CATALYST Creative Collective This Summer

CATALYST Creative Collective is located inside the Tucson Mall and combines over 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting, event, classroom and production space. SAACA conceived CATALYST after identifying a need for a dedicated community space that could uplift, connect and build stronger collaborations within our creative sector.

The collective hosts special events, fundraisers, seminars, presentations, arts experiences, rehearsals, performances and social gatherings from 25-300 people.

• Collaborative programming space occupied by artists, creatives, educators, teams, and cross-sector organizations.
• A place for connection, gathering, and celebration.
• A mission uplifting sustainable collaboration and collective impact.

CATALYST Creative Collective in the Tucson Mall
4500 N Oracle Rd, Suite 110
Tucson, AZ 85705

CATALYST Summer Kickoff and Volunteer Appreciation Event
Tuesday, June 4
4pm – 7pm
CATALYST Creative Collective
4500 N Oracle Rd Suite 110
Tucson, AZ 85705

CATALAYST Creative Collective welcomes summer with a kick-off fiesta at our location in the Tucson Mall! Join us as we celebrate and appreciate all the wonderful SAACA volunteers and the creative partners, artists, and non-profits that make up CATALYST. The afternoon will feature live music and dance, kids activities, food & beverages, and more.

SAACA thrives only through the support of volunteers. We invite you to celebrate our vibrant and creative community!

PAINTING EXPERIENCES FOR ALL AGES
Art Mixer is a unique Tucson paint and sip experience! Public and private paint events and classes. Attendees can choose step-by-step painting projects on canvas, wood board, wood cutouts, wine glasses, wine bottles and paint-and-take ceramics! Appointments are HIGHLY recommended to ensure your paint day/time. Painting availability not guaranteed for walk ins.

Learn more and make reservations at: https://artmixer.net/

Contact: (520) 490-9400, artmixertucson@gmail.com

CALLIGRAPHY CLASSES
with Crossroads CalligraphyBroad Edge Calligraphy Class for Beginners
May 17 & 18 | 10am – 2pm

Intro to Pointed Pen Calligraphy Class
June 21 & 22 | 10am – 2pm

Crossroads Calligraphy classes are a great way to explore this incredible art form. Options for beginners, intermediate and advanced students! MORE INFOLIGHT THE MIC OPEN MIC with Jijivisha Holistic and Iam Maestro Riko Third Fridays – May 17, June 21, July 19, ​6pm – 8pm

The Light The Mic Open Mic Series returns to CATALYST all summer long! The is a space for all for artists to explore performance in a welcoming community setting including Rappers, Singers, Spoken Word, Poetry and Performance Art. EVERY Third Thursday from May through July!

CANTO EXHIBIT RECEPTION
with Artist-in-Residence Emiland Kray Saturday, May 18, 3pm – 5pm
CANTO is a series of drawings that are part of a larger project inspired by my personal nightmares and Dante Alighieri’s poem Inferno from his larger body of work Divine Comedy. Dante’s narrative poem began roughly in 1308 and was completed in 1321 shortly before the author’s death. The poem’s imaginative vision of the afterlife is representative of the European Medieval worldview as it existed within the context of Western Christianity. But even so, this work remains a cornerstone of Italian literature and has shaped our visions of Heaven, Hell, and the afterlife within modern media. This exhibit of drawings marks the strong beginnings of a book that will marry game design, book arts, illustration, and art history between its covers and celebrates the relationships that can be built upon serendipity. The nightmarish qualities of this body of work follows the tale of a character’s descent into Hell where these grotesque horrors become commonplace.These drawings resemble the real, the imagined, and the remembered and thus blur the lines between fact and fiction. CANTO is a glimpse into this cerebral realm and shows how quickly the familiar can become the fantastic.

DESERT ARTISANS MARKET
Saturday, May 25, 12pm – 5pm
Desert Artisans Market is back for a Spring market featuring dozens of artists and small businesses! Shop a wide range of locally made goods including jewelry, candles, body products, artwork and more.

FLEX & FLOW with Jijivisha Holistic and Iam Maestro Riko
First Fridays – June 7, July 5, ​6pm – 8pm. ‘Flex and Flow’: where creativity meets movement in a magical fusion of pour painting and fluid motion! Mindfulness, affirmations, embodied exploration. Come as you are, leave feeling refreshed. Take home a masterpiece of your own making with this intuitive art workshop. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, ‘Flex and Flow’ welcomes all levels and backgrounds with open arms. No prior experience required—just bring your adventurous spirit and willingness to explore! Through somatic exploration and playful movement, reconnect with your body, mind, and spirit in a journey of liberation and joy.

