Ventana Gallery at Roche
Community Gallery in the Heart of a Research Facility
Rotating Exhibitions
Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD), a global innovator in tissue-based cancer diagnostics, embraces the arts as a catalyst for creativity, culture, and community. In partnership with Art State Arizona, RTD has created one of Southern Arizona’s most expansive and inspiring corporate gallery spaces—rotating three major exhibitions annually that explore the intersections of innovation, storytelling, and the human experience. Located at RTD’s Oro Valley campus, the Ventana Gallery hosts up to 120 works per show and serves as a vibrant hub for colleague- and community-driven exhibitions.
This pioneering partnership elevates the workplace environment into a living gallery—where bold, themed exhibitions include both professional artists and deeply personal works by Roche colleagues and their families. From visual narratives exploring cancer survivorship to multimedia exhibitions inspired by the natural world and photography shows drawn from across Roche’s U.S. sites, the gallery program nurtures curiosity and connection across disciplines. It’s more than art on walls—it’s a practice of cultural integration that fuels purpose, reflection, and innovation.
Art State Arizona’s Business and Arts Integration model at RTD is a national example of how creative expression can energize science-driven enterprises. By embedding the arts within their corporate culture, Roche fosters a workplace where employees are empowered to think differently, collaborate more deeply, and connect more meaningfully to the communities they serve. Together, Art State Arizona and RTD are redefining what it looks like to lead with imagination, purpose, and heart.
Location
Roche Tissue Diagnostics
1910 E Innovation Park Drive, Oro Valley, AZ, 85737
Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Roche Tissue Diagnostics is a world leader and innovator of tissue-based diagnostic solutions for patients globally. Pursuing a mission to improve the lives of all patients afflicted with cancer, the company’s 1,300+ employees provide more than 250 cancer tests with related instruments for the 14 million people diagnosed with cancer each year
Tour the Gallery
The Ventana Gallery is open to the public for Special Event Exhibition Opening Night Reception, and also by private tour twice monthly.
Please call (520) 797-3959 to make reservations or email eric@saaca.org
About the Rotating Art Exhibitions
The Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics presents three dynamic exhibitions annually, each curated to reflect themes of innovation, community, healing, and creativity. These exhibitions showcase a diverse range of artistic voices—from emerging local talent to nationally recognized creators—and often include works submitted by Roche colleagues and their families.
Each new exhibition launches with a public opening reception featuring live music, refreshments, and opportunities to meet the artists.
Community members are invited to attend, engage, and even contribute to upcoming shows.
To learn how to submit artwork, attend events, or explore the current exhibit, see the listings and calls for participation by registering for the Art State Arizona newsletter online.
Permanent Art Installations on Campus
In 2021, Roche Tissue Diagnostics began a construction project that resulted in two new buildings with 55,000 square feet of interior space. These new spaces ensure sustainability, invested in employees and community and most importantly, allow room to grow and continue to deliver what cancer patients need next. As part of the expansion, Roche partnered with Art State Arizona to commission new works of public art.
We invite you to experience the artists, murals and sculpture which defined the newly commissioned works.
Experience the Innovative Gallery Exhibitions Below and Be Inspired
Current Exhibition | REFORMED: The Art of Transformation
REFORMED: The Art of Transformation
A GALLERY EXHIBITION CELEBRATING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE CREATIVE REUSE
OF EXISTING MATERIALS
January 2026 to May 2026
Roche Tissue Diagnostics and Art State Arizona proudly present ReFormed: The Art of Transformation, a visually compelling gallery exhibition celebrating sustainability, reinvention, and the creative power of reuse. Featuring Arizona-based artists, the exhibition elevates discarded, repurposed, and found materials into striking works of art, inviting viewers to reconsider waste, value ingenuity, and discover possibility where others see an ending.
Through sculpture, mixed media, and inventive cross-disciplinary approaches, ReFormed features over 75 works by 34 artists, each giving new life to overlooked objects and telling powerful visual stories of renewal, resourcefulness, and resilience. Together, the works demonstrate that transformation isn’t just possible—it’s powerful.
