You love all things books, words and those really cool and sometimes also the odd folks who also love books and words and ... yes, you get it. Anyway, I am excited to share with you, this very moment, a cool new website called Tucsonlit—an online calendar with all the literary events going on in our own word-loving city.

If you have an event, they want to know about it, too. A nice centralized calendar to help keep us honest, love it.

Send your event to [email protected] with the following info:

Event name
Short bio
Category (i.e. lecture, performance, reading, etc.)
Time and date
Additional links

Culture Blog CollabCubed takes note of Tucson artist Nick Georgiou's paper sculptures in the window of NYC's Hermes:

Barney’s had a series of rotating photos by Bruce Weber titled L.A. Stories; another store whose name escapes me was setting up neon signage along with what seemed to be an outdoor runway, but the windows that stopped me in my tracks were those of Hermès. The mannequin heads were these spectacular sculptures which at first glance looked like blocks of painted wood, but as I got closer I realized that they were actually books. Books! Rolled, fanned, stacked, bent, not only were the mannequin heads stunning (possibly the most fabulous part of the general fabulosity), but the backdrops as well were intricate tableaus created using the edges of books, painted in colors and stripes, in some cases just as multicolor striped motif backdrop while in others 2-dimensional mythical gods. I went in to ask who the artist was and should have recognized the name right away, having posted NYC-born and based artist Nick Georgiou’s work before. Seeing them in person, however, is even more impressive. Kudos to whoever thought to give the job to Georgiou, and of course kudos to the artist himself for making an impressive splash on Upper Mad, specifically at the corner of 62nd Street.

The students of Ballet Folklórico Tapatío need a new dance floor as part of a renovation the group is doing on its dance studio and yesterday they kicked off a GoFundMe campaign.

In our 2011 Heroes issue, we featured Eduardo Baca, one of those amazing parents we always hear about, who recognize the need for something for his kids and others in their South Fourth Avenue neighborhood.

Baca built the company's studio with his own hands on an empty lot adjacent to his upholstery shop:

His daughter, now grown, is a physical therapist, and his oldest son is a dentist with a practice in Phoenix. The youngest son, Jose Luis, is now the instructor for Ballet Folklórico Tapatío.

Baca says he believes his children's success was based in part on their interest in folklórico.

"When you love something, you focus on that. I love upholstery. This is what I do, and I do it because I love it," Baca says. Giving children something that they love to do "helps them be successful."

Of course, as you can see in the video above—created and narrated by Daniel Buckley—that studio and time Baca and other parents have put in since 1997 have paid off.

The campaign goal is $5,000 and right now it's at $50, so get busy Tucson.

From the GoFundMe page:

Currently, the group is under the direction of the talented young heart of Jose Luis Baca. Ballet Folklórico Tapatío is based in South Tucson and draws its membership from the local Tucson community. The mission of the group is to provide a healthy and educational environment in which children and young adults are given the opportunity to learn about Mexican culture and history through engaging in traditional regional dances. Ballet Folklórico Tapatio provides an avenue in which students can gain a sense of pride, self confidence, and increase self-esteem, while encouraging them to work within the community for positive changes. The discipline we demand within our group is the discipline that prepares our youth for their educational pursuits as well as the workforce. Our goal of a healthy, productive community is achieved through the arts.

We are currently in the process of trying to renovate our dance studio, and one of the major renovations that we need help with is with our dance floor!! We have over 135 students from ages 4 yrs to 40 yrs and all of those dancers stompimg and tapping on the floor over 17 years has finally taken its toll on our Dance Studio Floor!! Please help us raise the funds necessary so that we may be able to get our new dance floor and continue making all the magic happen on stage!! Any donation is greatly appreciated!!! From the members of Ballet Folklorico Tapatio, Thank you in advanced for your support!!!

The deadline for Tucson Pima Arts Council's Request for Qualifications for a January 8 memorial is Sept. 30, 2014.

