zocalo magazine - july/august 2013

ZcaloTucson arTs and culTure / ZocaloMaGaZIne.coM / July-auGusT 2013

PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Olsen COPY EDITOR Amanda Frame-Wawro CONTRIBUTORS Sydney Ballesteros, Marisa Bernal, Andrew Brown, Emily Gindlesparger, Allie Knapp, Jamie Manser, Mead Mier, Phoenix Michael, Amanda Reed, CJ Shane, Monica Surfaro Spigelman, Herb Stratford,, Teya Vitu, Colin Wilkinson.

LISTINGS Marisa Bernal, [email protected]

PRODUCTION ARTISTS Troy Martin, David Olsen

CONTACT US:[email protected]. Box 1171, Tucson, AZ 85702-1171520.955.ZMAG (9624)

Subscribe to Zocalo at www.zocalomagazine.com/subscriptions.Zocalo is published 11 times per year and is available for pickup at over 350 locations city-wide. All content copyright 2009-2013 by Media Zocalo, LLC. Reproduction of any material in this or any other issue is prohibited without written permission from the publisher and author. No person may, without prior written permission of the publisher, take more than one copy of each issue.

05. Community14. Events18. Arts28. Feature36. Fashion38. Food&Drink46. Escape

July/August 2013

index

Zcalo Magazine is a hyper-local independent media organization, focusing on Tucsons arts and culture.

on the cover:Photo: copyright The Aaron Siskind Foundation, courtesy of Etherton Gallery. Aaron Siskinds series the Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation (1953-1961), is from a set of rare 20x24 prints. Originally known as the Divers, Siskinds photographs are images of young men diving into Lake Michigan. He emphasizes the abstract quality of their twisted or twirling forms by photographing them from below with a Rolleiflex and isolating them against the sky. View these photos at Etherton Gallerys exhibit, Un-packed: The Art Fair at Home. Learn more about the exhibit on page 18.

July/August 2013 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 3

SIGN UP ATwww.zocalomagazine.com/subscriptionsZ GENERAL CONTACT:[email protected]. Box 1171, Tucson, AZ 85702-1171FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK:facebook.com/zocalomagazine SUBMIT YOUR STORY IDEAS: Email [email protected] YOUR EVENT LISTINGS: Email [email protected](by the 15th of every month)ADVERTISE: Visit zocalomagazine.com/advertiseor email [email protected]: Visit zocalomagazine.com/subscriptionsBe in touch this summer.

4 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | July/August 2013

Clean Water Starts With You!

During the monsoon season many desert dwellers enjoy watching the river beds fill. Do you ever wonder what happens to that stormwater? historically, our desert waters supported agrarian cultures and renowned wildlife diversity. But over time, urbanization changed how our watershed functions. now water flows more quickly out of our watershed and carries urban pollutants to desert washes where they accumulate in our fragile wildlife corridors.

When accumulated in runoff, small dispersed sources of pollutants are some of the leading causes of stormwater contamination. Just one quart of motor oil, for example, can contaminate 250,000 gallons of stormwater. Action to prevent such pollution is easier than the steps it takes to purify it later.

Keeping pollutants such as household chemicals and litter off of our streets prevents them from entering storm drains and then washes. Pima Association of governments Clean Water starts With me outreach cam-paign is teaming up with partner programs this year to help get the word out about reducing our impact on stormwater quality.

Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients can be properly disposed of through the tucson/Pima County household hazardous Waste (hhW) program, which allows the materials to be recycled instead of creating a toxic impact. hhW recently

started monthly mobile collection events in the community on the 2nd sat-urday of the month in addition to the regular hhW collection sites.

Litter is another common source of pollution. City programs, like tuc-son Clean and Beautiful, and Adopt-a-Wash programs offer a great way for community groups to get involved.

stewardship efforts and awareness of our desert waters helps us nur-ture our washes and green our neighborhoods. By harvesting stormwater in our landscape to grow desert plant life, we mimic how stormwater flows in a natural environment. tread lightly along your neighborhood wash and at your favorite water sites. While visiting these rare and valuable locations, pick up unsightly trash and you will make a difference. the health of the regions birds and other wildlife rests on the health of our waterways.

