Spring at CATALYST

Join SAACA this Spring at CATALYST. As we begin to return to in-person events, classes and experiences, we invite you to support the local artists and organizations that are helping SAACA make deep change in our community

CATALYST is located in the heart of the Tucson Mall, on the lower level, between Sears and Dillard’s. CATALYST is available for private rentals, co-working use, pre-scheduled classes and special community uses, available Sunday-Saturday. To book private use of the space, or to rent out the entire space or individual classrooms, contact Kevin Larkin kevin@saaca.org

TUCSON MALL
4500 North Oracle Road, Suite 110
​Tucson, AZ 85705
VOLUNTEER AT CATALYST – REGISTER HERE

APRIL & MAY
IN CATALYST

AMPHITHEATER SCHOOL DISTRICT ART SHOW

Mall Wide Student Art Show
April 13 to April 27

Opening Reception at CATALYST
April 13 from 4pm to 5:30pm

Tucson Mall’s corridors will be filled with color and creativity for the next couple of weeks courtesy of the children who attend schools in the Amphitheater School District. The District is holding its Student Art Show from April 13 to April 27. Displays feature works by students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The public is invited to meet the talented artists at a reception to be held in partnership with the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) on April 13 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Catalyst.

The reception is free, and the artwork will be on display throughout the mall during the reception as well as during regular mall hours through April 27.

PAPER MACHE AND CREPE PAPER FLOWER WORKSHOP BY LUNA’S PAPER DESIGNS
Drop-in Hours
Fridays | 12pm – 7:30pm
Saturdays | 11am – 8pm
Sundays | 12pm – 6pm

Learn the traditional Mexican Folk Arts of Paper Mache sculpture and Crepe Paper Flower Making with artist Sandy Villegas of Lunas Paper Designs. Lunas Paper Designs is also available for special bookings such as private workshops, parties, birthdays, Quinceañeras, weddings, baby showers and anniversaries.

Learn more and make reservations at:
https://www.lunaspaperdesigns.com/

Follow Luna’s Paper Designs on Instagramand Facebook
ART MIXER CLASSES
Drop-in Hours
Wednesdays | 12:30pm – 4pm
Thursdays | 12:30pm – 7pm
Friday & Saturday | 12:30pm – 8pm
Sunday | 2:00pm – 6pm

Have some fun and get creative with Art Mixer, a unique Tucson paint and sip experience. Public and private paint events and classes are available 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.

MAKING SPACE: A WORKSHOP ON SPACE, SCIART, & SOCIETY
April 15-17 from 10am – 6pm

Making Space is an in-person multi-day workshop about space, sciart, and making where we use and create data-driven art as a tool to communicate scientific concepts and explore humanity’s relationship to space. Participants will learn about how we use spacecraft observations to explore other worlds, how to access public data from space missions, do collaborative discussion and art activities, and practice creating sciart through hands-on art labs using a variety of mediums.

By the end of the workshop, participants will create their own piece of art which they will be invited to showcase at an art exhibition later in the year. The workshop is targeted towards a mixed, adult audience with backgrounds (professional or otherwise) in art and/or science. Artists, makers, scientists, science communicators, and educators are encouraged to apply!

The first workshop is April 15-17, 2022 at the Catalyst Arts & Maker Space in Tucson, AZ, with dates for Denver, CO and Pasadena, CA in the works (sign up to be notified).

These workshops are supported by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI).

Website: https://trex.psi.edu/making-space

Email Contact: jmolaro@psi.edu

CRUNCHY CAULIFLOWER BITES PRESENTED BY PLANT BASED POTENTIAL
Saturday, April 23 from 11:30am – 2pm

It’s comfort food at its healthiest, perfectly crunchy and tender bites that will satisfy your cravings. Join Delia for an interactive cooking class at the CATALYST Teaching Kitchen. Preparing and battering cauliflower with dipping sauce option(s). All tools and ingredients will be provided as well as a folder of recipes and to-go containers for any leftovers. $35 per person.

