A passion for Old West inspires a new gift shop
Alex Streeter pours hot water into a plastic coffee filter as he pinpoints the origin of his fascination with the West. Jacob, Streeter’s tiny dog, trots about in a tattered knit sweater.
The museum, where he’s standing, is an odd mix of media: Photoshop art featuring the ghosts of Hotel Congress, towering cases filled with Streeter’s prized trinkets and Yaqui masks alongside painted angels.
But when Streeter opens the refrigerator, it’s suddenly apparent this isn’t just a museum and gift shop – this is also where he lives.
Streeter stands tall over his kitchen countertop, recalling his childhood in New York, where his grandmother regularly took him to the annual championship rodeo. It was there he first saw cowboy star Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger.
“It definitely all started there,” he says. “Being here started there.”
Streeter, a well-known jewelry artist and silversmith, has moved to Tucson after a successful 30-year stint in SoHo, the Manhattan area known for its thriving arts scene.
He is busy preparing the Alex Streeter Museum and Gift Shop at 551 S. Meyer St. downtown.
