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| Heart of Tucson Artists Open Their Studios, Zocalo Magazine. April 2016. Issue No. 5. p. 8 & 9. |
Article by Diane C. Taylor, published by Zocalo Magazine, April 2016.
Excerpt from Article
Listen closely in central Tucson and you may hear the hammering of metal or the whir of a potter's wheel. Some 49 artists in 19 locations are preparing for the Heart of Tucson Art Spring Open Studio Tour April 9-10. The artists will open their studios and share their art from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
The Heart of Tucson Art is in the mid-town Tucson Arts District. Defined by the current group, it’s bounded by Roger on the north, Craycroft on the east, 17th Street on the south, and Euclid on the west.
Art media include painting in all its forms (oil, acrylic, watercolor, encaustic, dye on silk, pastel, gouache, ink, charcoal, etc.), sculpture, metal work, wood, ceramics, fused glass, paper, photography, needlework and jewelry.
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| Heart of Tucson Artists Open Their Studios, Zocalo Magazine. April 2016. Issue No. 5. p. 13 & 14. |
The group held its first tour in October 2015, in response to the initial cancellation of last year’s Tucson Pima Arts Council citywide fall tour. A survey after the tour provided really positive feedback, Linda Chappel, an artist with the Heart of Tucson Art, said. Visitors were excited about being able to see most, if not all, of the artists on the tour over the weekend. Artists were happy they could finally visit the studios of colleagues not on the same tour.
The activities of the group are all volunteer-driven, Chappel explained, with artists coming together and using their special knowledge and abilities to make things happen and get things done. She takes care of the social media (Facebook and Twitter). Painter and writer C.J. Shane is the driving force behind the effort and responsible for the press releases. Painter Christy Olsen has put together the website with an interactive map. Lynne East-Itkin, a multi-talented artist and graphic artist, the organizer of Many Hands Artist Cooperative and heavily involved in the Blue Raven Art School, created the ads and flyers.
“With a view to the future, we’re looking into Arizona nonprofit status, to be able to apply for grants. We’re planning a couple of pop-up events each year, as well. We’ve already set October 29-30 for our fall tour,” Chappel said. “And the best is, as an artist-centered group, we are having fun working together and bouncing off new ideas for promoting our art.”
The artists in the group are amazingly talented, Chappel said. “You’d be surprised at how many creative people and spaces are hidden in the neighborhoods of Tucson. It’s important to note that not all professional artists are downtown,” she continued. “Many of us have our own individual spaces in the midtown neighborhoods. Artists’ studios are located in all sorts of spaces -- from historic adobes, including Many Hands Artist Cooperative, in a repurposed motor court, to the modern industrial loft-style studios at Metal Arts Village. It’s fun to see all the unique spaces artists have carved out of the central Tucson residential areas to work in.”
“For me personally,” she continued, “participating in the tour lets me show my art work to the community and engage directly with people who are buying my art work. I am very excited to see more recognition of the smaller, regional tours.”
“This is a great opportunity to stop by and meet the artists, learn more about how they work and talk about their work with them,” Chappel said. “Many artists are happy to show you the materials they use, explain their techniques and talk about what inspires their art work. Being able to see ‘behind the scenes’ is fun, and it gives you greater appreciation for the art you see and perhaps buy. The tour offers unique, affordable art and an experience you won’t get at any chain store!”
Reference
Taylor. D. C. (2016, April) Heart of Tucson Artists Open Their Studios. Zocalo Magazine. published April 2016. p. 9-13.
This promotional video, published by Heart of Tucson Art (HoTA), was featured on their website in April 2016 with the flyer below.
Reference
Promotional Video by Heart of Tucson Art (HoTA),
Retrieved from HeartofTucsonArt.info on April 1, 2016.