A few other ways to help: scoop dog poop, harvest rainwater and fix leaky vehicles; limit use of yard chemicals and report illegal dumping. Clean stormwater means clean, healthy washes. to learn more about your local watershed and tips you can use in your daily life to help prevent stormwater pollution, visit www.PAGstorm.com.

Mead Mier is Senior Watershed Planner with Pima Association of Govern-ments Sustainable Environment Program.

Get involved in keeping our desert washes healthyby Mead Mier

community Z


EmbracE & HarvEst

by Jamie Manser

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 isnt so awesome are the resultant flooded streets, trying to navi-gate roads turned into rivers, while watch-ing rainwater whisked away from thirsty ground.

Locally, lassoing rainwater to change the dire and dangerous flooding has been turn-ing tide with the help of many organizations, city codes and the tireless work of Brad Lan-caster.

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 rain-water a year on a 1/8-acre urban lot and ad-joining right-of-way.

Anyone who has watched the evolution of Lancasters Dunbar/spring hood over the last decade knows this. A few months ago at a lunch meeting with Arizona state rep-resentative steve Farley, Lancasters 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 Dry-lands 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 Harvest-ing 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 harvest-ing 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 1s upcoming new ad-dition, his thoughts about tucsons 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-west-erner 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 run-off 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 redi-rect 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.

community Z

The Rain

continued on next page


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 citi-zens, 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 peo-ple 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 south-west. 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 build-ing 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 ap-plaud 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 vol-ume 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 Lancasters techniques, are at HarvestingRainwater.com.

Z communityph

oto

cour

tesy

: B

rad

Lanc

aste

r

continued from previous pageThe Rain

Brad Lancaster


by Jamie Manser

smiLes, sALutAtions AnD the heavenly scent of books greet this writer on a summer saturday morning at the Joel D. Valdez main Library down-town. it is a half hour to opening and the staff is merrily chatting and orga-nizing before their visitors arrive; light streams in through the southern fac-ing 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 me-dium- to long-term, all shared with an inspiring lilt. We are sitting at a table in the librarys caf, 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 Jcome Plaza and describing ideas for the half city-block space between the library and Pennington street, with stone Avenue and Church Avenue bor-dering the east and west ends. the field of vi-sion 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 Jcome Plaza to be vital to our downtown, greene explains. i see a weekly event bookend: we have meet me at maynards on mon-days, lets have meet me at the Plaza on Fridays.

until the larger scope concepts can find sponsors or grants, there are more manage-able projects on the horizon that will lead to re- freshing the energy at Jcome Plaza. this summer, with the help of several community groups, the main library is gearing up to revitalize the plazas large, grey, concrete planters that flank the buildings 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 schedul-ing, along with the university of Arizonas 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 librarys

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; were 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 communi-ty supported seed library that will reflect what does work here and what doesnt 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 gar-deners.

Informational meetings about the planter project are at the Joel D. Valdez 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.

Z community

Digging into the

Planter Project


HOT FUN City

HoteL ConGress311 e. Congress st., 622-8848, HotelCongress.com

Downtowns 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. Were doubling down on events, every weekend, theres always stuff going on, along with special events.

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 sat-urdays 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 Founda-tion presentation with legendary blues musician Ian McLagan. show com-mences 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, Pauls 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, tak-ing 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 in-side 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. re-serve a spot by calling the hotel front desk.

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

PLAyGrounD278 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 birds eye view from the roof, Play-ground is a must hang this summer. Weekly offerings are: spelling Bee mondays (8 p.m.), Date night: Dinner & A movie tuesdays (7 p.m.), re-WinD: old-school hip hop Wednesdays (10 p.m.), ivy League thursday College night (9 p.m.), and umm, im going to need you to go ahead and come in on sundaysundays (10 p.m.) on July 11, the Crystal Method is performing a sold out show in the roof, but dont 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 FLoorrhythm 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.

eventsZ

being a tucson townie has never been better. Of course, we all need our cool clime respites, but for hanging here, theres lots going down. Following is a round-up of groovy going-ons that caught our eyes. by Jamie Manser

Camper Van Beethoven at Congress with Cracker on July 23.