HANDMADE BOOK WORKSHOP: HARDCOVER PAMPHLET STITCH
Sunday, May 19, 3pm – 5pm
Presented by CATALYST Artist-in-Residence Emiland Kray. The Pamphlet Stitch is a simple binding structure with a long history in the Western World. Today, pamphlet book structures are commonly found in zines, brochures, music, and other printed ephemera! In this workshop though, we’ll be taking it up a notch and making hardcover books using the Pamphlet Stitch. Covers will be wrapped with fabric making for a luxurious blank notebook. Each attendee will walk away with a blank notebook made by hand! There is a $25 registration fee to cover the cost of materials. 808s & Meditate with Jijivisha Holistic and Iam Maestro Riko Last Fridays – May 31, June 28, July 26, ​6pm – 8pm. Join Jijivisha Holistic for 808s & Meditate, presented by Iam Maestro Riko and powered by Woojer. The Immersion offers a 90-minute live sonic experience combining multimedia, music therapy, and mindfulness meditation, enhanced by the Woojer Vest for sensory immersion. Don’t miss this unique immersive meditative experience!

ESPERANZA DANCE PROJECT
Rehearsals on Mondays and Thursdays, ​5:30pm. The Esperanza Dance Project is a community-based collaboration that uses a multimedia dance performance to educate about the issue of childhood sexual trauma and deliver a message of hope, strength and empowerment. EDP believes in a world where survivors of this kind of trauma live free of shame and without limits. Check out this great interview with founder and Artistic Director Beth Braun from ShoutOut Arizona. MORE INFOTUCSON YOUTH MUSIC
Jim Click Summer 2024 Music ProgramRegistration is now open for the Jim Click Summer 2024 Music Program! It is the mission of Tucson Youth Music to enrich the lives of underserved youth in the greater Tucson Area through quality music education and free music lessons. We see a world where all youth have the opportunity to advance their lives through music education.

New this year! Two-time Grammy nominee Linda Chorney will teach a seven-week TYM Summer Chorus Class exploring original songwriting, explorations of beat and rhythm, and personal development through the many gifts of Chorus! June 3rd – July 24th
Ages 6 through 17

SONORAN GLASS SCHOOL
Summer Glass CampEnrich your child’s summer with a new art form! Students will use colored sheet glass and hand tools to create fused glass artworks. They will create projects from start to finish while learning about design, art theory, and the glass fusing process. All classes are beginner friendly and taught by an experienced instructor. Sonoran Glass School is a public-access educational organization dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to discover the wonder of glass art. We teach students and the general public how to create and appreciate glass as a visual arts medium through educational courses, one-on-one experiences, visiting artist seminars, and community events funded by SGS members and supporters. July 8 – 12
Grades 5th through 8th Glass Camp July 22 – 26 High School Glass Camp

CREATIVE SUMMER CLASSES FOR KIDS with July Artist-in-Residence Ben Pawlowski

WELCOME CATALYST ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
EMILAND KRAY

Emiland Kray, is a visual artist working primarily with book arts and game design to investigate the complexities and fallacies of memories and dreams by manipulating our attachment to nostalgic and familiar forms. He began his artistic career by living and working in Las Vegas, Nevada and received his BFA from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2020. That same year, he began his MFA at the University of Arizona, Tucson. He has participated in group shows nationally since 2016 and has had solo shows across Nevada and in Arizona. Since then, Kray continues to make art with a focus on community involvement and volunteer work and has graduated with his MFA in the Spring of 2023. You can find his artist books available in many permanent collections across the American Southwest and find his games free to play online.

Artist-in-Residence events:
May 18 from 3pm – 5pm CANTO Exhibition Reception

May 19 from 3pm – 5pm Handmade Book Workshop
RSVPLEARN MORECATALYST SPRING HIGHLIGHTSThe Reunion Dance Performance Antsy Nancy – Macron ClassTucson Girls Chorus Pop Acapella Concert Mother’s Day at Art MixerCATALYST CREATIVE PARNTERSThe CATALYST Creative Collective is a dynamic and inclusive space that reflects the essence of the hundreds of artists, creatives, community members, and nonprofit organizations that come together at CATALYST to collaborate and build shared value. Current CATALYST partners include digital creators, culinary-based businesses, visual and performing artists, business networking groups, and nonprofit organizations.