The Art of All Possibilities is an interdisciplinary exhibition in conceptual and visual conversation with the scientific research, architecture and culture of Biosphere 2. The exhibition will open on November 17, 2012 and will feature works by internationally acclaimed artists Fritz Buehner (Boston, MA and Lubec, MN), Melo Dominguez (Tucson, AZ), Morgan Schwartz (Providence, RI), Ellen Skotheim (Tucson, AZ), Bently Spang (Billings, MT) and Mary Ellen Strom, (Boston, MA and Basin, MT).

The artists’ projects will be installed at numerous sites in Biosphere 2 from the desert to the lung and will include video projections, sound works, sculpture and performance. The exhibition’s title borrows from the name of the theater group that inhabited Biosphere 2’s first mission in 1991, “The Theater of All Possibilities”.

Art Lab Border Biosphere Exploration was founded through the Rillito River Project to bring together leading artists and educators with scientists and researchers to explore the Sonoran Desert Bioregion and be inspired by the unique environment that surrounds them at the Biosphere 2 and Tumamoc Hill Research Station in Tucson, Arizona, and Cuenca los Ojos’ El Coronado Ranch in Pearce, Arizona. Artist participants learn about how climate change is impacting the environment along the international border region of Southern Arizona, and they create artwork in response. Their work is then presented on the Rillito River Project website, www.RillitoRiverProject.org and in related exhibits and presentations.

Biosphere 2 is located about 30 miles north of Tucson. Go to their website for more information: http://www.b2science.org/

Mel’s beautiful & powerful “Baja Arizona” painting (see below) is now on display at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library (lobby area on 1st floor) through November 30, 2012. (This large mural-like painting was first part of a Fall,2011 to Spring,2012 border show at the University of Arizona Museum of Art). Six other paintings by Mel are on display during regular library hours, 101 N. Stone Ave. See more at her artist website, www.melodominguez.com. Her art is for sale, so contact her at melodominguez@gmail.com.

I went to the Nov. 7 reception of her Main library art show and particularly enjoyed another print entitled “Arizona Highway” which cleverly depicts bus riders, workers computing, border crossers, an ICE agent, banned Mexican American books.

“Arizona Highway” courtesy of Melo Dominguez

bumper sticker image from the SOS website

In 1987 the Pima County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring May 5 as “Free Baja Arizona Day”. 24 years later the Start our State (SOS) campaign kicked off officially today at The Shanty, 401 E. 9th Street, on “Free Baja Arizona Day”. Signatures on the petition to formally form a new state in Southern Arizona are now being collected. More than 48,000 signatures of Pima County residents need to be collected before July 15, 2012 to get this initiative on the November 2012 ballot. These petitions with valid signatures will be submitted to the Pima County Division of Elections.

Co-Chairs Paul Eckerstrom and Peter Hormel, as well as Treasurer David Euchner (all Tucson attorneys) are spear heading this effort. I wrote about this movement before (click here), but Tucsoncitizen.com blogger attorney Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”) is the expert on this issue. For an in-depth article on this movement read Hugh’s article “Baja Arizona – American’s 51st State?” (click here).

About 75 people listened to Paul speak tonight about the reasons to leave the State of Arizona and what the Arizona legislature has done over the years to reduce public education funding, cut the University of Arizona funding, as well as targeting Pima County and the Hispanic population down here. He said it wasn’t a “mission impossible”, as recent polls in the AZ Daily Star and KOLD TV said that there were 58% and 63% in support for this movement, respectively. Voters in Santa Cruz and Coconino Counties have also expressed interest in joining on, but would need to start up their own initiative drives.

In attendance tonight were LD 29 State Rep. Daniel Patterson, Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich, former LD 28 House candidates Ted Prezelski and Tim Sultan, attorney Bill Risner (election integrity), Adam Kinsey (Executive Director of Pima County Democratic Party).

For more info: www.startourstate.com, or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/startourstate (with 3363 fans). On the Facebook page you can also vote for the name of the new state.

The SOS committee meets every Thursday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Shanty to collect petition signatures and donations (also can be made online via Pay Pal). They are selling Free Baja Arizona t-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons. Email address is startourstate@gmail.com. Mailing address for checks is Start our State, P.O. Box 308, Tucson, AZ 85702.

Free Baja Arizona!

Paul Eckerstrom, taken by Curtis Dutiel

Tucson attorney Paul Eckerstrom, Co-chair of the Start Our State (SOS) campaign to separate Pima County from the State of Arizona will be speaking at Democrats of Greater Tucson (DGT) on April 4.

This political committee started in late February and has been reported extensively on by Tucsoncitizen.com blogger/attorney Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”), who is somewhat credited with this idea of promoting the formation of a Southern Arizona state, tentatively called “Baja Arizona”. Click here (http://tucsoncitizen.com/view-from-baja-arizona/2011/02/25/americas-51st-state-movement-starts-to-free-baja-arizona/) for one of Hugh’s first blogs on this subject.

Eckerstrom is a former Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party.The other SOS Co-chair is Peter Hormel, another attorney activist in Tucson who was once a Green Party of Pima County candidate for Pima County Attorney, and the Treasurer is attorney David Euchner, former Chair of the Pima County Libertarian Party. These three local attorneys, from each of the 3 parties are leading the way in this “separation for equal representation” movement.

To establish a new state in Southern Arizona free of the un-American, unconstitutional machinations of the Arizona legislature and to restore our region’s credibility as a place welcoming to others, open to commerce, and friendly to its neighbors.

(from the SOS website)

Websites: http://startourstate.com/, and http://www.facebook.com/startourstate (with 3245 “likes” so far). Donations can be sent to “Start Our State”, P. B. Box 308, Tucson 85702 or online via Paypal, email is startourstate@gmail.com. “Free Baja Arizona” bumper stickers are for sale as well.

I heard Paul speak at Drinking Liberally (at The Shanty) on February 27, and about 30 people in the bar agreed that they no longer wanted to be associated with the conservative Arizona legislature. One fellow said that the current situation felt like “taxation without representation” because the current legislators did not represent the interests of the tax paying people here in Pima County.

And here’s Paul being interviewed on KUAT TV Channel 6 on March 11: http://www.azpm.org/politics/story/2011/3/11/1830-is-baja-arizona-for-real/

If you want to hear about this movement to separate/secede from the State of Arizona which has gotten a lot of media coverage (even nationally), log onto their website, read Hugh Holub’s numerous articles, and/or go to DGT on April 4.

DGT meets at the Dragon View Restaurant, 400 N. Bonita (between W. St. Mary’s Road and W. Congress) on Mondays at high noon (except holidays). Chinese buffet lunch costs $8.50 including drink & tip, or just $2.50 for a drink.