How a Tiny Arizona Town Became Home to a National Queer Arts Exhibition

There’s no Pride parade in Tubac, Arizona—no gay district, no drag bar, none of the usual markers of queer community. But this small town of 1,500 is home to a longstanding LGBTQ+-owned business that used to host the annual queer arts festival, a reminder that queer people have always lived—and continue to thrive—in even the most unexpected places.

The people who started the festival (which is still ongoing), Bruce Baughman and Bill Davis, have been life partners for 30 years and are also the co-owners of Bruce Baughman Studio & Gallery, where Baughman is the artist and Davis is the gallery director. 

The two moved to the tiny Santa Cruz County town from Michigan and created a cozy multi-room space for art lovers that eschews the sterile, white-walled experience in favor of color, couches, and conversation. 

“We wanted to feel like you're in someone’s home, so you’re a little more relaxed,” Davis said.

“They can sit and they can look at the pieces and take their time. It’s like an extension of our own private home. We want people to feel like they’re welcome.”

And while their art space and festival they helped start have become local standouts, they’ve also drawn criticism from traditionalists who would prefer LGBTQ+ people stay out of sight. Still, the owners have pushed through the backlash, carving out a unique queer haven in Arizona’s Patagonia region.

Art is bold, intense, diverse

Baughman said he learned to paint as a child from his mother and aunt.

“I’ve painted all my life,” he said. “I learned when I was a kid; I don’t even remember learning.”

In 1996, Baughman, a Michigan native, opened a gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan, which can be described as “the Provincetown of the Midwest.” In 2001, he opened another in Tubac. Over the years, the Tubac galley has moved and grown, and he closed the Saugatuck space in 2015. 

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LOOKOUTGeri Koeppel (she/her)

Davis, originally from Chicago, was in the commercial printing business and met Baughman when the artist developed an interest in doing print reproductions. 

Baughman is known for an unusual technique he picked up while living in Europe called “reverse painting,” in which he applies acrylic paint to a clear panel. He also mainly works in acrylics on canvas, applying the paint most often with a palette knife rather than brushes.

Baughman’s paintings are bold, displaying myriad styles. Most are representational, falling into the Impressionist and Expressionist camps, but he also produces abstract works. His sunrises and sunsets are the most popular, though.

“The air is so magical out here, you get these beautiful, intense colors,” Davis said. “Bruce captures that, and people relate to that.”

Baughman explained, “We live up on a big hill—mountain, I guess—and we have views all the way around… That gives me inspiration.”

Anne and Bob Smith of Tucson, who also have a home in Tubac, have collected Baughman’s works since the late 2000s. Anne said he’s a “very diverse and gifted artist.”

She added, “We have 13 of his paintings, and people come to our house, and they can’t believe they’re all by the same artist.”

Baughman’s works come in two standard sizes—36 inches square and 40 inches square—and four standard prices: the smaller ones are $3,200 with frame; the larger ones are $3,400 framed.

Continue To Be Seen

For three years running, each June from 2021-23, Bruce Baughman Studio & Gallery partnered with the Tubac Center of the Arts to host “Proud to Be Seen,” a national juried exhibition of works by LGBTQ+ artists and allies.

“We were hesitant doing the show initially because it is a small community, rural Arizona, and we didn’t know what to expect,” Davis said. “We put a banner up, and it riled up some people.”

The Tubac Chamber of Commerce heard from people who were upset about it.

One email was from a client of theirs, Davis said, and another was from a nearby business whose owners they considered friends.

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“That was an eye-opening thing for me,” he recalled. 

In the end, the exhibit was a success. And the complaints backfired, Davis added, because many people boycotted the business that spoke against the show.

“The only signmaker in town, who is a lesbian, said, ‘I’m not doing your signs for you anymore, sorry,’” Davis said.

Now, the exhibit—which draws artwork from coast to coast—has become an annual event, though Baughman and Davis last year handed the baton to the Black Dog Gallery to host it.

Although “Proud to Be Seen” is in June, fall through spring is the prime tourist season in Tubac. Most galleries are open daily from September through May. 

Davis also recommends visiting during the annual Festival of the Arts, which will celebrate its 67th year from Feb. 4-8, 2026. It’s southern Arizona’s longest-running arts festival, featuring about 600 artists.

Other annual events include the Tubac Center of the Arts Open Studio tour, spring and fall artwalks, a Taste of Tubac food festival, and more. Visit tubacaz.com for a list of events.

Though Tubac is doable as a day trip, the Tubac Golf Resort—where 1996’s Tin Cup starring Kevin Costner was filmed—is known for its adorable adobe casitas, expansive scenery and well-regarded restaurant, Stables Ranch Grille.

And if you stop by the gallery, Baughman and Davis will give you the lowdown on all of the best local must-hit spots to make the most of your time.

Bruce Baughman Studio & Gallery
Address: 19 Tubac Road, Tubac, AZ 85646
Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
Contact: 520-398-3098; brucebaughmangallery.com