Vision Gallery

Land Valuation: Luke Watson
2026-01-24 - 2026-03-21 | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
From the luscious panoramic landscapes of the Hudson River School to Maynard Dixon’s seemingly endless cloud filled skies set behind painted mesas to Grant Wood’s overly saturated and stylized pastoral scenes of the Midwest, American painters have long shaped a romantic vision of the land. These images helped construct a narrative of the United States as expansive, untouched, and waiting to be explored. This myth has further been perpetuated by tourism imagery, National Park postcards, and idealized and sometimes altered travel photography. Yet the land has always borne evidence of habitation, use, and intervention. This tension between the idealized landscape and the lived landscape raises ongoing questions about perception versus reality, and what it means to love, occupy, or lay claim to the land.
For Land Valuation, Phoenix-based artist, Luke Watson, reframes the conversation around the American landscape by centering the human experience. Within the exhibition, Watson creates macro and micro encounters with nature from atv tire tracks set in front of looming mesas to a birdwatcher standing in a parking lot to an intimate rendering of an endangered bird. By foregrounding ordinary interactions with the outdoors, Watson challenges the expectation that nature must appear untouched to be meaningful. His work invites viewers to reconsider how land is valued—as scenery, resource, recreation site, habitat, or cultural inheritance. Rather than presenting answers, Watson opens space for reflection: Who gets to define what nature is? What constitutes a “nature lover”? And how do our everyday choices, movements, and pleasures shape the landscapes we claim to admire? These questions form a more contemporary discussion around our value system around land and expose inherent biases we all have around the use of nature.
Opening Reception
Friday, January 23, 2026 6-8 pm
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(Be)Longing
2026-02-14 - 2026-04-17 | Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ, 85225
Moving to a new country can be a daunting experience, especially as an adult. You leave behind familiar language, culture, and customs, and face the challenge of adapting to a new way of life. Yet, alongside the pressure to assimilate is the desire to preserve your identity and traditions. How do you find balance and create your own path. For the artists featured in (Be) Longing, they attempt to reconcile their two identities through art.
This exhibition features four Japanese-born artists who have immigrated to the United States and now call Arizona home. Through diverse materials from resin to clay to paint, they explore the complexities of cultural identity, nostalgia, and belonging. Their works are contemporary, yet deeply rooted in Japanese aesthetics, drawing inspiration from folklore, religious rituals, Zen philosophy, and historical art forms like Fusuma-e and Mingei craft.
Each piece offers a personal narrative: a reflection on the tension between longing for home and finding one’s place in a new land. Together, they present a multifaceted view of the Japanese immigrant experience—one that is as much about resilience and transformation as it is about memory and tradition.
Featuring artwork by: Kazuma Sambe, Kaori Takamura, Hirotsune Tashima, and Yuko Yabuki
Opening Reception
Saturday, February 21, 2026 5-7pm
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Make and Take: St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Pin
2026-03-14 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Phoenix) | Vision Gallery, 10 E Chicago St, Chandler, AZ, 85225, United States
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Vision Gallery by making your own lucky shamrock pin! Use felt, sequins, and ribbon to craft a sparkling accessory that’s perfect to wear for the holiday and avoid getting pinched.
This is a free, self-led activity for all ages. Children are welcome to participate with assistance from an adult. Registering for a time slot helps us plan, but drop-ins are welcome!
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