Leave it to Tucsonans to turn a downtown storefront into an art gallery, real estate office, and trolley tour hub in just 90 days. That’s how long co-founders Tony Ray Baker, Darren Jones, and Tom Heath had to transform 245 East Congress Street, in the heart of Tucson’s entertainment district, into the Tucson Gallery, a home base for local artists and the community causes they champion.
The original Tucson Gallery opened at Proper Shops, just down the block, but the trio soon outgrew the small footprint. “With our expanded location, we can host larger art events, hold more classes, showcase more Tucson talent, and continue building a community space where art inspires connection,” says Baker.
Since the October 2025 move, the roster has grown to more than 50 local artists. “Tucson is overflowing with world-class talent, but artists frequently struggle to find physical spaces that champion their work consistently,” Baker says. “We built this space to break down those barriers.”
For Heath, the bigger footprint means “broader economic support for the local arts scene.”
Inside, affordable souvenirs, stickers, and quirky collectibles share space with fine art that views the Southwest through each artist’s lens.
Meet the makers
On a recent visit, the owners welcomed 1 Minute Critic for a private tour and a chance to watch Victor Navarro at work. Born in Guadalajara and raised in Tucson, Navarro channels the Sonoran Desert into a vibrant, singular style. His work has shown at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and Taipei’s Sun Yat-sen National Memorial Hall, and he recently co-organized the group show Echoes of Mexico at Christina Lappa Gallery in Athens.
Tucson-raised Angela Soliz works mostly in acrylics, building texture with modeling paste before layering on color. She says painting is her way “to articulate wonder, joy, radical acceptance and other intense high sensation emotions that are avoided and subjugated.” Her canvases draw on the Southern Arizona desert, her Chicano roots, and magical realism.
Tucson Trolley Tours also departs from the gallery. Its calling card is Camila Ibarra’s “Greetings From Tucson Trolley Tours” postcard mural just outside, with a saguaro and Teatro Carmen tucked inside its giant letters. Four mural routes fan out from there, from historic Fourth Avenue to Barrio Viejo and Five Points.
In Tucson, the gallery walls keep going long after you step outside.
Fast facts: Tucson Gallery and Tucson Trolley Tours
- 245 E. Congress St., Suite 101, Tucson
- Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Monday
- Admission: Free to browse
- Trolley tours: Mural routes start at $25; reservations required. Book at tucsontrolleytours.com
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