According to the info on TPAC's website, as part of a maser plan concept for the future of renovation of El Presidio Park, a schematic design is needed for the exterior portion of a memorial to the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting

From TPAC:

On behalf of Tucson’s January 8th Memorial Foundation, the Tucson Pima Arts Council invites designers to submit their qualifications and design interests to create a Master Plan Concept for El Presidio Park and to provide a schematic design for a January 8th Memorial.

...

RFQ Scope of Work Budget: $90,000 plus $5,000 stipend for each Finalist. Finalists will be reimbursed for approved travel costs of up to $5,000.

Etherton Gallery is having a grand re-opening after water damage to the roof of the historic building caused the gallery to close for a month. Information about their next exhibition below:

Etherton Gallery is pleased to present the first exhibition of the 2014-15 season, Without and Within, featuring a selection of recent work by photographers Keith Carter and Kate Breakey. The exhibition explores the relationship between what Carter terms the "externally objective and internally boundless." Both photographers create images rooted in documentary that also access myth, symbolism and metaphor. Carter evokes the secrets and folklore of the people and places of East Texas; while Breakey’s landscape and still life images reveal interior states of being. Without and Within opens September 13 and runs through November 1, 2014. In conjunction with the show, an installation of artist Ed Musante’s pigment paintings of birds on vintage cigar boxes will be featured in Etherton’s in-house pop-up gallery.

A reception welcoming the artists will be held at the gallery at 7-10 pm, Saturday, September 13, 2014. Keith Carter will sign copies of his books From Uncertain to Blue and A Certain Alchemy, and Kate Breakey will sign copies of her monograph Painted Light at the reception.

Inaugurating The Etherton Gallery Distinguished Lecture Series, Keith Carter and Kate Breakey will discuss their work with Chief Curator Joshua Chuang at the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) at the University of Arizona, on September 12, 2014 at 5:30pm. For more information, please call the CCP at 520-621-7970.

Etherton Gallery is located at 135 S. Sixth Ave. 520-624- 7370. www.ethertongallery.com

Congratulations to author Luis Alberto Urrea, named the third recipient of the Paul Engle Prize. A Tucson favorite and a champion of TUSD's Mexican-American studies program, will receive a work of art and $10,000. Teresita would be proud.

H/T Iowa City Press Citizen:

Author Luis Alberto Urrea has been named the third recipient of the Paul Engle Prize, presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature organization.

The award honors an individual who, like Paul Engle, represents a pioneering spirit in the world of literature through writing, editing, publishing or teaching, and whose active participation in the larger issues of the day has contributed to the betterment of the world through the literary arts.

...

Urrea, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, is a prolific and acclaimed writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss and triumph. Urrea’s novels include “The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” its follow up, “Queen of America,” and the best-selling “Into the Beautiful North,” which imagines a small town in Mexico where all the men have immigrated to the U.S.

There are an impressive number of artists—and arts organizations—in Tucson: theaters for performing artists, galleries, dance companies, musicians and orchestras.

But according to Michael Fenlason, who is one of the founding members of the STRADA Company, a new arts venture—or adventure, is a more accurate description from this observer’s point of view—these groups, established or new, tend to work on what Fenlason and his compadres think is an outdated paradigm. That means that they use old-fashioned ideas about how to reach audiences, which, Fenlason says, often leads to potential audience members sinking deeper into the couch at home, and plenty of creative folks without the means to get their work out into the public.

These organizations, says Fenlason, former artistic director of the late Beowulf Alley Theatre downtown, have a “’if you build it they will come” attitude.’” But consumers of the arts, he says, have a myriad of options these days to get their art fix, including digital arts featured on the internet. He thinks the paradigm is changing, and STRADA is seeking ways to discover and develop what this different way of doing things might be.