SONGWRITING WORKSHOP
PRESENTED BY CITY PSALMS
Saturday, April 23 from 2pm – 4pm

This City Psalms Songwriter Workshop is a lively two-hour program where we’ll work on crafting a mission for your music and dive into practical techniques for creating compelling melodies, including some hands-on exercises together as a group. It’s designed to provide you with insight and helpful tools to take your music to the next level, regardless if you’re new to writing music or a seasoned pro. The workshop is set in a non-intimidating, casual environment where you can immerse yourself in the art of songwriting and make some connections with other like-minded songwriters.

HONEY TASTING WITH NOEL PATTERSON
PRESENTED BY FLYING APRONS TUCSON
Thursday, April 27 from 5pm – 6:30pm

Like wine, cheese and chocolate, honey has joined the ranks as an artisanal obsession. Experience Sonoran Desert honey like never before and taste it like a sommelier tastes wine with beekeeper and sommelier Noel Patterson of Dos Manos Apiaries. You’ll explore and learn how flowers and terroir affects its characteristics. Honey has a circuitous journey before it ends up in a jar. Climate, terroir and available botanical sources are the starting points. Then it’s up to the honeybees to visit the flowers and the activity of the beekeeper concludes the process. As you sample each of the 6 offerings on fresh fruits, cheeses and nuts, Noel will guide you tracing what you smell and taste to the flora and exact Southern Arizona origin location. You’ll discover how each honey is a unique reflection of the time and place in which it was harvested, giving you the knowledge to make sustainable and delicious choices when buying it.

Cost: $75.00 per person.

KID CHEF CLASS: TO MOM WITH LOVE – MOTHER’S DAY FLORAL CUPCAKES BOUQUET PRESENTED BY FLYING APRONS TUCSON
Saturday, May 7 from 10am – 12pm

We’ve got the perfect Mother’s Day gift made with love by your kid chef (ages 6-10) in this fun class – a floral cupcakes bouquet. Not only will they learn piping and decorating skills, but they’ll have a beautiful and yummy present for mom, stepmom, grandmother or role model.

Starting with 6 freshly baked (with premium ingredients) vanilla cupcakes, Magic Spoons master baker and decorator Patricia Ordóñez Beattie will start by having the kids choose the colors to tint their American buttercream (all butter, no shortening) frosting.

Next, she’ll make it easy by sharing her secrets and guiding everyone step-by-step on how to ice and smooth the frosting and before the decorating creativity begins, how to handle and use the decorating bag. Edible art lowers in a variety of colors and sprinkles will grace each cupcake. The class will culminate by arranging each masterpiece into a ready-to-gift bouquet.

Ages 6-10
Cost: $65


JUNIOR CHEF CLASS: TO MOM WITH LOVE – MOTHER’S DAY RED ROSES SUGAR COOKIES BOUQUET
PRESENTED BY FLYING APRONS TUCSON
Saturday, May 7 from 1pm – 3pm

We’ve got the perfect Mother’s Day gift made with love by your junior chef (ages 11-15) in this fun class – long stemmed red roses sugar cookies bouquet. Not only will they learn piping and decorating skills, but they’ll have a beautiful and yummy present for mom, stepmom, grandmother or role model.

Starting with 6 freshly baked (made with premium ingredients) 7-inch long stemmed rose sugar cookies, Magic Spoons master baker and decorator Patricia Ordóñez Beattie will share her secrets and guide everyone step-by-step on how to handle and use a decorating bag.

Then it’s creativity time piping lines, flooding – spreading the icing over the cookie until it reaches the piped outlines – and wet-on-wet – piping on top of the base layer while it’s still wet. There are sprinkles, too. The class will culminate by arranging each masterpiece into a ready-to-gift bouquet tied up with ribbons.

Ages 11-15
Cost: $75

Ticket Link
FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER EDUCATION CLASS (FREE)
Saturday May 14 | 11:00am – 12:30pm

Become familiar with the homebuying process in this free monthly community workshop. This workshop will be held every 2nd Saturday at CATALYST Arts and Maker Space.

Buying or selling a home is similar to playing a game, only more impactful, and it’s far more fun when you know the rules! Learn the benefits of home ownership, how to work with credit and debt, and determine the right time to buy for your family. Our goal is for families to have a home they can love, afford, and make their home.

