We all had to do an exhausting amount of pivoting in 2020.
Fortunately, people are still making art, getting out into nature, cooking food, learning new things, connecting with their communities. While the format may have shifted – farmers’ markets becoming drive-thru, classes going online, concerts moving outdoors – the essence is still there.
Here’s a list of upcoming Happenings that that have taken safety and social distancing into consideration. About half are online/livestream/virtual things, so you can join in while staying home. And participate from anywhere in the world.
Desert Bloom: A Low-Key, Informal Online “Gallery” Show: online
now – Jan 14 / online / free to view (artwork is available to purchase)
Virtual exhibition of twelve 5”x 5” watercolor and ink illustrations by Adela Antoinette. Each illustration consists of desert plants the artist came across while growing up in the Southwest of the U.S., where she discovered desert plants blossoming during even the hottest and coldest months.
Working from Home: Tucson
now – Mar 28 / Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson (MOCA) / free (donations accepted)
Exhibition featuring new commissions from five artists (Miguel Fernández de Castro, Nazafarin Lotfi, Mark McKnight, Nicole Miller, and Rocki Swiderski) and two poets (Dot Devota and Raquel Gutiérrez) connected to the Tucson region and who each have a unique perspective on this moment of pandemic and protest, as well as on the local landscape. Since the smaller East Galleries remain closed, the entire exhibition is in the Great Hall.
- We really enjoyed visiting MOCA in November and seeing this exhibition!
- The on-site gift shop is temporarily closed, but MOCAshop lists their artists so you can support their online stores directly.
- Frontline healthcare workers can receive a complimentary Individual Membership at MOCA.
Picturing 2020: A Community Reflects: online
now – March / virtual tour / free
Virtual exhibition of work by more than 150 artists from across Southern Arizona depicting their experience of the destabilizing events of this year. Alongside these new works are pieces from University of Arizona Museum of Art’s permanent collection that resonate with the challenges of the times we’re in.
- Virtual Art Trivia Happy Hour: Jan. 14, 5pm on Zoom. Advance registration required.
- UAMA online resources include digital collections, public art activities, and art-based play for all ages.
Exuberance: An Artistic Botanical Experience: Tubac (south of Tucson)
now – Apr 10 / Tubac Presidio State Historic Park / Included with entrance fee ($7).
Collection of outdoor art installations by local artists and gardeners on the 8-acre grounds of the Tubac Presidio. Installations will celebrate native plants, sustainabilty, and creative approaches for the garden.
Ag to Art Market: Feeding the Body and Soul: Yuma (southwest Arizona)
Jan 3, Feb 7, Mar 7 / City Hall (front parking lot) / free (no admission fee)
Combined farmers market and artist market with local art, fresh produce, and one-of-a-kind gifts. Monthly on the first Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Social distancing and other safety measures will be observed.
Weekly AARP Arts Showcase: online
Jan 6, 6pm / online (Facebook) / free
Southern Arizona Arts + Cultural Alliance (SAACA) mini-documentary on muralist Ignacio Garcia. The artist will take viewers on location to several of his favorite murals in Tucson, describing the mural creation process, inspiration for each mural, and insight into what has made it such a fast-growing public art medium in recent years. The video will stream on both the SAACA and AARP’s Facebook pages.
- SAACA has been assembling Arts Care Packages with music, DIY kits, and journaling supplies for assisted living communities and hospital patients. You can help support the program by donating art supplies, original music, or money.
Tucson Botanical Gardens Classes: online
Jan 6 – Mar 4 / online (Zoom)
Classes on topics like gardening, art, cooking, and meditation. Fees are usually around $30. Materials not included.
- Sonoran Cocido and Galletitas de Naranja: Jan 23, 3pm. Learn the history of this Sonoran beef vegetable stew, while you learn to make it – and orange shortbread cookies too.
- Creating Outdoor Rooms with Pots (2-part series), February 6 + 20, 11am.
- Nature Journaling: Feb 24, 2pm. Learn drawing and watercolor painting techniques that will allow you to quickly capture and communicate flora and fauna you observe.
- Southwest Planting Tips by Month and other community resources.
Lookout Tucson Jazz Concert Series: Sheryl Ann Starlight: Tucson
January 7 + 21 at 5pm / Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort + Spa, Tucson, AZ / $10 cover charge
Evening of jazz music performed outdoors by the Sheryl Ann Starlight Quartet. Arts benefit cover charge will be added to all bills to help pay musicians and contribute to SAACA. Maximum 30-person attendance.
Arizona Opera Costume Shop Masterclasses: online
Jan 8 – Mar 26 / online (Zoom)
Series of 8 masterclasses with the team of Arizona Opera’s Costume Shop introducing various skills related to their field, such as fabric painting and dyeing, hat making, beadwork, resin, and watercolor painting. Most materials are covered by class fees and can be picked up the Arizona Opera Center in Phoenix or shipped to you. Class fee $75 or $90 with shipping.
- Intro to Millinery: Jan 22, 1:30pm.
- Intro to Burnout Velvet Fabric: Feb 12, 1:30pm.
- Find Arizona Opera videos, interviews, and musical story time at the Arizona Opera OnDemand channel.
