Equity in the Arts

Important Dates

Job Opening

• Coordinator, Student Programs – open until filled

Undergraduate, Graduate

• Filling the Pig, a financial literacy series on October 2, 9, 16, and 23

Faculty, Staff

• Admissions and Financial Aid 101 on October 15

Honoring Heritage

LGBTQ+ History Month, Oct. 1-31, 2024

This month is dedicated to honoring achievements and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community, including National Coming Out Day on October 11, 2024.

Campus & Community Events

• Sep 24: Supporting and Affirming Your LGBTQ+ Child
• Sep 27: Tucson Pride Parade
• Sep 27: 36^th Annual AIDSWalk
• Sep 28: Tucson Pride Festival
• Oct 3: Queer for Good 2024
• Oct 5: Mapping Q Art Fair
• Oct 6: U of A OUTober Kick-off
• Oct 10: Solidarity Coalition Training
• Oct 11: National Coming Out Day
• Oct 11: Bits & Bobs Open Stage Drag and Burlesque Show
• Oct 17: Queeraoke
• Oct 19: Habitat for Humanity Annual Rainbow Build

Resources

• LGBTQ Affairs
• 2SLGBTQIA+ Faculty & Staff Association
• Library Guide to Creating an LGBTQ-Inclusive Classroom
• Lesbian Looks Film Series
• Arizona Queer Archives (AQA)
• Southern Arizona Senior Pride
• Human Rights Campaign guides on coming out
• The Coming Out Handbook from The Trevor Project
• LGBT National Coming Out Support Hotline at 888-688-5428

We Are Hiring

Job posted on Sep 27, 2024
Open until filled

Arizona Arts seeks applicants for a new Coordinator for Equity in the Arts Student Programs. This staff position will support the JustArts Fellowship, Mentoring in the Arts Professions (MAP), and Student Artist Live Opportunity Night (SALON). Candidates with a background in the arts, strong collaboration and organization skills, and who are creative in developing student outreach programs and engagement strategies are encouraged to apply.

Fall 2024 Ableism 101 Series

LGBTQ+ Liberation And Solidarity Trainings

Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 | 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Friday, Dec. 5, 2024 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

The LGBTQ+2S Resource Center has re-designed the Safe Zone program to meet the U of A campus needs with an all new curriculum. The Solidarity Coalition trainings address what active solidarity with LGBTQ+2S people and communities looks like in practice. Register for a 3-hours, in-person training session to find out how you and your peers can support queer and trans people on campus and beyond.

DRC Drop-In Hours at LGBTQ+ Resource Center

Friday, Oct 11 & Nov 22, 2024
1:00 pm | Student Union, Rm 404V

The DRC is hosting drop-in hours at the LGBTQ+ Resource Center once a month starting September 13th! Have questions about DRC or accessing accommodations for your courses or exams? We’re here to provide support! Learn how to navigate the DRC website to schedule exams, activate accomodations, or connect with your access consultant. Swing by to say “Hello”!

8th Annual Tucson Deaf Awareness Week

Deaf Awareness Month (September) is a time to recognize the unique culture and languages of the Deaf community. Tucson Deaf Awareness Week is hosting various event during the week of September 23rd – 29th.

Monday, Sept 23

• ASL film, 3:30 – 7 PM; Free Admission at Berger Performance Art Center, 1200 West Speedway
• Pickleball and Signing: A rally in ASL by University of Arizona, 7:00 PM at Udall Park

Wednesday, Sept 25

• Tucson CODA’S Skate Night, 6 – 8 PM at Skate Country; $6 admission & $5 Skate Rental

Thursday, Sept 26

• Deaf Experience Panel, 1:30 – 3:30 PM; in-person at PCC West Campus Cafeteria & Zoom
• Special Deaf Awareness Night, 5:00 – 9:00 pm at Trail Dust Town

Friday, Sept 27

• Deaf Mentor Program Paint Night, 3 – 5 PM at ASDB Cafeteria, 1200 West Speedway
• Justin Perez Performance, 7 – 8 PM at Berger Performance Art Center, ASDB

Saturday, Sept 28

• TDAW closing ceremony, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm at ASDB, 1200 West Speedway
• ACE’s & LCR Card Games, 5:00 pm at Tucson Deaf Community Center, 1436 N 11th Ave

Sunday, Sept 29

• T-Mobile Accessibility Day, 12:00 – 4:00 pm at T-Mobile, 4362 N. Oracle Rd., Suite C

DocScapes Presents “Borderland: The Line Within”

Sunday, Sep 29, 2024
4:00 PM | The Loft Cinema

New JustArts Fellows Are All About Change

Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024

The 2024-2025 JustArts Fellows cohort has been selected and they include: Nicolette “Niko” Gomez (School of Art), Ruben “Ben” Reynoso (School of Theatre, Film & Television), Mackenzie “Kenzie” Roberts (School of Dance), Taryn Williamson (School of Music), and Chris Zatarain (Applied Intercultural Arts Research).

The fellows have to identify a problem within the campus and broader Tucson community and propose solutions using the arts to encourage positive change.

Race/Remix Podcast’s Season Two Begins with Episode 7: Kayla Farrish

Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024

Racial Justice Studio just launched the second season of Race/Remix podcast! New episodes are released monthly. We invite you to enjoy Episode 7: Creating Magic Out of Hopelessness, in which Kayla Farrish, choreographer/filmmaker/photographer and School of Dance alumna, offers performers strategies for challenging industry norms.

Indigenous Pedagogies Speaker Series – Fall 2024

LGBTQ+2S Resource Center Open House

Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024 

11:00 am – 1:00 pm | Student Union, 4th floor, 404

---

African American Student Affairs (AASA) Fall Open House

Thursday, Sep 5, 2024
3 – 5 pm | MLK Center, 1322 E. 1st St.

