One day a friend insisted that I accompany her to the Tucson Museum of
Art. There, tucked in a section called La Casa Cordova, is a
floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall display consisting of more than 2,000
intricate figurines that depict rural Mexican life and the nativity of
Christ. Obviously a labor of love, El Nacimiento takes months to
assemble each year by volunteer Maria Luisa Tena, who uses figurines
that belonged to her mother and others that she has acquired from trips
to her native Mexico.
The detail is amazing. I was fascinated by such scenes as a small rural
kitchen with tiny cups and dishes set on a table, a young girl washing
items in a stream and a manger with the usual animals and angels adoring
the newborn savior. Some scenes are elegant, while others are rustic,
with humble peasants doing everyday chores.
Now in its third decade, the display runs from the end of
November through the end of March. The Tucson Museum of Art is located
at 140 N. Main Avenue, Tucson; hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Tuesday-Saturday, 12-4 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, call (520) 624-2333, or go to www.tucsonarts.com.
Tucson’s narrow downtown streets may present a challenge to
motorhomers; however, Catalina State Park, north of Tucson (at the base
of Mt. Lemmon from State Highway 77) can accommodate large RVs.
