“We … find our way on canoes as we travel across the ocean where there are no street signs.”
Even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no land in sight – and no GPS – Lehua Kamalu knows where she’s going.
Hōkūle’a was designed to replicate traditional Polynesian voyaging canoes. Photo courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
I learned about Lehua through an interview on the Overheard at National Geographic podcast. As part of the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS), she has learned to find her way across the waves by employing ancestral knowledge and constant, keen observation of her surroundings.
Captain navigator Lehua Kamalu before departing on a voyage from Hawaii to California in August 2018. Photo by Hye Jung Kim / Polynesian Voyaging Society.
“Wayfinding for us really is the idea that with the naked eye, with all of your senses, [you] immerse yourself into the signs of the natural world around you.”
The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded in the 1970s, part of a Hawaiian cultural renaissance of pre-colonial arts, language, knowledge, and skills. They re-learned how to build the large, ocean-going canoes that had originally brought Polynesians to the Hawaiian islands centuries ago, as well as the navigational methods that guided them.
“Waves create regular, readable patterns in the ocean that are long range and very consistent, particularly in the tropics, particularly here in Polynesia, and are very reliable to find your way.”
The first voyaging canoe PVS built was the 62-foot long Hōkūleʻa, which was launched in 1975 and has since traveled over 140,000 nautical miles! The next canoe, Hikianalia, was built in 2012.
Photo courtesy of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
In 2018, after years of honing her navigational skills, Lehua Kamalu became the first woman to captain one of these canoes on an extended voyage.
It was fascinating to hear her describe what it’s like to sail across the Pacific Ocean without present-day navigational equipment.
“The navigator’s job is to spend as little time sleeping as possible. And as much time watching for consistency, watching for patterns in the sky and in the ocean, and also for changes and comparing what’s going on between the two.”
Currently, she’s one of the 400 crew members of two Polynesian voyaging canoes (Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia) that are circumnavigating the Pacific on the 43,000-nautical-mile “Voyage for the Earth,” Moananuiākea.
While we haven’t seen any big storms yet, it’s technically Arizona monsoon season. One of these days, the clouds will move in overhead to deliver much-appreciated rain to this desert town.
In the meantime, our schedules shift to avoid the midday heat. Events move to nighttime, indoors, or up in elevation. This season’s Happenings List focuses on events in cooler parts of Arizona and at cooler times of day.
Night market at MSA Annex.
If you’re new to the Happenings List, here’s what to know:
The Happenings List is my seasonal selection of goings-on for lovers of art, craft, culture(s), and nature.
*Goodies: The List is peppered with extras, freebies, and discounts! Just look for the asterisks (*).
Not in Arizona? In the last section are Happenings and Goodies you can enjoy from virtually ANYWHERE!
World Embroidery Day is July 30! So this time, the ANYWHERE section also includes worldwide embroidery classes and bonus embroidery Goodies!
Full disclosure: There’s not much to disclose. I’m not paid to list particular events. I don’t work for any of these companies. As an Etsy affiliate, I may earn a small commission from links I share, but I choose which artists and products to highlight.
Did you go to one of the events on the List? I’d love to hear how it went! Send me an email or hashtag social media posts about your experience with #TCJreco.
That’s enough things, right?! Let’s get to the List…
July 8, 4-5:30pm / Fushicho Daiko Dojo, Phoenix / Trial class fee $20
Single-class sessions on Taiko, Japanese ensemble drumming, so you can try it out before deciding whether to commit to ongoing classes. Learn the background and significance of Taiko and learn your first song! Try Taiko classes for adults are on Saturday evenings at the beginning of each month. Classes for kids happen less frequently, so watch the registration page.
July 9, 2-4pm / Tempe Public Library, Tempe / Free.
Step-by-step paper craft class on turning a “retired” book into a colorful, decorative peacock! There is no fee, but registration is required.
*Part of the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program. Earn points and prizes by signing up, logging your time reading, and participating in events (like this class)!
July 12 – October 11, 6pm / Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix / Tickets $8.
Four-film series celebrating Cuba’s complex history, which provides deeper context for the museum’s current special-engagement exhibition Juan Francisco Elso: Por América (which runs until 9/17). The films will screen monthly, starting this summer and continuing through Hispanic Heritage Month. Each screening will be on a Wednesday at 6pm in Whiteman Hall on the first floor of the Phoenix Art Museum.
The related Juan Francisco Elso exhibition is in the Steele Gallery, (between the museum entrance and the room where the films are showing). This special exhibition requires a $6 ticket for adults (youth 17 and under are free)!
*Enjoy free general admission to the museum before the films (starting at 3pm), because all 4 screenings take place during Pay-What-You-Wish-Admission evenings!
now – July 22 (Thursdays through Saturdays) / Red Rock Ranch and Farms, Concho / Free.
Six-week festival of lavender grown in the mountains of northeastern Arizona. See the fields in bloom, learn about growing and cooking with lavender, visit the lavender shop to purchase plants and gift items, or cut your own lavender bouquet (clippers provided).