Join AASA for our annual fall open house!

Meet our staff, learn about our programs and student organizations, all while enjoying some ice cream.

2024 Open House: “Nuestra Casa Es Su Casa”

Wednesday, Sep 4, 2024
2:00 – 4:00 pm | Chavez Building, 2nd floor

Join us! Stop by the Guerrero Student Center Open House and learn more about our resources, initiatives, mission and vision!

Food Provided: Nachos de Carne Asada and Vegan+ Gluten Free Option Available!

Call for Artists! HSI Initiatives & Los Universitarios Mural

Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Deadline

We invite all artists to submit their art submissions by July 31st!

Los Universitarios, in collaboration with the University of Arizona’s HSI Initiatives, seeks to commemorate the history and impact of this group and the advancement of HSI Initiatives with a mural located on the university.

The Benefits and Impact of the Diversity Event Grants

Spring Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024 for events beginning no earlier than May 31, 2024
Award: $1,000 – $2,000

The Diversity & Inclusion Event Co-Sponsorship Grant program supports diverse programming that features artists and subjects representing a wide variety of identities and perspectives. Students, faculty, and staff in the College of Fine Arts and the division of Arizona Arts are eligible to apply.

Drs. Daniel Linder and Elizabeth Schauer discuss how the Diversity & Inclusion Event Co-Sponsorship Grants have benefited their program and impacted students.

Tucson Juneteenth Festival 2024

Saturday, June 15
4:00 – 10:00 pm | Kino Sports Complex

Celebrate freedom at the 45th Annual Juneteenth Festival at the Kino Sports Complex on Saturday, June 15 from 4-10p! Live entertainment, retail and job vendors, car show, kid zone, free toys, food trucks and more.

HRTS 541 Advancing Human Rights through Documentary Media

What did Goya see?

Thursday, April 11
5:00 p.m. | University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA)

Spanning from the early 1770s to the late 1820s, Francisco de Goya’s art career coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in European history.

Taking its point of departure from the title “I Saw It” given to a print in Goya’s The Disasters of War series, this wide-ranging talk by Andrew Schulz, vice president for the arts and dean of the College of Fine Arts, asks, “What did Goya see, and how did those experiences shape his art?” And also, “What did ‘seeing’ mean to Goya and his European contemporaries?”

The talk will be followed by a viewing of Goya prints in the UAMA permanent collection.

Tribal Nations of AZ

May 26 – June 1. 2024
Applications due by April 26

Join CIELO, UArizona campus partners and community partners for an experience within the Navajo & Tohono O’odham Nations. This program engages students in interdisciplinary learning centered on the themes of education, cultural immersion, service learning, and civic engagement. Participants will explore and engage with Navajo and Tohono O’odham people, history, and culture through cooking classes, meeting with tribal leadership, college visits, and structured opportunities for reflection on the broader social, economic, and political contexts of the indigenous communities in Arizona.

• Tour and engage with students at Diné College.
• Tour and engage with students at Tohono O’odham Community College.
• Cooking workshop and classes on traditional Navajo and Tohono O’odham foods.
• Learning about tribal governance and sovereignty.
• Learn the history of the Navajo and Tohono O’odham.
• Tour Canyon de Chelle.
• Experience the day-to-day on a Navajo farm.

CIELO Raising Arizona: Border Perspectives

Saturday, April 6 – Sunday, April 7, 2024
Hacienda Monarca/Tequio Leadership Center

During this overnight program students will have the opportunity to tour the U.S. side of the border and hear youth perspectives on the border and immigration.

Program includes:

• Transportation
• Meals
• Bunkhouse Accomodations

Free for UArizona students!

La Camba Workshop Series: Queering Historias de la Chamba

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 | 6:00 PM
Thursday, April 11, 2024 | 10:00 AM
César Chávez Building, Room 205

Dance for Every Body

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
4:00PM | Honors College Courtyard

A movement jam and dance class with acclaimed Urban Bush Women embracing each individual’s unique and powerful contribution. No prior dance experience required! Free to attend, RSVP requested.

Presented together with Honor College and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

M.A.P. with Urban Bush Women

Wednesday, Apr. 3
1:00 PM | In Person | Slonaker Living Room

Are you interested in a creative career? Do you have a passion for the arts? Join Mentoring in the Arts Professions (M.A.P.) for an “ask me anything” conversation with Urban Bush Women in partnership with Arizona Arts Live. Find out about activism through performance and the arts from a nonprofit interdisciplinary ensemble.

Complimentary lunch provided.

Solidarity Spotlight: Zine Making Workshop

Wednesday, March 27, 2024
3:00 – 5:00 PM | APASA

Join Asian Pacific American Student Affairs & the Guerrero Student Center for a solidarity spotlight  on the Delano Grape Strikes and the United Farm Workers Movement! Join us to learn about the historic movement that brought our communities together, the significance of political art then and now, and engage in political art creation!

Lunch and snacks provided.

JustArts Presentations, Reception, & Celebration

Monday, March 25, 2024
3:00 PM | In Person | UAMA

Join the JustArts Fellows 23/24 cohort for their final presentations and a celebration on Monday, March 25, at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. This event is an opportunity to learn from the JustArts Fellows about their inspiration, education, and connection with the broader Arizona Arts community.

Presentations begin at 3p. Reception to follow. Please RSVP by Wednesday, March 20. This event is free and open to the public. The JustArts Fellowship for Student Leaders in the Arts is for College of Fine Arts students to design and complete a change-oriented project that increases access to meaningful arts experiences.

Belonging in the Boarderlands

Saturday, March 23, 2024
4:00 – 8:00 PM | 174 E. Toole Ave.

A conversation & live screen printing event with Pavel Acevedo with special guest Joe Marshall from Heart of Sun Gallery. Bring a clean shirt or preferred clothing item to print on.