Featured Artists
Robert Ansani
Kathy Baker-Addy
Vicki Barth
Sarah Batchelder
Tracy Brown
Nan Clarke
Chad Conner
Heather Costa
David Craig
Kirk Cross
Bronwyn Dierssen
Zac Dierssen
Kathy Baker-Addy
Vicki Barth
Sarah Batchelder
Tracy Brown
Nan Clarke
Chad Conner
Heather Costa
David Craig
Kirk Cross
Bronwyn Dierssen
Zac Dierssen
Dr. Amy Eisenberg
Tanja Eltze
Debra Goley
Abb’e Gore
Ulli Hain
Chuck Lavoie
Marjorie McKenna
Robert Mlsek
Stevan Mrdalj
Joe Mussulman
Jeannine Ozias
Tanja Eltze
Debra Goley
Abb’e Gore
Ulli Hain
Chuck Lavoie
Marjorie McKenna
Robert Mlsek
Stevan Mrdalj
Joe Mussulman
Jeannine Ozias
Maryssa Parisi
Angela Puffer
Dee Ruff
Florencia Ruiz
Tamara Scott Anderson
Diane Verkuylen-Murphy
Richard Ward
Lance Wilson
Joy Wilson
Nan Wollman
Heather Wuelpern
Angela Puffer
Dee Ruff
Florencia Ruiz
Tamara Scott Anderson
Diane Verkuylen-Murphy
Richard Ward
Lance Wilson
Joy Wilson
Nan Wollman
Heather Wuelpern
Past Exhibition | Echoes of Innovation: A Wearable Art Exhibition & Runway Show
September 2025 – January 2026
On Thursday, September 25, the Ventana Gallery in Oro Valley transforms into a living runway for Echoes of Innovation — a one-night-only wearable art experience unlike anything Arizona has ever seen.
For $75, you’ll enjoy:
Full Wearable Art Gallery – Over 70 original fashion pieces inspired by cancer research imagery, created by top regional & national designers.
Runway Performance – Avant-garde fashion meets movement, storytelling, and spectacle. Over 15 models of all ages will walk the runway, featuring original wearable art creations from Sonoran Stitch Factory, students from University of Arizona and Pima Community College, Hem and Her as well as the Vessel Project, featuring one-of a kind show stopping fashions inspired by theatre, science and art.
Chef-Curated Culinary Edible Art Experiences – Small plates, grazing installations, and tasting tables designed by Arizona’s most imaginative chefs. Culinary experiences will be inspired by histology stains, and you will be able to experience edible art.
Histology Inspired Cocktail Pairings – Art in a glass, crafted to complement the evening’s flavors, colors and creative flair.
Live Music All Night – Harp, violin, and pop/classical duos set the soundtrack to this immersive experience.
5 PM – 6:30 PM – Exclusive first look at over 70 original wearable art pieces, produced by local artists in the featured Ventana Galleries at Roche, alongside live music, food and drink pairings.
6:30 PM – Sit along the fashion runway and experience a one-of-a kind fashion showcase alongside a colorful dessert presentation, lively music and be inspired by the creativity, and intersection of art and science.
Every bite, sip, and step down the runway tells a story — weaving together art, science, and innovation.
The Menu Teases:
· Watermelon Pesto Canapés & “Everything” Lox Sushi
· Custom Grazing Tables Inspired by Microscopic Textures
· Seared Lamb with Whipped Burrata, Beef Carpaccio with Blue Cheese, and Shrimp Ceviche with Pomegranate Tuile
· Cornmilk Tres Leches Bites for the perfect finale
· More exciting food, wine, and art inspired dishes will be featured throughout the evening.
Why Your Ticket Matters
Your attendance directly supports the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance’s statewide programs integrating arts into healthcare, education, and public life — funding artists, mentorship, and community impact projects. Special thanks to the Town of Oro Valley, Roche Tissue Diagnostics and all of the inspiring artists who will make this a night to remember in Oro Valley, AZ.
Past Exhibition | Face Forward - A Roche Collegue Photography Exhibition
Roche Tissue Diagnostics, in partnership with Art State Arizona, is holding its annual virtual and in-person photography exhibition, FACE FORWARD. Each year, Roche asks colleagues from across its U.S. sites in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Indiana and Massachusetts, to share the life moments they’ve been documenting throughout the year through photography.
FACE FORWARD celebrates the power of portraiture. Through the lens of photography, we’re shining a light on the human spirit—its beauty, strength, diversity, and depth. Whether it’s a fleeting candid shot, an intimate self-portrait, or a powerful image of someone in your life, we invite you to submit work that reflects the faces and stories that move you.
Featuring 244 photos by 111 employee photographers from nine campuses nationwide, the exhibition invites you to see and be seen through candid moments, intimate self-portraits, and powerful stories frozen in time.
