Sylvia Sander, local private investigator, began fielding interviews with the homeless early this year as a volunteer. She said a common complaint of the many homeless people she met living in the downtown area concerned the issue of photographs, namely those taken by street photographers and tourists who snapped shots of individuals living on the streets without so much of a "may I?"

Curious about what the homeless would capture given the opportunity, Sander gave her two inaugural volunteers 35mm disposable cameras to capture daily life on the streets of Tucson. The results eventually gave rise to the Bright Eyes Project, a venture promoting awareness and compassion through the work of homeless photographers.

The project, supported by The Carlos G. Figueroa Foundation, will be having its first public showing on Sunday July 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Monterey Court (505 W. Miracle Mile) in Tucson (details here). The exhibition will feature the work of the Tucson homeless artists Sander contacted through the project, some of whom have since found residence off the streets. 

However, according to a Pima County count of homeless populations for 2016, there are still 381 persons living without shelter in Tucson, not including the over 1,300 other homeless individuals moving between temporary, transitional and emergency housing.

A short drive around the downtown and university areas reveal a grim reality for hundreds of homeless Tucsonans huddling under patches of shade in De Anza Park and beyond. With temperatures at a steady one-hundred-and-miserable for the rest of the foreseeable future, it behooves us to lend a hand to those who must endure the heat out of necessity and hard times. 

If you can spare a moment, some supplies or even a case of water, take a look at the 2016 list of summer sun respite sites around town. Points of contact are listed for each site and some may take donations or volunteers during the summer months. Additionally, the Community Emergency Medical Responders (C-EMRs), an organization under the auspices of volunteer MDs, trains street-based medical volunteers to facilitate healthcare for the homeless also takes donations here. 

For more information on the Carlos G. Figueroa Foundation or the Bright Eyes project, visit their Facebook pages or thecarlosgfigueroafoundation.com.

The Loft Cinema and MOCA bring you an evening of fiber art goodness on Wednesday, July 6 with a special screening of the art film Yarn, a documentary following the work of four textile artists around the world as they enhance public spaces through knit and crochet creations. 

The film is narrated by writer and former Tucsonan Barbara Kingsolver and the screening will feature some serious "yarn-storming" of the theatre by Tucson Handweavers & Spinners Guild and Textile Tagger, Kristin Wolfe. 

The event will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) For more information on the screening and the film, visit the Loft website. 

The Galleria at the YW is currently featuring a group art exhibition with more than 20 artists entitled Cactus and Clouds. 

The exhibition just opened June 29 and will run through Aug. 27. An artist’s reception featuring DJ Buttafly will be held Friday, July 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition and reception can be found in the YWCA’s Frances McClelland Leadership Center (525 N. Bonita Ave.). Regular gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Galleria invites artists they believe are doing something important, and thought provoking. Most, but not all, of the artists featured are women. The Galleria aims to explore themes that connect to their mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

As a bright-eyed, eternally optimistic student of theatre in Tucson, a coveted spot on Arizona Theatre Company's stage was considered the peak of success during four years of actor training at the UA School of Theatre, Film and Television.

One of my most memorable acting experiences happened as an understudy in ATC's God of Carnage, a role I was egregiously unprepared for, yet one that hurtled me into a new phase of growth and appreciation for my craft at the time. ATC's understudy programs for young actors are crucial first steps into the realm of professional theatre and towards the golden ticket of an Actor's Equity Card. Not to mention Summer on Stage, Student Matinees and Cafe Bohemia, programs which foster youth performance and new works of theatre by up-and-coming playwrights. 

Now, facing its 50th year serving southern Arizona's theatre community, ATC might not see the curtain rise for its 2016-17 season. Without the $2 million necessary to keep its doors open by Friday, July 1, ATC will consider canceling the upcoming shows to reorganize, despite sustained efforts by private donors to keep the doors open. 

Although ATC's recent seasons left the company in the black by the end of the fiscal year, 2016's recent fundraising efforts to bring the business out of a substantial debt has reached a "critical juncture" according to a press release sent out Monday to donors and subscribers.

The Tucson Pima Arts Council is inviting you to celebrate your favorite artists and organizations by nominating them for 2016 Lumies Arts and Business Awards. 
TPAC honors "luminaries" each year for the profound impact they've made on Southern Arizona communities through the arts. 

According to the TPAC their seven awards include:

Arts Education Award: Awarded to an individual or organization that has demonstrated excellence in arts education and/or youth work. May apply to a program for youth and/or adults.
Arts and Cultural Advocate: Awarded to an individual or organization that has significantly contributed to the Tucson and Pima County cultural community and has raised the visibility of Southern Arizona's arts and culture sector. This may include work through direct advocacy efforts as well as promoting the value of the arts.
Business Award: Awarded to a private-sector business that actively supports and promotes local arts organizations, programs, and individual artists through advocacy and/or community outreach and involvement initiatives, such as work-place based gallery exhibitions, volunteerism, scholarships, and a variety of other activities that promotes the value of arts and culture in our community.
Artist Award: Awarded to an individual artist who has demonstrated excellence, originality, and ingenuity in the local arts and culture sector.
Arts Organization Award: Awarded to a public or private arts organization that has demonstrated excellence in serving the people of Tucson and Pima County. This may include exemplary work across disciplines, as well as advocating for and promoting the value of arts and culture in Southern Arizona.
The David Hoyt Johnson Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts: Awarded to an individual, organization, or arts administrator who has demonstrated excellence, resilience, integrity, and resourcefulness in the arts and culture sector.
Emerging Artist or Arts Organization: Award to an individual, collective, or organization with three years or less of operating experience that has demonstrated excellence in Southern Arizona's arts and culture sector. May apply to a program for or by youth.