Linocut Lab

Friday, March 22, 2024
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | César Chávez Building, Room 205

Materials provided. Open to all levels.

CFA Student-Only Data Dialogue

Friday, March 22, 2024
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | In Person | DRAMA 114

School of Art, School of Dance, School of Music, and School of Theatre, Film & Television

Please join us for a Data Dialogue to discuss the results of the Arizona Arts Inclusive Climate Survey. Help us ensure excellence in the arts is inclusive and reflective of the University of Arizona’s mission and values.

Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Monday, March 18.

JustArts Information Session

Thursday, March 21, 2024
11:00 – 11:45 AM | In Person & Zoom | Slonaker Living Room

Make a difference through the JustArts Fellowship. The JustArts Fellowship for Student Leaders in the Arts is a paid opportunity to make an impact through the arts and connect to a broader community at Arizona Arts and the University of Arizona. Learn more about the application process and get your questions answered. No registration is required.

Spring 2024 Speaker Series: Hip-Hop, Culture, and Latinx Spirituality

Thursday, March 28, 2024
5:00 PM | In Person | UAMA

Dr. Alex Nava is Professor of Religious Studies at UArizona and author of the book “Street Scriptures,” as well as a native Tucsonan and first-generation college graduate.

In this gallery talk, Dr. Nava considers the role that hip-hop played in his youth and how it helped shape his fascination with words, poetry and social justice. He will also look at how the genre has evolved over its 50 years, focusing on the subgenre of Latinx hip-hop — including reggaeton and Latin trap — and how it has captured the struggles, adversities and triumphs of Latinos in the Americas.

Free Screening of “The B Word”

Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024
6:00 – 9:00 PM | Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1713 E University Blvd.

The B Word is a documentary about one man’s exploration of what it means to be Black, gay, and beautiful. Jared Shamberger–a playwright, performer, and director–interviews Black gay men of various ages and backgrounds about their ideas, choices, and hang ups around beauty. While these men share their stories and perspectives, Jared weaves in a few of his own celebrating the complexity of what it means to be beautiful.

Ask Me Anything! with Jared Shamberger

Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024
1:00 – 2:00 PM | Slonaker Living Room, 1027 E 2nd, Tucson, AZ 85721

Racial Justice Studio Internship

Apply by Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

Racial Justice Studio at Arizona Arts seeks a highly motivated and passionate student to join our Race/Remix podcast production team as an Audio Engineer & Field Recording Intern.

Gain hands-on experience in audio recording, editing, and storytelling while contributing to our podcast’s production in the field.

• Assist in planning and executing field recording sessions for podcast episodes.
• Set up and operate audio recording equipment, including microphones, recorders, and accessories.
• Conduct interviews and capture ambient sounds to enhance storytelling.
• Collaborate with the production team and guests to ensure high-quality audio recordings.
• Assist with post-production tasks when necessary, such as editing and mixing recorded audio.
• Maintain and organize audio files and project documentation.
• Video and photography skills are preferred but not necessary. Proficiency in audio editing software (e.g., Adobe Audition, Audacity, etc.) is a plus.
• Paid internship $18 an hour
• This internship involves travel to various locations for field recording sessions. Applicants should be willing and able to travel as needed and carry equipment.

Only currently enrolled UA undergrad or graduate students (full-time or part-time) are eligible to apply.

• 2 units – (90 hours for the semester)
• 3 units – (135 hours for the semester)

Apply on Handshake or email your cover letter outlining your experience and interest and one reference’s contact information to racialjusticestudio@arizona.edu

SALON 2024

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024
4:00 – 6:00 PM | Tornabene Theatre | 1025 North Olive Road Tucson, AZ 85719

Exquisite Moments: Reflections of Black Life

Free Screening and Q&A with Filmmaker Jan Oxenberg

Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024
7:00 PM | FREE – tickets available day of screening | Loft Cinema

Continuing our 30^th anniversary celebration, Lesbian Looks is thrilled to welcome director, producer, editor and screenwriter Jan Oxenberg to present 4K restorations of two of her classic films.

A lost-and-found revelation from indie film and TV maverick Jan Oxenberg is a docu-fantasy narrative focused on the filmmaker’s hilarious, messy, Jewish family as they prepare to say goodbye to someone they love. Narrated by a cardboard cutout of Oxenberg’s scowling child self, Thank You and Good Night takes us on a journey through the proceedings, attempting to defeat death and never say goodbye. The program opens with Oxenberg’s 1973 short Home Movie.  Using home movie footage and her trademark talent for parody, Oxenberg gives herself a cheerful lesbian childhood: “The thing I liked best about being a cheerleader was being with the other cheerleaders.”

Jan Oxenberg is an independent filmmaker turned television writer. Her film Thank You and Good Night screened at the Sundance film festival and was released theatrically in 1992. She went on to be a writer/producer on TV series including Parenthood, Pretty Little Liars, Cold Case, and many more.  On the ABC series Nothing Sacred, Oxenberg wrote the first prime time episode on which a main character had an abortion since Maude and on Relativity, she wrote the first network series lesbian kiss! She won Planned Parenthood’s Margaret Sanger Award for an episode of Cold Case featuring a woman associated with the “underground railroad” Jane, an organization which helped women get safe abortions.

Celebrating Black history means learning Black history!

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024:
An Overview of the History of Black Education

Friday, Feb. 16, 2024:
What Black Students Wish Educators Knew- Alumni Edition

Monday, Feb. 19, 2024:
Culturally Relevant Frameworks for Black Student Mental Wellbeing

Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024:
Beyond Diversity Philosophy: An Introduction

You are invited to join the Office of General Education in a 4 part webinar series that explores the Black experience in higher education. Register for one, some, or all webinars in this series. All webinars will take place a 12:00pm (noon) Arizona Time.

Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
McClelland Park, 650 N. Park Ave., Room 105

RESILIENCE: THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS & THE SCIENCE OF HOPE chronicles the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and toxic stress on children and families, and chronicles a movement to fight back by building more resilient communities to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction and disease.

Call for Submissions: SALON 2024

Due Friday, Jan. 26, 2024
For SALON 2024

Showcase your art, perform live, express yourself! Apply by clicking on this application link. For more information or any questions you may have contact us here: invisibilitysalon@cfa.arizona.edu or call (520) 621 7244.

Spring 2024 Speaker Series: Virtual Conversation With Artist Annie Lopez

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024
5:00 PM | Virtual on Zoom

Nationally recognized and highly awarded, Phoenix-based artist Annie Lopez focuses her practice on the Chicano experience in the American Southwest. Lopez was honored by the National Museum of Women in the Arts and awarded the 2016 Arizona Governor’s Arts Award. She was featured in Phoenix Magazine’s “Best of the Valley 2023,” The New York Times’ “The Much-Vaunted American Melting Pot,” and many more.

During this virtual conversation with UAMA Director Olivia Miller, Lopez will discuss her work on view in the current exhibition Annie Lopez: Origin Story.

Register to join us for this free event!

En Confianza Vision Board Making

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | GSC Room 205
Snacks provided

Join the Guerrero Student Center for Vision Board Making event. We will be snacking on tostilocos, setting intentions for the new year, creating a vision board (all supplies provided), and reflecting on our experiences over the last year.  A monthly bilingual space created for graduate and undergraduate students to come together ‘En Confianza’ and in community. As first generation college graduates, we (Indira & Luz) felt it was important to create a wellness centered space where students can come together, engage in dialogue, and spark joy through creative outlets. Being a student can be an isolating experience so finding spaces that celebrate your authentic self, affirm your lived experiences and highlight your humanity is vital for self-actualization.

Keynote Lecture: “2086: Together How?” by Prof. Park Kyong

Friday, Jan. 19, 2024
5:30 pm | CCP Auditorium

The Center for Creative Photography, in collaboration with the University of Arizona’s Center for East Asian Studies, the College of Humanities, and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, presents “2086: Together How?,” a keynote lecture by Prof. Park Kyong. The lecture is part of the “Embracing Counternarratives for Global Learning” for the 8th Annual Globalizing the Community College Curricula Conference on Jan. 19-20, 2024.

Mentoring Community Dialogues Series Event: “Why Mentoring? Creating Culture of Care and Belonging”

Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024
3:00 – 4:00 PM | Virtual on Zoom

The MENTOR Institute Leadership Team and Fellows brings together four panelists who will address the unique value mentoring brings to university culture by supporting all levels of career progression with a humanistic approach. Attendees will have the opportunity to consider how mentoring impacts their lives personally and of those they influence during this one-hour virtual event.

Extended! Inclusive Excellence Awards

Monday, Nov. 20, 2023
Extended Deadline for Undergraduate Student Nominations

The Arizona Arts Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes meritorious efforts and impacts toward the advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion through research, teaching, mentorship, leadership, and service.

Film screening of “It’s Only Life After All”

Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023
7:00pm – 9:00pm | Free admission, The Loft Cinema

The 30th annual Lesbian Looks Film Series opened September 12th at The Loft Cinema with IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL (Alexandria Bombach, 2023). A lending 40 years of home movies, raw film archive, and intimate present-day verité, the film offers a timely look into the obstacles, activism, and life lessons of two queer friends who never expected to make it big as The Indigo Girls. Reviews and more at the LesbianLooks website.

LGBTQIA+ Artist Workshops at UAMA

Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023
Opening exhibition | Free admission
University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA)

Mapping Q is a series of virtual art workshops for Arizona LGBTQIA+ youth ages 14-24.Participants explore topics of art-making, self-care and harm reduction.

During these virtual workshops we learn about LGBTQ+ artists and explore ideas like pride, radical self-care, identity and how to effectively complain (i.e., protest lack of positive representations of queer, BIPOC and disabled bodies in visual culture) through art making. The culmination of each series of workshops is an exhibition of youth artwork at the UAMA in August 2023. Learn more about Mapping Q and upcoming exhibitions at UAMA.

2023 Summer EDI Book Club

Wednesday, May 31 & Wednesday, Jun. 14 , 2023
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual

In 2023 summer, the EDI Book Club met virtually to discuss The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, provided as a courtesy of Arizona Arts. The EDI Book Club encourages participation to read the books and join the session for shared dialogue and community.

Arizona Arts faculty, and staff including graduate teaching assistants are invited to attend.

Extended! JustArts Fellowship Call for Applications

Friday, May 12, 2023
Deadline extension

The JustArts Fellowship for Student Leaders in the Arts advances equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts by inviting student leaders to design and complete a change–oriented project that increases student access to meaningful arts experiences. Fellows identify challenges, generate creative solutions, and collaborate with student peers and Arizona Arts mentors to bring a more just vision of the arts to life.

Proposed projects should offer a concrete plan to address an organizational issue, problem, or concern encountered by students on the University of Arizona campus by turning it into an opportunity for change. Fellows work together to present fresh ideas, put those ideas into action, and practice new and existing skills. Impactful projects will educate, inspire, and connect members of Arizona Arts and the broader community.

Extended! Event Co-Sponsorship & Curriculum Innovation Grant Proposals Deadline

Friday, May 5, 2023
Deadline Extension

Monday, May 1, 2023
Deadline

The JustArts Fellowship for Student Leaders in the Arts advances equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts by inviting student leaders to design and complete a change–oriented project that increases student access to meaningful arts experiences. Fellows identify challenges, generate creative solutions, and collaborate with student peers and Arizona Arts mentors to bring a more just vision of the arts to life.

