In the Beginning – Let There Be Art!
by Sally Krommes, researched by Ward Wallingford
s we begin the New Year, there is much excitement and hope for the growth of downtown Tucson and the advancement of the Rio Nuevo project. Visions of exciting residential spaces, historical and cultural educational districts, parks and commercial zones are everywhere in the news. But, what is the vision for the role of the arts in the future of downtown Tucson? For without the symphony, the opera, the Temple of Music and Art, independent film venues, programming such as ArtWalks, the Open Studio Tour, Downtown Saturday Night, the locally owned art galleries, musicians, and of course artist sponsored parades (4000 people reportedly attended the November All Souls Parade), how many of us would have been downtown, spending money after 5 p.m. in the last ten years? Let’s face it, the arts have been and still remain the life support for Downtown. How do we honor this past and plan for a vital and sustainable expansion?
To learn more about incorporating arts into the building of thriving communities we spoke with Michael Keith of Contemporary West Development. Contemporary West is part of a team of builders recently awarded a contract by the City of Tucson to develop 12.8 acres of new residences on West Congress. According to Keith, the key to successful community development is people. “You have to bring people together in a meaningful way. Create a space where they can interact and where expressions of the people within the community can be displayed.” The people need to sing, create art, dance, share their cultural experiences and reinforce the value of being in community. It is also important that this environment be accessible on foot. Visual arts and performance were not meant to be appreciated from cars, planes or trains or even bicycles. The concept of slowing the movement of people to a pedestrian pace is central to Keith’s vision of integrating art into development.
Michael Keith describes a common theme of a market place or Mercado from Spain and Mexico as the ideal development model for the Menlo Park neighborhood and other downtown neighborhoods. The market place acts as the central destination point for everyone. It offers commercial and performance venues and is enhanced with sculpture, murals, street musicians and bike and walking paths. Borrowing from this ancient model, Tucson can offer its artists the opportunity to work with their neighbors to create greenways with sculpture, join in performances, and honor the diversity of cultures and talents in our City. The goal for good developers should be to create communities they would want to move into, to raise their families in. Not a place where they finish the job and then drive home to a distant suburb, never to come back downtown again.
The Arts have been a successful partner in the rebirth of other American cities and Tucson can learn from those that have faced similar challenges. Keith cites the success of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as an example of the incorporation of art in the redevelopment of a downtown community. Pittsburgh, like Tucson, had a struggling warehouse district within the downtown limits. Pittsburgh focused on the development of new, first-class arts facilities as well as the renovation and expansion of older facilities making it possible for arts groups to expand their seasons, for new patrons to visit downtown, and for ancillary businesses to grow around arts facilities. In turn, Pittsburgh saw its tax base increase and economic development efforts benefit substantially.
Another indicator that art will remain an integral part of Tucson’s vision is a significant change in how City of Tucson officials approve development for new projects and those based upon renovation of existing structures. According to John Updike, Project Manager in the Rio Nuevo Office of the City of Tucson, artists will be a strong part of future development teams and will collaborate at every part of the process. Updike cites the renovation of the dilapidated Thrifty Building on Congress St. near Stone as an example of this change. For the first time, requests for proposals from developers regarding this development will specifically ask how the developer plans to integrate the arts into these projects. Updike assures us that art will definitely be used as one of the final criteria when the decisions are being made.
Thanks to progressive thinkers like Michael Keith and growing support of City officials, we just might find the taste of Spain and the excitement of Pittsburgh inspiring the revitalization of our great downtown. 
4th Annual Family Arts Festival
January 11, 2004, 11 AM – 5 PM
TCC, La Placita and El Presidio Park
The Fourth Annual Family Arts Festival will be held on Sunday, January 11, 2004 from 11 am to 5 pm. The Festival will take place in the heart of downtown Tucson spanning the Tucson Convention Center, through La Placita Village, and across the Congress Street pedestrian bridge into Presidio Park.
About the Family Arts Festival
The fourth annual Family Arts Festival, a celebration of the arts and the rich cultural heritage of the Sonoran Desert is free to the public. This festival, in the heart of Downtown, is coordinated by the Tucson Pima Arts Council, it spotlights interactive and multidisciplinary arts experiences for all ages and showcases a diversity of artists and art forms.
The Family Arts Festival will have five stages presenting live theater, dance and instrumental music ranging from Scottish bagpipers to traditional Japanese dance to youth-produced theater and local bands. The Tucson Pima Arts Council is partnering with Tucson’s Sister Cities Association to highlight artists, craft demonstrations and food from around the world. More than 60 artists and arts groups will be showcased throughout the daylong celebration.
New this year is Kids Fest, featured on the La Placita staging area with entertainment and hands-on fun for children and their families. The Friends of the Tucson Pima Public Library will pioneer a book swap and other activities in the nearby Literary Arts Market. Exhibits and hands-on activities bridging science and technology and the arts will be available for older children and young adults. As you cross the bridge over Congress Street you will encounter a showcase of local nonprofit organizations and their services. As you walk through Presidio Park you will hear the music of the “phat” generation, be greeted with the aromas of fresh foods from around the world, and see Edible Art demonstrations by students. The new Festivals Stage will preview the music of Tucson’s biggest music festivals, with information booths presenting dates and music samplers for sale.
For full program, fact sheet, and more information, visit : www.familyartsfestival.org.
