Thursday 03
VISIT THE TEMPLE. Get the inside story of the Temple of Music and Art.
The downtown venue has long been home to many local theater productions and other performing arts. Now you can get an intimate tour of the Temple.
Docents will discuss the history of the building and you'll get a backstage peek at the theater.
The free tours, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be conducted through May 2 except on January 5, 12 and 19; February 16 and 23; March 2 and 30; and April 6 and 13. The Temple of Music and Art is located at 330 S. Scott Ave. For more information, call 884-8210.
Friday 04
ANGELS FOR SALE. A silent auction tonight is a must for angel lovers.
Random Acts of Art presents a silent auction of art angels in clay, wood, metal, glass, mixed media and found objects.
The sale benefits the Drawing Studio, 214 N. Fourth Ave. The auction starts today with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery. The show and auction continue through January 25. Regular hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, call 620-0947 or 529-3361.
A LITTLE ON THE SMALL SIDE. As you may have discovered on Christmas morning, big things do sometimes come in small packages.
Check out some big-time art at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery and Workshop, where--for the time being at least--smaller is better.
Chiquititos, Continued is an exhibition of small works by Raices Taller 222 members Paco Ballesteros, Cristina Cardenas, Gonzalo Espinosa, Ceci Garcia, Jeff Litvak, Joe Rebholz, John Salgado, David Tineo, George Welch and Mary Lou Williams and guest Sonia Barr.
The exhibition, which opens today and runs through February 2 at 222 E. Sixth St., is free and open to the public. New gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays. For more information, call 881-5335.
Saturday 05
BUS PASS TO THE PAST. The pros from the Arizona Historical Society Museum have a few things to tell you--especially if you're an ignoramus about the Old Pueblo's past.
The first of six Tucson Heritage Bus Tours is today.
The docent-narrated trips begin and end at the museum. Docents will tell you all about the stories--some are 225 years old--behind Sentinel Peak, the Convento site, downtown, Barrio Viejo, Snob Hollow, the Presidio and Rio Nuevo.
If you can't make today's ride, jot down the dates of other tours: February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4 and June 1.
Tickets cost $20 adults, and $10 for kids 10 and under. For more information or required reservations, call 628-5774.
EVEN THE KITCHEN SINK. Bisbee artist Toni Sodersten's work with mixed-media sculpture has evolved into an interesting blend of steel and porcelain.
What began in the '80s as a satirical statement of sorts is now a body of work that includes figurative sculpture and wall pieces made from steel and porcelain tiles bearing enigmatic themes and messages.
Sodersten's show runs through February 16 at Obsidian Gallery, 4340 N. Campbell Ave., Suite 90, in St. Philip's Plaza. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 577-3598.
CREATING WITH COLOR. The first thing you'll notice about these paintings is extraordinary use of color.
Laid down in numerous layers, often over a period of several years, they are clotted, dragged, pitted and scuffed to produce extremely subtle yet frequently dramatic and unexpected tonal effects.
The second impression will likely be that Terence La Noue's paintings aren't paintings--at least in the traditional sense. They are remarkably textured reliefs whose cast acrylic forms have been pulled from molds and seamed together.
You may have heard of La Noue, or seen his work in such heavy-hitting collections as the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum or the Whitney Museum of American Art.
For the first time, his creations are making an appearance at an Arizona gallery. See what the fuss is about at Vanier Gallery's new facility in Casas Adobes Plaza, at Ina and Oracle roads. The exhibition starts today and runs through January 31. A reception is planned for 6 to 9 tonight. For more information, call 797-4224 or e-mail lgreve@vanierarts.com.
Sunday 06
LAPPING UP THE FUN. You can call it a pile of puppets.
New Kiva Motions Puppet Theatre prefers Basketfull of Puppets, a collection of short stories and songs acted out by puppets. A lap show is presented in front of the puppet stage, so this is a unique production.
After the show--every Sunday through January--kids get some up-close and personal action with the puppets and then the audience gets a chance to make a simple puppet to take home.
Basketfull of Puppets is perfect entertainment for kids 3 through 8. The show starts at 1:30 p.m. today at the Red Barn, 948 N. Main Ave. Tickets cost $3 per person, $5 for 2 children and $2 for those with AHCCCS card or low income bus pass. For more information, call 887-5144.
CROWNING MOMENTS. Win fabulous prizes! Eat wonderful food! Smack a piñata!
That's right, it's time again for Radio Unica to team up with the Tucson Children's Museum for the second annual Three Kings Day Festival.
The event, from noon to 4 p.m. today, is great fun for the family, with traditional foods and a piñata party.
