Ventana Medical Systems, Inc Gallery

SAACA and Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. created the gallery exhibition series so the many nationally honored artists could present their pieces of art, while receiving much deserved local recognition and promoting the creation and enjoyment of community art. The series also gives amateur artists the opportunity to showcase their work among established artists.

The public may view or purchase artworks from the exhibit during the three month show. Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, is the world's leading tissue-based cancer diagnostics company. The organization recently expanded the Ventana Gallery, by creating more exhibition halls, and partnered with SAACA in an effort to further its commitment to support the arts. This joint dedication to local community has created the largest, free of charge, gallery in Southern Arizona which now provides a space for local artists to showcase their work.The Ventana Gallery is open to the public by appointment Monday – Friday between 9am-4pm, and the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month between 10am-2pm. To view the gallery, you must make an appointment a minimum of 48 hours in advance by calling the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance at (520) 797-3959.


Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. Gallery
1910 E. Innovation Park Drive, Oro Valley, AZ
(Innovation Park Drive between Tangerine & Rancho Vistoso)

CURRENT SHOW
JANUARY 2012-MARCH 2012

Eric Galbreath 

Drawing inspiration from the saturated colors afforded by the crisp desert air of the American Southwest, Eric Galbreath uses vibrant hues and cascading tones to evoke a variety of collector responses – from joy and inspiration to introspection and meditative thought.

Influences from his lifelong career in graphic design can be seen in Galbreath’s use of color and texture as the medium of communication. The ethereal and non-objective nature of his work creates a meditative space, a window into, or a mirror reflective of, one’s inner life.

The viewer inevitably brings his/her own meaning to the work. Galbreath’s intent is for “the viewer to abandon this urge to make meaning. Rather,” he challenges, “be in the moment. Experience the beauty of ambiguity.”

Brilliant in their clarity and singularity, Galbreath’s paintings can be found in fine homes and corporate collections throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan and Washington, DC.

Roberta Lewis

“I cannot remember a time when I did not draw, paint, glue or glitter something,” said Roberta Lewis, artist and educator, “or when I didn’t have a compulsion to alter the world or any surface I could draw on.”

Inspired by the imagery of Marc Chagall and the absurdity of Gary Larson, this experienced artist has spent years creating with clay and has evolved to using mixed media in her artworks.  

“I suppose today I’d categorize my work as contemporary ‘folk art’ since I have always been intoxicated by color, patterns, textures and iconography of many cultures,” Lewis said.

“Sometimes I am jumpstarted by a shape, a contour of an image, a combination of colors or even the text in an advertisement,” she added.     

Sherry Tolman

“Life inspires me,” said artist Sherry Tolman. “I don’t take this for granted at all.”

Brushing watercolors onto canvas to create whimsical works, Tolman interprets wildlife and floral scenes from all around the country. She has one Best in Show in several popular art festivals, including the Tucson Fourth Avenue Street Fair.

After traveling nationally for 30 years, Tolman and her husband have lived on the road full-time for the past 15 years. The two work as a team to showcase her paintings around the United States.

Those who browse her artwork will come face-to-face with javelina against barn wood and prickly pear background or meet eyes with a “stalker” cougar crouching on a cliff.  

“I adore animals of all types,” Tolman said.

A Window into Ventana’s Pubic Gallery

By incorporating the arts into their workplace, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. employees experience an atmosphere surrounded with creativity, collaboration and innovation.

Ventana has included art in the workplace through a progressive partnership with Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance. Since 2006, the two organizations have made the arts part of the daily work experience for the 1,300 employees who work at Ventana.

SAACA teams with Ventana to produce quarterly exhibitions featuring art that spans a variety of media. The partnership has transformed the corridors of Ventana into visual art galleries, which are open to the public year-round.

Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance and Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. created the gallery exhibition series for established and emerging artists to present their work in a workplace environment and promote the creation and enjoyment of community art. The public may view or purchase art from the exhibit during the three month show.

The Ventana Gallery is open to the public by appointment Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the first and third Saturday of each month between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To view the gallery, you must make an appointment a minimum of 48 hours in advance by calling the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance at (520) 797-3959.