Winners will be announced and nominees will be honored at the their gala event on Friday, Sept. 16 at the Rialto Theatre. 

For more information and to nominate and individual or organization click here. 

Nominations will be accepted until Monday, August 5. 

Eric Kroll has worked as a photographer for many well-known publications including Vogue, Elle, the New York Times and Der Spiegel and is internationally known for his work in fetish photography. His work and the story of his impressive accolades in the world of photography are detailed in this week's TW cover story.

This Saturday, June 25 Etherton Gallery (135 S 6th Ave.) will be hosting a pop-up event featuring the photographer. 

The pop-up event will include a talk and Q & A with Kroll, where he will discuss his various interests and career as a famed photographer. With a career as long and infamous as Kroll’s, his stories are sure to excite and entertain. Those in attendance will get to glance into the mind of an artist who has never been afraid to push the envelope in the realm of sexually explorative photography.  

This gallery event is a unique opportunity to see some of Kroll’s black and white photography, most of which were publish in a variety of magazines and books. The gallery will also feature Kroll’s newer work.

The event starts at 2 p.m.

This weekend Bank of America is giving its cardholders a nice summer treat with their monthly Museums on Us program.

Museums on Us allows any Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders free admission to more than 150 participating museums in 33 states and 101 cities the first weekend of every month.

Participating here in Tucson is the Tucson Museum of Art &H istoric Block. The Museum offers a number of great exhibits. The most recently added exhibits include Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animal / Zodiac Heads: Gold, and Into the Night: Modern and Contemporary Art and the Nocturne Tradition. The other exhibits currently at the museum are listed on the Tucson Museum of Art website.

All that Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders need to do to gain their free admission to participating Museums is present their credit or debit card and photo ID.

Bank of America says they’ve introduced this program to “provide its customers with free access to artistic and cultural experiences across the United States at some of the nation’s most celebrated cultural institutions ranging from art, children’s and history museums to aquariums and science centers.”

If you’re out of town and want to know if there are any participating museums in the city you’re visiting Bank of America has a list on their website. 

This may be your only opportunity to say that your bank helped you learn something without monthly payments plus interest.

Student loan jokes aside this is an admirable promotion that people should take advantage of.

The System is Broken is a political docudrama filmed in Tucson that looks at the political voting process through the eyes of two young people. 

Pete, Natalia and their fellow Latino volunteers take on corruption and racism in a presidential campaign by starting their own non-partisan grassroots movement, putting their relationships and their lives in danger.

Interested? Watch the trailer below. 


Writer and director Ignatius Lin, producer Joshua Zientarski and Jim Parisi at PowerTalk, will be hosting a one-time screening of The System Is Broken at the Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) on Wednesday, June 8. 

The event will feature a pre-screening meet and greet with politicians at 7 p.m., and a post-screening Q&A. 

Tickets can be purchased online and more information can be found here. 

Tucson has a lot of unique places to check out, but one in particular is getting noticed this week.

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures (4455 E. Camp Lowell Dr) here in Tucson was recognized by BuzzFeed this week as one of the 10 Quirky U.S. Destinations Every Wanderer Should Discover. 

Calling it a place to find huge wonder in the smallest things, BuzzFeed placed our lovable local museum at number 3, for it's stunningly detailed miniature art. 

Why should you visit the Museum of Miniatures? 
More like why not? The Mini Time Museum of Miniatures has it all, hoping to transport visitors to different eras by viewing their wide variety of collections. 

In one trip a visitor can see houses created by Agua Caliente Elementary School second graders, 26 custom miniature figures of Civil War soldiers created by Joe Seibold in their Exploring the World Gallery and fantasy themed miniatures in their Enchanted Realm Gallery. 

In the spirit of having adults feel like kids again, the museum offers adults the youth admission price every Thursday, meaning a ticket to visit many magical realms and enchanting eras is only $6. 

For more information visit the Tucson Museum of Miniatures website or visit the Facebook event page. 

Want to go to the theater this weekend? We're giving away tickets to two events.

First up: The Music of the Blues Brothers Live at the Gaslight Music Hall (13005 N. Oracle Road)
We're giving away tickets to a 3 p.m. showing, though there is also a show at 7 p.m. 

Next: Rise of the Sheik at the Gaslight Theater (7010 E. Broadway Blvd.)
These tickets are good for any show through June 5. 

From TW's review of The Rise of the Sheik:

This is no hoity-toity off-Broadway angst fest where you view the stage through opera glasses with your pinky extended. It's more like a very well managed free-for-all, with original scripts that are usually take-offs on a movie or other familiar tale. Here you'll find the good guys and the bad guys duking it out, all with tongues planted firmly in cheeks. The audience boos and hisses and cheers and throws popcorn, which comes free on every table. There are so many corny jokes that the audience's groans almost drown out a three-piece live band. The band wins out, though, providing a dimension of entertainment that would otherwise leave the actors and their thin plotlines and silly jokes exposed. Instead, they work together to please crowds, alongside the kitchen's well loved pizza and more.

Enter to win a pair of tickets to either show! We'll be calling winners midday on Friday, May 13.