Mary Charlotte Thurtle, courtesy of Pan Left Productions

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beautiful sister, friend, and longtime Pan Leftie, Mary Charlotte Thurtle. As many knew, she had been diagnosed with cancer and fighting a very hard battle. Mary passed away this past weekend after a bout of pneumonia. We at Pan Left are shocked and saddened by this sudden tragedy and we will greatly miss her as she has been a huge part of our lives along with many others. Mary first arrived in Tucson in the early 90‘s and it became her beloved home where she was known to many as an archeologist and artist. We knew her as MC where she became a Pan Left member in 2000 and then our Executive Director in 2007. Her documentaries include Quince Años (2005) which she directed, and was co-producer for The Heart and the Monster: A Journey to Cananea (2003) and Under Arpaio (2012)- winner of Best of Arizona, Arizona International Film Festival. There were also many Pan Left projects and productions she edited, assisted, and guided through completion.

Beyond her many accomplishments, she was a tireless advocate for women and human rights in our community. MC worked for social justice in issues such as migrant rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, free speech, and advocacy for arts and education. She was committed to preserving access to community grassroots media and was a board member for Access Tucson. Her time here was cut short at age 50, but she lived in this world as person who had many lifetimes worth of experiences. A world traveler, committed friend, and true woman living without borders. We will miss her.

Memorial services are pending by Bring’s Memorial Chapel. Here’s the link (click here) to the AZ Daily Star obituary (also on page A21 of today’s print edition).

Sadly I don’t think I ever met Mary Charlotte though we attended a few Pan Left events, and I heard her once on the Steve Leal radio show. I wrote about the July 28 benefit at the Hotel Congress to aid Mary Charlotte’s battle with cancer (click here). Rest in peace Mary Charlotte, who passed away suddenly at a young age of 50 on August 25, 2012.

Tucson Artists and Musicians Healthcare Alliance (TAMHA) Hosts Benefit for Local Artist Battling Cancer

Special Performances by Giant Giant Sand and Salvador Duran, Film screening, and Silent Auction at the Hotel Congress July 28, 2012, 7-11 pm

In May 2012 a member of the Tucson Artists and Musicians Healthcare Alliance and a widely known member of the Tucson Arts Community, Mary Charlotte Thurtle was diagnosed with cancer.

TAMHA immediately provided Mary Charlotte with an Emergency Relief Fund Award of $1,000 as she was uninsured at the time of the diagnosis and struggling to pay her medical bills. The TAMHA board of directors and Ms. Thurtle’s supportive team of friends and artists knew they could do more to provide critical financial support.

On July 28, 2012 TAMHA and Pan Left members are hosting a benefit for Mary Charlotte at Hotel Congress from 7pm-11pm. The benefit will include music, film and a silent auction provided by local Tucson businesses. All proceeds from the event will cover the cost of Mary’s living and medical expenses as she undergoes cancer treatment. There will be a suggested $5-10 donation at the door.

Mary Charlotte Thurtle is the executive director of Pan Left Productions, and she has dedicated more than 14 years to non-profit arts and cultural business management and media arts in the Tucson community. Pan Left is a membership-driven collective of progressive media artists, activists and their supporters. “We are the communities we serve—Latino/Latina, Native American, African American, the formerly homeless, immigrants, youth, LGBTQ people and their allies—and our projects and programs grow out of the needs of these communities.” www.panleft.net

Mary Charlotte Thurtle is a cultural steward who has worked extensively within the community and has directly impacted hundreds of people and organizations- from independent media artists to progressive organizations, non-profit organizations and underserved populations who are provided an opportunity to share their stories through the creation and training of media art. Through Mary Charlotte’s leadership, Pan Left has a strong focus on youth, based on the dire need for media tools and skills expressed by several local youth driven organizations.

TAMHA in partnership with Pan Left Productions and the Hotel Congress invite the public to come together to celebrate Mary Charlotte’s work and to support her through a medical emergency.

The Tucson Artist and Musicians Healthcare Alliance is a membership based organization established to provide healthcare resources to artists and musicians in Tucson, Arizona. TAMHA is an Alliance of artists and arts advocates dedicated to the sustainability and vitality of our arts and music community. www.tucsonartists.org.

Media Contacts:

Daniela Ontiveros – Pan Left Board of Directors
ontiverosdaniela@yahoo.com, 520-248-5700 Ext. 3

David Slutes- TAMHA Board of Directors
Entertainment Director- Hotel Congress | Maynards Market and Kitchen
phone 520.622.8848, cell 520.247.4141, fax 520.792.6366

Brunch will be at the lovely El Parador Mexican restaurant, 2744 E. Broadway (west of Country Club).

Pan Left Productions is an organization of artists and activists who believe in the positive use of media for social and environmental justice and social change. Pan Left amplifies progressive stories and voices by providing access to equipment and resources, increasing the capability of individuals and organizations to use and make media, and promoting equity in media distribution.

Call 520-792-9171 x 1, email panleft@panleft.org, go online at www.panleft.net to order tickets of $35/person or $350 for a table of 10. They are located at 631 S. 6th Avenue.

Each reservation you make enters you into a drawing to win Tineo’s “Eve” pictured below. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $10 each. David will draw the lucky number for the painting.

"Eve" painted by David Tineo, courtesy of Pan Left Productions

David is famous for creating several large, colorful murals around Tucson, especially the gigantic one outside of the Tucson Museum of Art at 140 N. Main Ave. He has had several showings of his vibrant art there and elsewhere in Tucson at galleries such as Contreras Gallery, Raices Taller, Galeria Mistica.

Steve Leal

Today I happened to listen to most of his radio show. Steve first interviewed District 5 Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias about the County’s attempts to eradicate bufflegrass.

Then he spoke with two guests from Pan Left Productions. Sal Baldenegro is making a documentary about Mexican American civil rights and the creation of El Rio Neighborhood Center here in Tucson. Both he and other guest Mary Charlotte Thurtle work at Pan Left.

Finally Steve discussed the importance of Access Tucson (public access cable TV) facing budget cuts by the City of Tucson. His guests were Sam Behrend (Executive Director) and Lisa Jones (Chair of the Board of Directors) from Access Tucson.

Listen to Steve every Thursday, talking with other interesting guests from the community.

For more political & business interviews, stay tuned to KJLL and listen for two hours to the John C. Scott show from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 3 to 4 p.m. on Fridays.