Proposed projects should offer a concrete plan to address an organizational issue, problem, or concern encountered by students on the University of Arizona campus by turning it into an opportunity for change. Fellows work together to present fresh ideas, put those ideas into action, and practice new and existing skills. Impactful projects will educate, inspire, and connect members of Arizona Arts and the broader community.

Submit an application for 2023-24

Ibrahim Thiaw: Environmental Justice: Seeding the Ground, Planting New Roots

Wednesday, Apr. 5, 2023
Postponed event
12:00 PM | Student Lunch and Fireside Chat (Limited to Students Only), Honors Village Amphitheater

4:00 PM | Keynote & Reception (Open to all), Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom

Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Ibrahim Thiaw was appointed as Under Secretary General of the United Nations and UNCCD Executive Secretary on 31 January 2019. The Mauritanian brings 40 years of experience in sustainable development, environmental governance and natural resource management. Executive Secretary Thiaw is well-poised to lead the global effort on land restoration, build drought resilience; and improve food security, gender equality and land rights for vulnerable populations. Before joining UNCCD, he was Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for the Sahel, where he supported the implementation of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) and the development of a UN Support Plan for the Sahel.  From 2013 to 2018 he served as Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Before that he was the Director of UNEP’s Division for Environmental Policy Implementation, and he also served as the Regional Director for West Africa, and later Acting Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

RSVP Here

Join us! Arizona Arts Faculty & Staff D&I Luncheon and Workshop

Friday, Mar. 31, 2023
12:30pm  | BOI5 Institute, Room 103

Join us for a boxed lunch and an arts-based workshop using short poems as inspiration to connect with colleagues across Arizona Arts and build community centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’ll share ideas and experiences about how to best support students, including those from historically marginalized communities.

This workshop is led by Laila Halaby, who combines writing and social services to create engaging community programs that encourage creative thinking and communication. Laila Halaby is the author of two novels:

• Once in a Promised Land and West of the Jordan (winner of a PEN Beyond Margins award)
• A forthcoming memoir, The Weight of Ghosts (Red Hen 2023)
• Poetry collections, why an author writes to a guy holding a fish and my name on his tongue.

Laila lives in Tucson where she works as a counselor, museum educator, and creative writing teacher.

Join the EDI Book Club this Spring for Me and White Supremacy

Wednesday, Apr. 26, 2023
12:00 PM or 4:00 PM | Virtual

To finish this semester the EDI Book Club will have one virtual meeting to discuss Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad, which will be provided free courtesy of Arizona Arts. the EDI Book Club encourages anyone interested in participating to read and join the session for shared dialogue and community.

Arizona Arts faculty, and staff including graduate teaching assistants are invited to RSVP by March 24, 2023.

Beyond Europe: Fist Inaugural Chamber Music Competition

Saturday, Apr. 22, 2023
6:00 PM | Slonaker Courtyard

You are invited to celebrate chamber music by composers of color. This event is open to the public. Three judges will adjudicate each performance and will award the first and second place.

SALON 2nd Annual Showcase!

Thursday, Mar. 30, 2023

5:00 PM | Slonaker Courtyard, 1027 E. 2nd St.

lnVisibility makes space for emergent artists and scholars whose voices have been historically underrepresented in the Performing and Visual Arts. Come to SALON and watch Arizona Arts students present their annual showcase featuring performances and exhibitions.

RSVP Here

Questions?

Contact invisibilitysalon@cfa.arizona.edu

RJS presents Dr. Reid Gomez’s “I like my funk uncut” Lecture

Wednesday, Mar. 22, 2023

5:00 PM | Kachina Room, Student Union, Level 3

Writer, Dancer, and Percussionist, Reid Gomez, will share their P-Funk Study Skills handbook, and high-context immersive learning method, based in language revitalization and traditional learning practices. Gomez’s distinct work on grammars and emphasis on reading skills reflect the centrality of methods in their scholarship and teaching.

Vase Lecture: Bethany Collins

Tuesday, February 23, 2023

5:30 PM | Center for Creative Photography

Bethany Collins, a multidisciplinary artist who works in Chicago, will talk about how race and language interact in her works as part of the School of Art’s Visiting Artists and Scholars Lecture Series.

In her Contranyms series, for instance, Collins transposes definitions from Webster’s New World Dictionary of American Language onto American Masters paper, then aggressively obscures much of the entries with an eraser. What remain are specific snippets of meaning that are poetically charged through their isolation, as well as the crumbled paper bits left behind by her erasing. As Holland Cotter noted writing in The New York Times, “language itself, viewed as intrinsically racialized, is Bethany Collins’s primary material.”

Her works have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions nationwide, including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the High Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, and the Birmingham Museum of Art. She has been recognized as an Artist-in-Residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem and was awarded the Hudgens Prize in 2015. Other awards include: Lucas Artist Fellowship (2019), Montalvo Arts Center; The LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Artadia Award (2019), Artadia Chicago Awards; Public Humanities Practitioner-in-Residence (2019), Davidson College; Artist Fellowship Award (2019), Illinois Arts Council Agency; Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant (2018) and Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship (2019), CIC Foundation.

Collins received an MFA from Georgia State University and a BA from the University of Alabama.

The School of Art focuses on bringing renowned and diverse artists and scholars from around the world to our campus. These visitors bring their own unique influences to the program by engaging with community members, students, and faculty through salons, lectures, and exhibitions.

Lesbian Looks & Docscapes Presents: Ester Newton Made Me Gay

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023

7:30 PM | Loft Cinema (FREE ADMISSION), 3233 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716

ESTHER NEWTON MADE ME GAY explores the life and times of cultural anthropologist Esther Newton. Throughout her career, Esther was a pioneer—questioning and challenging status quo assumptions on gender, sexuality, and anthropological methods. Her work inspired generations of scholars to pursue research in what would eventually become the field of LGBTQ+ and Gender Studies.

