SAACA Spring Events

New Artist Opportunities | La Encantada Fine Art Market | Immersive Art Exhibition Debut

Faces of a Community | Artist Painting & Craft Workshops | Concerts | Tucson Folk Festival

April 10 & 11, 2021

Free Admission

Saturday, 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm

La Encantada Shopping Center

2905 E Skyline Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718

From metalwork to locally-designed fashion, the open-air La Encantada Fine Art Market is an opportunity to support local artisans and fine art crafters while strolling the lush and ever-blooming garden walkways of the outdoor La Encantada Shopping Center. Artists are among some of the hardest hit during the pandemic, and we invite the community to come out to support their work and be inspired by their creativity, in a safe and socially distanced atmosphere.

Join us for the final Spring Artisan Market of the 2021 Season. Preview the participating artists and experiences online below.

April 10 & 11, 2021

The Tucson Folk Festival returns for its 36th year, April 10-11, with a range of new ways to enjoy the festival, including over 75 socially-distanced performances, broadcast live from three stages. All performances will be broadcast for free viewing online and viewers can watch the Festival at home, at the drive-in and in-person.

Our National Headliner is grammy-winning folk singer and bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis & Nina Gerber with a Saturday night 8 PM performance livestreaming to the big screens and live broadcasts straight from California! Our Sunday night local headliners are Western Swing favorites, The Tucsonics, performing live on the Drive-In Stage Sunday at 7:30 PM and broadcasting online and to the MSA Annex. The Ron Pandy Family Show broadcasts live from Centennial Hall Sunday morning at 12:15 PM.

All three stages will feature free, live and pre-recorded performances throughout the weekend! Tune in, Attend, and Support Local Music.

View the Schedule and Performances HERE

Volunteers Needed REGISTER ONLINE HERE

HOW TO WATCH

All performances will be available as a free-to-watch live broadcast accessible through the Tucson Folk Festival website, with audience members invited at the Drive-In Stage at Park Place Mall (no reservation required), and to socially-distanced pod seating at the MSA Annex (reservation required).

From the producing minds of El Toro Flicks: A Carpool Cinema, comes World of Wonders, also known as WOW. An all-ages, visual arts walk-through concept located at the Tucson Mall. As community outreach we are bringing on a local artist to help add the finishing touches to the project.

With an interactive, fun & adventure-like theme, WOW houses multiple immersive pathways riddled with optical trickery through art, lighting & sound (even smell). On your journey throughout our 15+ wonder rooms we want you smile & laugh, deploy your imagination, be curious but most importantly enjoy the sensory overload WOW has to offer.

TICKETS GO ON SALE APRIL 3

STARTING AT $16

STOREFRONT & LOCATION

Tucson Mall – 4500 N Oracle Rd Space #106, Tucson, AZ 85705. WOW is residence to the largest indoor LED screen in the region. Come check us out – next door to the CATALYST Arts and Maker Space at Tucson Mall – Lower level between Sears and Dillards!

Drive-in Concerts at Steam Pump Ranch

This is a FREE event, no registration required. Enjoy live music from the safety of your own car! Bands will perform live, on stage, so everyone has a view of the action. Attendees may bring chairs to sit near their cars as long as they maintain at least six feet of social distance from other groups/families. A food truck will have food and snacks available for purchase. Masks will be required during purchases and any time six feet of distance cannot be maintained at the event. You can watch the recorded videos a week after the performance.

Upcoming Shows:

April 2

“Your Money’s Worth”

60’s and 70’s Classic rock

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

May 7

“Final Approach”

Hits from the 50’s – 90’s

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance team up to bring back Thursday night Live Music Concerts from 5 PM – 7 PM. The series provides artists the opportunity to share their craft in one of Tucson’s most popular resort destinations in a safe, socially distanced approach outdoors. Capacity will be limited to 50 attendees outdoors. Table reservations for these concerts are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 1-800-722-2500.

​Thursdays, 5 PM – 7 PM

April 15 / May 6 and 20

Starlight by Sheryl Ann

Thursdays, 5 PM – 7 PM

April 22 and May 27

Brook Sample

$10 Cover Charge

Limited seating will be provided to ensure social distancing, on a first come, first serve basis. As a fundraiser for SAACA, every restaurant bill will include a $10 per person arts cover charge to ensure a guarantee to the performing musicians and a contribution to the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance.

Art Mixer finds a home at CATALYST!

Offerings will include public and private paint events and classes with no minimum number of participants. Just pick a project and schedule a date and time to paint. Attendees can choose step-by-step painting projects on canvas, wood board, wood cutouts, wine glasses, wine bottles and paint-and-take ceramics! Browse the Photo Gallery, Class Listings, and Shop at www.artmixer.net to see more projects and pricing! New projects are always being added.

To schedule an experience with Art Mixer, email artmixertucson@gmail.com.

Follow Art Mixer on Instagram and Facebook to stay up on events.

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance is dedicated to promoting new opportunities for artists. Below is an update on several new and exciting opportunities from SAACA, and many of our partners.

> “Welcome to Oro Valley” Mural Commission – $9,000

> Music and Murals Event at Desert Ridge Marketplace – May 7

> World of Chalk at Tempe Marketplace – May 8

> The Hopper Prize – $3,500 Artist Grants

> Artscapes Window Program at Desert Ridge Marketplace

> Open Call: 2022 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance

> University of Arizona Cancer Center: Call for AZ Logo Artists

UPDATE ON 2021 SAACA ARTISAN MARKET & FESTIVAL APPLICATIONS SCHEDULE

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance is actively working with venue and community partners to establish a 2021 Summer, Fall and Winter Artisan Market and Festival Season. We anticipate the announcement of dates and application launch to be made available in June 2021. Stay tuned for more updates on the events and opportunities which will be made available.

For over a decade, Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD) has been investing in creativity through local, regional, national and employee art exhibitions at their dedicated gallery space, open to the public.

At their Oro Valley site the pathology customer area brings excellence and innovation to science and engineering, with individuals and teams leading the discovery, development and delivery of diagnostic systems and tissue-based cancer tests that are guiding the future of healthcare.

To affirm their commitment to creativity, RTD is hosting the “2021: Faces of a Community” art exhibition. The exhibition was inspired as a format to engage artists and their viewers with the social relevance of our time.

The past year has been an unprecedented year of challenge for all members of our community. Innovation, creativity, and commitment to community recovery have been at the heart of Roche Tissue Diagnostics’ (RTD) response.