Our goal is for families to have a home they can love, afford, and make their own. Own your home. Find your community.

Facebook Event Link
Eventbrite Ticket Link
RECIPE BASICS – COOKING HOUR FOR KIDS
PRESENTED BY CHANTILLY TEA
Saturday, June 11
1:00pm – 2pm OR 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Join Tamara for an hour of cooking. We will be stirring, mixing, and folding batter as we bake quick bread. Measuring and cutting to create a delicious fruit dip and fruit kabobs. And then, making a tasty guacamole. Overall, we will be covering some recipe basics while having fun cooking. Drop off class. Ages 8-11yrs. $38.00 per child includes all supplies and handouts. Class held at CATALYST Kitchen in Tucson Mall lower level by Sears.

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YOUNG ARTIST SERIES SUMMER CAMP WITH ANGELA HITT DESIGNS
June 13-17 from 1pm – 4pm

Give your child the gift of creative expression this summer! Join us for 5 days and learn a variety of 2D and 3D art techniques. Students will be taught a variety of skills and be given options for projects they would like to complete. Lessons will be tiered so that beginning through experienced young artists will have the opportunity to learn new techniques and expand the ones they already have. Techniques include: weaving, ceramics, watercoloring, and charcoal drawing. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their artwork by composing artist statements and displaying their work in an art show for families on the last day of class. Students will participate in the complete artist experience in this summer camp through the processes of design, production, reflection and display of their work. Ages 8+

Sign up before April 30 for the discounted rate of $200, registration is $220 beginning May 1, 2022

Registration
TUCSON YOUTH MUSIC CENTER
CATALYST is partnering with Tucson Youth Music Center to bring free weekly music lessons for underserved families in the community! Tucson Youth Music Center (TYMC) provides comprehensive weekly free music lessons to teach students how to play a musical instrument as well as, proper technique, repertoire, sight-reading, music theory, ear training, performance, and music appreciation. All necessary materials are provided to qualifying school-age children, pre-K through 12. TYMC music teachers are an extraordinary group of musicians who bring compassion and understanding to the life transforming power of music education.

Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
3pm – 7pm

Support, volunteer, or see if your child qualifies for lessons by visiting the Tucson Youth Music Center website.

ABC GUIDANCE
This educational non-profit offers assistance in students develop skills, expand their educational knowledge, and growing connections to achieve a viable education and well-planned career. ABC Guidance will resume their CATALYST in-person Open House meet-ups in 2022.

For questions email: jhays@abcguidance.com or call (951) 201-6263

https://www.facebook.com/abcguidance/

ZONA PACHANGA SALSA DANCE
Zona Pachanga, a local dance troupe, rehearses in Catalyst on Tuesday nights! If you love Latin street style dance in Tucson, including salsa, mambo, chachacha, pachanga, boogaloo, etc, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/zonapachanga/.

More questions email: zonapachanga@gmail.com

RED HERRING PUPPETS PRESENTS AESOP’S FABLES
Weekends at 2:00 pm
May 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
at Red Herring Puppets studio in the Tucson Mall
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Red Herring Puppets is an award winning professional puppet company located in the Tucson Mall. Lisa Sturz, owner and artistic director has worked with Jim Henson Productions, Walt Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm, PBS, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and many more.

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS:

Chantilly Tea had a sold out Cheese Board class in the Teaching Kitchen. It was so much fun seeing all of the delicious arrangements come to life.
Local composer Robert Lopez-Hanshaw was in the music lab tracking music with young harpist Desiree Blute for the new Scoundrel and Scamp production ‘You, Me and the Space Between’.
The Inner Voice Studios had their Spring recital in the Main Floor. The young vocalists sang excerpts from well loved musicals and the crowd went wild!

CATALYST ARTS & MAKER SPACE
CATALYST is a first-of-its-kind innovative space where culture, collaboration and community intersect.

Combining over 14,000 square feet of flexible learning, performance, gathering and maker spaces which highlight over 30 disciplines, CATALYST is a space for all ages and forms of creativity to flourish.