By Jennifer Rinaldi



On a busy street that grows busier by the year, stands a plaza that you may have missed because of quickly moving traffic. Next to the Timber Mountain Fire Department and across from “Annie’s Bistro, stands Mountain Legacy Gallery, located in the Trails End Plaza. The Plaza has been its home since 2021. The Owner of the business is Wylie Glad.

As a teen Wylie had always been enthralled with Native American art and studied and collected it voraciously. So when she moved to Tucson and began working at the “Desert House,“ she let her tenure there teach her about her new community. During her time at that venue, she purchased many fine works of Native American art, tucking them away in her nest of treasures. 

Before delving into the art world, Wylie had a 15-year career as a successful Saddlebred Horse Breeder at Glad Farms in Kolby Kansas. Her Stallion “Worthy Son” gained prestige in the breed, so much so, that the price of him as a three-year-old was used to purchase a window for a church. Her love for horses and her education in art was a natural segway into her future career. Her horse business giving her the acumen to open a business in Tucson.  

Back home in Tucson deciding to make a fresh start in 1993, after retiring from the horse business, Wylie knew she was on the right track, considering her college experience and business knowledge. She found a small store front off Grant Road. Eager to get started, Wylie knew her strengths and took the plunge. 

As the Owner of Desert Legacy Gallery, LLC ( DBA Mountain Legacy here) Wylie Glad brought southwestern treasures and her artistic expertise to her various store’s locations for many years. From her early days in Tucson, 1993- 2010, then to a small vineyard encrusted town in 2010 -2019, and finally to our White Mountains, Wylie has been gracing her adopted communities with her rare treasures and talent.

She says wistfully remembering the location and why she chose it, “They come into town with money, so you need to be on the right side of the road.” Little did she know that her first steps into retail would forever change her life.

With all her training, Wylie soon learned that selling art and artifacts was just a sliver of what she could offer her clients. What started out as an interior design consultation for a friend turned into a business on its own which included interior design along with faux painting, and framing — all art forms on their own. 

Soon business was booming, and Wylie realized that she needed more space to accommodate not only her artifacts but her faux painting, and framing business, as well. She found a larger and even more perfect space on Campbell Avenue, which at that time was one of the main roads coming into Tucson. The building had three floors and allowed for each of her sectors of business to have the space that each needed to thrive. 

As housing boomed in Tucson Wylie found herself busy with a healthy client base in both her store front and her interior design business. She says of this time “Men didn’t like red walls then, but once they agree with their wives, they always like the result. I helped transform their homes into showplaces for their art.”

She was well met in Tucson as a leading businesswoman and art dealer. In 2010, Wylie, tired of the city, decided to move to a small wine community called Sonoita, located south of Tucson, 39 minutes from Nogales Mexico.

Desert Legacy thrived in Sonoita for years. Clients from Tucson still needed her services, and her framing business was the only one in their small town. Wylie’s store was their favored attraction before wine tasting, and her Kokopelli mascot attracted attention to her store front.

COVID hit just as her store was beginning to become known here in the White Mountains, and as many businesses here, she found it hard to recover.

Sadly, Mountain Legacy Gallery will be closing its doors for good at the end of March. Wylie is heartbroken but feels that it is time to go on to new things. Before she leaves, go and visit her. She still has many fine examples of Native American art and will be available for consultations. Most of the items in her store will be deeply discounted, so don’t miss your chance to own part of her legacy. 

Mountain Legacy is located at 2964 W. White Mountain Blvd. #1

She is open Tuesday -Saturday 10-3

(520) 881-7787