Author Archive: Jamie Manser

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Elevating Female Voices

November 1, 2013 |

“The Best of Kore Press 2012 Poetry,” which Bowden describes as “a landmark publication since we’€™ve never done something like this before and we published it the year of our anniversary.”
Book cover photo by Valerie Galloway

Late October saw Kore Press’ downtown adobe office filling up with artwork – donations from local artists for the non-profit press’ 20th anniversary fundraiser, garden party and art auction on Nov. 10.

A large assemblage, eight framed pieces, from local artist Eva Harris had arrived since the last time co-founder and Executive Director Lisa Bowden had been in. She gazes at the accumulation with appreciation and curiosity, while Director of Operations and Development Therese Perreault describes the work.

“These are from Eva, calligraphy pieces done in the traditional form,” Perreault says while pointing to the compact disks that are accompanying each piece. “She listens to music when she works, and includes the CD and the track that inspired the piece.”

Everything is lying face down. Bowden exhibits patience even though it is clear she is itching to look at them. “It can wait,” she smiles, and leads me over to their library to explain the work published by the press. Bowden pulls out a chapbook and details how Kore Press offers a short fiction award for a single short story, in addition to its first book award for poetry.

“We have a big name judge and we publish it in a chapbook. The design is 8-1/2 by 11 (inches) folded in half, quick and dirty and interesting and compelling, like a short story. We do some kind of handmade element,” Bowden points to the 2010 short fiction award winner, Heather Brittain Bergstrom’s All Sorts of Hunger cover.

“In this case it’s a knot sewn through the Os in the title. Leslie Marmon Silko judged this one and Heather Brittain Bergstrom just signed a two book deal with big publishers in New York. She’s a Northwest writer and writes a lot about the sex worker industry in that part of the country. The voices of her characters are really interesting and unusual.”

Brittain Bergstrom’s book deal illustrates Kore Press’ success in its charge as a feminist press to elevate women’s voices and push to change the dominant paradigm of gender inequity in publishing.

“Women are unrepresented in creative writing and literary worlds, and in the publishing world and in the journalism world and in the media world, just like they are everywhere else.” She says it simply, and refers to Kore’s informational pamphlet that lists these statistics:

  • Only 29% of the members of the New York Times editorial board are women; 35% of The Wall Street Journal; 40% of the Los Angles Times.
  • Since 1948, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded to 42 men and 17 women.
  • Since its inception in 1923, Time Magazine has had only one female editor.
  • In 1980 there were over 40 feminists presses in the U.S. Now there are 10, eight are non-profit. Three have lasted over 20 years. One of them is Kore.
  • Kore has published over 120 female writers and has launched over 50 careers.

We step back two decades, to the beginning of Kore in October 1993. As conversations between creatives are wont to do, the idea that sprung from the minds of Karen Falkenstrom and Bowden took hold, became a reality and grew.

“We discovered there wasn’t anything like it in the Southwest, per se. In California, yes, and it just kind of took off from there. We were talking over coffee at The Cup Cafe and just decided, ‘We’re going to do it, we’re going to make it happen’.”

In the fall of 1993, Bowden had come out of the university’s English department and had been working for several years with Charles Alexander at Chax Press (“it was all about letter press printing and hand binding, mixing inks and using this wonderful old machines to make books”), Falkenstrom had been an MFA student and assistant to the director at the UA Poetry Center at the time, Alison Deming.

Synchronicity steps in when Alexander takes a job in the Midwest and sells the press to Kore; serendipity came along to bring Kore its first publication, Alison Deming’s manifesto Girls in the Jungle: What Does it Take for a Woman to Survive as an Artist?

Bowden had heard Deming present that 10 point manifesto at the Tucson Museum of Art’s exhibit of Guerrilla Girls posters. “Oh, yeah, I want that, I want that, that’s what I want to do, that’s what we’re about,” Bowden says, remembering the inspiration and excitement. “It was one of those light bulb moments. And Karen was working with Alison at the time at the Poetry Center and she just asked her. And I thought, ‘Well, that was easy, she just gave us a piece to publish’.”

The broadside was easy to publish; however the press’ first book Helen Groves, by Olga Broumas and T Begley, was done by hand and took a year and a half to produce 200 copies. “It was laborious and beautiful and kind of an exquisite thing,” Bowden shares. “From that point, we went back and forth between the two” forms of publishing.

This piece by Cynthia Miller is an auction offering at the garden party, Nov. 10.

“To me, what was important to establish was the value of aesthetics and beauty and the care that went into the making of the book was a way of honoring the labor of the writer. Sort of in-kind, because we weren’t making anybody any money, so to really lift up those voices with beauty and aesthetics and sort of arrest people visually as much as the words would do otherwise. Those were my skills, that is what I brought to the table.”

While Kore has mostly moved away from the labor intensive book-as-art publishing, its efforts to elevate the voices of women has manifested in other ways, through community engagement and working with young women to inspire and provoke their minds and realities.

As the press moves forward, the next steps include progressing into the national arena with a national board of directors, recognizing that “our books are distributed nationally, we have national and international submissions for our contests, and so, by the nature of what we do, we have a national and international audience” Bowden states.

“Sustaining is a whole other thing and that’s what we’re really interested in now, looking at what we’ve done and how to sustain that. And the track record that we have, not just in terms of longevity, but the kind of reach and impact that we’ve had with our projects is compelling to a lot of people.”

University of Arizona Art Professor Ellen McMahon is one of those people.

“Lisa Bowden and I shared a studio when she founded Kore Press and I’ve been a supporter since then,” McMahon writes via email. “I think I’ve donated work to every auction they’ve had. Kore is doing amazing and important work, encouraging and supporting women to get their ideas and voices out into the world. I have great respect for Lisa and the organization she has grown over these years and I’m glad to be a contributor.”

Local artist/auction consultant Valerie Galloway agrees, saying “Many women have benefited from Kore Press and the exposure they have received. I think it’s important for individual members of artistic communities to help each other and support each other, and this is a wonderful way to do that. I admire Lisa so much for her tireless dedication to women writers and the arts in Tucson.”

Mixed-media artist and art donor Cynthia Miller shares, “I have always been a supporter of  Lisa Bowden and Kore Press, even before Kore, when Lisa worked with Chax Press at the Steinfeld Warehouse. Lisa’s commitment to the craft of contemporary bookmaking is well met by the writing women of our generation. Kore Press celebrates everyone. I am just happy to be a small part of it all.”

Be a part of Kore Press’ 20th Anniversary celebration, fundraiser and art auction on Sunday, Nov. 10 on the lawns of the Franklin House, 402 N. Main Ave., from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Children under 12 are free. The price includes light fare, drinks and bidding privileges on the work donated by over 30 artists. Tickets available at KorePress.org or by calling (520) 327-2127.