Past Exhibition | Arizona Roots Looking Forward, Looking Back
Art State Arizona and Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD) are delighted to invite the public to the opening night reception of “Arizona Roots: Looking Forward, Looking Back.”
Marking Roche Tissue Diagnostics’ 40th anniversary, “Arizona Roots” not only celebrates the past but also reimagines the future through artistic lenses. The exhibition showcases the creative expressions of over 30 artists who draw inspiration from Arizona’s iconic five Cs — Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus, Climate — while incorporating modern elements such as Cancer Research, Creativity, Community, and Cultural Diversity.
The exhibition blends the worlds of science and art, offering inspiration and comfort to employees, visitors, and the broader community.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
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Past Exhibition | Inside Out, Outside In
Inside Out, Outside In: Focus on the Human Body's Architecture
This powerful exhibition explored the intricate architecture of the human body through a wide range of artistic interpretations. From the heart and brain to muscles, bones, and vessels, artists from across the region and nation presented works that celebrated both the strength and fragility of our physical form. The show featured a mix of mediums—including painting, sculpture, video, and performance—ranging from hyper-realistic to abstract and metaphorical.
Presented in partnership with Art State Arizona, the exhibition also offered vital health education on common cancers and connected visitors with local nonprofit resources for patients and caregivers. Roche Tissue Diagnostics complemented the show with a donation campaign supporting four local cancer-focused charities, reinforcing the exhibition’s mission to inform, inspire, and uplift.
Hosted in the Ventana Gallery at Roche’s Oro Valley campus, Inside Out, Outside In exemplified the power of art to bridge science, wellness, and human connection.
Participating Artists
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1st Place – Tracey Bozeman & Doug Smith
2nd Place – Nathanael Addison
3rd Place – Shirley Wagner
Past Exhibition | It Happened One Night Collegue Photography Competition
It Happened One Night Collegue Photography Competition
Roche Tissue Diagnostics, in partnership with Art State Arizona, held its annual virtual and in-person photography exhibition, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Each year, Roche invited colleagues from across its U.S. sites in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Indiana, and Massachusetts to share life moments they had documented throughout the year through photography.
The theme of this year’s exhibition focused on imagery captured in the nighttime. The showcase featured images of colorful urban lights, spectacular night skies, meaningful family moments, and more.
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT showcased 464 photos by 150 Roche employees across 7 campuses and 100+ departments. This year’s theme celebrated nighttime photography—capturing vivid city lights, star-filled skies, and intimate family moments, highlighting creativity and connection across Roche’s U.S. sites.
Past Exhibition | Art in Oro Valley
Art in Oro Valley : An Art Exhibition Celebrating the Town of Oro Valley's 50th Anniversary
January 11, 2024 – May 3, 2024
Roche Tissue Diagnostics and the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance will host the return of the popular “Art in Oro Valley” gallery art exhibition focused on highlighting local artists living and/or working in Oro Valley who have created original works inspired by this beautiful Sonoran Desert region of Southern Arizona. The exhibition returns to kick off the town’s 50th anniversary celebration year!
“Art in Oro Valley” has a rich history dating back to 2001 and has become a beloved tradition in the community. This year’s exhibition promises to be an exceptional event, featuring diverse works of art from over 25 artists, including a range of mediums including, but not limited to, sculpture, jewelry, painting, drawing and photography.
- Adriana Walker
- Alisha Conner
- Amber Schneider
- Ashok Ramisetti
- Bella Dolores Smith
- Cecilia Pfeiffer
- Chris Baker
- Corinne Babcock
- Cynthia Miller
- David Burks
- Dennis Wunsch
- Dr. Amy Eisenberg
- Eric Magnuson
- Evan Martin
- Gabriela Wlasiuk
- Jan Mayer
- Jaqueline Palermo
- John Daily
- John Grobmeier
- John Paul Amato, RN
- Karen Samson
- Lesli Moore Dahlke
- Louise Waller
- Lucia Payero
- Lynn Waltke
- Mary Burke
- Michael Norton
- Nancy Norton
- Patty Sjolin
- Paul Hopman
- Paul Livingston
- Philip Fisher
- Sarah Kurker
- Sarah Moore
- Shavana Smiley
- Stephanie Urbina
- Sue Betanzos
- Sydney Schwartz
- Udy Edet
Past Exhibition | Uncommon Knowledge
Uncommon Knowledge : An Exhibition of Art Highlighting Early Disease Diagnosis and Patient Self-Advocacy
The Art of Awareness: A Visual Journey Through Early Diagnosis and Self-Advocacy
Presented by Roche and Art State Arizona
Art has the power to reveal what words cannot. This groundbreaking exhibition invites viewers into a deeply personal and collective exploration of the critical importance of early disease detection and patient empowerment.