Red Rock Ranch’s wine tasting room will be open during the festival for tastings, as well as for purchasing wine and cheese plates.
Pets are not allowed at the farm during the festival.
Post-festival hours: Starting July 29, the Wine Tasting Room and Shop will be open Saturdays 1-6pm.
July 1-3 / Charlie Clark’s Orchard, Pinetop / Free.
Arts festival with live music, food and drink under tall pines. Attended by thousands of seasonal and year-round residents and visitors, it takes place in the Orchard, a park-like setting adjacent to Charlie Clark’s restaurant.
The Festival is organized by the High Country Art Association, a non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to showcasing creative, original visual arts and fine crafts in the White Mountains.
Read about a camping trip we took near Pinetop-Lakeside.
Fine arts and crafts festival that takes place over the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends in a grassy park in Downtown Flagstaff.
Vendors: Juried selection of 70 artists from across the Southwest.
Food + beverage: Square Root Foods, Hot Bamboo, Safari Samosas, Cody Coyote Kettle Corn, Lulu’s Italian Waterice, Single Speed Coffee Roasters, and the Shady Beer Garden, which features local and regional breweries and benefits Special Olympics Arizona.
Entertainment: Nonstop live music, including Craig Yarbrough, Flag5, Matt Bingham, Matthew Henry Hall, Rideshare, Sister and the Sun, Two Hand Union, Stan Clark and Tim Hogan, Paul and Friends, and TheatriKids.
Via Pinetop Lakes Golf + Country Club on Facebook.
July 1 + 10, August 2 + 16 / Pinetop Lakes Golf and Country Club, Pinetop / Free.
Live music and dancing on several summer Wednesdays and Saturdays. The event is free and open to the public! Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.
Food + beverage: Hamburgers, hot dogs, adult beverages, and soft drinks available for purchase. (Cash only.)
Entertainment: Free line dance lessons at 3:30pm. Live music 4:30-7:30pm.
August 3, 10am-3pm / Prescott Quilt Works, Prescott / $45 class fee
5-hour course on the art of Boro stitching, a traditional Japanese textile technique renowned for its beauty, history and sustainability. Instructor Socorro “CoCo” Alaniz will explain how Boro originated in Japan during the Edo Period (1609-1868) as a means of mending and repurposing textiles in rural farming communities. Learn about its profound cultural significance and walk away with a beautiful handmade scarf!
A limited number of kits will be available for purchase at Prescott Quilt Works
a week before the class. These will include linen or muslin fabric for the scarf,
lace findings, and other cute accessories to add to your project.
September 30, 5pm. / High Country Motor Lodge, Flagstaff / General Admission Ticket $75
All-ages festival outside a refurbished mid-century motel off Route 66. Featured performers include Color Green, Sylvie, The Senators, Spencer Cullum + Rich Ruth, and Kacy + Clayton. Proceeds benefit the Glen Canyon Institute, which is working to restore the ecosystem of Glen Canyon and Colorado River.
Doors open at 4pm. Bands start at 5pm.
Food trucks and a full bar will be on-site. All attendees will be carded.
The show will go on rain or shine!
*Complimentary valet parking for all attendees presenting a valid Flagstaff Fadeaway ticket.
Now – August 12, Saturdays 6pm – 8pm / Reid Park Zoo, Tucson / Admission $6-11.
The zoo opens up on summer Saturday nights for live music and entertainment, keeper chats, animal encounters, crafts and games. Each week is themed around a different kind of animal from the zoo.
Face painting and glitter tattoos will be available for purchase.
Ticket details: $10.50 for adults (ages 15-61), $8.50 for seniors (ages 62+), $6.50 for youth (ages 2-14), and free for children under 2.
Now – August / Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Tucson / Included with admission.
Incorporating locally-found materials, Chilean artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña arranged hundreds of hanging knotted fibers and into what she calls a “poem in space,” which speaks to the way we are interconnected with each other and our environment. This is an exhibition created specifically for the Great Hall of MOCA Tucson, shaped by contributions from the community!
Goodies:
*Outside the museum is Mini MOCA, a small artworks exchange in the style of a little free library.
*Discounts for Downtown Clifton Hotel guests: 2 for 1 admission at MOCA, as well as 10% off any purchase in the MOCA Shop.
“Solar Tower” by Jerald Jacquard outside Tucson Museum of Art.
Now – September 17 / Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson / Included with admission.
Every-other-year exhibition of innovative and diverse new works by Arizona artists. It provides an opportunity for emerging artists to exhibit their art in a museum setting and to introduce it to the public. A new juror from outside the state is selected to curate each Arizona Biennial, reviewing the works of hundreds of artists to create a cohesive exhibition that becomes an overview of artistic creativity in Arizona.
This year’s juror, Taína Caragol, is the Curator of painting, sculpture, and Latinx art and history at the National Portrait Gallery, who led the portrait commission of former President Obama by Kehinde Wiley.
*First Thursday. On the first Thursday of the month, TMA offers extended hours (5-8pm), pay-what-you-wish admission, art and gallery activities, entertainment, and a cash bar. Reserve your free ticket online.