 

Bidding a Mournful Adieu

October 29, 2013 |

Nowhere Man & A Whiskey Girl
Derrick & Amy Ross
photo by Jimi Giannatti

Comprehending death is always difficult for the living. We know it is coming, we’ve experienced it deeply time and again, but it is nevertheless devastating and jarring with each cherished darling whose temporal, physical existence ends.

On Oct. 14, 2013, Amy Ross – the singer and pianist of Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl – died from complications of Systemic Lupus. Years of kidney dialysis, and a diagnosis that left the last few years of her life on the other side of the apex of that diagnosis, took its toll on her body. Her love, husband, and songwriting partner Derrick Ross, the duo’s guitarist, chose to join her.

The music communities from Bisbee to Flagstaff are bereaved by the loss of this open-hearted, talented couple whose charm, grace and acerbic wit will be missed by those who knew and loved them. Following their deaths, friends of Amy (40) and Derrick (39) began the cathartic process of coming together to build a float in their honor for the Nov. 3 All Souls Procession (ASP).

Over several weekends preceding ASP, musicians, photographers, artists and writers poured heart-broken energy into a beautiful homage to Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. Big band letters, NMWG, were constructed to top a sixteen foot long and four foot wide float, end-capped by a piano for Amy with a guitar above it for Derrick.

Spearheaded by Keli Carpenter and Taylor Bungard of The Tryst, the construction’s rapid evolution blew everyone away. Over 40 thoughtful, competent and caring hands were on deck, driven by an urgency of time and emotion, and they deftly pulled it all together. As of Oct. 27, finishing touches such as lights, balloons, flowers and the float skirt were yet to be added, but with the vision of that amazing group of creatives, it is a float that will certainly stand out gorgeously in the All Souls Procession.

Local musician Stuart Oliver offered this quote, from The Healing Wisdom Of Africa by Malidoma Patrice Somé, as a reflection of their passing: “Death is not a separation but a different form of communion, a higher form of connectedness with the community, providing an opportunity for even greater service.”

On Nov. 23, local musicians will pay tribute to NMWG in a benefit show at Plush, 304 E. Sixth St. As of press time, the line up included: Buzz and the Soul Senders, Lonna Kelley, Dylan Charles, Dusty Buskers, Kiss the Killer and Fatigo. Check out the event on Facebook here. Other details forthcoming at PlushTucson.com.

 

Angles on Achieving Happiness

October 5, 2013 |

In a Downtown lecture series, five University of Arizona faculty members share how to utilize scientific research and ancient philosophies as tools for improving life.

Photos courtesy UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

In unscientific Facebook and verbal polls conducted by this writer, the question “What is your definition of happiness?” elicited responses ranging from one-word certainties (acceptance, self-respect, good friends, love) to a list of experiences that bring pleasure (a breeze, music, silence, the scent of desert rain); to smart-aleck (a warm gun) to grumpy and demeaning (your “research” is quixotic).

Certainly, individual definitions of happiness are subjective (not everyone finds happiness in solitude and camping), but, as a species – can we define what it is to be happy on some baseline level? Basic provisions for survival probably need to initially be met: water, food, clothing, shelter. Beyond that, what else is universal? Perhaps music, art and homage to a greater being or purpose; such themes have been a running thread in the cultural artifacts of us Homo sapiens.

The question has been rooted in philosophical thought for centuries, but recent scientific inquiries are quantifying elements of happiness in ways that, viscerally, most of us already know. Taking care of our physicality translates to well-being; exercising kicks in brain chemistry that influences our moods via our neurotransmitters. Conversely, it is difficult to be happy when you are sick. Why? Because you feel like crap, you are in pain, et cetera. We get satisfaction out of a job well done – and when people appreciate our work and say thank you, that unexpected benefit elevates our self-esteem. The scientific explanations can be complex, but the principles are simple and sometimes we need reminders on how to achieve a higher state of existence.

The questions, answers and implications are huge. The more satisfied, content or fulfilled a person is can directly affect their families, friends and neighbors. Our interactions with each other have a ripple effect – how many times have you been the brunt of displaced anger and subsequently snarled at the next person who crossed your path? What about the times when a random smile inspired you to randomly smile at someone else? We can create better communities and a better world by thinking about and acting on the concepts that will be shared at the Fox Theatre weekly on Wednesdays from Oct. 16 through Nov. 13, hosted and organized by the UA’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

While each UA faculty member has a different lens through which they will present their topics, the common thread and definition of happiness they share is the idea of creating a life of well-being and meaning.

Celestino Fernandez, Ph.D.

As the UA’s School of Sociology Undergraduate Studies Director Celestino Fernandez, Ph.D., describes: “People most consistently say that the following three things make them happy, and these are certainly sociological: family and friends, doing good for others, being engaged in meaningful activities. No one on their deathbed wishes they had more time to live so they could acquire more stuff! They wish they had more time to spend with family and friends.

“Yes, subjectivity is involved in the definition of happiness but there is a great deal of research that demonstrates that when we measure happiness, the nuances of the variations in the definitions do not matter.”

Fernandez’s lecture, “Pursuing and Finding Happiness,” on Oct. 16 opens the series with the major focus covering the fluctuations of an individual’s happiness based on age, income, education and other variables. It will also include “a substantive overview of the research on happiness from various social science fields” with the goal that the audience will have “a better understanding of why social scientists study happiness and some of the major findings on happiness, as well as some practical things they can apply in their daily lives to enhance their happiness.”

Dr. Charles Raison

Dr. Charles Raison, with the UA Department of Psychiatry and Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, observes that “the issue with happiness is – there’s this real risk in our world – that happiness becomes this commodified thing that you’ve got to pursue and if you don’t have it you are a loser, and that it is something you can almost purchase at a store, that it is a concrete thing. We know some very interesting things about happiness that argue against that. Part of what makes people really happy is unexpected benefit. So, some of the happiest times in people’s lives occur in paradoxical situations and it seems confusing unless you understand that the things that make humans happy are basic things like feeling like you have a meaning or purpose, feeling like the narrative arc of your life is telling a story that makes sense.”

Raison, who researches depression and ways to alleviate it, shares that “most people, especially in the modern world, when they really, really get unhappy for protracted periods and begin to have depression, they become more selfish, more self-centered, less able.”

Clearly, selfishness isn’t great for a community and his studies on Cognitively-Based Compassion Training – developed by Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Ph.D. – have preliminarily shown that (according to Psychiatry.arizona.edu/raison/cbct) “compassion training actually changes people’s daily behavior in ways likely to enhance emotional well-being, relationships, and improve physical health.”

