This building, designed in 1929 by Los Angeles architect M. Eugene Durfee, once belonged to the chain of movie theaters showing Fox Studio productions and was decorated with those Art Deco motifs that were typical of the movie houses of the period. After long years of falling into disrepair and neglect since 1974, it is now in the process of being renovated and revitalized, due to the much-publicized efforts of a group of conservationist citizens. Today it hosts a variety of live performances, including concerts, musicals, and lectures.
Ettore "Ted" de Grazia, Tucson's most famous painter, left his studio/gallery in the Catalina foothills for the public to enjoy as a museum of Southwestern art. The building is made from adobe, which is common for this hot and arid area, and is surrounded by cactus and other desert plants. De Grazia was fascinated by the colors and cultures of the American Southwest, and that is what his art is all about. Gallery tours can be scheduled and take 90 minutes.
The Mission San Xavier del Bac is perhaps Tucson's best-known historic landmark. Established in 1692 by the Spanish missionary Father Kino, 16.09 kilometers (10 miles) south of what is now downtown Tucson on the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation, San Xavier del Bac is considered one of the finest examples of Mexican folk baroque architecture. The mission's spotless whitewashed walls are embellished with the contrasting colors of the ornately handcrafted mesquite-wood entrance that adds a tinge of old-world finesse to the structure. The mission that stands today is, in fact, the second mission built between 1783 to 1797, and yet is the oldest European building in the state of Arizona. The parish is still active and holds mass every week.