Arts District Symposium, Thursday, February 17, 2011

Where have the artists gone? In the 1990's there were art galleries, artist studios, rehearsal spaces, all along Congress Street. In the 2000's, there were a few left. Today there are two art galleries on Congress Street. Where'd the artists and the art galleries go? Where's Dinnerware? What happened to the Arts District?

It's moved north!

North to Toole, Sixth Street, and Sixth Avenue, that is.

Over the years, many changes have happened in downtown Tucson. Along Toole and Sixth Street, new owners of properties have popped up and new tenants have moved in. An Arts District shakeup is in progress. On February 17th, meet some of the new energies that have moved in, are moving in, will move into this up an coming district. There is a sense of something brewing in the visual arts, the music scene, art production, food trucks, photography darkrooms, printmaking, yoga, and so much more. Drop by Dinnerware Artspace, 119 E. Toole, grab a beer, get a sense of what's coming to this area in the very near future. Tour a nearby space in process of renovation.

Where: Dinnerware Artspace, 119 E. Toole, 1 block east of the Stone Ave underpass downtown Tucson, on Toole.

When: Thursday, February 17th, 5:30-7pm.


Steven Eye(Solar Culture)
Mark Matlock(Fragment)
Tim Hagyard( Nuevo Bazaar),
Tim Bowen (Spoke Six on 6th Ave)
Susan French (manager of Bates Mansion, SW corner Stone/Toole.
Myles Stone (Borderlands Brewery)
Patrick McCardle (Central Arts Gallery)
Jasper Ludwig/Julia DeConcini(Tucson Community Darkroom)
Titus Castanza (Citizens)
David Aguirre (Dinnerware Artspace)


David Aguirre

Tucson Arts Groups and the Current Economy

Tucson has a number of arts groups doing interesting things. I was recently on a grants panel and I could easily see where struggle was occurring with a number of these groups. I could also see where one group had a strength, while another group had a weakness. For instance, one group had a great facility, but lacked a mission. While another group had a great mission, but would soon lose their facility.

Who is connecting these dots? No one. At a time of economic hardships, someone needs to examine these things. The Tucson Arts District Partnership is there to try to make these connections.

The upside to a difficult economy is that it makes creative people more creative. Get out of that comfort chair, and look for new combinations. Where old thinking no longer applies, new adventures can occur. New kinds of risk. New adrenalin can happen.

Many artists need space. Affordable space. Musicians need rehearsal space. Artists need studio space. Photographers need a community darkroom. Videographers need space. Graphic designers need space. Yet to be imagined arts people need space. Cuisine. Chickens. Bread. Lighting. Weaving. Sewing. Ceramics. Cinema. New combinations need to be sought out.

Tucson's arts groups need to seek out new combinations for themselves with each other, with commercial business, with new artistic components.

Let the arts breathe, and jump in the air, and shout!


David Aguirre
Tucson Arts District Partnership

Image: Pasqualina Azzarrello