On Oct. 23, Raison presents his findings in the lecture “Compassion Training as a Path to Genuine Happiness,” and explains that such training helps people to challenge their assumptions and perceptions of the world. “Basically, we are always looking at the world through this lens that falsifies it and does this damage and if you can see the world more as it is, it opens up opportunities and especially opportunities for happiness.”

Dr. Esther Sternberg

While our attitudes can be helped through mental exercises, our well-being is most certainly influenced by our surroundings. Dr. Esther Sternberg, who joined the UA in 2012 as a Professor of Medicine and the Research Director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine with joint appointments in the UA Institute of the Environment and the UA College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture, has done extensive research on mind-body interactions in illness and healing and the inter-relationships of mind-body-stress-wellness and environment.

Sternberg says her lecture on Oct. 30, “How Our Surroundings Influence Happiness and Health,” will “focus on well-being in its larger sense and specifically: What are the elements of the external world, the environment, the world we live in, the natural environment, the built environment, that can contribute to that sense of well-being? And, thereby, help us maintain health and optimize health – both emotional and physical?

“Is it what you see, is it what you hear, is it what you smell, is it what you touch, is it what you do in a space that can help you heal and help you find this sense of well-being? The answer is, all of the above, of course. The exciting thing we are doing here at the University of Arizona as I create the Institute on Place and Well-Being is part of that. The research that we’re going to be doing is going to address all of those questions.

“It’s very exciting to try to tease apart these different elements of place and how they affect the brain – and in turn emotions, and in turn the immune system, and in turn health. And by doing that, by understanding how each of these elements alone and then together can help people shift from the stress mode to a relaxation mode, from a negative mood mode to a happiness mode, how they can help shift the immune system from a diseased mode to a health mode, then people can help themselves. You can structure your environment in such a way that you can find your own place of peace, your own place of happiness, and your own place of healing.”

David Raichlen, Ph.D.

To understand our biological systems, it is imperative to understand how our physiology evolved and how that ties into well-being. Knowing that our brains and bodies communicate with each other, it is important to delve into the “why” of our physical make-up. As hunters and gatherers, Homo sapiens had to be structured to endure the demands of survival. Our current fast food nation, office work and inactive lifestyle don’t gel with our evolution. David Raichlen, Ph.D., researcher and associate professor at the UA School of Anthropology, is looking at how and why our present sedentary ways impact our physical and mental health.

Raichlen explains that his lecture on Nov. 6, “The Evolutionary Links between Exercise and Happiness,” is going to cover, “broadly, how we know exercise improves people’s mood and psychological state and discuss the bigger research projects that have shown that. Then, spend the majority of the time discussing our work in the lab here, linking that change in mood to our evolutionary history, placing the links between exercise and happiness into that evolutionary framework and perspective. Why does exercise make us happy? I’m hoping this speaks to a broader question about how any behavior can have an effect on our mood. What we’ve done in this study is provide at least one sort of way of thinking about why behaviors affect the way you feel. It’s not the only way it happens, but it is one way that it can happen. So, it gives you the opportunity to think about any particular behavior that makes you feel good. There may be an evolutionary perspective that can help explain why those behaviors are enjoyable and can change your mood and make you feel happy.”

Capping off the series on Nov. 13 is Daniel C. Russell’s presentation, “Happiness – A Feeling or a Future?” Russell, Ph.D. philosophy professor at UA’s Center for the Philosophy of Freedom, brings an ancient philosophical approach to the quest of achieving happiness.

Daniel C. Russell, Ph.D.

“By ‘happiness’ we often mean a present state – how I’m feeling right now, or maybe how I’m feeling these days. Those states are very real and very important. But I’m looking at something else, because ‘happiness’ can also be the name of a whole life of involvement in things I find meaningful and fulfilling.

“So, it’s worth taking a moment to think about happiness not just as how you want to feel but as what you ultimately want your life to be. That sort of happiness means finding things to live for. One way to know when you’ve found things to live for, though, is when you have something to lose. That’s the catch for us. As important as feeling good is, we actually risk a lot of sorrow, frustration, and disappointment for the sake of happiness; we realize that no-risk happiness isn’t really happiness. Unfortunately, a lot of what people hear about happiness focuses just on feeling good, as if that were the whole story. I think we can do a lot better.

“Simply put, we think about happiness because we care about what, in the end, we do with our lives. That, I think, is exactly the right perspective, and that is why I have found it worthwhile to keep exploring this ancient Greek perspective on happiness.”

The free lectures start at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday, from Oct. 16 to Nov. 13. Tickets, four maximum per person, can be picked up from the Fox Theatre box office, 17 W. Congress St., starting at 11 a.m. on the day of the lecture. More information is at DowntownLectures.arizona.edu.

Ephemeral Tucson Topography

September 30, 2013 |

A detail of the “Untitled (Basin and Range)” model.
The full scale installation is Alois Kronschlaeger’s largest piece to date.
photo courtesy MOCA

 

The sun is bright and angled just barely past overhead at 2:30 p.m. on a mid-September afternoon. Rolling up to the Museum of Contemporary Art, I park facing a work truck and next to the red moca letters at the museum’s plaza edge.

The soundscape is cut intermittently by the whirrrrrrr zzzzzzzzzzz of an electric saw, the scent of wood dust dances sweetly on a languid breeze. I move slowly, a little beat up from physical therapy, but also to take in the visuals. Not knowing what to expect from an installation that will only allow 10 people in at a time to experience it – in a huge space that once housed fire trucks – has piqued the curiosity.

Five men and a woman are working with 12-foot long two by twos. Thousands of these wood strips are already assembled together in MOCA’s Great Hall, hundreds more lie in mostly tidy groupings. A few of the guys look up out of curiosity, fleetingly – there is a deadline to meet.

MOCA’s Executive Director Anne-Marie Russell enthusiastically discusses the exhibit, Untitled (Basin and Range) by NYC, Austria-born, installation artist Alois Kronschlaeger. “Alois conceived the concept while here last year as a resident artist.” Russell smiles, adding that many of the artists who come through MOCA are inspired by the landscape. “These aren’t landscape artists, but the desert landscape becomes incorporated in their work.”

Russell says, “Let’s go meet the guys,” and we make our way across the plaza where Kronschlaeger and Henry Kerr are diligently concentrating on the project. Kerr is also an artist and the Basin and Range construction crew leader. En route, Russell introduces me to Florencia Minniti, Alois’ wife and a smiling beauty who looks very Tucson in her t-shirt, skirt and straw hat.

I’m awestruck by the scale of this work and not sure where to begin with the questions, so we start with the numbers. “There’s 1500 two by twos,” Kerr details. “This is recycled wood from three different, previous (MOCA) exhibits.”

