Young Tucson Artists Launch New Gallery Dedicated to Artistic Legacy, Discovery and Contemporary Voices
Tucson, AZ (September 22, 2026) — A new chapter in Tucson’s art scene is about to unfold as artists and curators Cooper Colescott and Sam Watts open the Colescott Watts Gallery, a new exhibition space dedicated to discovering, preserving and celebrating important artistic voices.
Located in the historic Firestone building at 439 S. 6th Ave., Suite 147, near downtown Tucson, the gallery will make its debut with an extraordinary exhibition of rarely seen works by acclaimed artist Barbara Rogers. Barbara Rogers: 1960s Works opens to the public Friday, October 2, from 4–8 p.m.,
The inaugural exhibition offers a remarkable glimpse into a formative and highly productive period in Rogers’ career, presenting mostly uncirculated works on paper created during the 1960s, when she was a student and later an instructor at UC Berkeley and immersed in the vibrant Bay Area art scene.
Known internationally for her lush and complex botanical paintings, Rogers’ early works reveal the evolution of the visual language that would define her artistic journey. These intimate works on paper capture her experimentation with expressive figuration, draftsmanship and emerging structural ideas, offering viewers a rare opportunity to see the artist at the beginning of a lifelong exploration of beauty, resilience and the natural world.
The Barbara Rogers exhibition will remain on view through the end of 2026. Colescott Watts Gallery will feature ongoing group showings from a variety of artists throughout the year and will host solo exhibitions at least twice a year.
Woman with Wings 1970 - Barbara Rogers
A NEW VISION FOR TUCSON
Founded by two young artists with deep connections to the art world, Colescott Watts Gallery is rooted in a respect for artistic lineage and creative independence. The gallery will present distinct voices across painting, sculpture and works on paper, with a focus on living contemporary artists while also fostering and preserving artistic legacies.
The founders envision a gallery that connects Tucson to broader conversations in the art world while creating a space where historical discoveries and contemporary perspectives can meet.
Situated at the corner of 6th Street and 6th Avenue in the historic Firestone building, the gallery will host special exhibition openings and operate by appointment.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
Sam Watts is a curator, archivist and artist whose career has moved fluidly between the studio, music, publishing and the museum world. Raised in Northern California’s art community under the influence of his grandfather, artist Sam Richardson, Watts studied painting at Cornish College of the Arts before spending a decade touring and recording as a musician. He later managed Marfa Book Company and curated exhibitions for Inde/Jacobs Gallery, eventually leading museum curatorial projects at the University at Buffalo Art Museum and the Anderson Collection at Stanford University. Watts co-directs Colescott Watts Gallery.
Cooper Colescott, a native Tucsonan, is an artist, entrepreneur and curator currently pursuing his BFA in painting at the University of Arizona. The son of renowned artist Robert Colescott, Cooper grew up surrounded by art and was deeply influenced by his father’s work and legacy. He founded The Robert Colescott Foundation, dedicated to preserving and archiving his father’s work, advancing scholarship, educating the public and empowering future creative voices. He co-directs Colescott Watts Gallery.
Together, Colescott and Watts bring a unique combination of artistic practice, curatorial experience, archival knowledge and a commitment to artistic legacy to their new Tucson venture.
Cooper Colescott and Sam Watts
With its inaugural exhibition, Colescott Watts Gallery invites Tucson audiences to discover a rarely seen chapter in the career of an important American artist — and to experience the opening of a gallery with its own vision for the future.
COLESCOTT WATTS GALLERY
439 S. 6th Ave., #147
Tucson, AZ
Barbara Rogers: 1960s Works
Exhibition Dates: October 2, 2026 – End of 2026
Public Opening: Friday, October 2, 4–8 p.m.
VIP Preview: Thursday, October 1, 4–8 p.m., invitation only
Hours: Special exhibition openings and by appointment
Instagram: Colescottwattsgallery