Friends of Western Art to Host Auction to Benefit Conservation Efforts

Tucson, AZ – Friends of Western Art, a Southern Arizona nonprofit organization, will hold a live auction of donated original art by several prominent Arizona artists on Saturday, October 12, 2019 beginning at 3 p.m. at the Mountain Oyster Club in Tucson, Arizona.  The event, San Xavier-Inspired: An Art Auction to Promote and Preserve, will benefit the Patronato San Xavier, a nonprofit, non-sectarian organization founded in 1978 to conserve and preserve the Mission.

“In the past, we have sponsored Artist of the Year events that honored individual western artists and raised money for Tucson Museum of Art and the Amerind Museum. This event will spotlight the work of multiple artists to benefit an organization whose focus is art and its preservation and conservation,” said Jim Sheehan, President of Friends of Western Art.

“In addition to this planned auction, FWA is providing a seed grant to help conserve two paintings that hang in the nave of the Mission. Both paintings are more than 100 years old and both the frames and canvas need cleaning and conservation work to return them to their original condition. These measures of support are extremely important to our efforts at the Mission, and we are deeply grateful,” said Miles Green, executive director of Patronato San Xavier.

Incorporated in 1981, Friends of Western art is dedicated to promoting the art of the American West by providing sponsorship and support to Western artists and artisans, educational programs and art related organizations in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Patronato San Xavier is a nonprofit, non-sectarian organization that was founded in 1978 to promote the conservation, preservation and maintenance of the Mission San Xavier del Bac, a national historic landmark.  Founded in 1692 by Jesuit Missionary Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, the Mission is the finest example of Mexican and Spanish Baroque architecture in the United States and an active mission that has been serving the same community for 327 years.