Alois Kronschlaeger and Henry Kerr discuss the strategy for construction,
using the scale model as a reference.
photo from AloisKronschlaeger.wordpress.com

The installation depicts mountain ranges, comprised of 65 sections. Kronschlaeger, grinning and glistening with sweat, recounts the history. “I was here for nine days, in January 2012. I saw the (Great Hall) space, and went back to New York to build a model.”

Building the model alone took two months, six weeks of that was spent focusing on how to divide up the space. By the time the exhibit opens on Oct. 4, it will have taken about seven weeks of working 13 to 14 hour days, seven days a week, to construct it within the Great Hall.

“There are five ranges here,” Kronschlaeger continues, sweeping his arm back towards the Great Hall, which is filled to capacity with these wooden grids, still skeletal and awaiting definition. “Each has its own characteristics and attitude.

“What fascinated me was the topography, the basin and range of the landscape. I do site-specific work, so doing Tucson – it is the basin and range of the area.”

This is experiential art that navigates each individual through, under and around the ranges. It fires the imagination. What would it be like if we could actually move this way through mountain ranges? It is exciting and breathtaking.

Kronschlaeger asks if we should go through the ranges, I of course say yes, not realizing the ducking and dodging involved during this construction phase. Once the exhibit is completed, there will be free movement through the designated paths.

We take a break on the south end of the hall, and Kronschlaeger fleshes out the vision by explaining that the wood lattices – the ranges – will be draped with wire mesh that has a pouring of translucent paint on top.

“There are 10 rolls of mesh, each are six feet wide and 100 feet long,” Kronschlaeger explicates. “It’s a water-based acrylic paint, acting like an optic lens that mirrors the shifting of the light and the ambiance of the space.”

Each angle, every space, each moment, every perspective will be unique to each visitor based on the time of day. Since light shifts constantly as the Earth and Sun move in our solar system and universe, it is ephemeral defined.

Kronschlaeger’s blue eyes dance when he says, “It will take 75 gallons of paint,” as if to somewhat apologize for the quantity. Shrugging, he states with simple conviction, “Everything is in perfect alignment.”

Due to the limited viewing capacity, 10 people in the exhibit at a time, the Oct. 4 opening of Untitled (Basin and Range) is reserved for MOCA members. The general public can enjoy it starting on Oct. 5. MOCA is located at 265 S. Church Ave. Further details are available at MOCA-Tucson.org and (520) 624-5019. Also visit AloisKronschlaeger.wordpress.com to learn about the process of design and installation.

Learn! Know! Grow!

September 11, 2013 |

Brandon Merchant, proprietor of Southwest Victory Gardens, in his home garden in June. Merchant will teach attendees how to make organic pesticides and herbicides from common household items.
photo by Amber Merchant

Pima County Public Librarians are a cool, inspiring bunch. With all of the offerings at local libraries, it is apparent that the staff is constantly on the lookout for engaging and interesting activities to bring to the people. Take a spin around Library.Pima.gov‘s calendar and it is clear that the mission to “enrich lives and build community through opportunities to learn, know, interact, and grow,” is being met.

To that end, the main library Downtown is hosting DIY (do it yourself) Day, with over 30 Tucsonans teaching other Tucsonans everything from practical skills (like changing a tire), to music, photography, hypnosis and more on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The idea, says Librarian Kassy Rodeheaver, came “from an article in Library Journal about a library in Kentucky doing a DIY day and we thought, ‘Tucson is the perfect place for this kind of event.’

“The people in Tucson are willing to come out and teach new things and teach what they are passionate about and share those things with people. We had a committee brainstorm ideas we hoped people would volunteer to do, and we received over 60 responses during the application period.”

While there are activities happening for all ages, most of the programming is “geared toward older teens and adults,” Rodeheaver explains. There will be “lots of crafts as well practical applications to your everyday life, and other activities you may not have thought of trying, like the pole fitness class being taught by Tucson Pole Fitness. The inspiration there was reading about a public library in Scotland that had a pole fitness class.”

Rodeheaver says she has taken classes at Tucson Pole Fitness. The advanced aspects of the sport require a physicality of muscle control and skill, but there are basic moves accessible to beginners and people of all body types and sizes.

Sara Ivester, a Tucson Pole Fitness instructor teaching an entry-level class on DIY day, says, “We’ll do a few spins, a static hold and strength building exercises.”

Ivester has been teaching pole fitness for about two years, and said media coverage on the sport piqued her interest so she decided to check it out. “I’ve taken dance my whole life, and thought I’d naturally be good at it, which I wasn’t. There’s a bigger strength component that I didn’t realize.”

However, she says that one doesn’t have to build their upper body before trying it – a person just has to start and keep working on it. That is one of the three main misconceptions about pole fitness, Ivester elucidates. “Of course there’s always the stripper connotation, but that’s not what we do. Also, that they are too heavy or not in shape to do it. You (beginners) are always going to have to work hard and keep showing up and trying. People develop and change and get stronger.”

She adds that being a part of DIY day “is good for the sport, to have public events and encourage people to give it a try and hopefully try it again.”

If gardening is more your speed and working to control plant pests with organic solutions has you intrigued, then Brandon Merchant is instructing a class you’ll want to attend. Merchant, proprietor of Southwest Victory Gardens, is set to demonstrate how to make organic pesticides and herbicides from typical household goods.

Merchant was hipped to the opportunity via his neighborhood library at Himmel Park. “I’m there quite a lot and I have gotten to know my librarians and they thought of me. Himmel Park has a seed library,” he further explains,  “and I’m an avid gardener and have been donating seeds (there), and they know I started a businesses where I help people with organic gardening and garden coaching.”

Beyond Merchant’s botany expertise, he embraces volunteerism and the do it yourself spirit. “I’ve always been interested in DIY ethics, I was part of a punk scene with a DIY ethos that I carried through to gardening.

“There’s a whole organic industry out there trying to make a buck when there are common household items – like vinegar or garlic and chili peppers – that can do the same job. I’m going to make a couple (organic pesticides) on the spot and will have products for people to see and plan to do a Q&A afterward with questions regarding specific pests.”

Come ready to learn – bring your notebooks! – to the main library, 101 S. Stone Ave. Questions can be answered by calling 791-4010. The complete schedule was unavailable as of press time, but will be onsite the day of the event, and is online at Library.pima.gov.

Artistic Homage to the Suds

September 4, 2013 |

“The Pour House” by Mel Dominguez
Mixed media on found wood

“We should do a beer art show,” Nathan Saxton declared at Borderlands Brewing Company about a year ago. “Everyone laughed,” Saxton recounts, “and then, everyone kind of looked at each other and said, ‘We should do a beer art show!’”

So the planning began, and the Beer-Flavored Art Show was born.

