Echoes of Innovation: Wearable Art Exhibition & Runway Show

On Thursday, September 25, the Ventana Gallery in Oro Valley transforms into a living runway for Echoes of Innovation — a one-night-only wearable art experience unlike anything Arizona has ever seen. Echoes of Innovation: Wearable Art Exhibition & Runway Show Honors 40 Years of Scientific Legacy Through Avant-Garde Fashion.

Echoes of Innovation: Wearable Art Exhibition & Runway Show at Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics, 1910 E Innovation Park Drive 5pm-7:30pm | Tickets $75/each

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE – LIMITED AVAILABILITY

For $75, you’ll enjoy:

Over 120 Original Histology-Inspired Artworks on Display in the Ventana Gallery hallways

10 Unique Culinary & Beverage Experiences – Featuring Sweet, Savory, and Inspirational Dishes & Drinks

Live Music Performances – Enjoy Latin, Violin, and Classical Music

Runway Performance – Avant-garde fashion meets movement, storytelling, and spectacle. Over 15 models of all ages will walk the runway, featuring original wearable art creations from Sonoran Stitch Factory, students from University of Arizona and Pima Community College, Hem and Her as well as the Vessel Project, featuring one-of a kind show stopping fashions inspired by theatre, science and art.

Chef-Curated Culinary Edible Art Experiences – Small plates, grazing installations, and tasting tables designed by Arizona’s most imaginative chefs. Culinary experiences will be inspired by histology stains, and you will be able to experience edible art.

Histology Inspired Cocktail Pairings – Art in a glass, crafted to complement the evening’s flavors, colors and creative flair.

5 PM – 6:30 PM – Exclusive first look at over 120 original wearable art pieces, produced by local artists in the featured Ventana Galleries at Roche, alongside live music, food and drink pairings.

6:30 PM – Sit along the fashion runway and experience a one-of-a kind fashion showcase alongside a colorful dessert presentation, lively music and be inspired by the creativity, and intersection of art and science.

Every bite, sip, and step down the runway tells a story — weaving together art, science, and innovation.

The Menu Teases:
Watermelon Pesto Canapés & “Everything” Lox Sushi
Custom Grazing Tables Inspired by Microscopic Textures
Seared Lamb | Beet & Blueberry Puree | Whipped Burrata | Chive Oil
Beef Carpaccio | Capers | Whole Grain Mustard | Herb Oil | Greens | Blue Cheese Foam
Pomegranate Shrimp Ceviche | Corn Tortilla
Cornmilk Tres Leches Bites for the perfect finale
More exciting food, wine, and histology inspired dishes will be featured throughout the evening.

Why Your Ticket Matters
Your attendance directly supports the Art State Arizona’s statewide programs integrating arts into healthcare, education, and public life — funding artists, mentorship, and community impact projects. Special thanks to the Town of Oro Valley, Roche Tissue Diagnostics and all of the inspiring artists who will make this a night to remember in Oro Valley, AZ.

A Fashion Laboratory for Storytelling and Healing

At the heart of this event is a bold reinterpretation of cancer diagnostics as creative expression. Working in collaboration with Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Art State Arizona, and Sonoran Stitch Factory, student designers from the University of Arizona, Pima Community College, and Stitch Lab are being mentored to transform scientific imagery into meaningful, wearable narratives.

“At Sonoran Stitch Factory, we believe in the power of wearable art to tell stories that matter—stories of curiosity, collaboration, and transformation,” said Erica Yngve, Owner, and Maggie Marquez, Production Manager, of Sonoran Stitch Factory. “This partnership gives students a platform to showcase their creativity while shining a spotlight on the groundbreaking research and development happening right here in our community.”

The runway show, featuring ASU performance artist and educator Rachel Bowditch, will feature contributions from Sonoran Stitch Lab, Vessel, MakeFashion Edu, and Hem & Her, presenting avant-garde collections that blend sculptural fashion, movement, and storytelling.

