August 2nd Saturday

A while back, we told everyone about the Second Saturday concert series. These concerts have been going on all summer, but the August installment on August 14th is perhaps the most exciting. All our recent posts have mentioned Tucson's birthday month and Second Saturday is a part of that. Along with the Tucson Meet Yourself organization, Second Saturday presents "Celebrate Tucson: A Tribute to the Cultures of Tucson"!

It features local bands including Trible Double Band, The Tryst, and Sticks and Fingers, who are performing either in the Fox Theatre or the main stage on Scott Ave. starting at 6:30pm. From 6pm onwards, there are also a variety of other local music, vendors, and Tucson small businesses all around downtown. As always, the concert is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. For more information visit the Tucson Meet Yourself or Second Saturday websites.

Tucson, Tucson, Tucson

The Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the many locations around town that are showcasing special exhibitions for Tucson's birthday month. MOCA recently moved into their new building and their "Made in Tucson/ Born in Tucson/ Live in Tucson Part 2" exhibition is one of their inaugural shows. The series features work from artists who are born here, trained here, or produced work here.

Part 2 of this series runs until September 25th and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 5. Admission is $8 for the general public. Children under 12, military and public safety officers are free. MOCA is located at 265 S Church Ave and more information can be found at their website.

Tucson Events

Keeping on our theme and love of historic Arizona, the Etherton Gallery is hosting an event until August 28th that showcases Arizona landscape photograph from 1871 through 2010. The exhibition displays photos from more than 30 different photographers including Ansel Adams and Edward McCain. It is free to view the exhibit, which is open from 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment. The Etherton Gallery is located on 135 E. 6th. For more information or to view some of the photographs, check out the Etherton Gallery website.

Oddity

This story of Tucson would definitely be classified as random, since how many people stumble upon old red London phone booths in the middle of the southwest? But that's exactly what the current Tucson Oddity article is about. The Casa del Arroyo apartment complex on Norris Ave and 7th St is home to 2 cast-iron, red painted phone booth shipped over from London in 1990 by Craig Coretz, the brother of the complexes owner, Michael Coretz. The booths weight 1,700 lbs each and were appraised in 1990 for around $2,000. The booths are for sale and do get occasional interest but give their shear size there have to be any takers.

To see this cool part of British history, visit the complex and see one booth in the alley and the other standing by the street. For a brief article on the booths and their owner, check out the Tucson Oddity article in the Arizona Daily Star.

Galleries Around Town

Summer is a time when most Tucsonians have at least a little more free time to explore new places within our unique community. The Platform Gallery in the Firestone Building at 6th Ave and 6th St is a great art gallery that is well worth a visit. Platform describes itself as "representing established and emerging artists from the southwest region using innovative techniques in all mediums." The gallery houses contemporary art, which is still an uncommon genre in Tucson. While you are in the area, make sure to not only check out the Firestone Building (where there are a limited number of spaces left) but also Market Inn and 1 E. Toole, both of which are in walking distance of the gallery.

One East Toole

You have heard us talk a lot about Market Inn but we wanted to highlight another of our gorgeous downtown buildings, On East Toole. As one of Peach Properties newest purchases, the space is currently being developed into food, retail, and gallery space. With the large variety of different kinds of spaces, One East Toole is keeping up the downtown tradition of bringing together many elements of Tucson's culture into a vibrant neighborhood. Check out the pictures from the current project and please contact us for more information.

Tucson's Birthday

August 20th is Tucson's 235 birthday! All month long Tucson's Birthday Planners are hosting and sponsoring events in celebration of the city. They are also encouraging people to host there own events or volunteer at one of them. Current idea that they are planning are asking people to host ice cream socials or make a quilt for Tucson's birthday. There are also many exhibitions of Tucson life and culture going on all around the city. Check out the Tucson Birthday Planners here!