This juried exhibition, marking over three decades of the Arizona Pastel Artists Association

(APAA), presents a rigorous intersection of fine art and environmental observation. Working

with the rawest form of color—pure, dry pigment—these artists document the fragile

"microcosms" of desert life: its flora, fauna, and landscape, as well as its people and spirit.

While pastels carry a 15th-century lineage, these works function as contemporary biological

records. In the intimate "small works" featured here, precision is utilized to elicit deep

looking—a quiet reminder that subtlety and precision can evoke as grand an impact as work in

larger compositions. By distilling the desert’s vibrant, tactile spirit onto paper, this international

body of artists serves as a vital bridge between aesthetic mastery and conservation advocacy,

challenging viewers to preserve the ephemeral beauty of the arid habitats that sustain us.

Founded in 1994, the Arizona Pastel Artists Association (APAA) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit

organization. Today, the association boasts a membership of almost 200 artists worldwide,

spanning the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. As a member society of the

International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), the APAA is dedicated to the promotion and

mastery of the pastel medium through demonstrations, workshops and juried exhibitions. 

www.apaa.wildapricot.org