The Three Kings Day Festival takes place at the museum, 200 S. Sixth Ave. Admission costs $5.50 adults, $4.50 seniors and $3.50 children. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 792-9985, ext. 112.
AN INVITATION TO VERSE. Find out why Dan Day is displaced.
The Lamplight Reading Series continues today with a reading by Day, a "displaced poet." Master's of fine arts student Bill Keyes will share from his work, too.
An open mic will follow the featured poets.
The free reading begins at 4 p.m. at Reader's Oasis, 3900 E. Speedway Blvd., Suite 114. For more information, call 908-0927 or e-mail rlhoward@aol.com.
Monday 07
SNAPPING UP MEXICO. Robert Campbell traveled to three cities in Guanajuato, Mexico with a single focus: to record on film his immediate impressions of the architecture and life of Mexico, circa 2000.
Three Hours in Pozos, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, an exhibition of Campbell's work at Tohono Chul Park, shares images from the historical mining boomtown of Pozos and the colonial cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato.
Campbell spent just three hours in each place, walking through the streets and ruins with two cameras, capturing whatever caught his eye. Through Campbell's lens, you can become acquainted with the nuances of these places, which have experienced both the riches of silver mining and the suffering of economic depression.
His images present views of the grandeur of the past, the decline of a historic era and the modern life of today. His black-and-white photographs feature the contrasts between rough textures and stark shadows, between rocky hillsides in the vicinity of the abandoned mines and the ornate architecture of the cathedrals and historic buildings and between panoramic views and intimate street scenes.
Presented as a companion exhibit to Made in Mexico: Folk Art Treasures, Campbell's photographs provide yet another view of this enduring country.
The photos are part of a larger series of 56 images by Campbell that were previously shown at the International Photography Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 2000.
A professional photographer, Campbell has shown his photographs in a previous one-man exhibit of nature photography at Tohono Chul Park as well as in galleries throughout Arizona.
Three Hours in Pozos, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende runs through February 4. Check out this interesting work and spend an afternoon enjoying the beautiful park.
Explore the greenhouse from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Sundays. Walk in the Park tours are at 9 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and 1 p.m. Sundays. Birds of Tohono Chul Park presentations are 8 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Art in the Park is 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Xeriscape tours are at 10 a.m. the third Saturday of each month.
For more information, call 742-6455 or visit www.tohonochulpark.org. The park is located at 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, one stoplight west of the intersection of Ina and Oracle roads.
Tuesday 08
DELICIOUS DISNEY. Based on an ancient legend, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida is a musical love story bursting with contemporary energy that tells the story of two star-crossed lovers on the banks of the Nile.
Merle Dandridge stars as Aida, a Nubian princess who falls in love with her Egyptian captor, Radames. Dandridge has been seen on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar and has toured the U.S. and Europe in Smokey Joe's Café and Ain't Misbehavin'.
Playing the Egyptian captain who falls for Aida is Patrick Cassidy, who has starred on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun, Leader of the Pack and Pirates of Penzance.
Kelli Fournier stars as Amneris, the Egyptian princess betrothed to Radames. Fournier comes from the original Broadway cast of Aida.
Aida--which opens in Tucson tonight--features new music and lyrics by John and Rice, their first effort since collaborating for The Lion King. The pair won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for Aida. The production, which received four 2000 Tony awards, opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre that year and has been playing to capacity audiences ever since.
Aida will play today through January 13 at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. Performances are at 7:30 tonight, Wednesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets--$20 to $60--are available at the Centennial Hall box office or by calling 621-3341. Tickets also are available online through tickets.com at www.uapresents.arizona.edu. For more information on Aida, visit www.disneyonbroadway.com.
MAKING NOISE AT THE LIBRARY. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone, but Claribel Cone and Pinna Joseph plan to make some noise today at the main library.
Actually, sweet music is a better term as Cone, a pianist when she's not painting, and Joseph, a mezzo-soprano, will team up for a special performance.
Cone is a San Francisco artist from a family of art lovers; her aunts were contemporaries of Matisse, Picasso and Gertrude Stein. Her work can be found at the Victoria Boyce Galleries in Scottsdale and the Ebert Gallery in San Francisco.
Tonight's free event, which begins at 6:30 at 101 N. Stone Ave., is a lively mix of music and art. For more information, call 791-4293.
Wednesday 09
HIGH FIVE. One short of a half-dozen.
The works of Coleen Bobinac, Glenn Dean, Louis Maestas, Owen Rose and Lisa Schupbach are part of a five-artist show at El Presidio Gallery. The exhibition includes figures and landscapes in watercolor and oil.
The show starts today and will hang through January 22 at El Presidio, 3001 E. Skyline Drive, at Campbell Avenue. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 299-1414.