Through the lived experiences of 21 Roche colleagues from across the United States, The Art of Awareness transforms stories of diagnosis into powerful works of art—each piece a testament to courage, choice, and the life-changing value of listening to one’s body.
Spanning a diverse range of conditions—including breast, colon, prostate, and thyroid cancers; acute myeloid leukemia; human papillomavirus (HPV); long COVID; latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA); pernicious anemia; and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)—this exhibition reminds us that early detection saves lives, and that each of us plays a vital role in our own health journeys.
Through sculpture, photography, painting, and mixed media, these artistic expressions don’t just depict illness—they elevate awareness, fuel empathy, and call us to action.
Presented both in-person at the Ventana Gallery on the Roche Campus from September 21 to December 31, 2023, and available as an interactive digital exhibition, The Art of Awareness exemplifies Art State Arizona’s commitment to integrating arts into the most essential aspects of life—health, community, and human connection.
Past Exhibition | Culture Lens: A RTD Collegue Photography Exhibition
Culture Lens
Presented by Roche Diagnostics in collaboration with Art State Arizona
Photography has the power to reveal the threads that bind us—to place, to memory, to one another. Now in its third year, CULTURE LENS invites Roche colleagues across the nation to pause, reflect, and share the images that bring their cultural identities into focus.
This year’s theme—Cultural Roots—asks a simple but profound question: What has shaped you? Whether it’s the rhythm of a family tradition, the skyline of a childhood city, or the warmth of a passed-down recipe, we invite you to capture and submit photographs that connect to the people, places, traditions, and objects that tell your story.
Icons and imagery matter. From the Golden Gate Bridge to a neighborhood coffee shop, from a county fair to a shared meal—our cultural landscape is made rich by the memories we carry and the places we return to in heart and mind.
This is a celebration of the deeply personal and undeniably universal. It’s about honoring the mentors who guided us, the rituals that ground us, the landscapes that hold our stories, and the heirlooms that whisper across generations.
Each photo submission will include a short written reflection to offer context and connection—because behind every image is a story worth telling.
Exhibition Categories:
People: Portraits and snapshots that honor those who shaped our values, dreams, or identity.
Traditions: Celebrations, rituals, meals, or gatherings that define our cultural fabric.
Place: Photographs that capture the soul of a neighborhood, home, or meaningful destination.
Objects: Items infused with memory—family heirlooms, symbolic tools, or food that tells a generational tale.
The virtual exhibition will launch this fall, spotlighting the diverse cultural tapestries woven through our Roche community. In partnership with Art State Arizona, CULTURE LENS reflects our shared belief in the arts as a powerful vehicle for connection, inclusion, and self-expression.
Past Exhibition | Grand Format: A Large Scale Art Exhibition
Grand Format: A Large Scale Art Exhibition
January 2023 – April 2023
GRAND SCALE | A large-format art exhibition, will feature over 45 works in diverse styles and approaches by artists whose main medium is public and private mural commissions. This exhibition was inspired by Roche’s most recent campus transformation, which included several large mural installations.
The exhibition is a visual treat on a grand scale, with works ranging in size from 3 feet to 8 feet, including paintings, mixed media works, collage, UV blacklight reactive, and applied metal art.
FEATURED ARTISTS
Bella Dolores
Renee Michele
Gary Nusinow
Lucretia Torva
Victor Navarro
Kyllan Maney
Ignacio Garcia
Past Exhibition | Magnified: The Art of Histology
Magnified: The Art of Histology
October – December 2022
Ventana Gallery | Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Oro Valley, Arizona
Presented in partnership with Art State Arizona
For over a decade, Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD) has fostered innovation and healing through the arts, transforming its Oro Valley campus gallery into a space where science, creativity, and humanity converge. In partnership with Art State Arizona, this commitment continues with Magnified: The Art of Histology—a powerful exhibition that bridges the microscopic world of medical science with the expansive vision of contemporary art.
