SMoCA's Year-Long 'Desert Perspectives' Reexamines Southwest Landscape Art Through 2027
From September 19, 2026, until September 5, 2027, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art will host Desert Perspectives, an exhibition curated by Keshia Turley. This year-long showcase delves into artistic interpretations of the Southwestern deserts, focusing on themes of landscape, ecology, identity, and place. The exhibition features a mix of collection pieces, contemporary commissions, and loans, organized into three rotations that reframe historical narratives in modern contexts. It posits that 'the desert' is a cultural construct influenced by diverse histories and viewpoints. Newly commissioned works by artists such as Joshua Haunschild, Jen Urso, Susanna Battin, Jacob Meders, Rebecca Padilla, and Julie Anand and Damon Sauer address ecological vulnerability and landmarks like the Grand Canyon. The Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation provides support for this initiative.
Key facts
- Desert Perspectives runs September 19, 2026–September 5, 2027 at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
- The exhibition spans more than a century of artistic engagement with the greater Southwestern deserts.
- It is organized by SMoCA and curated by Keshia Turley, assistant curator.
- The show uses the museum's collection as a living archive, combined with contemporary commissions and loans.
- It is structured through three sequential rotations that recontextualize historical frameworks.
- Newly commissioned, site-responsive installations are by Joshua Haunschild, Jen Urso, Susanna Battin, Jacob Meders, Rebecca Padilla, and Julie Anand and Damon Sauer.
- These installations address ecological precarity, reciprocal relationships, and iconic sites such as the Grand Canyon.
- Support is provided by the Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation.
Entities
Artists
- Billy Schenck
- Ed Mell
- Dana Fritz
- M. Jenea Sanchez
- Mark Klett
- Joshua Haunschild
- Jen Urso
- Susanna Battin
- Jacob Meders
- Rebecca Padilla
- Julie Anand
- Damon Sauer
- Keshia Turley
- Tom McClain
- Mary Jane McClain
- Sean Deckert
- Walter Goldschmidt
- Karla Goldschmidt
Institutions
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
- Scottsdale Arts
- Scottsdale Fine Arts Commission
- Friends of Mexican Art
- Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation
- Southwest Contemporary
- SMoCA
Locations
- Scottsdale
- United States
- Grand Canyon
- Salt River
- Arizona