Tucson’s award winning artist Rebecca Thompson is our featured artist of the month.  Art for Rebecca is a visual language, a way to cross barriers of gender, culture and economics through her creations.

When I asked WHY she creates what she does she answered, ”Creating with my hands, making ideas, stories, concepts into tangible forms is really about language. It is my language…the way I express views and observations.  Without this language of visual art I would be silenced and sad.”

Through her art she continues to explore human interactions as well as those of nature and science.  She continues to ask questions and is forever curious.  Like many artists the process of making art calms her senses and takes her to that blissful place we often call Nirvana.  Most artists of all types of creativity whether painters, musicians, dancers etc. experience this loss of time and escape into this magical zone while they are creating.  It is the point of their greatest creations.

Below is a slideshow of a number of Rebecca’s art forms.

Slide 1 of 35.
The Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 2 of 35.
Longley-Cook Memorial Seating (Ithaca, NY)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 3 of 35.
Rillito River Lounges (Tucson, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 4 of 35.
Rillito River Seating/Bronze Still Life (Tucson, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 5 of 35.
Detail Bronze Still Life (Tucson, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 6 of 35.
Rillito River Seating (Tucson, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 7 of 35.
Centennial Garden (Ithaca, NY)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 8 of 35.
La Puerta (Tucson, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 9 of 35.
The Opponents
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 10 of 35.
Sarvodaya Garden (Oro Valley, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 11 of 35.
Scientific Graph (Oro Valley, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 12 of 35.
Artist & Scientific Graph (Oro Valley, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 13 of 35.
Rainwater Feature (Oro Valley,AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 14 of 35.
Artist & Bronze Inlay of Medicine Maze ( Oro Valley, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 15 of 35.
Maze ( Oro Valley, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 16 of 35.
Maze (Oro Valley, AZ)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 17 of 35.
Marriage Of The Pine (Ithaca, NY)
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 18 of 35.
Contemplation
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 19 of 35.
Aubrey
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 20 of 35.
Detained
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 21 of 35.
Waiting For Manna
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 22 of 35.
Book of Numbers
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 23 of 35.
Noh Girls I
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 24 of 35.
Noh Girls II
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 25 of 35.
The Fury
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 26 of 35.
Top View
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 27 of 35.
October Sky
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 28 of 35.
The Veil Of Mary
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 29 of 35.
Twighlight
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 30 of 35.
Embrace
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 31 of 35.
The Hills
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 32 of 35.
Peaks
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 33 of 35.
Pink Sky
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 34 of 35.
Dusk
Source: Rebecca ThompsonSlide 35 of 35.
Medicine Maze
Source: Rebecca Thompson

As you can see from the works above the artist constantly strives to create work that is dedicated to connecting to the viewers or to connect communities with themselves or their environments. Art for her is about connections on many levels. It is about discovery, discovering what has always existed and bringing these treasures to the surface of our consciousness.

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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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An exhibit of works by Tucson artists Nick Georgiou and Titus Castanza are on display at the Tucson Botanical Gardens -Porter Hall Gallery through May 28. A reception for the artists will be held May 21 from 6-10 p.m.  The public is invited to meet the artists and enjoy food, drink and live music.

These two artists are rapidly gaining recognition on the Tucson art scene for their exceptional creative work.  I personally have visited their studio located in the Citizens Art Studios building and am very impressed with their body of highly professional art.

Newsprint Sculpture by Nick Georegiou

Nick Georgiou is originally from Queens, NY  and received his BFA in film and televison from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Georgiou meticulously creates hand-stitched  newsprint sculptures, which he integrates into the urban environment.  His works have been exhibited at Black Rat Press and Andipa Modern Galleries in London as well as featured shows in the New York area. His most recent show brought him to Tucson where he exhibited and lectured at the University of Arizona.

Titus Castanza Painting "Gun & Flower"

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