Finding Leopold
Aldo Leopold Centennial Celebration
8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 6
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Highway 90, nine miles south of
Interstate 10
586-2283; azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/index.html
Aldo Leopold is considered by many to be the “father of wildlife
management.” He was also a defender of ethical environmental policies,
and his work on wilderness preservation in New Mexico and Arizona
remains influential today.
This year, Arizona State Parks—along with the states of
Arizona and New Mexico, and the Aldo Leopold Foundation—is
celebrating the 100th anniversary of Leopold’s arrival in the
Southwest.
At Kartchner Caverns State Park this Saturday, visitors will be able
to learn more about Aldo. The day will start with an introduction to
Leopold’s life and philosophy, to be followed by the opportunity to
learn about mountain lions, javelinas and bats. Leopold himself will
even make an appearance (portrayed by Kim Stone) to interact with
guests and answer questions.
According to park representative Ellen Bilbrey, Leopold’s ideas
about an ethical relationship with the environment are essential to a
park like Kartchner Caverns.
“It takes a high level of stewardship to keep something like (this
park) up,” she explains.
Bilbrey acknowledges the environmental-policy decisions facing our
country, and raises the possibility that learning more about Leopold
can teach the public how to better participate in those decisions.
“We need more citizens involved in that commitment to our future,”
she says. “We’re trying to get people to talk about Leopold and
understand our environment from his point of view.”
Kartchner Caverns State Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Through Sept. 4, adult tour tickets will be $12, and tickets for kids
ages 7 to 13 will be $5; tickets for children 6 and younger are always
free. The $5 entrance fee per vehicle can be waived by making a tour
reservation at 586-2283. —S.J.
Sing It From the Mountaintop
Music on the Mountain presents the Santa Cruz River Band
Noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, June 7
Mount Lemmon Community Center
12949 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway
Round up the troops; grab the lawn chairs; and head to higher
ground! That’s the idea behind LAVA’s Music on the Mountain
summer-concert series.
The series will feature different artists performing on Mount Lemmon
every Sunday through Sept. 6. This week, the Southwestern folk
musicians of the Santa Cruz River Band will take the stage.
The Santa Cruz River Band, featuring Teodoro “Ted” Ramirez and
Michael J. Ronstadt, has played many shows locally and will be touring
in Europe later this year—but before they do, you can catch them
for free beneath the shady pines.
The free concert series is presented by LAVA Music (LAVA stands for
Live Acoustic Venue Association), a nonprofit organization that was set
up in February to connect musicians with appreciative audiences,
explains director Bonnie Vining.
The association has been busy, organizing roughly 16 concerts this
spring before setting up this summer’s concert blowout.
“The series on Mount Lemmon … will have a festive, ‘get people up
out of the heat and come out and cool off on Mount Lemmon’ kind of feel
to it,” Vining says.
In addition to the Santa Cruz River Band, local musicians like Chuck
Wagon Maultsby and His Old Band, the Last Call Girls and the String
Figures will play later this summer.
Be sure to leave the ice chest at home, though, as Vining explains:
“The way we’re getting the money to pay the bands is off of food and
drink sales.”
In case of excessive sun or surprise monsoon showers, have no fear.
“We’re putting up a tent for the audience, and a tent for the band so
people can get out of the sun,” Vining says. —A.B.
Professional Futures
First Friday: Summer Solstice and the Stars
7:45 p.m., Friday, June 5
Tucson Museum of Art
140 N. Main Ave.
Ah, the beginning of the month, that glorious time when you can
breathe easy: The bills have all officially been signed, sealed and
delivered (presuming the money was available to pay them in the first
place).
To celebrate, put on your Sunday best and head down to First Friday,
the social/networking event presented by Tucson Young
Professionals.
For this month’s celebration, called Summer Solstice and the Stars,
ditch that old Magic 8-Ball, because they’ve called in professional
psychics, Tarot card readers, belly-dancers and more, all to celebrate
the summer season and perhaps learn a little about what the future
holds.
The event, which will also feature vodka-tastings, hors d’oeuvres
and music, will be held at the Tucson Museum of Art, and the current
exhibit, Trouble in Paradise, will be open for viewing.
Tucson Young Professionals, which hosts 10 First Fridays events per
year, is an organization for community professionals older than 21 to
socialize and network with each other. Professionals with a little bit
more experience are encouraged to participate as well, according to
TYP’s event planner, Liz Caraballo.
“One of the issues is that, since (the group) is called Tucson Young
Professionals, a lot of our older, more-seasoned business professionals
don’t know if this is the right venue,” Caraballo says. “We’ve been
working really hard to make sure they understand that this is a venue
that we’re giving back to all of Tucson. To have a larger array of ages
and experiences is really what we’re looking for.”
Tickets for the event are $15 in advance, $20 at the door or $10 for
those who attend the networking reception (from 7:45 to 9 p.m.). A
dollar from every ticket will be donated to the Tucson Museum of Art.
—A.B.
Cool Off With Creativity
Summer Art Cruise
6 p.m., Saturday, June 6
Various galleries, primarily around downtown Tucson
629-9759; ctgatucson.org
We may not have an ocean near Tucson, but that doesn’t mean you
can’t head out on a cruise this Saturday night.
The Central Tucson Gallery Association is presenting its annual
Summer Art Cruise, an opportunity to check out about a dozen local
gallery exhibits, all on the same night.
For example, you can view art at the 17th Annual Small Works
Invitational exhibit, with small pieces by more than 80 mostly
local artists, at Davis Dominguez Gallery, and then head over to The
Drawing Studio Gallery to see the Class Act exhibit, which
features works from their adult drawing-fundamentals classes, before
heading over to Conrad Wilde to see the High Fiber exhibit,
showcasing nationally known artists’ paper art.
The Central Tucson Gallery Association consists of professional
commercial galleries like Conrad Wilde Gallery, nonprofit alternate
spaces like Dinnerware Artspace, and even campus galleries like the
Joseph Gross Gallery, explains Mike Dominguez, a co-owner of Davis
Dominguez Gallery.
The Summer Art Cruise started 10 years ago and brings together these
different types of galleries to market together, work together and show
their exhibits together; the group also hosts various art tours
throughout the year. The Summer Art Tour is especially important,
Dominguez says, because it brings people into the galleries like no
other event the Central Tucson Gallery Association hosts.
“This is by far our biggest event,” Dominguez says. “That’s because
of the timing toward the end of the season.”
For more information on the Summer Art Cruise, as well as a list of
participating galleries, check out ctgatucson.org. You can also pick up an
event map at the Tucson Pima Arts Council office, at the Metropolitan
Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau office and at participating
galleries. —A.B.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2009.