*Second SundAZe. Focused on intergenerational learning, the Second Sunday of the month features activities and art-making for kids, as well as docent talks, free performances, and pay-what-you-wish admission.
July 14 + Aug 11, 6-8pm / Marana Heritage River Park, Marana / Fee $38
Evening painting class inside a barn on July and August evenings! An experienced instructor will guide you stroke-by-stroke to create your very own take-home masterpiece! The cost of registration includes a 16×20″ canvas and painting supplies. No experience necessary.
Participants who are over 21 may bring beer or wine to enjoy responsibly (with ID). Although not provided, you can also bring your own food to the event.
Each month’s paint subject will be on the Town of Marana Parks and Recreation Facebook page.
Advance registration is required on the event website.
July 15, August 12, September 16, 10am-5pm / The Annabelle Studio, Tucson / Free.
Indoor market meant to reflect Tucson’s unique, diverse maker community, especially BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists. Every Old Pueblo Market has new vendors, because they give priority to creators who are just starting out and may have not have market experience.
July 29-30 / Tohono Chul Gardens, Galleries, and Bistro, Tucson / Free.
Annual plant sale where Tohono Chul hosts dozens of nursery growers, who showcase their botanicals under the shade of ramadas. You can pre-order plants from Borderlands Restoration Network to pick up there.
August 9-13 / Headquarters: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson – Reid Park, Tucson / $30 registration + activity fees.
4-day festival for recreational birders, featuring a Nature Expo / vendor fair, field trips, workshops, photography events, and social hours. It’s organized by Tucson Audubon Society, a nonprofit for engaging people in the conservation of birds and their habitats.
The Opening Celebration and the Nature Expo are free and do not require registration.
Scholarships Available: Tucson Audubon Society is committed to connecting all people to nature regardless of income. Anyone with a financial need is encouraged to apply. Scholarships are given based on availability of funds.
*ANYWHERE: Online guide to the birds of Southeast Arizona.
The Old Town Artisans shops are right across the street from the Presidio Museum.
August 19, 6:15pm – 9:30pm / Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, Tucson / Free.
Modern-day Tucson’s official founding day fiesta to “Celebrate All Things S cuk-sǫn/Tucson.” Food, drinks, family activities, and cultural performances, including folklorico dancing and Waila Music!
August 31 – September 3 / Casino Del Sol, Tucson / Free.
Colors of the Stone with To Bead True Blue and Artisan Workshops is a show that includes established and emerging glass artists, gem cutters, ceramists, bead makers, jewelry artists, mineral hunters, lapidaries, and gold smiths.
Shop from a collection of artisan handcrafted products made from sustainable materials in natural colors and buy directly from the source.
September 1-3 / Tucson Convention Center, Tucson / Adult Full Weekend Membership Pass $64
Community-based pop culture event that seeks to be America’s friendliest convention! The 3-day con features Q+A panels, workshops, costume contests, photo ops, and a large exhibitor hall. There will be actors, authors, comic book artists, and cosplayers appearing as special guests.
Artist Alley: Meet writers, pencillers, inkers, and colorists from all over the world. Some offer one-of-a-kind sketches and commissions at their tables (usually grouped together in one aisle or section of the exhibitor hall).
Game Area: Play video games – including vintage arcade games – board games, card games, and role-playing games!
Inclusive Quiet Zone: A welcoming place to take a break from the hectic convention floor.
*Early Bird Pricing: Adult (age 14+) Full Weekend Pass $50 through 7/7. Kids (age 9-13) $20.
Water Harvester– short documentary about rainwater collection that’s perfect for monsoon season!
Reid Park Zoo web cams– see what the animals are up to! August 12 is World Elephant Day.
The Thief Collector documentary looks at the painting Woman-Ochre’s theft and the secret lives of the crime’s main suspects. It is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime. You can also pre-order the Blu Ray/DVD before its August 15 release date.
Tempe Library volunteer-lead discussion of recent novels or the occasional nonfiction title on the third Tuesday of the month.
7/18:American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
8/15: The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
Socialize with the group 6-6:30pm
Book discussion 6:30-7:45pm
You will receive the URL after you register.
Juan Francisco Elso, Pájaro que vuela sobre América [Bird that Flies Over America], 1985. Carved wood, branches, wax, jute thread, and basket elements. Courtesy of Mr. Reynold C. & Dr. Marlene L. Kerr, Miami, Florida. Photo: Manu Sassoonian.
Learn about Juan Francisco Elso’s deep cultural and aesthetic ties to Mexico and Mesoamerican cultural traditions from Mexico City-based artist Magali Lara and Cuauhtémoc Medina, Chief Curator at MUAC (University Museum of Contemporary Art, Mexico City).
Presented on Zoom (in Spanish with live English translation).
San Francisco School of Needlework and Design (SFSNAD) exhibiting artist Lesia Pona demonstrates traditional embroidery techniques from across Ukraine. She will highlight embroidered shirts from regions such as Merezshka (drawn thread), Vyrizuvania (cutwork), and Nyzynka (vertical weaving stitch).
