Tucson Standard

The North American premiere of "The Linda McCartney Retrospective" will occur at The University of Arizona (UA) Center for Creative Photography in 2023.

"The exhibition celebrates McCartney's 30-year, barrier-breaking career, as well as her connection to Tucson," according to a news release from the university. It will run from Feb. 25 to Aug. 5.

Nearly 200 pieces will be divided into three broad groups: Artists, Family, and Photographic Exploration, the news release noted. Portraits that McCartney took of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Aretha Franklin, among others, will be featured. The exhibition will be free and open to the public.

"In addition to exposing the public to Linda McCartney's iconic work, this collection will allow our students and faculty throughout the university to learn from her innovative creative process and devotion to important societal issues," Robert Robbins, UA president, said in the news release.

McCartney practiced photography as a hobby while she was a student at UA during the early 1960s, according to the news release. She captured photos with Tucson's Sonoran Desert as a backdrop. McCartney and her husband, Paul McCartney, bought a ranch in northeast Tucson in 1979. McCartney spent her final days there before she died.

"Linda carried a camera with her most of the time, capturing images in an instinctive way which left her subjects feeling totally comfortable with the process," Paul McCartney said in the news release. "She loved to explore and found ways to make her art joyous and innovative at the same time."

Andy Schulz, vice president for the arts and dean of the College of Fine Arts at UA, said the exhibit highlights McCartney's diverse talents in photography.

"Although Linda McCartney is known in photography circles for her role in music photojournalism, this exhibition demonstrates her strengths in other genres and reveals her experimentation and range," Schulz said in the news release. "We're delighted to play a role in expanding audiences' understanding of her many contributions to the photographic medium."

Staci Santa, interim director of the Center for Creative Photography, said there will be something for everyone in the exhibit.

"Linda's work is at once iconic and familiar, giving her viewers both a sense of awe and connection to family, place, and community," Santa said in the news release. "Experiencing this exhibit will give people a feeling of connection to timeless history, loving relationships, and home."