Carnegiea Gigantea 123 by James Eschinger

The Tucson Saguaro Photography Invitational will be having its Opening Reception this Friday at the Temple Gallery on Scott Avenue.  The photography exhibition will be available for viewing through April 24^th. A few images can be viewed below.

Flowering Crested Saguaro by Karen Dombrowski-Sobel

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In keeping with the theme of the Arizona Theatre Company production, The Second City Does Arizona, or Close But No Saguaro, this collection features pictures by 32 photographers from Arizona and beyond that cast a fresh eye on our prickly friend, using technologies that range from cell phone capture, and pinhole cameras to ambrotyping and Polaroid cameras

Curtain Call by Kenn Coplan

Saguaro Decomposite by Michael Berman

Etherton Gallery, which manages the Temple Gallery, invited artists to take a fresh look at the much beloved Saguaro using a photographic process.  Terry Etherton and the staff of Etherton Gallery juried submissions.  The resulting show features work by artists primarily from southern Arizona, although it includes artists from as far west as Silicon Valley and Portland, Oregon. With inventive images ranging from James Eschinger’s boldly colored Carnegiea gigantea 1 2 3 (2009) to Dorothy Nevitt’s Polaroid print diptych Power Plant (2005-2010), the Tucson Saguaro Photography Invitational demonstrates that the inspirational power of the Saguaro remains strong.

The Tucson Saguaro Photography Invitational opening artist reception this Friday April 9, from 5:30-7:30pm. The Temple Gallery is located in SoCo, the newly designated South of Congress district, at the Temple of Music and Art. Address: 330 S. Scott Ave. in downtown Tucson. Gallery hours are Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm and prior to Arizona Theatre Company performances. For more information, please contact the Etherton Gallery, which manages the Temple Gallery, at (520) 624-7370 or info@ethertongallery.com.

Cristate With Roadrunner by Karen Dombrowski-Sobel

In these trying times, most of our local non-profit arts organizations could use a hand. Everyone from downtown non-profit artspaces (Dinnerware gallery for one) to the “major’s” are looking to stretch their funds a bit. With the collapse of endowments (for those lucky enough to have them) and the decrease in discretionary income, many fine arts organizations are barely hanging on. While it is easy to forget that the arts are a vital part of our lives, we will miss them in greatly if they cease to exist during these trying times. From their economic impact on the community, to the richness they bring to our lives, the arts are an important element in our daily lives. Please take the time to think how you may support one of the following arts organizations either by attending an event, mailing a check, or even by volunteering to help during this rough time. I have listed the websites of many groups below, but this is not a complete list – please support your favorite, or poke around and find a few to try to help.

azopera.org

arizonatheatrecompany.org

tucsonsymphony.org

tucsonmuseumofart.org

moca-tucson.org

dinnerwarearts.com

ballettucson.org

foxtucsontheatre.org

rialtotheatre.com