There are over 250 stitches used in Ukrainian folk embroidery with techniques unique to each region.
A portion of ticket sales will go towards Razom for Ukraine, a 501(c)3 based in the Bay Area helping provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by the war in Ukraine.
Related in-person San Francisco School of Needlework and Design events:
July 22 – September 16: Lesia Pona’s exhibition, “Life is One Fragile Thread: Traditional Embroidery of Ukraine” in SFSNAD’s Hanging Thread Gallery. Free admission.
July 22, 10am-1 pm: donation-based Merezshka (drawn thread) embroidery workshop with Lesia Pona at SFSNAD. Followed by an artist reception (2-4pm).
July 22, 10:30am – noon (Central) / 9:30-11:am Pacific / Class fee $60
Class with a master embroideress from Sumpango, Guatemala, a town known for its beautiful embroidery tradition. Fee includes live Zoom instruction, background cultural information on the patterns, step-by-step stitching PDF guide, a canvas tote stenciled will the embroidery pattern, and a variety of naturally-dyed cotton threads.
Materials will be shipped to you.
Class recording will be available for participatants to re-watch.
August 9 (part 1) + August 16 (part 2), 10 am-3 pm / Class fee $360 + materials
Two-session Zoom course using embroidery to explore the history of the shamrock of Northern Ireland. It is part of a series on the symbolic flora of the UK’s four countries taught by Lucy Barter, SFSNAD Creative Director. Each classic design will consist of cross filling, blackwork patterns, gold couching, pearl purl, and padded satin stitching.
Upcoming courses will be centered around the thistle of Scotland and the daffodil of Wales. (The course on Englands’s Tudor rose was in June.)
Materials: The kit for these classes will be sold separately. Your instructor will email you with further instructions.
September 6 + 13: Scotland’s Thistle
October 11 + 18: Wales’s Daffodil
PS Photos I didn’t take link to their respective sources.
The Summer Night Market is starting up again, so I’ve updated the links and info in this post. There are now over 60 participating vendors! The Market happens from 6-10pm the last Friday of the (Tucson) summer months – May through September.
2023 dates are May 26, June 30, July 28, August 25 + Sept 29.
Emily lighting up the Melrose Macramé booth (more of Jessica’s macramé and Emily’s lights in the top/featured photo)
A few dozen vendors bring their handmade goods and set up around the shipping container shopping center – along with food trucks and a DJ. Of course, the regular shops, restaurants, and bar stay open too.
Links to Etsy shops have been converted to affiliate links. Etsy purchases you make after clicking them earns a small commission that helps this site without costing you anything extra!
The University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) wasn’t even open yet the morning after Thanksgiving 1985, when an employee arrived to find a man and a woman already waiting outside. The gregarious couple managed to talk their way in, following the employee into the building.
University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1982 via Gannett.
The woman, wearing a red jacket and a scarf in her hair, chatted up a security guard, while her mustachioed partner went upstairs toward one of the museum’s most important works.
Woman-Ochre had been in the museum’s collection since 1958. It was unceremoniously taken off exhibit when this Black Friday visitor hacked the canvas out of its frame, rolled it up, stuffed it under his jacket (or somewhere), and made a hasty exit with his accomplice.
The empty frame of the missing de Kooning painting via UANews.
The two were peeling out of the parking lot with the painting before anyone at the museum realized what had just occurred. Back then, the UAMA didn’t have security cameras, and there were no leads. All they had was testimony from the few eyewitnesses, police composite sketches, and an empty frame.
Composite police sketches of the thieves, along with the empty frame they left behind. On display at UAMA’s Restored exhibition.
UAMA put the theft insurance money they received from the state into getting surveillance cameras and otherwise tightening up their security.
Possibly unrelated, but the university has also renovated the area, so you can no longer pull a car right up to the front of the museum.
UAMA today – with security cameras.
Periodically, UAMA would remind the public of the missing painting. Staff held out hope for its return, but they really didn’t know if they’d ever see it again.
And, for over 30 years, they didn’t.
Willem de Kooning with Woman I peering over his shoulder, c. 1952. By Kay Bell Reynal, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Origin: New York 1955
“Beauty becomes petulant to me. I like the grotesque. It’s more joyous.”
The painting they had stolen was Woman-Ochre by Willem de Kooning, who is considered to be one of “the twentieth century’s most influential artists.” He was a contemporary of New York abstract expressionists like Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, and Mark Rothko.
Jackson Pollock, Number 20 (from 1950), painted on the back of a game board.
Woman-Ochre is part of the controversial series of Women paintings de Kooning did in the early 1950s. Described by some as “aggressive” or “violent,” they were too abstract to be considered portraits, but the recognizable human forms meant they weren’t abstract enough for de Kooning’s avant-garde friends.
Woman-Ochre by Willem de Kooning, 1955.
Perhaps his refusal to fit neatly into categories is part of what has kept people intrigued by de Kooning’s art over the years. His works are “among the most marketable in the world.” In 2016, his piece Interchange sold for $300 million, making it the world’s most expensive painting at the time. The University of Arizona (UA) estimated Woman-Ochre itself to be worth $160 million in 2005.
