Tonight's the Grand Finale for the Tucson Sculpture Festival at Solar Culture, an event that seems rather unforgettable between the acrobatic yoga, live music, circus acts and whatever else they have planned. We went to the Sculpture Resource Center this week to see some of the work that's been exhibited as part of the Festival for Tucson Weekly TV.

When Gov. Jan Brewer released her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, officials at the Arizona Commission on the Arts had to do a double-take.

The state general funding for the commission had been cut from $665,000 to zero.

"We did not see this coming," said Bob Booker, executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

The commission's other income from the state, the Arizona Arts Trust Fund, is being cut in the proposed budget by $116,900, or about 8 percent of the fund's projected balance of $1.47 million for fiscal year 2012.

Although the cuts are damaging in and of themselves, they could carry the further consequence of jeopardizing the organization's federal grants, namely from the National Endowment of the Arts, said Casey Blake, communications director for the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Having slowly been on the uptick for the past few years, the federal grants for the commission stand at $932,000 for the coming fiscal year. Those funds, though, are contingent on the state maintaining its part of the bargain by not significantly cutting its own funding for the arts, a deal that would likely be broken if Brewer's proposed budget carries through, Blake said.

Booker said the loss of funding will have a devastating effect on the arts in Arizona, likely forcing the loss of programs for school children and outreach programs for neighborhoods and communities, among other yet unforeseen losses that are bound to affect the arts.

The cuts will drop Arizona to last in the country in per-capita support of the Arts, Booker said.

"We're trying to survive in a challenged society," he said.

• Meredith Hayes/Tucson Museum of Art

It's the debut night of Art After Dark, a new after-hour party at the Tucson Museum of Art. You've got four new exhibitions opening up, fire daredevils, performance artists, love confessions and more, all set to the music of DJ Carl Hanni. If you're not going to see Snoop at the Rialto, you really should be at TMA. Admission: a mere $10. Details: Here.

The 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12, performance of Invisible Theatre's Miracles has been cancelled. The schedule is as follows:

7:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday; 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m., Sunday, through Sunday, Feb. 20.

Invisible Theatre
1400 N. First Ave.

$25 general; one half-hour before curtain, tickets are half price, subject to availability.
Runs 2 hours, with one intermission

882-9721;
www.invisibletheatre.com

"Bethlehem Boy," 2007, blown glass, mixed media by Einar and Jamex de la Torre, will be on display in Borderlandia: Cultural Topographies by Einar and Jamex de la Torre, one of four shows opening Friday, Feb. 11, at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 North Main Ave.

Friday also marks the debut of TMA's first Art After Dark, an after-hours party at the museum that looks like a heck of a lot of fun. Here's the description from TMA:

Watch as fire swirls and human bodies become living masterpieces at the inaugural Art After Dark on Friday, February 11 at 8:00 pm at the Tucson Museum of Art. This all ages event is for anyone who wants to experience an evening of artistic expression and appreciation. Admission is free for Museum members and $10 for non-members. Come a little earlier and enjoy the opening for four unique exhibitions with the artists.

I can't pretend that I know enough about comic books to know who Francis Manapul is, but I trust the guys from Heroes and Villains that he's a big deal, plus the funds from this auction go to a great cause:

He showed us his vision of a better future on LEGION OF SUPERHEROES...

He put the pep in The Scarlet Speedster's step on THE FLASH...

He gave form to The Man of Tomorrow and The Dark Knight on SUPERMAN/BATMAN...

Now he's using his powers to give aid to homeless Tucsonan youth!

Fan-favorite-illustrator Francis Manapul has donated three pieces of original art (seen here: http://tinyurl.com/FrancisManapul) to local comic book shop Heroes and Villains, to be auctioned off on February 28th at 7pm.

100% of the proceeds will be donated to Open Inn, a local charitable organization dedicated to serving Tucson’s homeless youth.

Interested parties are encouraged to visit Heroes and Villains (located at 4533 East Broadway, between Swan and Columbus) anytime throughout the month of February to place a bid. Bidding ends February 28th, at 7pm.

When you’re down in the dumps — broke, depressed, bleak and weary — there’s a surefire way to lift your spirits.

Shopping, shopping, shopping therapy.

• Photo Ryn Gargulinski
• Tucson's new streetcar is bigger but not as cute.

It never matters that we neither need nor can afford whatever we buy, nothing beats the blues like a new set of butcher knives or shoes.

The City of Tucson is onto this little shopping therapy ploy to improve its own self-esteem. Rather than grabbing for cutlery or footwear, however, the town is going whole hog and buying itself a brand new streetcar.

The funding for purchasing this shiny new toy was voter-approved, which means most of the people who actually get out and vote agreed with the therapeutic benefits of buying things for the heck of it.

How does sculptures coming to life and messing with a guy who is none the wiser sound? What about an interactive live performance by a man named Andy and a literal ton of welded sculpture instruments?

Add those with 45 artists showcasing 300 pieces of sculpture and a couple extra local bands in the mix, and you have the opening celebration of the Second Annual Tucson Sculpture Festival, presenting by the Parasol Project, a local artist collective.
According to Daniel Wolverton, last year's show was supposed to be a one-time deal, but demand from artists to continue to sell their work prompted Wolverton, the founder, to begin the project again.

Tonight at 5 p.m. at the Sculpture Resource Center marks day one the two-week festival featuring, live music by The Missing Parts, Anarchestra (an interactive band of metal sculpture instruments), The Fiestacles, a theatrical performance by Parasol Project, refreshments and a "parading tour of venues."

When life bites, art heals.

Tucson has an abundance of healing to do in the wake of the tragic shootings. So it only follows suit we’re getting an abundance of art.

• Art and photo Ryn Gargulinski
• Hercule the peace beetle

A colorful, captivating collage of balloons and mementos already consumes a corner at the intersection of Pima Street and Swan Road, gracing the space in front of U.S. Congresswoman’s Gabrielle Giffords’ office.

Shrines, offerings, murals, music and other public displays are the visible results of a community’s automatic outpouring of love in response to a tragedy. Tucson responded.

More healing art comes our way Saturday with A Piece of Peace for Tucson, a double-location event put together by Bohemia and Borealis Arts “to honor the victims and celebrate the survivors of the terrible events of Jan. 8, 2011,” the announcement said. The event runs from 3 to 8 p.m. at Bohemia, 2920 E. Broadway, and Borealis Arts, 6530 E. Tanque Verde Rd., suite 160.

Bohemia is planning a public shrine to accept your offerings while Borealis plans an interactive canvas where you can share your thoughts. Both galleries will have message books for the victims’ families and message boxes for Giffords.

More than 40 artists have already donated works for Bohemia’s silent auction that night, with proceeds going to the Tucson Tragedy Victims Fund, The Gabe Zimmerman Memorial Fund and the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Fund.

Bluegrass legend Charlie Louvin died this morning of pancreatic cancer. Bill Friskics-Warren has followed Louvin's career revival since what Steve Earle's guitarist Eric "Roscoe" Ambel dubbed "the roots rock scare" of the '90s. Friskics-Warren wrote in the New York Times about Charlie's connection to his late brother, Ira, who died in 1965:

Mr. Louvin’s solo career spanned five decades, but, as he told Terry Gross, the host of National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air” program in 1996, he never got used to singing without his brother.

“When it comes time for the harmonies to come in, I will move to my left because my brother and I always used ... one microphone,” he said of performing solo. “Even today, I will move over to the left to give the harmony room, knowing in my mind that there’s no harmony standing on my right.”

"I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby":