Air

Tucson’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) used to be a fire station. So it has these big, rollup doors full of windows all along the north side of the building.

Normally, they would have been closed, just letting in lots of beautiful natural light.

Now that the museum has reopened, those firehouse doors have too. With the high ceilings and breeze blowing through the spacious Great Hall, you’re practically outside.

Phillip and I decided to pop in last weekend. There were only a few other people there (all masked) and plenty of room for groups to stay far apart from each other.

I was so grateful for a safe way to get this little art museum fix. I couldn’t help smiling as we wandered around the exhibit.

Light

With this Happenings List, I hope to share some light during a dark season.

All the Happenings listed below – art show, film festival, concert, classes, et al – have safety measures in place, like mask requirements, built-in social distancing, attendee limits, being held outdoors and/or online.

I’ve focused especially on marketplaces where you can buy directly from artists, crafters, and independent businesses. It is, perhaps, more important than ever to support these small-scale shops, to shift some of our spending, and give more power to people. The corporations will be fine. But the handcrafters could use a hand.

Stay safe and shop small!

Happenings

Château Marketplace: online

A new marketplace of antiques, artisan goods, and other treasures from boutiques around the world. It’s curated by the team restoring Château de Gudanes, an 18th century castle in the south of France. Proceeds support both the independent sellers and the continuing work on the Château.

Native Seeds SEARCH Indigenous Art Show: online

now – Nov 24 / shopping site

Art show and sale of pottery, basketry, jewelry, and carvings handcrafted by Native artists. Sales benefit nonprofit Native Seeds SEARCH’s mission to preserve indigenous, arid-adapted crops.

Tucson Monuments: Tucson

now – Nov 29, 6pm nightly / U of A campus / free

Outdoor art installation that projects larger-than-life portraits of 3 “unsung heroes” of Southern Arizona onto trees on U of A campus. View it after dusk from the Centennial Hall patio or Geronimo Plaza. This is the Tucson edition of Australian artist Craig Walsh’s “Monuments” project, which presents an organic, living recognition of community members in contrast to the more traditional, fixed tributes we typically see.

Desert Nights Downtown Lights: Tucson

now – January 10, 2021 / Downtown Tucson / free

Downtown buildings, trees, and storefronts are decorated with festive lights. Pima County has lit things up early this year, because we could all use a little extra sparkle right now.

Working from Home: Tucson

now – Mar 28, 2021 / MOCA / free

Exhibition featuring new commissions from five artists (Miguel Fernández de Castro, Nazafarin Lotfi, Mark McKnight, Nicole Miller, and Rocki Swiderski) and two poets (Dot Devota and Raquel Gutiérrez) connected to the Tucson  region and who each have a unique perspective on this moment of pandemic and protest as well as on the local landscape. Since the smaller East Galleries remain closed, the entire exhibition is in the Great Hall.

SN: With the on-site gift shop temporarily closed, support MOCAshop artists directly by shopping on their online stores.

Picturing 2020: A Community Reflects: online

now – March 2021 / virtual tour / free

Virtual exhibition of work by more than 150 artists from across Southern Arizona depicting their experience of the destabilizing events of this year. Alongside these new works are pieces from the musuem’s permanent collection that resonate with the challenges of the times we’re in.

Exuberance: An Artistic Botanical Experience: Tubac (south of Tucson)

now – Apr 10, 2021 / Tubac Presidio State Historic Park / Included with entrance fee ($7).

Collection of outdoor art installations by local artists and gardeners on the 8-acre grounds of the Tubac Presidio. Installations will celebrate native plants, sustainabilty, and creative approaches for the garden.

Loft Short Film Fest: online + Tucson

Nov 18-22 / limited time Loft @ Home release: Individual tickets $12 / open air screenings at The Loft Cinema: Individual tickets $15

Festival of acclaimed, award-winning short films from around the world with films premiering live at The Loft Cinema’s outdoor exhibition space, Open Air Cinema, followed by a limited-time online release the following day. The lineup is grouped into Live Action, Documentary, Animation, and Late-Night programs.