The Alters’ home in Cliff, New Mexico. By Cheryl Evans/The Republic.
The Discovery: New Mexico 2017
“…if the thief has kept the painting, he or she eventually dies, and the surviving family finds the painting and tries to sell it. The painting is returned — but the process can take decades.”
–UANews article written in 2015, when Woman-Ochre’s whereabouts were still unknown
In 2017, a retired public school speech therapist named Rita Alter passed away in Cliff, New Mexico, a town of under 300 people. Her husband, Jerry had passed a few years before, so their nephew was left in charge of dealing with the house and eclectic estate.
A tile-covered pyramid, one of the random assortment of possessions the Alters left behind. Image Courtesy of David Farley via Arizona Republic.
Most of the furniture and some other household items were sold as a lot to Manzanita Ridge Furniture + Antiques in nearby Silver City for $2000.
Manzanita Ridge Furniture and Antiques via their Facebook page.
That included an intriguing mid-century painting that was found awkwardly hanging behind the Alters’ bedroom door. Once it was on display in the store, people started asking if it was authentic and offering huge amounts of money for it.
Woman-Ochre hung behind the Alters’ bedroom door. Photo on display at UAMA’s Restored exhibition.
Puzzled, store co-owner David Van Auker removed it from the floor and began researching the painting. The search turned up articles from the 30th anniversary of Woman-Ochre’s theft, which UA publicized to keep the missing work in the public eye.
One UANews article from that time basically called it: “Usually, a stolen painting gets returned to a collection in one of two ways. The thief may try to sell the piece shortly after the heist and get caught. This often takes only a few years. But if the thief has kept the painting, he or she eventually dies, and the surviving family finds the painting and tries to sell it. The painting is returned — but the process can take decades.”
David picked up the phone and called UAMA. “I think I have a piece of art that was stolen from you guys….”
The Co-Owners of Manzanita Ridge Furniture + Antiques. Photo on display in UAMA’s Restored exhibition.
A few days later, museum staff made the 3-hour drive from Tucson to Silver City to authenticate the painting. They were moved to tears when they realized it truly was the piece that had been missing for so long.
“The thieves actually committed two crimes that day. First, they stole an important signature painting from the University’s museum collection. They also stole more than 30 years of access from the public and scholars across the world, depriving them of the opportunity to appreciate, learn from and be inspired by a significant artist.”
How did it get there in the first place? There’s evidence to suggest that the couple who owned the New Mexico home where the de Kooning was found were the ones who had made off with it all those years before. Since they’re both deceased, they won’t get a jury trial. However, we know the pair was in Tucson the day before the heist, celebrating Thanksgiving with family. And they do bear a resemblance to the police sketches made shortly afterwards.
Via ArtNet: “A police sketch of the suspects in the 1985 de Kooning heist released shortly after the crime took place, and a photograph of Jerry and Rita Alter at Thanksgiving dinner in Tucson the day before the robbery. Image courtesy of the police department and Ron Roseman.”
UAMA offered to purchase the painting from Manzanita Ridge, but they refused to accept any money for it.
Aerial view of the Getty Research Institute. Via the Getty blog.
The Restoration: Los Angeles 2019-2022
They didn’t steal [Woman-Ochre] from the museum, they stole it from all of us. From everyone.”
–David Van Auker, the antique store co-owner who found Woman-Ochre
It turns out that violently wrenching an oil painting from its canvas, rolling it up, and then stuffing it under your clothing are not recommended art preservation techniques.
Woman-Ochre close-ups sent to UAMA after its rediscovery in New Mexico.
When Woman-Ochre was finally found, it was a mess. The paint was cracked and flaking off. Damage caused by the theft was made worse by amateur attempts to repair it and the haphazard way it was stapled and screwed into a new frame. (Also not recommended.)
Laura Rivers, Getty paintings conservator, working on the restoration of Woman-Ochre. Via the Getty blog.
The painting was taken to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where their team of experts painstakingly assessed and repaired the damage. They were able to use infrared photography and X-radiography to find out exactly what type of materials de Kooning had used to create his painting, so they could treat it appropriately.
Woman-Ochre before restoration: under raking light (left), XRF (Macro X-Ray Fluorescence) scan (middle), close-up of cracked paint (right, top), and microscopic paint cross-section (right, bottom) on display in UAMA’s Restored exhibition.
Conservator Laura Rivers spent months cleaning it and using a microscope and small dental tools to reattach tiny paint fragments piece by piece.
Work restoring the painting went on for about 2.5 years before it was ready to be back on exhibit.
Woman-Ochre on display in UAMA’s Restored exhibition.
The Exhibition: Tucson 2022-2023
“I believe art should be where everyone can see it.”
After an exhibition at the Getty, Woman-Ochre returned to its Tucson home.
Mark Rothko’s Green on Blue (left) and other mid-century works on display in UAMA’s Abstract Perspectives in Mid-Century Art exhibition. You can also see Woman-Ochre (centerpiece of the Restored exhibition) through the doorway on the right side of the photo.
