As early as 1957 the Art Department had a small exhibition space, aptly named the Educational Gallery. Exhibiting student and faculty work, the gallery changed locations and was renamed the 101 Gallery in 1977. In 1978 with an initial gift from Joseph F. Gross, Professor of Chemical Engineering, in memory of his father, Joseph Gross, Sr. the Gallery was established.

The Joseph Gross Gallery, located on the campus of The University of Arizona across from The University of Arizona Museum of Art, was built in 1993 as part of the new Arts Complex for the College of Fine Arts.

The Gallery mission has evolved over time but has remained true to its core goal to bring contemporary art to the university and the greater Tucson area. Since the gallery‚ inception, there have been efforts to show work that integrates vastly different disciplines within the arts and to pursue interdisciplinary exhibitions that bridge the gap of traditional and nontraditional art. The two-fold mission is to offer career development opportunities to students and emerging artists, while increasing public understanding of contemporary art by presenting a diverse range of media and thematic approaches from internationally recognized art leaders beyond the community.