Gastronomy, Music, and Immersive Experience
Just as histological stains reveal hidden structures within the body, the evening’s culinary team aims to do the same through taste. Featured culinary & cocktail offerings include:

Chef Pablo Valencia of Scratching the Plate:
Watermelon Pesto Canapé
“Everything” Lox Sushi with cucumber and cream cheese
Cornmilk Tres Leches Bites

Mixologist Raymond Hammond of Sidecar:
Trichrome Tapestry Cocktail — Hibiscus, Tequila, cinnamon, beet & strawberry olive oil, and lime, inspired by the colorful patterns of histology to weave science and artistry into every sip.

Chef Devon Sanner of The Lodge at Ventana Canyon:
Cured Hamachi and Roasted Pork Belly Summer Rolls
Tropical Tres Leches with Passion Fruit Cream, Coconut, Mango Gel and Lime Foam

Emili Krzyzanowski of Humble Board:
Custom grazing installation inspired by microscopic textures and hues found in tissue diagnostics

Roche Diagnostic Culinary/Eurest Team:
Seared Lamb | Beet & Blueberry Puree | Whipped Burrata | Chive Oil
Beef Carpaccio | Capers | Whole Grain Mustard | Herb Oil | Greens | Blue Cheese Foam

Pomegranate Shrimp Ceviche | Corn Tortilla

“There’s a striking parallel between the way I design my grazing tables and the visual language of histology stains,” says Emili Krzyzanowski of Humble Board. “From a distance, each table appears beautiful and composed, but it’s only when you look closer that the intricate details and flowing compositions come into focus. There are little rivers, pockets, and moments throughout that make every table unique. I especially love photographing them from above, capturing a perspective you don’t usually get, just like examining cellular structures under a microscope.”

Live musical performances from Dos Sueños (Pop/Classical), Dr. Christina Vivona (Harpist), and Nick Coventry (Violinist) will enhance the ambiance, transforming the gallery into a multi-sensory canvas.

Fundraising for a More Creative Future
Unlike past gallery events, Echoes of Innovation is a ticketed fundraising event that directly benefits Art State Arizona’s statewide efforts to weave the arts into healthcare, public life, and education. Proceeds will help fund artist commissions, mentorship opportunities, and community programming rooted in creative expression.

“This is more than an event—it’s a call to action,” said Amanda Staples, Art State Arizona Artistic Programs Manager. “We’re inviting our community to celebrate what’s possible when scientific excellence meets creative vision.”

Why It Matters
Proceeds from Echoes of Innovation directly support Art State Arizona’s statewide mission to integrate the arts into every aspect of life, from healthcare and education to business and community development. In a world where creativity is often undervalued in scientific and professional spaces, this event challenges that divide by proving that innovation flourishes where art and science intersect.

By attending this event, guests are doing more than witnessing a groundbreaking fusion of fashion and diagnostics. They’re investing in a more creative, inclusive, and inspired future. Every ticket sold helps fund artist commissions, educational programs, and year-round initiatives that use the arts to heal, connect, and drive meaningful change across Arizona communities. This is art with purpose, style with substance, and community impact stitched into every seam.

Reserve Your Spot Today!
Tickets are available now at saaca.thundertix.com/. Experience the collision of art and science. Celebrate creativity in every stitch, stain, and sip. Support the future of the arts in Arizona.

About Art State Arizona
Art State Arizona is a nonprofit reimagining what’s possible when arts and culture are treated not as luxuries—but as essential infrastructure.

What began in 1997 as the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council, and later evolved into the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, has grown into a statewide organization advancing creativity as a powerful force for community health, economic vitality, and social connection.

We are artists, cultural workers, educators, business leaders, healthcare professionals, and community organizers—uniting across sectors to shape an Arizona where the arts are integrated into every aspect of life.

Art State Arizona isn’t just a name. It’s a vision—of Arizona as a national leader in creative well-being, cultural innovation, and economic transformation through the arts. We’re here to make that vision real.