Phillip and I got to see the Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre exhibition, as well as Abstract Perspectives in Mid-Century Art, which displayed art from de Kooning’s contemporaries, showing the context of his work.
Phillip walks by “Number IV” by Morris Louis, 1957, at UAMA.
Restored wrapped up today, but the Woman-Ochre painting itself will remain on display at UAMA. It will return to museum’s second floor in a gallery that has been renamed the Manzanita Ridge Gallery in honor of the antique store owners who were crucial in its journey home.
Via Manzanita Ridge Antiques on Facebook.
More to Watch + Listen to about Woman-Ochre…
The Thief Collector: Documentary about Woman-Ochre’s theft and the secret lives of the crime’s main suspects. I got to see a screening with my friend Laurel at UA in October. I’ve wanted to recommend it, but there wasn’t really anywhere you could see it. Now it’s finally available to rent or buy on Amazon! (Not endorsing Amazon but glad this gripping yet thoroughly entertaining doc is getting out there!)
The Recovery: 10-minute video by the Arizona Republic.
The Happenings List is my seasonal selection of goings-on for lovers of art, craft, culture(s), and nature.
*Goodies: There are bonus items, freebies, and discounts sprinkled throughout the list and asterisked to make them easier to find.
Events you can enjoy anywhere: Happenings and Goodies you can participate in without having to physically be in Arizona are marked as “ANYWHERE” and all listed in the last section.
Tell me about it! I can’t make it to as many Happenings as I’d like, so I’d love to hear about any you go to! Send me an email or hashtag social media posts about your experience with #TCJreco.
Gem intarsia box by artist Nicolai Medvedev via Diamonds.com
now – June 2023 / Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, Scottsdale / Included with admission.
Collection of boxes covered in elaborate patterns made of gem materials. This complex form of lapidary art is known as “gem intarsia.” Artist Nicolai Medvedev uses deep green malachite and dark blue azurite from Bisbee, turquoise from Globe, as well as other minerals sourced worldwide.
*ANYWHERE:See the West from Home! Listen, read, or watch videos about subjects featured in the museum.
Project for Valley residents to document saguaros you see. Each observation can include photos, a location, and notes about the general health of the saguaro and can be recorded using iNaturalist, a free smartphone app and website.
This is a project lead by the Desert Botanical Garden.
Data will help to learn about the biology and distribution of saguaros, as well as to understand how extreme urban heat and drought affects them.
Performers at NAFA Phoenix’s deusi bhailo program in October 2022 via Nepalis And Friends Association on Facebook.
May 6, 3pm – 7pm / Chandler Community Center, Chandler / Registration fees: adults $30, kids (age 4-9) $15, ages 3 and under are free
Welcome in the year 2080 B.S. (according to the traditional Nepali lunar calendar) with the Nepalis and Friends Association! The celebration will include dinner, performances of Nepali songs, and a cultural fashion show.
The Nepali New Year festival is just one of the events the Nepalis and Friends Association (NAFA) organizes in Arizona and celebrates with the Nepalese community and American friends. The non-profit organization promotes Nepali culture and strives to educate the next generation on their heritage.
May 6, June 3, July 8, 4-5:30pm / Fushicho Daiko Dojo, Phoenix / $20
Single-class sessions on Taiko, Japanese ensemble drumming, so you can try it out before deciding whether to commit to ongoing classes. Learn the background and significance of Taiko and learn your first song! Try Taiko classes for adults are on Saturday evenings at the beginning of each month. Classes for kids happen less frequently, so watch the registration page.
June 17, 5pm – 10pm / Eastlake Park, Phoenix / Free.
Black history and culture appreciation event with musical and arts performers, community groups and schools, free health screenings, educational workshops, a youth essay contest, childrenʼs activities, arts and crafts, vendors, games, and soul food.
June 21, 11am-1pm / Burton Barr Central Library, Phoenix / Free.
Event centered around the once-a-year moment when sunlight lines up perfectly to illuminate the tops of columns across the library’s Great Reading Room, designed by architect Will Bruder. It only happens at solar noon on the summer solstice!
May 3 – May 26 / Sedona Arts Center (SAC), Sedona / Free.
Exhibition featuring painting, drawing, mixed-media, photography, and art installation that celebrates Latino/a cultural identity, histories, traditions, and contemporary social justice issues. Diverse Arizona artists – both established and emerging – have created imaginative works to spark conversation, cultural connections, and community.
May 3, 4pm: Celebrate Sedona! Bi-monthly celebration of the community’s music, food, drink, and artistry. This special edition of the event will take place in the upper parking lot of Sedona Arts Center. There will be music by Guitarras Latinas, a ceramics sale and demos by SAC, plus additionallocal art and eats.
June 15 – July 22 (Thursdays through Saturdays) / Red Rock Ranch and Farms, Concho / Free.
Six-week festival of lavender grown in the mountains of northeastern Arizona. See the fields in bloom, learn about growing and cooking with lavender, visit the lavender shop to purchase lavender plants and gift items, or cut your own lavender bouquet (clippers provided).
