Food vendors at 2nd Saturdays event
Apr 19 0 comments
Downtown Events

Pennington Street Block Party April 26

CHS-blockparty-postcardFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 18, 2013

Pennington Street Block Party Puts Youth Center Stage on April 26

365 days a year: Young people make our world a better place to live. Every April we make the time to celebrate that fact!

Join us as we launch Global Youth Service Day in Southern Arizona with a lively downtown street party. City High School invites the community to our 5th annual Pennington Street Block Party on Friday, April 26 from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Join in the fun as we showcase and celebrate the many creative and productive ways young people are making a difference in their community! Enjoy live music, dramatic performances, street art, food trucks, DIY craft vendors, and lots of activities and exhibits for all ages.

Add a piece to the Ben’s Bells ‘Be Kind’ mural installation … Test drive a student-designed video game … Make an urban map … Listen to youth-produced radio stories … Make art, buy art, watch art … Enjoy teen music talent … Have a bite to eat … Conduct an experiment … Learn about our new neighbors: UA Downtown … Help paint the Math Bus … Decorate your bike for Cyclovia … Plant a seed … Hang out in the Sustainable City Project’s “parklet” … Have fun, learn lots, be inspired … Meet elementary school children, middle schoolers, and high school students who want to share what they know with you!

In addition to City High School students and staff, exhibitors and performers include young people and adults from over three dozen community organizations that offer young people many ways to make an impact on their world. For a complete list of participants, visit the event webpage: http://cityhighschool.org/community/blockparty.

The Pennington Street Block Party is hosted by City High School, with generous support from this year’s event sponsors: Zócalo Magazine, Downtown Tucson Partnership, 2nd Saturdays Downtown, UA Downtown, Paulo Freire Freedom School, MEB Management, Reilly’s Craft Pizza, KXCI Community Radio, and Youth Service America.

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City High School is a small public charter school with a focus on civic engagement located in downtown Tucson. Learn more: http://cityhighschool.org

Global Youth Service Day is an international event established in 1988 that mobilizes millions of youth to positively impact their community. The Pennington Street Block Party is a signature event for GYSD in Tucson, along with the Girl Scouts ‘Girls & Women of Distinction Celebration‘ on Saturday 4/27 and Cyclovia on Sunday 4/28. Learn more: http://www.gysd.org
Event Contact: Carrie Brennan, City High School

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Apr 06 0 comments
Downtown Events

Centers and Street Corners Exhibit on April 13, 20, and 27

Centers and Street CornersWHAT: CENTERS AND STREET CORNERS

WHEN:  APRIL 13, 20, and 27 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

WHERE:  Downtown Tucson, 245 East Congress, Tucson Arizona
Northwest corner of Congress and 5th Avenue

COST:   FREE

Worker, Inc. presents the exhibit “Centers and Street Corners” at 5th and Congress. The exhibit will look at the physical and social components of centers and intersections.

In a highly participatory exhibit, attendees will have the chance to: locate their centers in the world, Tucson, and downtown; help define what a center is; list favorite and memorable street corners; compare and contrast street corners through photography and interactive overlay maps.

Other components of the exhibit include I AM Tucson, Greyhound OR Students?, and Development Darts.

In the end, the exhibit will ask why the concepts are even relevant — why do we care about “centers?” Why are street corners so vital to the urban environment? What are the major components involved in creating successful and unsuccessful centers and street corners?

In fashion with the other Worker, Inc. exhibits, the audience, instead of the exhibitor, will answer these questions.

Bio: Worker Inc. is a company that specializes in exploring human connections to the built environment, bridging the theory and practice of architecture, the social sciences, planning and art.  Since 2009, Worker Inc. has been instrumental in the production of community exhibits – Downtown Tucson Master Plans, Food Paper Alcohol, You Are Here, Worker Transit Authority, and 3 Degrees of Strangers.  The exhibits combine ART + PLANNING, creating a unique platform that is an act of discovery for the community.

Visit www.workerincorporated.com for more information about Worker, Inc.