The Tucson Weekly is gearing up for our arts coverage for the fall and spring seasons. We would love to hear from you and receive your upcoming schedules. Here’s how to get us the information:

For possible inclusion in our fall arts preview next month, send press releases to Margaret Regan, [email protected], no later than Monday, Aug. 18. If possible, please send info in the body of an email and limit attachments, except for photos. When sending photos (attached to the press release), please include a photo credit and identify everything and everyone in photos, including artist name, medium and title for any visual artworks.

Please note that due to space restrictions, we will not be able to include all events in print. However we are able to list your events on our website.

To have your events listed online, use this link: tucsonweekly.com/tucson/events/addevent. Note that you need to sign in using Facebook or else create a Tucson Weekly account. If this link doesn’t work for you, go to tucsonweekly.com. Put your mouse over the City Week tab and you will see a drop-down menu. The last item is “submit an event listing.” Click on that and it brings up the form to complete. Tucson Weekly staff must review your submission before it goes online.

When you submit your events online, we review the information for possible future coverage — in arts stories, City Week coverage, blog entries and on our Tucson Weekly app. And best of all, sending us your information is free!

Tucson artist and friend to many of us (and former Phantom Limbs drummer) Howard Salmon died early this morning, finally succumbing to the brain cancer he fought so hard for almost two years.

The funeral is this Sunday, Aug. 10, at Temple Emanu-El, 225 N Country Club Road, 10 a.m. followed by a burial service at Evergreen, 3015 N. Oracle Road. The family will be observing shiva for seven days. In Judaism, this is the week-long traditional mourning period for relatives and close friends. I was told those close to Salmon who may want to participate and visit with his family should call to find out what time they are taking visitors. It's customary to bring food to the family during this time.

Back in October 2012, we mentioned a Facebook status Salmon had just posted on his prognosis—the doctor telling him he had until the end of the year:

Please drop me a line while I'm still alive. I've got an aggressive brain tumor, and my doctors say I'll be a goner by year's end (that is, in 3 months). I plan on spending my remaining days drawing, painting, and blogging. If I know you, thank you for your friendship. If you want to write me, please do so sooner rather than later, because I'm getting a little foggier everyday ...

We're reaching out and talking to close friend's of Salmon's for a story on the artist and musician, and if we have any updates, we'll be sure to share. Meanwhile, wouldn't hurt to sit back and spend some time with him on his blog. His last post in April, after not blogging since his diagnosis, was on his drawings. He was always happy to share those with all of us.

Yeah, we were damn lucky.

Our Weekly World Central fashion spirit guide, CandyStrike's Elizabeth Denneau, has a GoFundMe campaign that's about $700 away from the $1,700 goal.

Denneau, from her Toole Avenue warehouse boutique and studio, makes clothes for everyone (but those of the plus-size arena appreciate her creative spirit and great style). She's been given the opportunity to pitch to a major retail label and she needs help with travel expenses and to make sure she goes in there looking chic and beautiful despite the deadline.

Give this local business some love and be part of CandyStrike's future.

From her campaign page:

Just recently I was approached by a major online retailer, who is interested in purchasing a private label collection from me. Which is great! The catch? I have to go out to them and present my ideas to them, have samples, and other industry documents and information in place in less than 3 weeks. When opportunities come I bust ass and take it, but I am lacking in the extra capital to make this happen. Most designers have a team to excute a pitch like this. I have myself, my one staff, and an intern (also a very wonderful photog, MUA, & models who volunteer their time to me). I have the odds stacked up against me but I'm good at busting through walls. And I'm not super great at admitting it- but I need your help.

My big pitch is the week of the 17th. I need capital for travel. I also need capital for samples (jeesh fabric can be pricey!), the various industry documents I need to make my pitch (line sheets, look books, etc..), and fees to help with finding a liason with U.S. manfacturers. If you give to me I hope you don't look at it as charity, but an investment in a small business with a great mission that is growing quickly.I'd like to give you a little something for your investment. Check out the reward levels (they're named after some of my favorite designers).

I thank all of you for your continued support and I know times are still tight for a lot of us, so please don't feel bad if you can't give. I can use all the prayers and well wishes I can get to land this account!