Mercado Flea: Tucson
Jan 10, Feb 14, Mar 14, Apr 11, May 9 from 8am-2pm / Mercado District (along Avenida del Convento)
Outdoor market with antiques, collectibles, and other quirky finds held the second Sunday of the month. Booths are spaced out from Mercado San Agustin to the MSA Annex.
SN: I’ve gone to this market a couple times since it reopened this fall. Things I didn’t buy (even though I kind of wanted to) include a vintage sewing machine, Kool-aid man coasters, and a very cute little potted cactus. There were more people around at the December one but still plenty of space to social distance. (Whether people actually give you space is another story. However, their lack of self-awareness isn’t really the market’s fault. Humans continue to be humans. Sigh.)
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Classes and Trips for Adults: Tucson
Tucson, AZ / $35 per person
- Animal Training Behind the Scenes: various Thursdays Jan 14 – Mar 25. Opportunity to watch keepers’ training sessions with several animals and talk to the keepers while they work. The trainings take place on the museum grounds, and the price includes museum admission. Limited to 10 participants.
- King Canyon Geology Hike: Jan 30 + Feb 13, 8-11:30am. 2-mile hike in the Tucson Mountains, possibly seeing Hohokam artifacts, and learning about the sedimentary basins, volcanic caldera, and the stretching and cracking of the earth beneath us.
Zoppé Family Circus: Drive-In Circus: Tempe + Tucson
Jan 15 – Jan 31 / MSA Annex, Tucson, AZ / Tickets start at $49 per car.
This small, Italian-American family circus has updated their show to be on an outdoor stage with screens above it, so you can watch from your car. They claim to be “The World’s First Multimedia Drive-In Circus,” and I doubt anyone would argue.
- At Big Surf in Tempe: now – Jan 4
La Encantada Fine Art Market: Tucson
Jan 16 – Jan 17 / La Encantada Shopping Center, Tucson, AZ / free (no admission fee)
Outdoor fine arts festival with jewelry, paintings, metalwork, ceramics, silks, and different kinds of home decor items.
SN: A couple local spots to check out at La Encantada (outside of the festival): Savaya for coffee and tea + Creative Kind for craft kits and artisan goods.
OnView+OnLine+OnDemand: online
ongoing / online / fees vary
Digital collections, classes, and resources from Arizona State Museum (ASM), University of Arizona’s anthropolgy museum.
- Virtual exhibitions of pottery, weaving, illustration, carvings, and ASM collections. Free.
- Digital Master Classes on Demand. Next is a Jan. 25 course on the timely topic of Diseases in Human Evolution. $150 class fee supports ongoing research.
- Behind-the-Scenes Video Tours. Free.
Verde Canyon Railroad Chocolate Lovers’ Festival: Clarkdale (north of Phoenix, near Sedona)
Feb 11 – Feb 14 / Verde Canyon Railroad, Clarkdale, AZ / $139 per person
Chocolate Lovers’ Festival on the Verde Canyon Railroad train. Includes a first class ticket, chocolate goodies, glass of champagne, service at your seat, and complimentary appetizers in dedicated “Chocolate Lovers” cars.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts concerts: Scottsdale / online
Many upcoming Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts shows are either all virtual or offer both in-person and livestream viewing options. Livestream tickets vary by show ($20-39).
- Burkina Dreams in the Desert Featuring AZ63: Feb 28 at 2pm, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts or livestream / tickets $24-28: AZ63 performs on a mix of string and percussion instruments from Burkina Faso, the African Diaspora, and beyond.
Plant Portraits: Culinary and Aromatic: Tucson or online
Mar 2 – Mar 30 / TBD: in Tucson or online / $250
Class on herbs and other plants that are used in aromatherapy and cooking, like lavender, lemongrass, and tulsi (holy basil). Each day, attendees will learn about the history and practical uses of a plant and then create a portrait of it using various media. This class may be hosted in-person at the Urban Forest (a Tucson non-profit space created by Randiesia Fletcher) or on Zoom, pending COVID circumstances.
Tucson Jazz Festival 2021 (TJF2021): Tucson / online
Mar 20 – Mar 21 / Armory Park, Tucson or virtual / Single-day tickets start at $75.
2-day outdoor festival featuring eight international jazz acts performing on the mainstage.
- While you can’t actually buy tickets yet, you can (and should!) register to reserve your spot. Once organizers determine it will be safe to hold an in-person event, you’ll receive an invitation to complete your ticket purchase.
- Social distancing protocols will be instituted throughout the Festival grounds, and face masks will be required for all attendees and staff/volunteers working the event.
The Big Gem Show: Tucson
Apr 8 – Apr 25 / Hotel Tucson City Center, Tucson, AZ / free
More than 300 gem, minerals, and fossil vendors throughout Hotel Tucson’s 10-acre courtyard. The Show’s focus will be on quality Gems, Minerals, and Fossils. The show is open to the public.
Happenings on this list are handpicked by me. As far as I know, all the information was accurate when I posted this. But there’s a chance it’s not, and that’s really out of my hands.
Also, this is not an ad. Event listings are not sponsored. In fact, no one asked for this. I just compulsively need to share good stuff I hear about. So there you go.