At the heart of this exhibition is histology, the study of the microscopic structure of tissues. In cancer diagnostics, tissue samples are stained with special dyes—known as histology stains—to highlight cellular details under a microscope. These stains, such as H&E (hematoxylin and eosin), transform invisible biological structures into vivid compositions of color, revealing patterns that guide diagnosis and treatment. To the trained eye, they are clinical tools. But to the artist’s eye, they become something more: intricate, abstract landscapes teeming with beauty, complexity, and life.
Magnified brings this hidden world into view. More than 80 original artworks, created by local artists, reinterpret histological stain imagery through diverse media and artistic styles. From sweeping abstract canvases to meticulous mixed-media collages, each piece invites viewers to reimagine the interface between science and the human experience.
Artists worked from a curated gallery of histology stain images—available in various magnifications—challenged only to create from what they observed. The result is a body of work that’s simultaneously grounded in cellular biology and untethered in imagination.
The exhibition also features a vibrant collection of community-created artworks, developed through Roche-sponsored classes led by regional teaching artists. More than 60 Roche employees and community members participated in hands-on workshops exploring textiles, alcohol ink, found objects, and other mediums. These collaborative pieces reflect both individual creativity and collective expression, celebrating the idea that art is not just for artists—it’s for everyone.
Magnified exemplifies the mission of Art State Arizona: to integrate arts into every facet of life—including healthcare—and to champion the role of creativity in promoting understanding, empathy, and well-being.
Featured Artists
Deboragh McDonnell, Lorraine DarConte, Emily Hallowell, Dennis Wunsch, Victor Navarro, Thomas K. Bloom, Karen M. Samson, Cynthia Miller, Vicki Engonopoulos, Tambra Curcio, Diane Nelson, Patty Heibel, Bella Dolores-Smith, Wendy Grahm
Past Exhibition | Encaustic Art Featured Artist Exhibition
Where Heat Meets Spirit: The Alchemy of Encaustic Painting
May – September 2022
Ventana Gallery | Roche Tissue Diagnostics
Presented in partnership with Art State Arizona
Art and science converge in this vibrant exhibition that celebrates the ancient medium of encaustic painting—an art form that uses molten beeswax, pigment, and resin, applied in layers and fused with heat. Encaustic, derived from the Greek word enkaustikos, meaning “to burn in,” has captivated artists for millennia for its luminous texture, physical depth, and capacity to reveal hidden layers—much like the diagnostic work done in the labs at Roche.
This exhibition, curated in partnership with Art State Arizona, features nine accomplished artists whose work spans abstraction, landscape, sculpture, and narrative. Each piece captures the emotional and tactile power of wax and fire, evoking themes of memory, nature, transformation, and human connection.
Just as Roche Tissue Diagnostics brings clarity to the unseen through precision staining and imaging, encaustic artists reveal meaning through the buildup and excavation of material. Together, these disciplines speak to the beauty found at the intersection of careful observation and wild imagination.
Beata Wehr
Memory, Place, and the Passage of Time
www.beatawehr.com
A Polish-born artist and educator based in Tucson, Beata Wehr creates painterly works and artist’s books that explore themes of home, transience, and cultural identity. Her richly layered encaustics often reflect her experience straddling continents and languages.
Raé Miller
The Weight of Light
www.raemiller.com
Raé Miller’s series explores the poetic qualities of light through abstraction. With more than two decades of experience in encaustic painting, her work bridges her time in New Mexico, Mexico, and Arizona with a sensibility rooted in light’s emotional weight.
Kume Bryant
Art That Lifts the Spirit
www.kumebryant.com
Kume Bryant brings pure joy to the canvas, using encaustic as a way to express positivity, freedom, and vibrant color. Her process is intuitive and spontaneous, each piece holding space for cheer and delight.
Lynne East-Itkin
Design Meets Tradition
www.lmeastdesign.com
Graphic designer, educator, and mixed-media artist, Lynne East-Itkin fuses her background in visual design with her exploration of natural materials, creating compelling encaustic works that blend technique with personal expression.
Linda Chappel
Nature, Humanity, and Connection
www.lindachappel.com
A sculptor and art historian, Linda Chappel’s encaustic works delve into the relationship between people, animals, and the environment. Her work is grounded in cultural studies and shaped by years of teaching and making.
Lorraine DarConte
Photography in Wax and Time
www.ldarconte.com
Blending her background in photography and storytelling, Lorraine DarConte’s work explores place, memory, and the shifting light of the natural world. Her encaustics often merge photography with wax, creating atmospheric depth.
