Visit the downtown historic arts warehouse district and you will see revitalization in action. On July 1, The Warehouse Arts Management Organization (WAMO) started major progress in downtown Tucson when they took over management of the Citizens Art Studios.  Over forty artists and arts supporters showed up early July 1 to clean-up and beautify one of the properties they are now managing.  The other WAMO properties are also scheduled for major changes in the near future.

Slide 1 of 10.
Titus Castanza Citizen Studios Artist
Source: Photo by Elizabeth BurdenSlide 2 of 10.
L-R Tom Harrington & Joe Hatton Citizen Studios Artists
Source: Photo by Elizabeth BurdenSlide 3 of 10.
Judy Dare WAMO Board member
Source: Photo by Charles SpillarSlide 4 of 10.
L-R Susan Gamble & Natasha Winnik WAMO Board Members
Source: Photo by Elizabeth BurdenSlide 5 of 10.
Marvin Shaver WAMO Board President
Source: Photo by Elizabeth BurdenSlide 6 of 10.
Clean-up Day at Citizen's Art Studios
Source: Photo by Charles SpilarSlide 7 of 10.
Kylie Walzak & John Salgado BICAS At Citizens
Source: Photo by Charles SpillarSlide 8 of 10.
Kylie Walzak BICAS at Citizen's
Source: Photo by Charles SpillarSlide 9 of 10.
Diana Rhoades City Council Staffer for Regina Romero
Source: Photo by Charles SpillarSlide 10 of 10.
John Salgado BICAS At Citizens
Source: Photo by Charles Spillar

WAMO was formed in 2004 as an outcome of the Tucson Historic Warehouse Arts District master planning process. They have been working tirelessly for six years; thousands of man-hours without compensation, to accomplish their goal of a vibrant downtown arts district where the artists can still afford to maintain a studio. Below is the Mission Statement from the WAMO website and explains why they are so important for the revitalization of downtown Tucson. The organization has created a 3-D model of the historic arts district available for viewing at 403 North 6^th Ave. here in Tucson later in the week. (Former Eric Firestone Gallery)

MISSION STATEMENT:

WAMO’s mission is to cultivate and manage Tucson’s Historic Warehouse Arts District into a center for incubation, production, exhibition, education, and management of the arts, to make a significant contribution to the local and regional economy for the benefit of the public at large.

WAMO continues and develops the work of artists and related individuals who have helped to create Tucson’s Historic Warehouse Arts District as an active and varied center and community for the arts, within a downtown community that includes working artists, galleries, museums, nonprofit arts organizations, and supportive retail and residential interests.

Primarily through the active management of properties and other resources, including ownership and development of properties, WAMO guides the District so that it continues to foster the arts and the community into a vibrant future.

WHY SHOULD WE SUPPORT ARTISTS EFFORTS? WHAT DOES AN ARTIST REALLY DO?

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Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) is inviting southern Arizona artists and galleries to donate works of art to be displayed and auctioned at the Treasures for TIHAN Benefit event to support AIDS awareness and compassionate support programs for people living with HIV/AIDS.

TIHAN is the largest privately-funded provider of support services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Arizona, and their ability to provide great education and services is credited to the generous artists, galleries, and businesses that last year helped their auction raise over $89,000—which is one-third of their entire year’s budget.

This year TIHAN says the need is even greater.  “They are calling all compassionate artists and galleries to join them and make their auction a success by contributing art to be auctioned off at their Treasures for TIHAN Benefit, where hundreds of Tucsonans will be looking to purchase items in support of TIHAN’s programs and services.”

The organization is seeking paintings, sculptures, glass, ceramics, jewelry, leather, textiles, and other creations to be donated for the auction.  Art can be delivered to the TIHAN office, 1011 North Craycroft Road, #301, during business hours, or arrangements can be made for TIHAN to pick up donated items.

The deadline is April 30 for donors to be included in the printed program.   Treasures for TIHAN is the annual live and silent auction benefiting the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN).  The 13th annual event will be held Saturday, May 22, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel at Reid Park.  All proceeds from the auction support the local work of TIHAN.

Information about donations and tickets to the event are available at www.tihan.org

In 2009, TIHAN’s volunteer-based support programs served 291 people living with HIV/AIDS.  TIHAN’s education and awareness programs reached more than 4,000 people through presentations, sermons, spoken announcements, and information tables at community events and another 36,000 through faith community bulletins and newsletters in 2009.

TIHAN’s Poz Café lunch program is the largest regular gathering place for people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Arizona.  Since 1999, Poz Cafe has served over 12,000 meals to more than 600 people living with HIV/AIDS.  According to the AZ Dept. of Health Services, the number of people diagnosed with AIDS will outnumber the number of people living with HIV in Arizona by 2012, and more are requiring treatment and increasing the urgency of our mission.

TIHAN does not receive government funding, and counts on YOUR help to sustain their programs, which provide blessings to those in need.

For more information, visit www.tihan.org or contact Scott Blades, Executive Director, (520) 299- 6647 or scott@tihan.org.

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