An Arizona Art Museum That’s More than Meets the Eye

The Artemizia Foundation is easy to miss. And that’s part of its charm, according to founder Sloane Bouchever. "We are at the end of the goat path," says Bouchever. “You have to want to find us."

The museum and gallery in Bisbee is home to an eye-popping collection of graffiti, street art and contemporary art, with pieces from internationally known artists like Banksy, Swoon, Ai Weiwei, Kara Walker, Cey Adams, Judy Chicago, Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey, Jeff Koons — the list goes on.

The story of how this stellar gathering of art wound up in a small historic mining town in Southern Arizona has as many twists and turns as the streets that wind through Bisbee.

A Dream Realized — And Deferred

A New York City native, Bouchever grew up with parents who were art collectors and passionate gallery-goers. So it seemed only natural that after college and armed with a BFA, he took up a career as a painter. "I wasn’t a starving artist," he laughs, "but I was a struggling one."

Bouchever spent more than a decade living in Europe painting, and modeling to pick up extra money. He met his wife, a fellow model, in Zurich. When they started a family in the early 1990s, they decided to move back to the States. The couple found Bisbee through a friend, enticed by the affordable housing and the town’s blossoming arts scene.

Bouchever began showing his work at a Scottsdale gallery, but when the gallery owner suggested he churn out production paintings to increase sales, he put down his palette and brushes. "I quit painting for 12 years," he recalls. "That’s not how I wanted to approach art."

A Backup Plan

Always business-oriented, Bouchever joined an internet startup in the mid-90s. It proved to be financially successful, providing him with a path back to his first love — art. Bouchever and his wife established several charitable foundations and spurred the collecting of street and graffiti art.

"At first, I thought I should be collecting traditional blue-chip art," Bouchever says, "but then I saw a Guerilla Girls art show at the Pompidou museum in Paris. I thought, 'why am I looking for art by dead white men?'" The epiphany inspired his collection and eventually led him to open a gallery and museum in 2019 in Bisbee’s historic district.

He named it after Artemisia Gentileschi, a 17th-century Italian Baroque painter and the first woman to become a member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence. "We spell her name with a ‘z’ for a twist," says Bouchever, "and chose it because our mission is to showcase the female voice, with a 50-50 ratio of male to female artists."

After a few years at his first location, Bouchever needed more space for his burgeoning collection. "We have more than 1,000 works of art by 150 artists, representing 50 countries," he notes.

In 2022, he found the perfect spot, a few miles up Tombstone Canyon Road, in a 9,000-square-foot former elementary school built in the early 1900s. The two-story brick building had also once served as housing for Fort Huachuca military families in the 1940s and later a bed and breakfast.

When Bouchever got hold of it, he and his team spent months renovating the structure and its grounds to transform it into a repository for art, films, lectures and events. Then he opened the doors to the public.

Art for the People

When visitors arrive at Artemizia, they start the immersive art experience in the sculpture garden, where a 1971 Plymouth Valiant embellished by British street artist D*Face is parked. From there, it’s uphill to the main entrance and gift shop, then on to the gallery spaces where one might encounter works like a Ruth Bader Ginsberg portrait by Stikki Peaches, a peanut sculpture by Victoria Fuller or a heart crafted from crushed spray paint cans by Brazilian artist ISE.

Bouchever says: "We want visitors to wander here." The wandering leads to one delightful surprise after another. In one room, a shocking-pink arch invites museum goers to leave their mark by tagging a wall with their own graffiti.

Another room, the spacious Gallery 818, showcases the work of cutting-edge and emerging artists — many local. The gallery also doubles as a space for lectures and films. "Museums are often static," says Bouchever. "I want this to be a fun place. We change the exhibits about every six to eight weeks."

Bouchever has also included a few personal touches in Artemizia, including some of his own pieces, such as a sculpture of a gigantic fiberglass eye, and, as a die-hard Beatles fan, a space filled with Fab Four memorabilia and records.

As the Artemizia collection grows and evolves, Bouchever has plans to commission works, plus add more events for the public and the museum’s 600-strong members. Through Artemizia, he also offers an art scholarship to Southern Arizona’s Cochise College.

"Yes, we’re under the radar," Bouchever says, "but we had 6,000 visitors last year. More people are hearing about us." The goat path, it seems, is getting more traffic.

To learn more about Artemizia Foundation, or to plan your visit, check out their Instagram or website. Header image credit: Artemizia Foundation.