Rachel Nelson
Layers of Discovery
www.rachelnelsonartist.com
Rachel Nelson is known for bold encaustic abstractions that balance sculptural texture with playful color. Her work pushes the boundaries of what lies beneath the surface, using depth and layering as metaphors for emotional and creative complexity.
Maria Arvayo
Inspired by the Sonoran Sun
www.mariaarvayo.com
Instagram: @arvayo_maria
Maria Arvayo captures the beauty of the Sonoran Desert in layered encaustics infused with sunlight and texture. A dedicated educator and painter, her work draws from tradition, nature, and community-rooted teaching practices.
Judith Walsh
Decades in Wax
Judith Walsh has been a practicing encaustic painter since 1993, known for her dynamic abstractions and contributions to Arizona’s visual arts scene. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the Southwest and beyond.
Past Exhibition | Celebrating Moments, Celebrating Life Roche Collegue Photography Exhibition
Roche Diagnostics U.S.: Celebrating Moments, Celebrating Life
February – May 2022
Presented by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in partnership with Art State Arizona
In honor of Roche’s 125th anniversary, colleagues across the United States were invited to pause, reflect, and capture the beauty found in the moments that make life extraordinary. Armed with cell phones, Polaroids, or professional SLR cameras, participants turned their lenses toward the everyday miracles—those flashes of joy, connection, and wonder that define the human experience.
Celebrating Moments, Celebrating Life was more than a photography exhibition—it was a collective portrait of resilience, gratitude, and creativity. From the quiet peace of a sunrise in nature to the exhilaration of a bike ride, from the warmth of holding a loved one’s hand to the laughter shared over a meal, each image became a testament to what it means to live fully.
Nearly 500 photographs poured in from Roche colleagues nationwide, reflecting the diversity of what happiness and meaning look like. Organized into four categories—Quiet Contentment, Active Moments, Frozen in Time, and Up Close and Personal—the exhibition revealed how personal stories, when shared, create a tapestry of universal human connection.
In partnership with Art State Arizona, the project underscored the shared belief that the arts are essential for celebrating life’s milestones, cultivating empathy, and bringing people together across boundaries of geography, culture, and experience.
Past Exhibition | Lung Cancer Awareness Exhibition
Lung Cancer Awareness Art Exhibition: Ribbons of White
August 2021 – February 2022
Ribbons of White
Presented by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in partnership with Art State Arizona
Art as Advocacy. Creativity as Catalyst for Change.
Lung cancer remains one of the most diagnosed and deadly cancers in the United States, yet it is often overshadowed by other health crises. Ribbons of White was conceived as both an art exhibition and a call to action—uniting the power of creativity with the urgency of public health awareness.
Presented in partnership between Roche Tissue Diagnostics and Art State Arizona, the exhibition raised funds for the El Rio Health Center Foundation’s Cancer Treatment Fund, directly supporting patients in need while elevating the conversation around prevention, early detection, and treatment access.
The exhibition title, Ribbons of White, draws from the symbolic white ribbon for lung cancer awareness, transforming it into a visual and emotional motif for hope, remembrance, and advocacy. Participating artists were invited to create works that embody resilience, healing, and the human capacity to face life’s most difficult diagnoses with courage.
By presenting this initiative as both a virtual exhibition (November 2021 – February 2022) and a philanthropic campaign, the project embraced the mission of Art State Arizona: to integrate the arts into vital community conversations, to harness creativity as a tool for empathy and education, and to bridge sectors—healthcare, culture, and community—in pursuit of a healthier, more compassionate society.
Through each artwork, Ribbons of White became more than a display—it became a movement of shared stories, collective awareness, and tangible support for those whose lives have been touched by lung cancer.
Past Exhibition | Faces of a Community : Featured Artist Exhibition
Faces of a Community: Portraits of Shared Humanity
June – November 2021
Presented by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in partnership with Art State Arizona
At its heart, Faces of a Community is about connection—about seeing one another not through labels, statistics, or assumptions, but through the intimacy of a portrait. This exhibition invites viewers to slow down and witness the individual stories that make up the fabric of a place, honoring the resilience, vulnerability, and humanity of its people.
In partnership with Art State Arizona, the exhibition underscores a shared belief that the arts are a powerful catalyst for empathy, equity, and understanding. By pairing visual storytelling with community-rooted narratives, Faces of a Community seeks to bridge divides, amplify underrepresented voices, and inspire dialogue about the social forces that shape our shared human experience.
