The Co-op Guarantee

Thirty years ago, a group of passionate, dedicated vendors and friends decided to start their own show. The Mineral and Fossil Co-op, affectionately known as “The Co-op”, became Tucson’s first permanent show in what is now the heart of Tucson’s mineral and fossil district (on N. Oracle Rd between Drachman St. and Grant Rd.). Members are voted in and own a unique gallery space. Ralph Thompson, of founding member Russell-Zuhl, looks for “dealers that have a life-long commitment to showing the finest specimens in their class.” The vetting process guarantees the quality, variety, and selection of minerals and fossils curated by members. Co-op members offer specimens from around the world, each bringing their own specialty and expertise. The Co-op remains Tucson’s only show of vetted owner members. 

Karyn Holyk

Crystal Alchemist and Artist

"Gemstones lead the work. I follow."

Karyn Holyk is a Tucson-based Crystal Alchemist, artist, and instructor who creates watercolors from hand-ground gemstones, crystals, and precious metals. Her lifelong connection to stones and minerals led her to reclaim one of our most ancient practices, using the earth itself as pigment, resulting in luminous, semi-abstract works that carry both color and energetic resonance. As much a creative wellness practice as a fine art discipline, her work explores the power of creativity to expand what we believe is possible in ourselves. She teaches workshops, offers gemstone paint kits, and curates the work of minral and metal based artists throughout the region.

bluesoulcreative.com

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith was born in Georgia and moved to Arizona at the age of ten. Inspired by his father, he picked up his first camera at age five and has spent most of his life photographing the Arizona landscape.

Jeff earned an art degree from Pima Community College, where he studied under acclaimed Chicano-American photographer Louis Carlos Bernal. His fine art photography has been exhibited across Tucson galleries and resorts and is held in public and private collections.

For more than thirty years, Jeff has devoted countless nights to chasing monsoon lightning across the Sonoran Desert, creating Iconic Landscapes that capture fleeting moments of light and emotion, and Drivescapes that transform motion, color, and time into visual narratives of desert nights. As Jeff reflects, "When people think of the desert, they often think about its brightness. When I think of our deserts, I think about the deep nights I have spent there, looking for light."

jeffsmithusa.com

Makoto Takigawa

Born and raised in Japan, Makoto Takigawa pursued his higher education in the United States. Receiving a BFA from San Francisco Art Institute.

His cultural background, where appreciation of nature is integrated in everyday life, combined with years of paleontological work further developed his sense of closeness with and ideas about nature.

His inspirations arise from observations made while in natural surroundings.

He explores time’s progression and endless movements of nature through his brush strokes and colors while focusing on the visceral aspect of the imagery.

He hopes to create images where the viewers experience their personal connection to nature through his paintings.

takigawastudio.com

Jamelle Texeria Jr

Jamelle Texeria Jr is a local Tucson visual artist who is well versed in both digital and traditional forms of art. He started working professionally as an artist in 2023 and exhibited his work in events like &gallery Destroy all Monsters exhibition, Art in the Gardens 2025/ 2026. He has also shown and exhibited my work at the Juneteenth Drawing Studio show, Black Rodeo USA, Buffalo Soldier convention, and the Tucson Rodeo 2025/2026. Currently he works at Fine Art by Robert Jackson and Artistic Connections, LLC as a mentor and lead artist. Alongside that, Jamelle also works at ArtworksUA as a contributing artist and has been a part of multiple shows at the University of Arizona. 

 Jamelle mainly specializes in the field of Paleoart making dynamic and intriguing artistic reconstructions of prehistoric life mainly focusing on animals from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic time periods. Since the age of 3, Jamelle’s passion for Paleontology has been a major inspiration for his craft and he plans on continuing working on Paleoart for the foreseeable future.

Hannah Aguirre

Hannah is a mixed media artist born and raised in Idaho. She recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and has made Tucson her home.

Hannah’s work centers around found objects - abandoned at the end of driveways, on roadsides, or in junkyards. Her art explores what everyday objects can communicate beyond their functional purpose and designed context.