Drawing Day!
Downtown Drawabout
8:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Aug. 29. On display through Saturday,
Sept. 5
The Drawing Studio
33 S. Sixth Ave.
620-0947;
Get out those sketchpads, Tucson!
The first-ever Downtown Drawabout is being held this Saturday,
giving Tucsonans the opportunity to get out, see downtown and show off
those artistic skills, all while supporting a good cause, says Drawing
Studio executive director Lynn Fleischmann.
“There’s a lot of talk about (how) ‘downtown is dead, and we need to
revitalize it,’ but in truth, downtown is a really thriving community
right now, even though it’s in transition,” she says. “So, the idea is
to get people down to see the real range and variety and that kind of
thing in the area.”
Ten sites throughout downtown will be available for artists to set
up and sketch (using any medium that’s portable). Artists are asked to
secure pledges for each drawing they produce—like in a walkathon,
Fleischman says.
The funds raised from the Downtown Drawabout will support the
Drawing Studio’s youth- and senior-outreach efforts, which include a
senior program at the Armory Park Senior Center, as well as a Tucson
Police Department gang-outreach program for kids 10 to 15 years
old.
At noon, when all the sketchpads are packed up, and the drawings
have been completed, there will be an impromptu gallery exhibit at the
Drawing Studio to display the work produced from the fundraiser, which
will on display through next Saturday, Fleischman says.
The good news for the not-so artistically inclined: The event is
open to “artists” of all skill-levels.
“My goal is to get 100 artists drawing downtown, and for my
purposes, ‘artist’ is defined as anyone who wants to draw, so you don’t
have to be an experienced artist or anything,” Fleischman says.
Pledge forms and more information are available at thedrawingstudio.org/events01.html.
—A.B.
M.J.’s B-Day!
On the Wall: Interpretations of a Pop Icon
7 to 11 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29
Candelabra
412 E. Seventh St.
370-1465;
www.myspace.com/candelabragallery
In memory of Michael Jackson’s birth, life and death, art gallery
Candelabra will be putting on a one-night-only art show on Aug.
29—what would have the King of Pop’s 51st birthday.
Colleena Hake, the owner of Candelabra, has been a lifelong Jackson
fan. She remembers watching Jackson dancing to “Thriller” when she went
to what was her first concert, she says.
The event became reality after a friend called Hake and suggested a
Jackson memorial show. When Hake went to schedule the event, she
realized that the next available date was his birthday. It was too
serendipitous of an opportunity to pass up, she says.
The show will feature 15 artists who have made Jackson-related art
pieces. Many of the pieces have been made with Sharpie markers and
glitter. A birthday cake, made to look like Jackson’s gloved hand, and
an all-time-favorite-hits soundtrack will add to the feel of the
evening.
“Everything has to do with him,” Hake says. “We’re hoping for some
Michael Jackson impersonators.”
Clif Taylor, a well-known local artist, will be contributing 50
small portraits of Jackson. They will be done in the pop-art style of
Andy Warhol; in fact, Taylor is modeling his portraits of Jackson after
Warhol’s depictions of Marilyn Monroe. The popular art style fits this
situation perfectly, he says.
The prices haven’t been set yet, but you should be able pick up one
of his portraits for less than $10.
“There are very few pop icons that were so significant,” Taylor
says. “He was too extraordinary for this Earth, in some ways.”
—N.M.
You, Too, Can Tweet
“What Is Twitter, and Why Should You Care?”
6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1
Himmel Park Library
1035 N. Treat Ave.
594-5305, ext. 3
You’ve heard it talked about in the media. Many of your elected
officials are doing it. And if you, personally, haven’t already learned
to use Twitter, now is your chance to join the ranks of those who
regularly publish 140-character messages about, well, any old
thing.
The Himmel Park Library will be hosting a lesson that is intended to
teach adults the ins and outs of Twitter. It will guide you through
registering an account, and teach the basics, such as how (and why) to
follow other Twitter feeds.
Suzanne Parker, the events coordinator at Himmel Park Library, says
adults can use Twitter both socially and for business. This class will
help those who missed the cyber-leap to catch up and start connecting
with others using Twitter.
For many adults, social sites like Twitter are mysterious, and
Parker wants to offer people the opportunity to take advantage of these
sites’ power. The class was originally scheduled for November, Parker
says, but she thought it would be best to hold it sooner, given that
applications can fade away quickly after coming into the limelight.
She suggests bringing your own computer to the lesson.
Julie Ray, a professional communicator and graphic designer, will be
teaching the class. A lot of people are curious about Twitter, she
says. Ray uses the tool as a way to communicate professionally on a
regular basis.
When Twitter is applied practically to everyday situations, it can
be a useful way to communicate, she says. It might not seem complicated
to type a mere 140 characters, but Ray says that some in the community
need to realize how complex Twitter can be.
“It’s so simple that it’s complicated,” Ray says.
—N.M.
Life Lessons … and Reasons to Drink
The revival of Rum and Coke
Various times, Wednesday, Sept. 2, through Sunday, Sept. 13
UA Marroney Theater
1025 N. Olive Road
621-1162;
The Arizona Repertory Theatre will be bringing back Rum and
Coke, Keith Reddin’s darkly humorous look back at the American
attitude that lead to the Bay of Pigs invasion, from Sept. 2 to Sept.
13.
The play features a young idealistic man who sets out to do good for
“for God, for country and for Yale.” He quickly realizes that the world
isn’t as simple as it had appeared before. The story includes historic
figures such as Richard Nixon and Fidel Castro. Adult language and
theme can be expected from Reddin, who also wrote plays such as The
Missionary Position and The Sin Eater.
The show is back after a summer break; the UA presented the play in
June. (See James Reel’s review of the play, “Cubans and Semites,” June
25.)
Paula Newsome, the director of marketing and development for the UA
School of Theatre Arts, says the play’s themes could easily be compared
to the current climate of American politics. The main character sets
out to change the world, but is met by daunting politics and
behind-the-scenes protocol—and therefore, now is a fine time to
put on the play, she says.
“It’s something people haven’t heard of,” Newsome says. “There is a
lot of comedy in it, and it’s a good time.”
This is the first season that Arizona Repertory Theatre tickets will
be available online. Tickets can be purchased online at Arizona.tix.com, or by calling the UA
Fine Arts box office. Tickets are $28; $26 for seniors, UA employees
and members of the military; and $19 for students.
—N.M.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2009.