Red Rock Ranch’s wine tasting room will be open during the festival for tastings, as well as for purchasing wine and cheese plates.
Pets are not allowed at the farm during the festival.
Post-festival hours: Starting July 29, the Wine Tasting Room and Shop will be open Saturdays 1-6pm.
June 17, 11am – 9pm / Thorpe Park ball fields, Flagstaff / Day-of tickets: ages 11+: $25, free for children 10 and under.
Flagstaff’s family-friendly Pride Festival works to support cultural diversity and human rights by fighting discrimination of any kind. It has been held annually for the past 26 years at the Thorpe Park ball fields. This year, however, will be the 1st Annual Flagstaff Pride Parade! Also on the agenda: vendors and exhibitors, food, a beer garden, and entertainment, including music, performers, a dance tent, and drag shows.
June 24-25 / Museum of Northern Arizona (outside), Flagstaff / Admission: adults $20, youth (ages 10-17) $10, free for children 9 and under
Showcase for the diverse Indigenous cultures of the Colorado Plateau region, which include the Acoma, Apache, Diné (Navajo), Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Pai, Ute, Yavapai, and Zuni. The expanded 2023 market and mainstage will be located on the forested grounds outside of the museum, so there will be plenty of space and fresh air.
Entertainment: traditional dances, music, talks by cultural experts.
Purchases at the festival benefit the artists, who are all enrolled members of recognized Indian tribes.
*Get full weekend access to the festival for only $5 more than a single-day ticket!
now – May 20 / University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA), Tucson / Included with admission.
Thirty-seven years after being stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Willem de Kooning’s painting, Woman-Ochre, has returned to the UAMA galleries! This exhibition features the work and its unusual history, including the extensive restoration it underwent after being recovered.
After the Restored exhibition ends, the Woman-Ochre painting itself will remain on display at UAMA – returning to museum’s second floor.
ANYWHERE:The Thief Collector documentary looks at Woman-Ochre’s theft and the secret lives of the crime’s main suspects. You can pre-order the Blu Ray/DVD via Amazon now. Starting in May, it will be screening in select North American theaters and available on Amazon Prime in the UK.
Self-guided walking tour of haiku poetry printed on signs in planters along Congress Street and Stone Avenue. The 20 poems are winners of an annual literary competition, submitted by the public and chosen by Tucson’s poet Laureate, TC Tolbert. This year’s theme is “Planting Seeds.”
Flower mound art from Lex Gjurasic’s Radical Happiness exhibition in Chandler in 2022.
Exhibit featuring the amazing plant life of Arizona through the colored pencil medium.
The Phoenix Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) is a part of a national nonprofit organization. Members of the Society exhibit their work throughout the country and conduct workshops and lectures.
Now – August / Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Tucson / Included with admission.
Incorporating locally-found materials, Chilean artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña arranged hundreds of hanging knotted fibers and into what she calls a “poem in space,” which speaks to the way we are interconnected with each other and our environment.
Goodies:
*Outside the museum is Mini MOCA, a small artworks exchange in the style of a little free library.
*Discounts for Downtown Clifton Hotel guests: 2 for 1 admission at MOCA, as well as 10% off any purchase in the MOCA Shop.
“Solar Tower” by Jerald Jacquard outside Tucson Museum of Art.
Now – September 17 / Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson / Included with admission.
Every-other-year exhibition of innovative and diverse new works by Arizona artists. It provides an opportunity for emerging artists to exhibit their art in a museum setting and to introduce it to the public. A different juror from outside the state is selected to curate each Arizona Biennial, reviewing the works of hundreds of artists to create a cohesive exhibition that becomes an overview of artistic creativity in Arizona.
This year’s juror, Taína Caragol, is the Curator of painting, sculpture, and Latinx art and history at the National Portrait Gallery, who led the portrait commission of former President Obama by Kehinde Wiley.
*First Thursday. On the first Thursday of the month, TMA offers extended hours (5-8pm), pay-what-you-wish admission, art and gallery activities, entertainment, and a cash bar. Reserve your free ticket online.
*Second SundAZe. Focused on intergenerational learning, the Second Sunday of the month features activities and art-making for kids, as well as docent talks, free performances, and pay-what-you-wish admission.
Part of a month-long cross-border culinary celebration of maíz (corn), co-hosted with 4 other UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy: Puebla, Mexico; Mérida, Mexico; and San Antonio, Texas.
Artist talk with Justin Favela, who will offer insights into his creative practice and his relationships with the Popol Vuh creation story and the series of images it inspired artist Carlos Mérida to make.
Family Fiesta: A public celebration and performance work featuring the artist’s family’s traditions, live music, and art-making activities!
*First Thursday: This takes place on the first Thursday of May, when Tucson Museum of Art offers extended hours (5-8pm) and pay-what-you-wish admission. Reserve your free ticket online.
6 paired courses + hors d’oeuvres to highlight the wide range of uses for maíz.
Tucson Chefs Janos Wilder and Gary Hickey will welcome three visiting chefs from the UNESCO Pueblos del Maíz co-host cities, and each chef will prepare a corn-focused course.