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Feb 04 0 comments
Downtown Businesses, Downtown Events

Discover science fun with Family SCIFest at the Children’s Museum Tucson

FREE Admission Day Saturday, February 16, 2013!

Childrens Museum TucsonScience in the City will take over downtown Tucson on Saturday, February 16, 2013! The Children’s Museum Tucson will participate in Science in the City, with Family SCIFest. While the Museum will offer FREE ADMISSION all day (10:00 am to 5:00 pm), the Family SCIFest activities will take place between 10 am and 2 pm both inside the Museum as well in the courtyard and on the lawn along 6th Avenue.

Family SCIFest is geared for families and children of all ages to discover the fun behind science. Children will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on demonstrations and experiments in the areas of aero space sciences, astronomy, biology, ecology, engineering, environmental sciences and physics.

Participating guest organizations for Family SCIFest include Arts Integration Solutions, U of A Department of Astronomy, BI05 Institute, Flandrau Science Center, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, Pima JTED & Engineering Programs, Physics Factory, Pima Air & Space Museum, Pima for Kids, Planetary Science Institute, Reid Park Zoo, Science Approach, Society of Women Engineers, Space Imagery Center, Southern Arizona Rocketry Association, Tucson Audubon Society, TUSD Science Programs and U of A Computer Science Ambassadors.

The Children’s Museum Tucson staff will also be showcasing new Nano activities. These are courtesy of the NISE Network, a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering and technology.

Free admission for the Family SCIFest is made possible through the financial support of the following sponsors: 2nd Saturdays, Arizona Technology Council, Pima County JTED, NISE Network, Thomas R. Brown Foundations and Texas Instruments.

Also during Family SCIFest, the Children’s Museum Tucson will be accepting donations to assist the community of Newtown, CT as they raise funds to create their own children’s museum, Everwonder. While the plans for a children’s museum were in place before the recent tragedy, there is a greater sense of urgency in bringing the museum to fruition to help the community heal. The Children’s Museum Tucson is pleased to participate alongside other Association of Children’s Museum member institutions that are helping the Newtown, CT community build their own children’s museum.

In addition to this Science in the City event at the Children’s Museum Tucson, Tucson Electric Power will be hosting Tech in Tucson Showcase and Innovation Forum between 1 pm and 4pm. Forum guest speakers to include, Tucson City Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Congressman Ron Barber.

Children’s Museum Tucson serves more than 144,000 children and families annually with fun, play-based interactive and hands-on learning experiences.

Regular admission is free for children under 12 months; $6 ages 1-18; $8 Adults; $6 Seniors. The Museum is located at 200 S. 6th Ave in downtown Tucson. For more information, please call (520) 792-9985 or visit www.ChildrensMuseumTucson.org.

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Jan 13 0 comments
2nd Saturdays

Blanket Drive Benefits Salvation Army’s Hospitality House

After Program Director Jamie Manser, and her husband and 2nd Saturdays emcee Daniel Rylander, were locked out of their house on Friday night, they thought it would be a good idea to host a blanket drive during 2nd Saturdays on January 12.

Knowing that there are people in the community who do not have the luxury of a warm home during these cold climes, they decided the best place to donate the blankets would be the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House on 11th Ave.

The Salvation Army’s Hospitality House operates Operation Deep Freeze, which, according to their website, “opens its doors to anyone needing respite from the cold during the coldest nights of the year, when temperatures drop beneath 35 degrees or 40 degrees with precipitation. Beginning at 3pm, people needing shelter can enter The Hospitality House, receive toiletries, a shower and hot meal before being assigned emergency lodging. The Salvation Army’s Temple Corps location operates as the main overflow shelter.“

The Tucson community donated over 20 blankets and comforters, along with warm clothes that filled a large lawn trash bag, and were delivered by Manser and 2nd Saturdays Vendor Coordinator Victoria Falcone to the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House Sunday morning, January 13.

The Hospitality House is located at 1021 N. 11th Ave., online at http://www.thesalvationarmytucson.org/HospHouse.html and by phone at 622-5411.

