The Eddie Basha Collection, housed in The Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American & American Indian Art, celebrates its "Silver Anniversary ...Twenty-Five Years of Sharing".

The collection originated when Arizona businessman, education advocate and philanthropist, Eddie Basha Jr., at the encouragement of his Aunt Zelma, began collecting art in 1971. And because of his love and passion for the West and its history, he focused his efforts on collecting contemporary fine art of the Western American & American Indian genres. Nearly 21 years after his first purchase, Basha opened the Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery in 1992, named in honor of his beloved aunt.

"Eddie was in awe of the American West. He was in awe of the men and women who explored it, toiled and made history. And he was in awe of the artists who studied it and whose canvas gave it vitality. His love, respect, and admiration for the artists was genuine and it was mutual. He had a discerning eye for technical expertise, artistic integrity and originality, and historical accuracy. He was gracious, he was humble, he was kind and he was generous. Eddie chose to share not only the collection, but he shared himself with everyone openly and freely. When he was in the gallery, clearly he was in his element; his joy and passion was contagious. Only his collection of friends surpassed that of his art."

- Bill Rey of Claggett-Rey Gallery (Vail, CO)

Today, the collection has more than 3,500 pieces encompassing decades of American fine art in a wide variety of mediums: original oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, drawings, bronzes, wood and stone sculptures, basketry, pottery, katsina and jewelry. The gallery provides an intimate environment that cannot be found elsewhere. Visitors often comment "it’s almost as if we’ve walked through someone’s home, albeit a very large one". The gallery welcomes more than 30,000 visitors annually.

"Eddie never envisioned that his passion for Contemporary Fine Art of the West would result in such a significant collection that has become as much a part of the West as the art itself. As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the gallery’s opening, we’re proud of the reputation the collection has garnered and the sheer number of people it has impacted. It’s a legacy that no one predicted."

- Nadine Basha

In honor of his passion and commitment, join us in 2017 as we commemorate "25 Years of Sharing", a silver anniversary. All gallery visitors will be provided a complimentary collection image postcard which can be shared with a friend or kept as a memento of your visit - and you, too, can experience the joy of sharing art!

Visitor information can be found at www.EddieBashaCollection.com or by phoning 480/895-5230, Press Option 2.