Tucson is home to a rich cultural scene, hosting many events throughout the year including "Tucson Meet Yourself", a long-running downtown celebration. Touring Broadway shows pass through, and Arizona Onstage Productions produces musical theatre. A center of Mariachi music, Tucson also hosts the International Mariachi Conference each year.

ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

• The Center for Creative Photography, located on the University of Arizona campus, has an archive containing the full collection of works by more than 60 American photographers, including Harry Callahan and Ansel Adams. In charge of acquiring and preserving these priceless artifacts, the CCP also makes its collection accessible for the study of photography and its history. An ever-changing exhibit is open to the public and some of the collection is even available online.

• In 1979, Tucson did not have an Arts District, but that didn't stop Dinnerware Artspace from setting up house in the area that has since become the center of the city's contemporary art scene. The building is a one-stop-shop that serves as both an exhibition space and a community art center. The artist-run Central Arts Gallery regularly displaying local artwork, the Dinnerware Press providing a community for printmakers, and Dinnerware Photo offering a dark room collective. Services abound, with business assistance for artists looking to strike off on their own also available.

• The Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson was founded in 1996 by a group of artists, to create a home for modern art by local and regional artists, and to bring in contemporary art exhibits from around the world. Located in the former Fire Department building, the museum has exhibited the works of well-known artists like Matt Groening, Olivier Mosset, Takashi Murakami and Shannon Wheeler.

• In 1924, the Tucson Fine Arts Association was established as a center for art interaction. Renamed the Tucson Museum of Art in 1975, the association cares for five historic properties which encompass the Historic Block. Tours, art classes, and educational programs are offered at the museum, as well as new and travelling exhibitions of Latin American, Contemporary, Asian, and American Art.

• DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District
• University of Arizona Museum of Art
• Old Tucson Studios
• Mini Time Machine Miniatures Museum
• Maynard Dixon Museum
• Settlers West Galleries
• Madaras Gallery
• Simon Gallery of Fine Art
• Desert Artisans' Gallery
• Gallery West
• Ironwood Art Gallery
• Arizona History Museum
• Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House
• Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Museum
• International Wildlife Museum

Tucson, Arizona

ARTISTIC INSTITUTIONS

• Tucson is home to the Southwestern University of Visual Arts, which offers a variety of Bachelor and Masters degrees. Established in 1983 as the Art Center Design College, the school has a low enrolment count, which keeps class sizes small and encourages one-on-one interaction between students and teachers. Students can study landscape architecture, interior design, animation, photography, illustration, and more.

• At the University of Arizona, the artistically inclined can see guidance and certification in a number of art concentrations. Students can choose from Bachelor programs in art history, art and visual culture, or visual communication, Masters degrees in art history and studio art, and a Doctor of Philosophy in art history. The university was founded in 1885, before Arizona was even a state, and sees an annual enrollment of approximately 40,000 students. Strict grading accompanies the awarding of degrees in more that 300 concentrations.

• Achieving post-secondary training in an artistic field in two years or less is an achievable dream at Pima Community College. With certificates and AAs in digital and film arts, music, theatre construction, and fashion design, you'll be out making a living with your passion in no time. The college, consisting of six campuses around Pima County, was established in 1969 and sees an annual enrolment of more than 60,000 students. The college also offers classes for non-traditional learning, including evening and distance courses, and non-degree courses.

• Take a fun art class like Splatter Tree or Springtime in Paris from Creative Juice.
• Sign your kids up for painting or clay modelling at The Drawing Studio.
• Create a one-of-a-kind stained glass centerpiece at Sonoran Glass School.
• Study Fashion or Graphic Design, or the culinary arts at The Art Institute of Tucson.
• Axé Capoeira Tucson teaches the philosophy and movement of a unique martial art form.
• Kids can learn about "the power of drawing" through classes offered by Young Rembrandts.

NATIVE ARTISTS

There are plenty of artistic people originally from, or currently living in Tucson, Arizona!

• "Ettore" Ted DeGrazia was a painter, sculptor, actor and designer whose Mission in the Sun home is now part of the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District.

• A student of music legends Burl Ives and Josh White, singer, actress and photographer Katie Lee attended the University of Arizona and was recent inducted into the Arizona Music Hall of Fame.

• Actor Brad Johnson is perhaps best known for his former role as the Marlboro Man.

• Internationally renowned Mexican artist Daniel Martin Diaz has a style considered to be a mix of Surrealism, Post-Modernism, Northern European, and Spanish Colonial art.

• Photojournalist W. Eugene Smith was known for his high ethical standards and brutally beautiful World War II photographs and images of the results of pollution on the residents of Minamata, Japan.

ART AND CULTURAL EVENTS

Annual Events

• Twice annually, the Fourth Avenue Street Fair draws crowds to the roads to wander among more than 400 arts and craft booths, enough food vendors to suit every palate, and a stage featuring live musical performances. Street performers are seen at every turn, and kids are kept busy with face painting, hands-on arts and balloon artists. Running for three days in the Spring, and again in December, the fair has been a Tucson staple for more than 40 years.

• At Tucson Meet Yourself, residents are encouraged to explore their ethnic backgrounds along with more than 100,000 other curious guests. Featuring food vendors who serve authentic dishes from their culture, and countless dancers and artists showcase a vast range of artistic styles that encompass more than 60 ethnic traditions. Visitors are encourages to participate in both their own heritage and the heritage of others, with the intention of fostering mutual respect and understanding between all cultures.

• Over 40 artists showcase their wares in the fields of Fine Art, metals, glass, ceramics, wood, and more at the Rodeo Days Arts Celebration, held each February during the Tucson Rodeo, since 2010. Local live music and food vendors abound, and visitors can take horse-drawn carriage rides, participate in the Paint a Pony fundraiser, and take home a special something from the Silent Auction benefit for the Musicians Museum. Admission is free and Western is the dress of the day at this fun family event.

Other Events and Sights to See

• Check out the Chalk Art Festival in March.
• Delight your ears at the Desert Song Festival, held each year in January.
• Visit Tohono Chul Park and browse the galleries and gardens.
• Visit the natural history museum and zoo at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
• Take a night trip to Kitt Peak National Observatory to get a splendid view of the sky.
• Join the locals at the popular El Tiradito shrine in the Old Barrio area.
• Catch a show by the Arizona Theatre Company along with 130,000 other annual audience members.

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