Jan 10 0 comments
Downtown Businesses

REVOLuTIo Will Celebrate Its Grand Re-Opening on January 19

REVOLuTIo Boutique will celebrate its Grand Re-Opening on January 19, 2013 from 4-7 p.m. Please join us for food by Augustin Brasserie and music by Naim Amor. For more information go to www.revolutioboutique.com.
REVOLuTIo Grand Re-Opening

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Nov 20 0 comments
Downtown Events

#Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday 2012
Tucson Nonprofit Arts Organizations Celebrate #GivingTuesday™
KXCI Presents a “Happy Hour for the Arts”
Tuesday, November 27th, 2012
3pm to 7pm
Fox Tucson Theatre
17 W Congress Street
Tucson, AZ 85701

The national campaign #GivingTuesday™ began its life as a simple idea: We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals….Wouldn’t it be great to have a day for giving back? On Tuesday, November 27th our community will have an opportunity to give back and support arts and culture non-profits in our community.

So, on Tuesday, November 27th from 3pm to 7pm, KXCI and the Fox Tucson Theatre will support many downtown-based arts and cultural organizations with an event best described as a “downtown happy hour for the arts.”

We’ll have a live remote with KXCI Djs Cathy Rivers and Al Perry… free food… a cash bar… and hourly prize raffles. Plus a chance to meet and support a number of the arts and cultural groups that make Tucson a vibrant place to visit or call home.

KXCI General Manager Randy Peterson says , “KXCI is excited to team with the Fox Tucson Theatre and many of our downtown arts partners to kick off a season of giving in support of the arts.”

Our list of participants continues to grow. You can come celebrate and support the arts with the Fox, KXCI, Arizona Theatre Company, the Rialto Theatre, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, 2nd Saturdays Downtown, TKMA/Tucson Folk Festival, and The Screening Room/Arizona International Film Festival, with more yet to be announced.

Stay tuned to KXCI 91.3FM or www.kxci.org for complete details on these #GivingTuesday events.

Learn more about #GivingTuesday nationally at http://givingtuesday.org/.

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Jun 05 0 comments
Downtown Events

Cinema La Placita Kicks Off Its 13th Season

Cinema La Placita

Cinema La Placita  is downtown Tucson’s outdoor classic film series, showing classic films outdoors every Thursday night, May through October, at 7:30pm. $3 per person includes popcorn! Here’s what’s showing in June:

June Films at La Placita

Thursday, June 7
at 7:30

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) PG-13

Starring Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Mia Farrow, Alan Alda, Angelica Houston and Jerry Orbach. Directed by Woody Allen.

An opthamologist’s mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated by another woman.

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Thursday, June 14
at 7:30

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) NR

Starring Jack Benny, Carole Lombard and Robert Stack. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier’s efforts to track down a German spy.

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Thursday, June 21
at 7:30

SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (1960) NR

Starring John Mills and Dorothy McGuire.

The time honored Disney classic.

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Thursday, June 28
at 7:30

GOLDFINGER (1962) PG
Starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman.

Investigating a gold magnate’s smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.

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CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC?

Don’t be, it’s easy!

If you’re coming west on Broadway, go under the underpass, you’ll be directed onto Toole Ave. Continue on Toole to Stone and turn left to arrive in the parking garage on Stone south of Broadway; or turn left on Church Ave. to arrive at La Placita Village on Church just south of Broadway.

If you’re coming west on 6th Street, just turn left on Stone and come straight down to park in the parking garage on Stone just south of Broadway.

Here’s a map that shows street closures and traffic issues in downtown Tucson.

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Should I bring my kids?

Check parental review sites such as Kids in Mind and Common Sense Media

Cinema La Placita is located on Thursday nights in the plaza of La Placita Village, 110 S. Church Avenue, the southwest corner of Church and Broadway in downtown Tucson.

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May 31 0 comments
Downtown Businesses, Downtown Events

“Diggin’ It Downtown — a Treasure Hunt”

Many of the Downtown Merchants will launch “DIGGIN’ IT DOWNTOWN –A TREASURE HUNT” on June 1st.  This will be the first of three  Hunts and it will end on June 30th.  There will be another Hunt in July and one in August.  Maps will be different for each Hunt and each Hunt begins the 1st of each of these months.