May 5, 6:30pm: Maíz Showcase / Tucson Museum of Art / $75
A bocadito dinner experience that includes TEN small plates, ONE Pueblos del Maíz signature beer by Borderlands Brewery, and some special surprises!
Featuring a group of Tucson’s finest chefs, restaurateurs, and food artisans.
Shop native plants and seeds with music and retail booths from local farmers and artisans, including artist/designer Jenna Tomasello, and Shooting Star Pottery.
May 6, 12pm / Armory Park, Tucson / $15 general admission
Festival promoting liberty, equality, and justice for the Latino LGBTQ community! The event will include national and local performing artists, mariachis, baile folklorico, vendor booths, and food trucks.
Presented by Latino Pride Alliance (LPA). which addresses issues faced by the Latina/o lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, such as family acceptance, homophobia, xenophobia, family separation, and homelessness.
G’s Horn sculpture by Robert Wick at Tucson Botanical Gardens.
May 10, 10:30am / Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson / $75
Class about getting outside and taking pictures! Includes targeted instruction on basic composition, nature and landscape photography, close up / macro photography, and the use of props.
Taught and guided by William Walther and Peggy Steffens.
Bring a camera or smart phone that you know how to operate.
Arrive 10 minutes early, and meet in the Education Building Classroom.
Register soon: class limited to 12 students.
Highway 90 near Sierra Vista and the Patterson Observatory.
The Patterson Observatory has a 20” aperture telescope, capable of observing objects one million times fainter than the human eye can detect! Huachuca Astronomy Club (HAC) volunteers operate the observatory, located on University of Arizona Sierra Vista Campus.
Events are weather dependent and will be canceled in case of inclement weather. If the sky is even partly cloudy, visitors should check the recording at (520) 626-6649 for a cancellation notice.
No public viewing events are scheduled during the monsoon months of July and August.
ANYWHERE:Virtual tour of the Patterson Observatory.
Free Observation Times:
May 13 + June 10, 9-11am: Solar Saturdays. Every second Saturday of the month (weather permitting), HAC Members will show you sunspots, solar prominences and other solar features through safe solar telescopes.
May 25 + June 22, 7:30pm: Public Viewing Nights. Monthly (Sept. – June) on the Thursday nearest the first quarter moon.
View the night skies! HAC volunteers will be on site to answer questions and share images of stars, planets, and nebulas.
Observing starts half an hour after sunset.
Family-friendly event.
Space is limited, so (free) registration is required. You must present your emailed receipt for entrance.
May 14, 21, 28 at 7pm / DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park, Tucson / Free. (Donations accepted.)
Tucson Pops Orchestra’s May outdoor concert series, includes these themes…
May 14: Mother’s Day
May 21: Nothing But Love
May 28: Memorial Day
Tips for all DeMeester performances:
Bring a lawn chair or blanket.
Parking tends to fill up at Reid Park. Plan to arrive early or use alternate transportation. (#17 bus line’s Country Club/Eastland stop is near the stage.)
A week of celebrating the moment when the US “finally and truly became the land of the free.” Festivities include a kick-off concert, jubilee, legacy night, and festival.
June 11, 1pm:Tucson Juneteenth Gospel Jubilee and Luncheon at Pima College West. Annual community event, featuring the first-ever Tucson Juneteenth Mass Choir, a collective of Pima County musicians and singers bringing together praise and celebration, including performances from Ada Austin, and Nancy Jones. / Lunch: 1- 2:30pm, Concert: 3-6pm / Free (donations accepted)
June 15, 4pm: Legacy Night at The Loft Cinema. A night of learning history with Tucson trailblazers. Details TBA.
June 17, 1-9 pm:Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom at the Kino Sports Park Field. The event will feature live entertainment, vendors, educational and job booths, a car show, food trucks, and a kid zone with free toys.
Online discussion series about watching films, sharing stories, and having an honest conversation about the tough issues faced by the LGBTQ community. Registration required. Participants will receive an email with instructions on how to join the WebEx meeting.
Upcoming monthly film selections (all will be available through the library’s Kanopy collection)…
May 18: Expanding Gender: Youth Out Front. Three short documentaries explore the varied identities of trans and gender expansive youth and young adults.
June 15: Sordid Lives. Cult classic comedy about a gay actor returning home to his small town for his grandmother’s funeral. As generations of his dysfunctional family come together, the truth of their “sordid lives” is revealed.
Learn strategies to help your garden become more resilient to hot temperatures, including heat-proof plants and ways to minimize the effects of the long desert summers within the garden itself.
Taught by Noelle Johnson (a.k.a. AZ Plant Lady).
Online class participants will receive a Zoom link for the live class two hours before the class begins.
All online classes are recorded and participants receive a video replay that is available for two weeks after the date of the class.
The documentary The Thief Collector looks at the theft of the Woman-Ochre painting and the secret lives of the crime’s main suspects. Starting in May, it will be available on Amazon Prime in the UK. North American streaming release details are TBD. However, you can pre-order the Blu-ray/DVD now.
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
