Tohono Chul is a nature preserve just north of Tucson. On its 49 acres, you can find art, shops, gardens, a bistro, and lots of paths winding through the desert.
A Desert Corner
The name comes from the words for “desert corner” in the language of the Tohono O’odham (“desert people”), who are the ancestral inhabitants of this region.
I’d heard about this beautiful place from my Master Gardener uncle long before we moved to Tucson. For awhile I thought it was called “Tohono Jewel.” It is a gem of a place, so that fits too. Continue reading “Tohono Chul”
You guys found — and made — some great art during Local Art Loves earlier this year!
As you may recall, Local Art Loves is about sharing the art you love from your community. (It can even be your own work!)
This time, there were submissions from across the United States that included oil paintings, digital illustrations, sculptures, and more. I’m featuring those artists here, as well as adding a couple Arizona artists I love.
City: Marblehead, Massachusetts Medium: Oil painting Shared by: Sarah Moore (a.k.a. “Saguaro Sally,” vintage sign enthusiast) Subject: Neon sign for Skip’s Snack Bar in Merrimac, MA
Cactus art by Lora Barnhiser. Photo from my house.
When she was in the process of moving her studio to prepare for the birth of her babies, she announced a flash sale, and I called dibs on these adorable little cacti!
Later, the artist shared a couple more of her vibrant paintings – 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way) and Kandi Dishe, Starman.
“16 (or makin’ a way outta no way)” by Beck Lane.
• 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way)
Medium: Oil and oil crayon on aerosol on two 60″ x 72″ canvas panels.
Notes:
The title of 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way) refers back to the first group of Africans brought to the U.S. to be enslaved. We don’t know the names of the individuals on that original ship. We just know that there would be eventually millions more, and they were the first 16.
Coincidentally, the painting took 16 months to complete and was inspired by the events of 2016.
The woman in the center of the painting was modeled after Providence artist, dancer, and model Melanie Moore.
“Kandi Dishe, Starman” by Beck Lane.
• Kandi Dishe, Starman
Medium: Oil on aerosol on two 48″ x 60″ canvases. Subject: Portrait of Worcester, MA drag artist Kandi Dishe. Where to find it:Chasen Galleries
Painting of Frida by Caitlyn Ann Thomas. Photo from my house.
City: Tempe, Arizona Medium: Watercolor Shared by: me Subject:Frida the Fish
Notes:
After hearing that our betta fish had passed, our friend Caitlyn asked for photos. A few weeks later, she surprised us with this beautiful watercolor portrait of Frida. It was such an incredibly kind gesture and a lovely way to remember a little fish with a big personality!
Caitlyn and her husband Alex also make films as CharismaJinx Productions.
City: Providence, Rhode Island Title:Apex Medium: Oil on canvas, 23.5″ x 40″ Shared by: Sarah Moore Where to find it: You can see the final painting of Apex on the artist’s site.
Green Thumb and Green Thumb Too by Gary Lee Price. Photo: Susan Willis
Green Thumb [girl with pigtails, foreground of photo]
Green Thumb Too [boy, partly obscured in photo]
Medium: Bronze sculptures with planters Shared by: Susan Willis Where to find them: In front of Chasen Galleries in Carytown, an artsy neighborhood around Cary Street in Richmond, Virginia.
City: Haverhill, Massachusetts Title:Liquors Medium: Acrylic on panel, 18″ x 14″, framed Shared by: Sarah Moore Subject: Street outside ChrisPy’s Liquors + Lottery in Beverly, MA. Where to find it:Available for purchase. Contact the artist for more information.
Notes:
Debbie Shirley describes her painting style as “contemporary realism meets roadside retro.”
City: Ocala, Florida Medium: digital sketches Shared by: artist
Wayne Smith participated in Local Art Loves by creating new digital sketches almost daily! His varied subjects included Rocky Mountain wildlife, a series of funny “advanced yoga” poses, portraits, and dessert.
Swedish princess cake by Wayne Smith.
• Swedish princess cake
Delightful-looking prinsesstårta (Swedish princess cake) on a gold tray.
• Killdeer sketch/study
A killdeer bird the artist photographed at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park.
Goat yoga sketch by Wayne Smith
• Goat yoga
A meditation on why pets aren’t helpful for yoga poses.
The next Local Art Loves will be February 2020, and I’d love to see art shared from across the globe!
You can participate anytime by posting photos of art you find in your community (or create) using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves.
A 10-foot tall skeleton in a sombrero leaned over to ask if I knew what time it was.
Which is not that weird when you’re at a Día de los Muertos celebration with skeletons everywhere – on banners, as sculptures, painted on kids’ faces, and for sale on tote bags.
So, of course, there would be a skeleton with stilts, a full beard, and no watch.
When you think about it, the lack of a timepiece may be the least surprising part. Schedules are probably pretty irrelevant in the realm of the dead.
Phillip, Quijote, and I had showed up near the end of Mesa Arts Center’s festival. We started at the custom car show and worked our way toward an oversized Frida Kahlo skull made from tissue paper flowers, stopping to listen to a band on the way.
We visited the community altar, which was decorated with photos, candles, art, and flowers in memory of departed loved ones.
The building had been a high school for African American students from 1926 to 1953, which I didn’t even know about until we stumbled across it. I guess I had assumed that, since the Phoenix population didn’t really start booming until the ’60s, maybe we had just skipped the whole segregation thing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
However, Arizona did desegregate its schools a year before Brown v. Board of Education mandated it nationally. The Carver High School closed, and the students were integrated into other high schools.
In 1986, four Carver alumnae formed Phoenix Monarchs Alumni Association, an organization to preserve the building and turn it into a museum and cultural center. They were eventually able to purchase it, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is now open with a mission to honor African and African American heritage, arts, and culture.
The Phoenix Monarchs Alumni Association continues to raise funds to upgrade the space and offer additional programs and exhibits.
In front of the museum is a statue of its namesake, scientist George Washington Carver, holding one of the peanut plants he was famous for studying.
We explored the first floor and saw artwork like paintings, sculptures, and a quilt made by students who had gone to school there.
There was a room with vintage typewriters and sewing machines.
Another one had what looked like African artifacts and traditional craft, like masks, drums, and beaded gourd instruments, as well as contemporary paintings, and a violin.
Outside of Art Detour week, I think a volunteer guide is usually there to provide context and answer questions, because a lot of the items weren’t labeled. The museum had a work-in-progress feel, as funds are still being raised to improve the building and exhibition space. It will be exciting to see it transform!
Jacome Plaza is a park in Downtown Tucson with lots of tables, free wifi, and lawn games like giant Connect Four and human-sized chess.
You’ll find it at Pennington and Stone Avenue next to the Joel D. Valdez Main Library plaza and the red Sonora sculpture by David Black.
It’s designed both as a place to relax and a place for people to work outside, taking advantage of Tucson’s beautiful-most-of-the-year weather.
I stumbled on it during a break in Arizona International Film Festival. By the time I happened upon it, however, it was almost time for me to leave. But I’ll definitely keep the park in mind next time I’m in town.