“It’s been in various stages for almost a year,” says Saxton, proprietor of Borealis Arts Custom Framing and this exhibit’s curator. Saxton culled together artists through a general announcement, but many of the pieces were acquired by contacting people he had worked with for previous exhibits – specifically shows he produced that celebrated the sports of bicycling and soccer through artistic renderings.

Admittedly, Saxton said via email, he tends to organize art shows around his personal interests. “I love bicycles, so I started an annual exhibit of bicycle-themed posters every November. Soccer is another passion of mine, so I produce a similar show for my fellow soccer fanatics in February. I like beer, so an art show about that just seemed like the natural thing to do!”

And, naturally, the best locales to host a beer-themed art show are at local breweries. Approximately 25 pieces will be hung between Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 E. Toole Ave., and Thunder Canyon Brewery, 220 E. Broadway Blvd.

“Both Borderlands and Thunder Canyon have shown themselves to be strong supporters of the arts and community in general,” Saxton explains, and further explicates that he has been curating the art at Thunder Canyon Brewery since this May and at Borderlands Brewing Company for about a year.

“We’re confident in his taste,” says Mike Mallozzi, co-owner of Borderlands Brewing. “We met because Nathan’s framing shop (Borealis Arts) was next door. We always wanted to have local art, and it was a chance to work with him; it made sense because he is already involved in the art community.”

Anyone who really understands brewing and brewers knows that crafting beer is a combination of art, science, passion and dedication. It isn’t that much different than the processes an artist goes through to produce their creations.

“Will Skate for Beer” screenprint by Rich Rogowski

Saxton’s exhibit statement fleshes out the concept: “Have you ever had a chance to meet a brewer of beer? If not, I strongly recommend you seek one out. You’ll find him or her to be one of the most creative, passionate, articulate and intelligent people around. Have you ever had a chance to meet an artist? You’ll find that an artist almost always shares those some qualities. It is partly for this reason that I created The Beer-Flavored Art Show: to pay homage to the creations of a brewmaster through the creations of an artist.

“Another fascinating aspect of this show is that the approaches to creating art are as diverse as the varieties of beer. This show includes very inexpensive prints, stencils and larger paintings, so that just as there is a beer for all tastes, we are hopefully providing art for all tastes.”

This show will no doubt provide art for all tastes, as the current line-up of artists (as of press time) include: Devin Acadiz, Timothy Avila, Tracey Brown, Mel Dominguez, Matt McCoy, Joe Marshall, Joe Pagac, Rich Rogowski and, the curator himself, Nathan Saxton.

The exhibit shall include pieces that were previously made by some the artists and other work created specifically for this themed show. Although there “will be print runs at both venues, some (of the art) will be original work only available at one or the other venue,” Saxon elucidates.

“Each venue is going to have its own opening night ‘gimmick.’ Thunder Canyon will host New Belgium Brewing offering promotions and Borderlands will have growlers painted by local artists on sale.

“Opening night will be the most interesting night to attend,” Saxton intones, because, in addition to the aforementioned, there will also be “tee-shirts and limited run pint glasses with the show’s logo.”

Besides, having the event split between the two breweries encourages people to meander through Downtown to enjoy all of what is happening during 2nd Saturdays on Sept. 14, especially since the venues are a mere five to ten-minute walk from each other, depending on your speed.

The Beer-Flavored Art Show opens on Saturday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Details can be found at BorealisArts.com or by emailing borealisart@mac.com.

 

Carlos Arzate’s Musical Evolution

July 30, 2013 |

“I feel so liberated to be able to sing what I feel – soul, R&B, country – none of it is deliberate, it just comes out.”

Carlos Arzate is explaining the artistic shift from the loud rock he sang in his previous band American Andriod to the more upbeat, accessible, positive songs of Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls, self-described as Sonoran Soul.

“I was stuck in a rock mode (with American Android). This is an avenue to tap into all the influences I grew up on. With American Android, I was listening to a lot of Radiohead and Tool. That band formed at the time of The Patriot Act during the (George W.) Bush administration. I got involved with guys who wanted to preach anti-establishment. It was hard to listen to because it was so loud and had a lot of anger and self-righteousness. I was preaching from a soap box, for people to not be androids.

“In 2008, the steam went out (of American Android) with the Obama winning the presidency.”

Cut to 2011.

“I was learning to play guitar and wanted to be more hopeful. I talked to Ryan Alfred after Gabby (Giffords and others) got shot, asking him, ‘How can we be the change we want to see in the world?’

“Ryan encouraged me to keep playing guitar and writing songs that weren’t American Android.”

Ryan Alfred, who is also Calexico’s current bassist, is credited by Arzate as being a major catalyst in Arzate’s musical evolution.

“I met him through Cameron Hood (of Ryanhood), and he played a few American Android shows on bass.” Alfred also produced and mixed the forthcoming Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls EP, Fly Away.

By the end of 2011, Arzate had scribed 10 songs on guitar; fueled by the knowledge he had gained from people like Taylor Bungard (of The Tryst) teaching him chords and from a desire to honor his sister.

“My older sister Anna was a real champion of me performing and she told me I had to keep learning.” When Anna passed away, Arzate penned “My Darling Dear,” a song he describes as “singing to our loved ones beyond the grave.

“And (all of this) helped me become more confident as a songwriter and to be known as a songwriter.”

In the fall of 2011, Arzate opened for Sweet Ghosts (a project of Ryan Alfred and Katherine Byrnes), and he admits: “I was scared to take the plunge. It was a real watershed moment for me because people liked it. I was able to say the same things, but people can groove to this. I still feel relevant in social commentary, but it is not as polarizing.”

As we talk about his background and the new EP, I feel honored to sit with a man who is real about his desire to bring positivity to the world. The five songs on Fly Away capture that mission. Arzate’s tunes have the heart-warming, and political, poignancy of Ziggy Marly and Michael Franti with a southwestern bent.

“It is a backlash against the brutality of humanity,” Arzate says. “Being tired of being angry and trying to be more hopeful.”

Opening the EP is the title track, a sweet, soaring sing-along song with percussion that reminds me of the beach. Carlos says it is about “shaking off adversity and the things that hold us down.” The next tune, Love Letter Missile, is darker with an edgier feel – it has that desert rock vibe and great lines like: “I don’t need to take no lip from the mouths of hypocrites who don’t see it my way. I don’t need to waste my cares on what other people say; they don’t matter anyway.”

The third song, On The Fence, features Arzate’s heart-searing howling and Jon Villa’s trumpet playing, with Carlos singing about the border and its militarization. “There’s no dialogue anymore, it’s just a one-sided conversation,” Carlos intones during the interview. Following is A Little, about finding common ground and “working it out,” Arzate says. “Turn down the hyperbole; we’re all generally in the same boat.”

