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Exhibit chronicles a transient Tucson

"Images: Tucson at the Millennium" captures the origins and development of the institutions and people that represent the city.

The documentary approach presents the past and the future, from landscapes to children, in a form of visual sociology.

Inviting both amateur and professional photographers to contribute, the 100 photographs selected for the Tucson Museum of Art show move beyond aesthetic clichˇs to present an honest yet provocative report of the city.

The presence of historical sites dominate the show, ranging from barrio storefronts to the San Xavier Mission. These works invite the sense of community that has formed Tucson's history.

Helga Teiwes' "The Morales Family: Three Generations of Taking Care of San Xavier Mission" salvages a relationship between the architecture and the caretakers of this historic site, focusing on a group of male workers.

This intimate portrayal of active participation in Tucson's creation and growth is contrasted in Jessica Estrada's "Tourists in Pew - San Xavier Mission." The work shows two tourists videotaping the mission and suggests intrigue and mystery in the origins of Tucson from a much more common foreign perspective.

Additionally, the work contrasts modes of documentation, suggesting the more modern video technology with the century old method of photography.

The scars on such historic architecture and landscapes become fragile when displayed next to scenes of new urban development.

J. Kieth Schreiber's photograph "Northwest Corner, Meyer and Franklin (Corner Market)" deals with the dynamic of urban and suburban places within the desert landscape with plunging perspectives. The sun-bleached corner store sets in the center, dividing the two streets: one leads to the business district while the other heads off toward the hills of the desert.

Accompanying works like these embody the revitalization controversies between destroying historic buildings and bringing images of wealth back to such areas as the barrio.

Charles Johnson's witty photography foregrounds historic architectural sights where modern high-rise architecture appears to grow from historical roofs.

Johnson's "Tucson Growing Up" maintains a sense of humor while suggesting both a partially forgotten past and an impending future - employing history as a metaphor for modern growth.

Beyond architecture, the photographs document people in cafes, at leisure by the pool, and at work.

Ann Simmon-Myers' "Women of the Millennium Series" presents portraits of women of all ages, classes and ethnic backgrounds. Such works display an accurate tribute to Tucson's mixed ethnic heritage and diverse lifestyles.

The power of the exhibit lies in the diverse collage of personalities and places, while displaying the scars of history and the instability of an evolving location.