The film tells her story of awakening to gay life in the 1950’s, the women’s liberation movement and lesbian-feminism, drag culture, and forging a butch identity which for her is now in conversation with trans-masculinity.

Keenly attuned to the cultural and societal forces that shaped her life, Esther guides us through an anthropology of herself, a study influenced by her love for a sport—competitive dog agility—that pairs her aging butch body with her beloved dog teammate on an obstacle course that is constantly changing.

In her persistent efforts to train her body back into shape after numerous health setbacks, we see the intense drive that has helped Esther navigate a lifetime of obstacles she faced in her quest to become who she wanted to be: a butch lesbian, scholar, and athlete.

Jean Carlomusto is a filmmaker, activist, and interactive media artist whose work explores the complex nature of unique individuals and marginalized populations. Her films are often unorthodox investigations of LGBT history and HIV/AIDS.  Her work has been exhibited internationally in festivals, museums and on television. She produced and directed HBO’s Emmy nominated documentary, LARRY KRAMER IN LOVE & ANGER (2015), which was featured at the Sundance Film Festival.

Her 1991 film L is for the Way You Look was featured in the very first season of Lesbian Looks, in Fall 1993.

DocScapes is a collaborative project of the UA Center for Documentary initiative and the Hanson Film Institute. The Loft screening is co-presented by the Lesbian Looks film series and the UA Institute for LGBTQ+ Studies.

Call for Participants: Artistic InQUEERIES

Deadlines to Apply:

Friday, Feb. 10| Drag

Tuesday, Feb. 28 | Art

Tuesday, Feb. 28 | Poetry

Submit your art, poetry, and drag numbers to Artistic InQUEERies: An Evening of LGBTQ+ Art, Culture, and Expression. We hope to be able to share all art submissions; however, depending on the number of submissions, priority will be given to artists who are local to Tucson, Arizona.

To submit work:

Drag – tinyurl.com/AIQ23Drag

Art – tinyurl.com/AIQ23Art

Poetry – tinyurl.com/AIQ23Poetry

Centering Servingness Webinar

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023
1:00 PM | Virtual

Arizona Arts serves as a gateway to the visual and performing arts assets, experiences, and educational programs on the University of Arizona campus. Presenters from Arizona Arts share three new student programs — the JustArts Fellowship for Student Leaders in the Arts, Student Artist Live Opportunity Night, and Rehearsals in Anti-racism. By centering student creativity and agency, these unique programs expand access to meaningful arts experiences while also contributing to a university environment in which students from diverse backgrounds may flourish.

RSVP HERE

Marquis Bey Lecture and Workshop

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023
10:00 AM | Graduate Workshop, Environmental and Natural Resources 2 (1064 E Lowell St), Room S225,  or Virtual

4:30 PM | Lecture (Open to the Public), Environmental and Natural Resources 2 (1064 E Lowell St), Room S107, or Virtual

The Institute for LGBT Studies is excited to invite you to the 2023 Miranda Joseph Endowed Lecture with Marquis Bey and associated workshop for graduate students early that same day. Please join them on February 16^th, 2023 from 4:30pm-6:00pm (AZ) for the lecture and from 10:00am-12:00pm for the graduate workshop. Both events will take place in-person and virtually. Please practice community care and consider wearing masks if attending in person. Please register as soon as possible for both events, as this allows to best ensure that everyone who wants to participate in these events can do so. The lecture is open to the public!

Lecture: In person: tinyurl.com/Bey2023 Virtual: tinyurl.com/MJEL2023

Graduate Workshop: In person: tinyurl.com/beyworkshop Virtual: tinyurl.com/MJELGrad

Breaking Workshop at teh Fred Fox School of Music

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2022
12:00 – 2:00 PM  OR  2:00 – 4:00 PM | University of Arizona Drama Building, Room 125

Tucson Hip Hop Festival in collaboration with Josh Barbre and the JustArts Fellowship present a breaking workshop. This event is limited to 40 people per session. RSVP early to reserve your spot.

Sign up for the workshop >

Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World Virtual Film Screening

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023
5:00 PM | Virtual Screening

The University of Arizona Beyond Juneteenth Committee has partnered with Arizona Public Media to provide the following virtual screening for the film Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World. This is a free event and opened to all who register at the link below. You can also click the image to register as well.

All attendees must enroll to attend the virtual film screening.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fight-the-power-how-hip-hop-changed-the-world-tickets-514350625567 

Re-orienting for Spring: Strategies for Graduate Student Wellness

Friday, Jan. 20, 2023
1:00 PM | Virtual

The Graduate College’s 21st Century Masters’ Project team and Campus Health’s Counseling and Psych Services (CAPS) team are excited to invite all new and continuing graduate and professional students to attend our first graduate student wellness event of the year: “Re-orienting for Spring: Strategies for Graduate Student Wellness.” With a new year (and new semester!) upon us, we wanted to offer all graduate students a space to learn about resources and practical wellness strategies. Get tips from a panel of experts on how to cultivate physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing to ensure a more holistic and grounded degree journey experience. This event is free, open to everyone, and will be hosted online as a Zoom webinar. Invite your students to join us and several of our wellness partners on campus, including the Disability Resource Center, Women & Gender Resource Center, International Student Services, Center for Compassion Studies, and Campus Recreation for this spring orientation event.

Students can register here to get the zoom link and information: https://tinyurl.com/Re-Orient-Webinar

Recovery/Repair Art Workshop – No art experience necessary! 