Dear Liberty, the EP’s final track, is a gorgeous piece stripped down to Arzate’s voice and acoustic guitar. His vocals crackle with wisdom and pragmatic optimism that is genuine about embracing a humanitarian world view.

Overall, the directive is to “be more positive with a message of community. Be kind in your everyday walk!”

Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls perform an EP release show on Saturday, August 3 at Plush, 340 E. 6th Ave. Details are at www.CarlosArzateMusic.com. CDs of “Fly Away” will be available for sale at the show. There is also a Phoenix gig on Friday, August 2 at Last Exit Live, 717 S. Central Ave.

So, who are the Kind Souls? On the “Fly Away” EP, the Kind Souls include: Ryan Alfred (bass, acoustic guitar, backing vox, synthesizers), Collin Shook (piano, organ, vibraphone), Nadim Shehab (drums), Aaron Hulstrand (acoustic/electric guitar), Katherine Byrnes (backing vox), Jon Villa (trumpets), Jason Urman (accordion), Han Hutchinson (pedal steel), Efren Cruz Chavez (congas, shaker, tambourine).

photo by Jimi Giannatti

 

Embrace & Harvest the Rain

July 22, 2013 |

Brad Lancaster, a Tucson gem and water harvesting guru.

Most desert dwellers love, crave, the summer monsoons.

The magical intensity of clouds building up to bring forth los chubascos results in a full-body experience. The scent and taste of the showers, the cooling of the air; the visuals of grey and purple skies lit up by white-hot lightning, the BOOM of the thunder claps and the sound of the sheeting downpours is always so mind-blowing.

What isn’t so awesome are the resultant flooded streets, trying to navigate roads turned into rivers, while watching rainwater whisked away from thirsty ground.

Locally, lassoing rainwater to change the dire and dangerous flooding has been turning tide with the help of many organizations, city codes and the tireless work of Brad Lancaster.

Lancaster is a Tucson gem and water harvesting guru who, according to his bio at HarvestingRainwater.com, culls from the sky, at his abode, “100,000 gallons of rainwater a year on a 1/8-acre urban lot and adjoining right-of-way.”

Anyone who has watched the evolution of Lancaster’s Dunbar/Spring ‘hood over the last decade knows this. A few months ago at a lunch meeting with Arizona State Representative Steve Farley, Lancaster’s efforts came up and the District 28 Democratic Representative said: “Brad Lancaster has transformed that neighborhood.”

Besides transforming a neighborhood, Lancaster has helped to transform a city, and a dominant paradigm in a country that regards water as an endless resource that comes from the spigot. In 2006, he released his first book, Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Volume 1: Guiding Principles, and followed that up with Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volume 2: Water-Harvesting Earth Works in 2008.

This June, Lancaster released a second edition to Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Volume 1, which features “100 pages of new information, 120 new images, 40 additional images revised, and more,” he wrote via email.

Lancaster was a road warrior in June 2013, spreading rain harvesting techniques on a whirlwind tour of seminars, talks and book signings between New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. We tried to connect on the phone, but his vehicular travels between the mountainous regions of Utah and Nevada thwarted cell phone interview efforts.

We settled on an email exchange about Volume 1’s upcoming new addition, his thoughts about Tucson’s efforts in the rain harvesting arena and advice for the novices interested in saving water from the sky.

Zocalo Magazine: We caught you at a really busy time! Looks like June has been packed with events – book signings, readings, seminars and talks. How long have you been on the road for this last go-round?

Brad Lancaster: Well. I was a relative hermit working on finishing the book before its release on June 13 (2013). Though this past spring, I did teach in Baja, Mexico; Madrid, NM; Albuquerque, NM and a few other locations. But now that the book is out I’ve been on the road since June 13. I’ll return July 1. The Events section of my website lists some of my upcoming events. Some teaching trips abroad, perhaps not yet listed, include southern Italy and Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.

ZM: For the novice, let’s say a mid-westerner or an east-coast transplant to Tucson, what basic steps would you recommend one takes for getting their proverbial feet wet (and not getting overwhelmed!) 

BL: Get out in the rain to see where it goes, where the runoff flows, how much there is, and the tremendous potential you’ll likely have to harvest. This is the really fun stuff – dancing in the rain!

Then I recommend they simply shape the earth with a shovel (when the soil is moist and easy to work) to redirect the runoff to their plantings where it is a resource, rather than to the street or elsewhere where the water is wasted and lost.

Often this entails digging a simple basin around or beside plantings, using the dug out soil to create a section of raised pathway that will redirect and harvest still more water. Then harvest organic matter and fertility as well by mulching the basin with organic matter, or at the very least just let any fallen leaves beneficially collect there.

We call leaves “leaves” because we are supposed to leave them where they fall beneath plants (in water-harvesting earthworks) where the leaves (and cut up prunings) will break down and build healthier, more water-absorbent, more fertile soil for free.

ZM: Have you seen positive changes locally, regionally, nationally when it comes to harvesting rainwater?

BL: Yes. When the first edition of my first book was released in 2006, it seemed only a few people were harvesting water. Now there are many, many more citizens, businesses and neighborhoods doing it all over town, the southwest and the globe.

Tens of thousands have been inspired into action by my books, presentations, and teachings.

And these numbers are swelling even more by the work of a growing number of water-harvesting installers, groups teaching and promoting water harvesting such as Watershed Management Group, Sonoran Permaculture Guild, our City, and people creating demonstration sites on their property, at their kid’s schools, or in the public right-of-way along their neighborhood streets.

For example, when I started harvesting water I was the only one doing so on my block. Now 80% of the folks on my block do so!

ZM: What would you like to see from Tucson’s citizens and city government? What aspects do you applaud and where can we improve?

BL: I would like Tucson to be known as a water-harvesting capital of the southwest. Thus I’d like passive water harvesting to be the norm in every private, public, and commercial landscape in such a way that rainwater and storm water runoff would be the primary irrigation sources of all our landscapes, and greywater would be a secondary source where available. This would be a huge shift from the current common/dominant practice of using drinking water from Tucson Water as the sole source of irrigation water in most landscapes.

I would also like to see Tucson become a sun-harvesting capital of the southwest where every new or retrofitted building and landscape is oriented and designed to maximize the free winter heat and light of the sun, while maximizing the free cooling of shade in summer. In addition, Tucson should get the majority of its power and water heating from our abundant sun, rather than coal and natural gas. A solar rights act protecting buildings’ year-round access to the sun for active and passive solar harvesting is key to this. New Mexico already has such a solar rights act in place, which could inform our efforts.

My new book shows many ways to do this, while also harnessing other free on-site resources such as the wind and community.