Britten Traughber
www.brittentraughber.art
Britten Leigh (Illinois, 1980) is a photographer, performer, and educator whose work has been shown, published, and collected throughout the United States and Europe. She holds a BA from Bennington College and an MFA in Photography from Illinois State University. Based in downtown Tucson, Britten continues to develop projects that investigate place, identity, and community.
Featured Collection: Malama Pono (Take Good Care)
Created during the five years Britten lived on Hawaii Island (2011–2016), Malama Pono is a portrait series grounded in interviews and encounters with women from the Puna District—Hawaii’s fastest-growing region and also one facing some of the nation’s highest rates of poverty, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Far from the postcard image of paradise, this work reflects a community’s complexity, beauty, and struggle. “Malama Pono”—meaning “Take Good Care”—is both an offering and an act of solidarity to the women she came to know and love, and to herself.
Pam Golden
www.pamgoldenphotographs.com
Pam Golden’s creative journey began with clay, paper, wood, and fiber, but her path took a decisive turn when she became a physician—driven by a desire to serve others and to live in the visually striking, culturally diverse landscapes of the West. In 2001, while practicing as an Ob/Gyn, she discovered a new passion through a darkroom photography class at Pima Community College.
In 2010, Pam left her medical career to pursue art full-time, later earning her MFA in Photography from Arizona State University. Today, she teaches photography at Tohono O’odham Community College in Sells and Pima Community College in Tucson. Her photographs—whether of people or landscapes—capture a shared human presence, illuminating the quiet intersections of lives and environments.
ma Pono (Take Good Care)
Created during the five years Britten lived on Hawaii Island (2011–2016), Malama Pono is a portrait series grounded in interviews and encounters with women from the Puna District—Hawaii’s fastest-growing region and also one facing some of the nation’s highest rates of poverty, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Far from the postcard image of paradise, this work reflects a community’s complexity, beauty, and struggle. “Malama Pono”—meaning “Take Good Care”—is both an offering and an act of solidarity to the women she came to know and love, and to herself.
Lucretia Torva
www.torvasm.format.com
Phoenix-based artist and muralist Lucretia Torva creates work that invites viewers to truly see the world around them—to slow down, notice the details, and connect more deeply with life. Working primarily in oils and acrylics, her art blends realism with vibrant color, transforming familiar moments and faces into extraordinary visual experiences.
Since 2019, Lucretia has focused on portraiture, using her large-scale works to honor people at the forefront of government, culture, and social change. Her compositions are intentionally bold—rich in color, detail, and energy—to match the heightened passion and integrity of her subjects.
For Lucretia, painting is not simply about likeness; it’s about empowerment. She seeks to inspire people to rise to their best selves, believing that now more than ever, we need every voice and every act of courage present in shaping the future.
In 2010, Pam left her medical career to pursue art full-time, later earning her MFA in Photography from Arizona State University. Today, she teaches photography at Tohono O’odham Community College in Sells and Pima Community College in Tucson. Her photographs—whether of people or landscapes—capture a shared human presence, illuminating the quiet intersections of lives and environments.
ma Pono (Take Good Care)
Created during the five years Britten lived on Hawaii Island (2011–2016), Malama Pono is a portrait series grounded in interviews and encounters with women from the Puna District—Hawaii’s fastest-growing region and also one facing some of the nation’s highest rates of poverty, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Far from the postcard image of paradise, this work reflects a community’s complexity, beauty, and struggle. “Malama Pono”—meaning “Take Good Care”—is both an offering and an act of solidarity to the women she came to know and love, and to herself.
Lizzy Lubitsky
www.theladyegg.com
A sculptor by training and a creative force in Phoenix’s artist community, Lizzy Lubitsky brings a sense of playfulness, craftsmanship, and curiosity to everything she makes. Originally from Philadelphia, Lizzy earned her BFA in sculpture from Tyler School of Art before relocating to Arizona in 2018.
Today, she works out of Snood City—a vibrant artist collective along Grand Avenue known for its neon shop and collaborative spirit. Her practice is rooted in material exploration and community connection, often blurring the lines between fine art and functional object. Whether in sculpture, installation, or mixed media, Lizzy’s work invites people to engage, wonder, and reimagine the world around them.
