The pictures above are worth a thousand words (from me). I recently enjoyed an art show at this renovated Bates Mansion, which is a fabulous place downtown. It’s at the old Mountain Oyster Club locale, on the SW corner of Stone Avenue and Franklin. Enjoy this fiesta!

Last night I attended the preview opening of a special exhibit “Our Padre on Horseback” honoring the 300th anniversary of the death of Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, S.J. (1645 to 1711), at the Diocese of Tucson Archives at 300 S. Tucson Blvd. The exhibit itself depicts 16 of the 24 missions that Padre Kino founded, with photos, maps, drawings and several lovely Ted DeGrazia reprints. Last night Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Father Chris Corbally spoke of the work of Padre Kino and the Kino Heritage Society. Father Corbally aptly said that Kino “used all his knowledge and survival skills to bring people to God”. Padre Kino is remembered as a “Missionary & Explorer, Friend of Native Peoples, Founder of 24 missions, Scientist & Map maker, Candidate for Sainthood, and Arizona’s First Cattleman.”

This exhibit will run through May 30, 2011, hours of operation M, T, TH, F from 9 to 4 p.m., phone 520-886-5201. (The archives bldg. is at the south end of this property shared with St. Ambrose Parish & School.)

Additional upcoming weekend events to mark the 300th anniversary of Padre Kino’s death, which was on March 15, 1711:

Concerts in honor of Padre Kino by Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra– Sat. March 12, 7:30 p.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral, and Sunday March 13, 3 p.m. Catalina Foothills H.S. Auditorium (4300 E. Sunrise Dr.), $20 admission for each.

Memorial Mass on Sunday March 13, 12 noon, St. Augustine Cathedral, Diocese of Tucson Celebrates Padre Kino’s Life, 192 S. Stone Avenue.

Tucson Festival of Books, Sunday March 13, 4 p.m. University of Arizona Student Union, Catalina Room, “The Trail of Arizona’s First Cowboy & Missionary Explorer” by a panel of authors(Ben Clevenger, Deni Seymour, Jacqueline Soule). Free event.

For more details & events, log onto Kino Heritage Society website, www.padrekino.com. And for my earlier blog on Padre Kino & the Kino Heritage Society click here.

human statue, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A Son y Sol at Ronstadt Transit Center, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Roll Acosta on the Scott Avenue Stage, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A couple of art receptions were going on as well at Arts Marketplace (featuring artist Mel Dominguez), teen art at The Drawing Studio, and “The Art of Functional Fashion” mixed in with bike training (with drums!) at the newly opened 02 Modern Fitness center at 186 E. Broadway (corner of 5th Avenue). Over on Congress, Daniel Martin Diaz was showing his art in Sacred Machine (photo below). There was definitely diverse community art to choose from last night.

Daniel Martin Diaz's Sacred Machine gallery, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Also here are some photos by Jon Scanlon for Tucson’s Birthday at the Fox Tucson Theatre.

standing room only at the Fox Theater, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

We spent almost our entire time at the free Fox Tucson Theater concert, featuring first The Seven Pipers Scottish bagpipe troupe, then the Gospel Music Workshop of America, followed by former Tucson Citizen staffer Daniel Buckley‘s video of Cele Peterson, and a short talk by “Big Jim” Griffith (of Tucson Meet Yourself fame), then lots of great music.

Gabriel Ayala at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Gabriel Ayala (Native American guitarist) was followed by STICKSnFINGERS Caribbean band with 5 calypso like dancers, Chinese Lion dancers of the Tucson Chinese School, then guitarist Salvador Duran (with Chili Willie on bongos), Los Gallegos (4 talented brothers), and finally Mariachi Sonido de Mexico with singer Olga Flores. Wow, it was a multi-cultural fest of terrific local music & dance, for over two hours.

Sticks & Fingers with dancers, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Chili Willie with Salvador Duran, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Los Gallegos at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Mariachi Sonido de Mexico, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

“Big Jim” on stage said it all “This is our community, and ain’t it great?” This event was a tribute to Tucson’s “First Lady of Fashion”, Cele Peterson, who passed away at age 101 in May of this year. For more photos of this Fox Birthday event, go to the Tucson Birthday website (Flickr) for Jon Scanlon’s photo file (click here).

If you haven’t been to a 2nd Saturdays Downtown event yet, mark your calendars for the next one on September 11. It’s a family-friendly event as well, as shown by this photo last night of these joyful little boys playing with bubbles:

boys playing with bubbles, courtesy of Donovan Durband