I applaud those who have already made this a reality in their own lives, homes, businesses, and/or schools and places of worship.

I also applaud the City for its incentives such as the $2,000 per home rainwater-harvesting rebates and the $1,000 per home grey-water harvesting rebates. I also applaud the City for mandating that commercial landscapes provide at least 50% of their irrigation needs with harvested rainwater, and all new city streets harvest at least the volume of water falling in a half inch rainstorm. I want to see this mandated for all new private streets in new housing developments as well.

ZM: What will your talk and demonstration cover at the downtown library on July 27?

BL: I will cover all the above and more in an entertaining and informative way. I’ll show folks myriad ways we can simultaneously enhance the quality of all our lives, our community, our economy, and our environment. I’ll show folks how we can all enhance more vibrant life.

The July 27 event runs from 11am-1pm at 101 N. Stone Ave. Details on it, and Lancaster’s techniques, are at HarvestingRainwater.com.

Hot Fun in the City

July 11, 2013 |

Being a Tucson townie has never been better. Of course, we all need our cool clime respites, but for hanging here, there’s lots going down. Following is a round-up of groovy going-ons that caught our eyes.

Hotel Congress
311 E. Congress St., 622-8848, HotelCongress.com

Downtown’s venerable hot spot is keeping things hopping inside and out. Since the plaza was built out a couple years ago, there are usually dual events, simultaneously, for diverse crowds. Sitting in the busy hive with Entertainment Director David Slutes, he ran through the robust July/August calendar that proves they still got it, and they are rocking it. “We’re doubling down on events, every weekend, there’s always stuff going on, along with special events.”

Eddie Spaghetti at Congress July 19.

Highlights include: The two day “Rawksplosion” free music shows July 2-3 with Milk Music, Hausu, White Night, Lenguas Largas, Dream Sick and more. On July 6, Congress hosts the Bikini Island Party; during 2nd Saturdays on July 13 is a free concert on the plaza with Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde) starting at 7 p.m. The plaza holds another free show on July 19 with Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers) and Rick Hopkins at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 21 sees a Southern Arizona Blues and Heritage Foundation presentation with legendary blues musician Ian McLagan. Show commences at 7 p.m., tickets are $10-$12.  Beloved Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker hit the Congress stage on July 23, cost is $15-$17, start time is 7:30 p.m.

In August, notable haps are: James McCartney (yes, Paul’s son) on the 5th, 7 p.m., $15. Brit Bobby Long on August 12, 7 p.m., $15. Polyphonic Spree (Yippee! How will they fit on stage?) performs on August 26, 7p.m., $18-$20. At the end of August is the kick off to the annual HoCo Fest, taking place Thursday, August 29-Sunday, September 1. Thursday is an 80s night featuring Men Without Hats and Howard Jones, Latin night is Friday, Saturday is a free day/night with family fun, and Sunday hosts bands inside and out with national acts inside and local bands outside.

Weekly staples at Congress are: dance nights Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Salvador Duran on the patio on Thursdays, live music Wednesdays and Fridays, and karaoke on Sundays.

Beyond music, the hotel is also offering weekly Saturday Summer Beer Tastings, which are $20 per person and include food from Cup Cafe.  Reserve a spot by calling the hotel front desk.

The website is constantly being updated, so keep an eye on it for more great stuff.

Playground
278 E. Congress St., 396-3691, PlaygroundTucson.com

Being a grownup has never been so fun! With indoor/outdoor seating, killer screens/sound system and a bird’s eye view from the roof, Playground is a must hang this summer. Weekly offerings are: Spelling Bee Mondays (8 p.m.), Date Night: Dinner & A Movie Tuesdays (7 p.m.), REWIND: Old-school Hip Hop Wednesdays (10 p.m.), Ivy League – Thursday College Night (9 p.m.), and Umm, I’m going to need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday…Sundays (10 p.m.)

On July 11, The Crystal Method is performing a sold out show in the roof, but don’t fret, proprietor Kade Mislinski said their show “will video feed to downstairs bar and such, with a $5 cover for downstairs.”

Mislinski also let us know that “Playground now serves lunch, dinner and late night with a full menu, the kitchen is open 11 a.m. till 12 a.m. and till 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Plus, free delivery (boundaries are Speedway, Campbell, 22nd and Grande).” Check out the menu online.

The Dance Floor
Rhythm Industry, 1013 S. Tyndall Ave., DanceFloorTucson.com

Every 3rd Saturday, all ages are welcome to dance their tails off at Rhythm Industry from 8 p.m. to  10:30 p.m. Event creator Marnie Sharp says, “The music is a blend of pop, rock, world music and such. I strive for upbeat tunes that keep the energy high. I’m looking to attract those who aren’t into the bar scene, being a no-alcohol event. There’s a nice lounging area and water is provided. The cost is $5 to get in and children under 12 are free.” Visit them this summer on July 20 and August 17.

Ignite Tucson! presents: “It’s A Curious World”

Ignite Tucson!
Steinfeld Warehouse, 101 W. 6th St., Facebook.com/ignitetucson

David Aguirre is bringing back this popular event on July 12. It is, Aguirre says, “an evening of 15 talks each lasting only 5 minutes. Talks cover a wide variety of innovative interests. 15 presenters are selected beforehand. Each talk is accompanied by 20 images selected by the presenter. Each image is on the screen for 15 seconds. Many of the presenters are unknown, but are doing amazing feats in the community. Great summer fun.”

The shindig, entitled “It’s A Curious World,” runs from 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. with Belly Dance Tucson and food trucks rounding out the affair.

 

KXCI Summer Concerts/Fundraisers
623-1000, KXCI.org

The Paladins perform at KXCI’s “House Rockin’ Blues Review” July 19.

On Friday, July 19, KXCI brings back its “House Rockin’ Blues Review” with The Paladins, Bob Corritore, Mike Eldred, Bad News Blues Band, Tom Walbank, Mike Hebert, and the Rockabilly Strangers at El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th St. The rock runs from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. and tickets are $12 advance, $10 KXCI Member advance (at KXCI only), or $15 at the door.

“It will be a high-energy night of fun for the middle of summer,” comments GM Randy Peterson. “El Casino features a huge dance floor, plenty of seating, great acoustics and quick bar service – everything you’d want in a July concert in Tucson.”

On August 17 is the KXCI Celebrates 1973 at Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St., with local bands covering great tracks released that year. “This tradition started when we paid tribute to the 40th anniversary of Woodstock in 2009,” Peterson explains. “The next year, saluting the music of 1970 seemed like a fun way to continue the fun, and now in its 5th year, it’s a modern tradition.” Performers were unavailable as of press time.