Since 2019, Lucretia has focused on portraiture, using her large-scale works to honor people at the forefront of government, culture, and social change. Her compositions are intentionally bold—rich in color, detail, and energy—to match the heightened passion and integrity of her subjects.
For Lucretia, painting is not simply about likeness; it’s about empowerment. She seeks to inspire people to rise to their best selves, believing that now more than ever, we need every voice and every act of courage present in shaping the future.
In 2010, Pam left her medical career to pursue art full-time, later earning her MFA in Photography from Arizona State University. Today, she teaches photography at Tohono O’odham Community College in Sells and Pima Community College in Tucson. Her photographs—whether of people or landscapes—capture a shared human presence, illuminating the quiet intersections of lives and environments.
ma Pono (Take Good Care)
Created during the five years Britten lived on Hawaii Island (2011–2016), Malama Pono is a portrait series grounded in interviews and encounters with women from the Puna District—Hawaii’s fastest-growing region and also one facing some of the nation’s highest rates of poverty, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Far from the postcard image of paradise, this work reflects a community’s complexity, beauty, and struggle. “Malama Pono”—meaning “Take Good Care”—is both an offering and an act of solidarity to the women she came to know and love, and to herself.
Past Exhibition | Faces of a Community Virtual Art Exhibition - Art Connecting Us Through Isolation
Faces of a Community: Art Connecting Us Through Isolation
A Virtual Art Exhibition Presented by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in Partnership with Art State Arizona
In a time when the world stood still, the arts moved us forward.
Faces of a Community emerged during one of the most challenging chapters in recent history—the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation and uncertainty redefined daily life. In the absence of physical connection, Roche Tissue Diagnostics and Art State Arizona turned to creativity as a bridge—linking artists and audiences through shared humanity and the universal language of art.
This virtual exhibition was born from a belief that portraiture—one of the oldest forms of artistic expression—holds renewed relevance in times of crisis. A portrait is more than a likeness; it is an act of witness. It asks us to see, to listen, and to recognize the presence, dignity, and story of another person.
Artists from diverse backgrounds were invited to submit up to five works in any medium—photography, painting, sculpture, watercolor, and beyond. The goal: to expand the definition of portraiture and explore how it can inspire dialogue, deepen empathy, and reflect the complexity of our times. Some works capture direct encounters between artist and subject, while others reimagine historical figures or draw from existing imagery, weaving the past and present together.
The resulting collection—more than 150 original works—is a testament to the resilience and vulnerability that define our communities. These artworks reveal the many faces of our collective experience: moments of quiet strength, unguarded emotion, solidarity, and hope.
“When I look at this collection, I see both the vulnerability and resilience that our community has demonstrated over the last year—it’s an inspiration,” shared Darlene Kryza, Philanthropy & Community Relations Leader at Roche Diagnostics. “It is a reminder of the power of one to influence many.”
In the spirit of recovery and reconnection, Faces of a Community stands as a living archive of this moment in history—one in which art offered not only beauty, but belonging, perspective, and the courage to face the unknown together.
Past Exhibition | Home|Zuhause Roche Collegue Photography Exhibition
Home|Zuhause - Home: Our World, Apart Yet Together
A Worldwide Virtual Photography Exhibition
April 2020 – April 2023
Presented by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in Partnership with Art State Arizona
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, the meaning of home shifted for everyone. It became our workplace, our classroom, our refuge—and sometimes, our greatest challenge. In this moment of global isolation, Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD) and Art State Arizona invited colleagues, contractors, and their families from around the world to pause, reflect, and share what home meant to them through the lens of photography.
For many years, RTD’s annual art exhibitions filled the walls of the Tucson campus with vibrant works—fiber art, ceramics, painting, drawing, photography—showcasing the creativity of its people. But with employees working remotely and travel on hold, this tradition transformed into the first-ever Roche Molecular Solutions sitewide (worldwide) virtual photography exhibition.
The theme, Home, was intentionally open-ended. Submissions could be anything that evoked a sense of belonging, comfort, or identity—a view from the kitchen window, a favorite reading chair, a beloved pet, a family dinner, or the quiet beauty of an empty street. Participants could submit up to three photographs, with works spanning three broad categories: People & Animals, Places, and Objects.
The result was a visual tapestry of over a thousand perspectives, uniting a global community through shared humanity at a time when physical togetherness wasn’t possible.
This exhibition stands as a record of resilience, creativity, and connection—a reminder that even when apart, we can still create together, tell our stories, and find meaning in the places we call home.
