Alejos “Alex” Garza

Alejos Garza was born in Crystal City, Texas on March 18, 1949. Alex to everyone, he grew up in Chicago and ultimately made his home in Tucson, Arizona, where he passed away on July 26, 2026 after a long struggle with medical issues.

Alex had two great passions in his life, his family and his art. He had eight brothers and sisters, who he deeply loved and cherished. As the eldest brother, he had a special relationship with each sibling. His two greatest loves were his wife and partner of 51 years, Yoli, and his devoted daughter, Adela. They were at his side when he passed away, and he will be deeply missed. Alex loved them with all his heart until the end.

Alex found his artistic voice in Chicago in the late-1960s to mid-1970s, developing as a sculptor of wood and stone, with a distinctive, emotionally evocative, and culturally sensitive carving style. He also developed an appreciation of artistic community and the transformative power of art as a member of the Association of the Latin Brotherhood of Artists and organizer of art shows and collectives. In the early 1980s, Alex moved to Tucson where his more personal art evolved into a broader, more diverse style of community-based artwork. Key to this was his founding of Las Artes in 1992 and his leadership of the program for nearly two decades. At Las Artes, Alex paired classroom study with community art projects that continue to enhance public spaces in and around Tucson. To this day, Las Artes remains true to Alex’s vision of the power of art to transform people and communities, with hundreds of students and dozens of public art projects that embody his significant contributions to Tucson. If you drive around Tucson and see a mosaic mural, it was likely created by Alex.

His works were collected and exhibited throughout the U.S., including his sculpture “Earth Abyss” which toured the country from 1990-1993 in the landmark Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation exhibition. His monumental public artworks in Tucson and throughout the western U.S. are an enduring legacy, including the world’s largest Azetc calendar (at 27 feet in diameter) adorning the entrance of the City College of San Francisco Mission Campus and his art beautifying the Plaza Roberto Maestas at the El Centro de la Raza in Seattle.

After retirement, Alex devoted himself to his wife and daughter. With them, he shared his love of watching 1950’s westerns, attending mass at San Xavier Mission, hunting for antiques, enjoying movies and Diet Coke at the Loft, eating Chicago-style pizza, cheering on the Bears, and being a connoisseur of cheeseburgers, including sharing vivid memories of eating at the first McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. Alex leaves a 50-year legacy, having touched so many with his humor, love of art, and unwavering belief in the power of transformation. He will always be missed by those who knew him as a friend, colleague, mentor, partner, and father.