“Like us” at http://www.facebook.com/DigginItDowntown and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/DigginItDT for more information.  Information will also be distributed through the DTP website.

Maps will be available on-line but also will be distributed to the businesses for participants to pick up.  The hints (and guidelines for entries) will be on the back of the map.  Find the businesses using the hints and receive a Treasure.  When a hunter locates the  business, the hint is marked off with a unique stamp or sticker.  Locate ALL of the businesses and return your map to a participating business to enter the drawings.  Also, hunters can receive additional entries to the drawings by “Checking in” on Twitter, Yelp and Foursquare with the hashtag #DigginDT.

At the end of the three months, we will have a drawing for a Grand Prize. (TBA)

The participating businesses for June are:
Atlas Fine Arts
Ben’s Bells
brewd coffee lounge
Buffalo Exchange
Chicago Store
Desert Bloom Boutique
FLANAGAN’s Celtic Corner
Fox Theatre
Hydra
June’s Corner Store
Lesco Optique
o2 Modern Fitness
Obsidian Gallery
Perfect Pantry
Revolutio
Roasted Tea & Coffee
The Drawing Studio
Tierra Antigua Realty Downtown
47 Scott 

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May 11 0 comments
2nd Saturdays, Downtown Events

The Southern Arizona Women’s Chorus At Etherton Gallery on May 12

Second Saturday Celebration of Land and Sea:

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of green fields and turbulent seas on Saturday, May 12, 2012 when the Southern Arizona Women’s Chorus performs a selection of songs celebrating the Earth, Sea and Sky at Etherton Gallery set against the land and seascapes of painters Joe Forkan, and Nancy Tokar Miller and photographer Lisa M. Robinson. The performance begins at 7:30 pm. Joe Forkan, Nancy Tokar Miller and Lisa M. Robinson are featured in the Etherton Gallery’s current exhibition, This Land, This Sea, which runs through May 26.

The event is Etherton Gallery’s contribution to Second Saturdays Downtown, a series of arts and entertainment events held the second Saturday of every month to celebrate Downtown Tucson. The evening is free and open to the public. Etherton Gallery is located in downtown Tucson at 135 S. 6th Ave, ½ block south of Broadway, upstairs from Downtown Kitchen+Cocktails. For information, contact Etherton Gallery at 520-624-7370 or info@ethertongallery.com.

Established in 1981, the Southern Arizona Women’s Chorus is a community performance choir of women from all walks of life who serve the Tucson community. The chorus has performed with the Tucson Symphony, the Arizona Symphonic Winds, the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall and other numerous other local organizations.

Located in the historic Odd Fellows Hall in downtown Tucson, Etherton Gallery has been a destination for photography collectors for over 30 years. In addition to hosting museum quality exhibitions in a variety of media, the gallery participates in major art fairs, such as The AIPAD (Association of International Photography Art Dealers) Photography Show in New York, Classic Photographs LA, the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair and Art Basel Miami Beach. Terry Etherton is a Senior Member of The American Society of Appraisers and regularly consults on all matters relating to photography including conducting appraisals. For more details, visit http://www.ethertongallery.com

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May 06 0 comments
Downtown Events

Art of Summer 2012 at The Drawing Studio

Art of Summer 2012

Art of Summer 2012 at The Drawing Studio
Studio Art Immersion for Youth, ages 9 -12, and Teens, 13 – 18
in a variety of formats and media
in June and July
Student Exhibition opens July 28

The Art of Summer is The Drawing Studio’s premier studio immersion program for youth (ages 9-12) and teens (ages 13-18). It is an opportunity for young people to experience art studio practice in formats that nourish deep explorations of the visual world and develop skills useful in many avenues of life beyond art. The only prerequisite is a desire to create.

There will be an OPEN HOUSE for interested youth, teens, parents, and friends on Sunday, May 6,  2 – 4 pm at: The Drawing Studio, 33 S 6th Avenue. Phone 520.620.0947 for more information. Download the Art of Summer 2012 Brochure.

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