Library Learnin’
Library.pima.gov

The city-wide libraries are hosting tons of great fun and learning opportunities this summer, be it about gardening, art, book clubs and more. Between the brick and mortar locales and the website, the Pima County Libraries really are a window to the world. For example, with your library card, you can learn a new language online, and read ebooks and experience so much more.  Find your closest branch, or simply log on with your library card and get cracking!

Monterey Court
505 W. Miracle Mile, 207-2429, MontereyCourtAZ.com

Gabriel Ayala Quintet performs Aug 2.

This 1938-built motor court turned boutique shops, café and bar, and live music venue is infusing renewed energy on Miracle Mile with stylish grace. Live music shows runs most days except Mondays, the café and bar have regular specials such as happy hour drinks with $5 appetizers and a brew and burger special for $10. There’s also tequila Tuesdays, wine Wednesdays and Friday beer tastings.

Music shows are outdoors, but the misters shall keep you comfortable! There are over 30 bands scheduled for July and August, herein are some spotlights. Sundays: Smooth Jazz. July 5, Mustang Corners, Sabrina & Craig, Leila Lopez Band. July 6, Last Call Girls.  July 12, Surf Palooza with Big Galoot, Shrimp Chaperone and The Furys. August 2, Gabriel Ayala Quintet. August 9: Fish Karma & the Love Generation. August 17, Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona fundraiser with The Determined Luddites.

Check out the website for all the great offerings and information on menus and cover charges.

Tucson Scoop Fest
HUB Parking lot, between Congress and Broadway off 5th Avenue, TucsonScoopFest.com

Not much was available as of press time, but this July 13 event sounds delish – sundaes, milkshakes and dunk tank, oh my! It runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. during 2nd Saturdays Downtown.

Tucson Spelling Bee
Facebook.com/tucson.spellingbee

The second Tuesday of each month sees SkyBar, 536 N. 4th Ave., hosting hot-shot spellers competing for a $25 Brooklyn Pizza gift certificate and a trophy! This happens July 9 with the 3rd Annual Spell Off happening August 13. 6:30 p.m. sign up to spell, 7 p.m. bee begins.

Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls perform at 2nd Saturdays July 13.

2nd Saturdays Downtown
Along Congress Street, 2nd Saturdays.com

The streetcar construction didn’t stop the monthly event, and neither does the heat! The events run from 6 p.m.- 11 p.m. and feature free outdoor tunes at Scott Avenue, on the roof of the Pennington Street Garage and at La Placita Village on July 13 and August 10, along with kids’ fun and a free outdoor movie.

Digging into the Planter Project

July 11, 2013 |

Smiles, salutations and the heavenly scent of books greet this writer on a summer Saturday morning at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library downtown. It is a half hour to opening and the staff is merrily chatting and organizing before their visitors arrive; light streams in through the southern facing floor-to-ceiling windows. The positivity and liveliness are contagious.

Today is a chat with Librarian Karen Greene who is much more than a librarian. Greene is a deeply involved community member (Mind Our Own Businesses, Tucson Spelling Bee, Book Bike, among other projects) and a visionary, with goals that range from short- and medium- to long-term, all shared with an inspiring lilt. We are sitting at a table in the library’s “café,” facing the plaza and the large planters we are meeting about.

“If I were queen,” she says, sweeping her arms in a gesture toward the Jácome Plaza and describing ideas for the half city-block space between the library and Pennington Street, with Stone Avenue and Church Avenue bordering the east and west ends. The field of vision fills with families enjoying a playground, a water splash park, a Kino Heritage Garden. Down the road, of course, if time and money can materialize…

“There are lots of cities with plazas that are vital to their downtown and we want Jácome Plaza to be vital to our downtown,” Greene explains. “I see a weekly event bookend: we have Meet Me at Maynard’s on Mondays, let’s have Meet Me at the Plaza on Fridays.”

Until the larger scope concepts can find sponsors or grants, there are more manageable projects on the horizon that will lead to refreshing the energy at Jácome Plaza. This summer, with the help of several community groups,  the main library is gearing up to revitalize the plaza’s large, grey, concrete planters that flank the building’s southern end with new vegetation and dedicated attention.

“The idea,” Greene says, “was another way to get the word out about the seed library and as a method to involve people in the planting process. The library is all about learning how to do stuff.”

Library Associate and Seed Librarian Kelly Wilson adds that the project “will demonstrate the possibilities of container gardening (to community volunteers) and how to replicate it at their homes and feel empowered to garden.”

The local food and gardening movement has been gaining noticeable traction as more and more people are realizing the necessity of taking back the food supply chain from corporate powers. While gardening in arid lands can be intimidating, Tucson is blessed to have numerous resources available to the novice. The planter project is a great way for the uninitiated to get their hands dirty and minds expanded.

With the guidance of local organizations such as Aravaipa Heirlooms, Arizona Native Plant Society, Community Gardens of Tucson and others, interested Tucsonans can adopt a planter and work under the tutelage of mentors to help grow and maintain the vegetation.

“Creating the (planters’) designs are the community mentor groups,” Greene shares. Wilson adds to that, saying, “They decide what is going in the planters, they know what is doable in this kind of environment, and will share that information with the volunteers to maintain the planters.”

Also contributing to the effort is the Downtown Tucson Partnership, which will be supplying some soil plus man power to the watering scheduling, along with the University of Arizona’s Compost Cats offering compost.

The library will also provide workshops to the general public once “we get planting,” Greens says. The planting day and “Big Dig” for the volunteer and community groups is on September 28, as part of the library’s DIY Day.

As the interview wraps up, we walk over to the seed library. Potential plant life resides in little packets organized in an old card catalogue.

Greene pulls out a few examples, shows the bar code and explains: “You can check out six packets at a time. Once a month, we take those off of your account and you can get six more. The seeds are labeled easy, medium, advanced, which relates to the difficulty in saving the seeds.”

The idea is for borrowers to voluntarily return seeds from the plants they grow. “We want people to harvest seeds from their best plants; we’re also looking for stories,” Greens explicates. “If you don’t save them (the seeds), you don’t save them.”

The ultimate goal, Wilson says, is to have a “completely community supported seed library that will reflect what does work here and what doesn’t work here. We want community ownership of the seed library.”

It looks like it is working. Last month, Wilson said, one thousand seed packets were circulated and one-half of those were donated by local gardeners.

Informational meetings about the planter project are at the main library, 101 N. Stone Ave. on:  Saturday, July 13, 8:30am-10am; Friday, July 16, noon-1pm; Saturday, August 10, 2pm-3:30pm; Friday, August 23, noon-1pm; Friday, September 6, noon-1pm. More details at Library.pima.gov (search Planter Project and seed library) or by calling the info line, 791-4010.

 

 

 

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