grow very tall, upwards of forty feet. Having rained a lot the day before, the park was cool and very green. It was so great to see the natural diversity of the park and it was a great way to end my trip to Arizona. I had wonderful time seeing my aunts, friends Ann and Jack, and visiting Tucson. I hope to visit again in the future!

Tucson Art Museum

A good indicator of the cultural identity of any American city, in my opinion, is it's art museum. At the Tucson Art Museum the combination of the permanent collection and special exhibitions showcased the narrative of American westward expansion, but also the global significance of western art. The actual layout of the museum is like a reverse Guggenheim (New York) in the respect that it's a ramp that descends in a rectangular form. The museum contains respective European and modern collections, which includes Rodin, some Impressionists, and a great collection of folk art.

One of the current exhibitions on view at the museum was about Dutch-born artist Henry Balink, who did remarkable portraits of Southwestern Native Americans. The exhibition was supported largely from the private collection of Howard and Marilyn Steele who I was fortunate to meet the same day later on at the Tuscon Symphony Orchestra. I interpreted Balink's portraits as a nod toward traditional Dutch portraiture based on positioning of sitters and the cropping of the torsos. Yet, Balink added vibrant and sun toned colors in his portraits to make his own distinction upon a culture he found inspiring.

After the museum, my aunts treated me to a wonderful dinner at the the museum cafe with friends Jack Doyle and Ann Forsberg-Doyle. I had a great time at the museum, a wonderful dinner, and then a great night at the symphony. Who ask for a better culture packed day in Tucson?