Wednesdays | Jan. 18, Feb. 15, & Mar. 15, 2023
11:00 AM | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Building, 1322 E. 1st. Street, Tucson, AZ 85719

Join other students to explore radical self-care in this three-part series centering BIPOC students. Attend one or all sessions. Workshops taught by visiting teaching artist Randiesia Fletcher Materials provided and no art experience is necessary!

This workshop is part of the Spring 2023 Wellness Wednesdays series, presented by the Arizona Arts Diversity & Inclusion Committee with support from the UAMA.

Afrofuturist Expressions: Viral Jusice with Dr. Ruha Benjamin

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023
5:00 PM | Public Talk, Reception, & Book Signing (open to all), Health Sciences Innovation Building, Main Level

Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023
12:00 PM | Fireside Chat & Lunch (for students only, space limited), Slonaker House

A professor of African American studies at Princeton University, Ruha Benjamin is the founding director of the Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab and author of three books, Viral Justice (2022), Race After Technology (2019), and People’s Science (2013). Benjamin writes, teaches, and speaks widely about the relationship between innovation and inequity, knowledge and power, race and citizenship, health and justice. The first 200 attendees will receive a FREE copy of Viral Justice!

RSVP >

Join the EDI Book Club this Spring for Disability Visibility by Alice Wong

Wednesdays | Jan. 18, Feb. 18, Mar. 1, Mar. 22, 2023
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual

The Arizona Arts Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Book Club club highlights one book per semester through small group discussions. Welcoming all perspectives and experiences, the club fosters a respectful and courageous space to grow our individual and collective understanding of EDI principles.

Arizona Arts faculty and staff, including graduate teaching assistants, are invited to RSVP today!
Learn more >

Diversity and Inclusion Symposium 2023 Call for Presenters

Thursday, Mar. 16 , 2023 & Fri., March 17, 2023

The Diversity and Inclusion Symposium is a unique opportunity for faculty, staff, and graduate students to learn and discuss critical issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education, specifically at the University of Arizona. The Symposium will provide participants with opportunities to RISE TOGETHER by expanding our collective knowledge, strengthening our resilience, and deepening our capacity for compassion.

Learn more >

InVisibility SALON presents: BOSS (Blow Off Some Steam)

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022
1:00 PM | UAMA Courtyard

inVisibilty SALON, a student-focused group at the University of Arizona that creates space for students from historically excluded groups within the performing and visual arts will host their BOSS event in the UAMA Courtyard to help students unwind between exams. Enjoy free food, karaoke, art-making, and dancing.

For more information or for performance opportunities contact invisibilitysalon@cfa.arizona.edu.
RSVP for BOSS >

Breaking Borders Making Bridges – JustArts Fellow, Carlos Garcia’s Bassoon Recital

Thursday, Dec. 3, 2022
11:00 AM | Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Road

JustArts Fellow, Carlos Garcia’s Bassoon Recital featuring works by Jose Siqueira, Reinhold Glire, Bernard Andres and Nubia Jaime-DonJuan.

Admission is Free.

Taking Care Together: Listening Sessions on Compassion and Community in Arizona Arts

Wednesday, November 30, 2022
10:00 – 11:15 AM | Virtual, Register for the Zoom
This session is for CFA students; Arizona Arts faculty/staff are welcome to attend.

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022
2:00 – 3:15 PM |Virtual, Register for the Zoom
This session is for Arizona Arts faculty/staff only.

These sessions are designed to give space for the College of Fine Arts – Arizona Arts community to come together following the recent tragic events on campus. For a variety of reasons, we understand many of you do not feel safe.  We look to build opportunities for connection to each other as we share in possibilities for healing, listening, and checking-in with one another. Let’s create an environment of care as we foster community together. These sessions are open to students, staff, and faculty in CFA and Arizona Arts. 

NEW Spring 2023 Course: FA 495/595 Rehearsals in Anti-Racism

Register for this course today!

Are you passionate about racial justice and the arts? Rehearsals in Anti-Racism is returning for its 2nd year as a course designed to provide space for engaged personal, political, philosophical, and aesthetic conversations about race, racism, and their intersections with other makers of identity. Students will help shape the thematic direction through their interactions using art, new media, and emerging technologies to explore these themes.

Learn more >

Native Arts Fair at Mission Garden

Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Mission Garden, 946 W Mission Ln Tucson, AZ 85745

Over 40 Native artists will exhibit and sell ceramics, basketry, jewelry, gourd decorations, carvings, beadwork, clothing, paintings, food and more. Some artists will be demonstrating their craft at their booths. This is one of the garden’s biggest and most colorful events of the year and a great chance to do some holiday shopping!

Learn more >

Out of this World: Afrofuturist Expressions Across Science, Art, Tech and Design

Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022
11:30 AM | Fireside Chat (for students only, space limited), Slonaker House
5:00 PM | Public Talk & Reception (open to all), Kachina Lounge, Student Union Memorial Center, Level 3

Black Faculty Speaker Series & Race/Remix Present: Silas Munro on “Future Forces of History”

As an “accidental scholar” of graphic design history, Munro will show how his journey to find himself as a Queer, Black designer in the past also shapes potential futures for practice, teaching, and life. Through poetic research, written scholarship, and visual art Munro questions the often-unaddressed post-colonial relationship between design and marginalized communities. Racial Justice Studio – Arizona Arts is co-sponsoring Munro’s visit.

Register to attend >

Recordando a México Voice Recital with Diana Peralta

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022 
5:30 PM | Leonora Carrington Gallery, 3915 E Broadway Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85711

Join in the music with Recordando a México. This event from JustArts Fellow, Carlos G. Ramirez invites attendees to a voice recital with mezzosoprano Diana Peralta and conversation around Mexican music appreciation. Bringing together the community to support the diversity of the southwest through music, this event will surely be one you don’t want to miss. 

