Born in Jackson, Michigan, Philip Curtis was one of the early painters from the East to move to Arizona, and some critics later referred to him as Arizona's greatest painter. His landscape and figure paintings, many of them full of whimsy, are called "magic realism". With recognizable forms but incongruous relationships, his paintings also have many elements of surrealism.

A 2,500 square foot space, the Ullman Center - The Art of Philip Curtis, recently opened at the Phoenix Art Museum.  The Center houses the Museum's growing collection of works by this renowned Arizona artist and Phoenix Art Museum founder.