Black Cartoonists in Conversation: online (Zoom)

Nov 19, 4pm (PT) / Free with advance registration.

Cartoonists Robb Armstrong, Darrin Bell, Keith “Keef” Knight, Elizabeth Montague, and Bianca Xunise discuss the Black experience as told through graphic novels and comic stories, as well as the importance of representation in comics and the comic field. Q+A to follow the discussion.

Art Talk: Art as Activism and Radical Acts of Care: online (Zoom)

Nov 19, 4pm (MT) / free

Conversation with the artists Chip Thomas and Nicolas Lampert about their recent artwork and how activism and social movements have informed their process, as well as the work they create.

Santa Theresa Tile Workshops: Tucson

Nov 21 + Dec 5 / Santa Theresa Tile Works (at the corner of 6th Avenue and 6th Street, behind The Royal Room)

Socially distanced, in-person mosaic and tile decorating workshops using distinctive, handmade in Tucson tiles. Limited class sizes.

• Mirror Workshop on Nov 21, 10am–3pm. An artist-instructor will walk you through the process of using tiles to create your framed mirror or other wood-backed piece. No art experience is needed. Fee: $115 (for mirror project, other items may vary).
• Overglaze Holiday Ornament Workshop on Dec 5 (in scheduled one-hour time slots). Choose 3 ornaments and decorate them using dropper bottles filled with colored glazes. No art experience is needed. Fee: $30 for 3 ornaments.

SN: Workshops are only available in the studio, but you can buy their specialty tiles online.

Pop Up @ Pop-Cycle Saturdays: Tucson

Nov 21 – Dec 12 / Pop-Cycle Shop

Local maker pop-up shops on Saturdays in front of Pop-Cycle, including Monster Booty Threads, Aall Forms of Life, and Juju + Moxie.

Gather A Vintage Market: Tucson

Nov 21-22, Nov 28-29, Dec 5-6, Dec 10-13 / 657 W. St. Mary’s Road (next to Eco Gro Plant)

Monthly vintage market, which will be open additional weekends for holiday shopping.

Firehouse Artisans’ Market: Tucson

Nov 21-22, 10am–5pm / Historic Firehouse (1030 N. 4th Ave)

Outdoor artisans’ market with participating vendors that include Cactus Clouds Art, Somniative, and Iskashitaa Refugee Network.

Cultivate: online + Tucson

Nov 27, 2020 – Jan 3, 2021 / shopping site + Mercado San Agustin Annex

Holiday market focused on allowing you to connect with and support local makers, artists, and small shops. Among 2020’s 20 vendors are Cero, Desert Forager, Little Toro Designs, and Sonoran Witch Boy. Instead of a crowded single-day event, this year’s Cultivate will be spread out over six weeks. In addition to regular hours, you have the option to order ahead for curbside pickup, book a private shopping appointment, or have online purchases shipped to you.

After 7 Livestream: online

Nov 28, 6pm (MT) / Facebook live event

Livestream concert with original songs and stories from Tucson rock/country/pop band After 7, who we first heard during the Meet Me at Maynards 10th anniversary celebration.

Winter Air Holiday Pop-Up: Tucson

Dec 5, 12-5pm / Bhava Wellness patio (southwest corner of 6th Ave. and 6th St.)

Local outdoor holiday shopping experience with a DJ and vendors like Agave Pantry and Sonoran Rosie.

Ag to Art Market: Feeding the Body and Soul: Yuma (southwest Arizona)

Dec 6, Jan 3, Feb 7, Mar 7 / City Hall (front parking lot) / free

Combined farmer’s market and artist market with local art, fresh produce, and one-of-a-kind gifts. Monthly on the 1st Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Social distancing and other safety measures will be observed.

Mercado Flea: Tucson

Dec 13 through May (monthly), 8am-2pm / Mercado District (along Avenida del Convento)

Outdoor market with antiques, collectibles, and other quirky finds held the second Sunday of the month. Booths are spaced out from Mercado San Agustin to the MSA Annex.

For Happenings I hear about in between seasonal lists, watch Travelcraft Journal’s Instagram stories!