View the flyer in English >
View the flyer in Spanish >

Rap Cypher Workshop at the School of Music

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022
5:00 – 7:00 PM | Fred Fox School of Music, Room 35

Tucson Hip Hop Festival in collaboration with Josh Barbre and the JustArts Fellowship present a rap cypher workshop. Come participate as they talk, teach, and do all aspects of Freestyling. This event is limited to 30 people. RSVP early to reserve your spot.

Sign up for the workshop >

DJ Workshop at the School of Music

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022
5:30PM – 7:00 PM | Fred Fox School of Music, Room 35

Tucson Hip Hop Festival in collaboration with Josh Barbre and the JustArts Fellowship present a DJ workshop. . This event is limited to 30 people. RSVP early to reserve your spot.

Sign up for the workshop >

Participate in the Ofrenda for Día de los Muertos

Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 – Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022
Fred Fox School of Music (Outside)

Music Education and Art & Visual Culture Education would like to invite you to a participatory ofrenda for Día de Muertos! Set up outside the Fred Fox Faculty of Music, the event will reflect our connection with those who have left this world by remembering their lives. Participate by bringing a picture of a loved one who has left this world, an object that belonged to them, or something that reminds you of a hobby or thing they used to do. Two guided processes will be done from 8:00-10:30 am and from 1:00 – 3:30 pm at the School of Art, room 241.

Graffiti Workshop in the Tornabene Courtyard

Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022
12:00 – 4:00 PM | Tornabene Courtyard, College of Fine Arts Complex

Passionate about Hip-Hop & the community? Interested in learning the graffiti artform? The Graffiti Workshop is a partnership between the Arizona Arts JustArts Fellowship and the Tucson Hip Hop Festival. Participate in the dialogue and learn all the aspects of graffiti art while making your own pieces. All materials are provided and learners of all levels are invited to participate. Spots are limited so register quickly!

Learn more >

49th Annual Tucson Meet Yourself Folklife Festival is back!

Friday Oct. 7, 2022 – Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022
Jácome Plaza, Downtown Tucson

The 49th Annual Tucson Meet Yourself (TMY) Folklife Festival returns to downtown Tucson with food, performance, and folk arts from over 60 cultural traditions. Organized by the Southwest Folklife Alliance, and presented by title sponsor Rio Nuevo, TMY will be held on Jácome Plaza and the surrounding blocks. UA departments and research projects will connect with the public as exhibitors. The event is produced by our university nonprofit affiliate, the Southwest Folklife Alliance.

Learn more about the event >

The Velez Diversity Leadership Scholarship Nominations Open

Deadline to nominate is Sept. 12, 2022

In honor of Dr. Maria Teresa Velez, former Associate Dean, University of Arizona Graduate College, the Dr. Maria Teresa Velez Diversity Leadership Scholarship is given annually to a doctoral student who has demonstrated a commitment to furthering diversity in education, higher education, and the community at large. Two scholarships are available and include a $25,000 stipend, plus full base graduate tuition, and individual student health insurance for one year.

Learn more about the Velez Scholarship >

Office of Diversity & Inclusion Hosts Welcome Event on the Mall

Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022 
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM | UArizona Mall

Brought to you by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI), celebrate and meet students and staff from the UArizona Cultural and Resource Centers. Connect with over 40 different clubs and organizations while learning about all of the resources available to help make your experience at UArizona great.

Learn more about the Office of Diversity & Inclusion >

Article: The Arizona Arts Master Plan sees the future through an inclusive lens

Jul. 18, 2022

The School of Art renovation was the first project to be completed as part of the Arizona Arts Master Plan. This is the third and final installment in a series of articles spotlighting the Arizona Arts Master Plan. While physical construction is the focus of the master plan, it also includes new programming designed to give opportunities for creative expression to historically underrepresented communities.

Read the full article >

UArizona to provide tuition-free education for Native American undergraduates in Arizona

Jun. 27, 2022

The new Arizona Native Scholars Grant program, the first of its kind in the state, will cover tuition and fees for full-time, in-state undergraduate students from Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes. Beginning in the fall, new and continuing full-time, degree-seeking, in-state undergraduates will be eligible for the Arizona Native Scholars Grant, the first program of its kind in Arizona.

Learn more about the program >

Photo credit: Chris Richards/University of Arizona

UArizona recognizes Juneteenth with embedded year-round programming

Jun. 14, 2022

A planning committee chaired by Dr. Tyina Steptoe and Dr. Treya Allen has developed a yearlong program, Beyond Juneteenth, as a means of promoting awareness of the holiday and its significance within the struggle for racial justice in the United States. This programming will illuminate and celebrate the history of African Americans in the Southwest and the impact Black Americans have had in shaping our state and our region.

Read the statement from President Robbins >

Photo credit: Derek Lamar/Unsplash

Announcing the Inaugural JustArts Fellowship

Jun. 6, 2022
Deadline to submit

The JustArts Fellowship for Student Leaders in the Arts advances equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) by inviting student leaders in the arts to identify challenges and propose creative solutions. Students selected for the Fellowship design and complete a change-oriented project that increases student access to meaningful arts experiences.  Apply to be considered for the 2022-2023 Fellows Class

View the Flyer >
Read the Call for Submissions >

S.A.L.O.N. has a huge showing for its first event

Apr. 1, 2022

The School of Theater, Film, & Television and the School of Art’s invisibility and Sienna Collective came together for its first Student Artist Live Opportunity Night (S.A.L.O.N). Hosting over a dozen performances and demonstrations and over 50 attendees, the event was a success in supporting students of color in the arts in their works-in-progress for curated feedback. This outdoor “salon” is intended to expand student networks across the UA arts programs gaining valuable insight, connections, and support.

More about S.A.L.O.N.
S.A.L.O.N highlights the critical scholarship and need for community building for underrepresented students in the arts on UArizona campus.