In The


Zevents

the dog days of summer in sweltering southern Arizona separate the meek from the mighty like no other natural phenomena. many quickly depart for cooler climes. the rest of us adopt adaptive techniques like nocturnal workouts and midday siestas. For those who stick around through triple-digit temps, the dramatic population reduction is a boon. no lines to get in anywhere on Fourth Avenue. Quiet neighborhoods with apartments on hold until fall.

Let the snowbirds and students flee to san Diego. get going? in this town when the going gets tough, the tough stay put. since we can stand the heat, we dont have to get out of the kitchen. heres whats cooking in tucson this season.

At the Tucson Botanical Gardens, summer means the return of their twilight third thursdays series showcasing visual art alongside compli-mentary live musical performance. on July 18 from 5-8 pm the work of tucson artists David Kish and holly swangtu will be displayed, with the tunes provided by Bisbee indie folk duo nowhere man and a Whiskey girl. August 15 sees local rockers the Cordials and painter/printmaker C.J. shane featured in the idyllic outdoor oasis at 2150 n. Alvernon Way. Ad-mission is $9 for adults and $5 for children; food, face painting, isabellas ice Cream and a cash bar will all be available. see membership discounts and details at tucsonBotanical.org.

For the younger set, summer brings free entertainment in the form of Loft Kids Fest (the event formerly known as the tucson international Chil-dren's Film Festival). Kickoff festivities at Trail Dust Town on Friday, July 19 at 5:30 pm include trick roping by lariat artist Loop rawlins, followed by a screening of his short the Adventures of Loop & Rhett. trail Dust towns homage to the old West can be found at 6541 e. tanque Verde rd.

then each day at 10 am from July 20 to 28, family favorites such as matilda and shrek will grace nonprofit The Loft Cinemas big screen at 3233 e. speedway Blvd. Arrive early for groovy giveaways, super surprises and pre-show hijinks hosted by mildred & Dildred toy store! LoftCinema.com has the full Loft Kids Fest film schedule. Crave more air-conditioned independent arthouse goodness? Catch the award-winning Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home for free at the Loft on tuesday, July 23 at 7 pm.

For over a decade we heard the calls for revitalization and watched as downtown struggled to get started. Fast forward to today, and Congress street is humming with activity any night of the week. At the Historic Rialto Theatre, 318 e. Congress st., check out new Jersey third wave ska band

A Townie's Guide to Summerby Phoenix Michael


Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl

IGnIte tuCsonsteinfeld 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 com-munity. great summer fun.

the shindig runs from 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. with Belly Dance tucson and food trucks rounding out the affair.

KXCI suMMer FunDrAIsers623-1000, KXCI.org

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. "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 LeArnInLibrary.pima.gov

City-wide libraries are hosting tons of great fun and learning op-portunities 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 and get cracking!

The Paladins perform at KXCIs House Rockin Blues Review July 19.


streetlight manifesto on July 3, finely-aged punkers rancid on July 23 or LA indie rock outfit Cold War Kids on August 18. Club Congress across the street welcomes 1980s alternative rock icons Camper Van Beethoven on July 23. eateries such as Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery, 266 e. Congress st., and Empire Pizza & Pub at 137 e. Congress st. have rightfully become popular enough that reservations may be advisable even during the slow summer months. Both of these establishments excellent reputations are well-earned.

From August 14 to 18, the Tucson Audubon Society invites any and all bird-ers to investigate our sky islands and riparian zones for ornithological rarities. the third annual Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival is an opportunity for nature lovers nationwide to participate in workshops, programs and field trips all celebrating the sonoran Desert regions astonishing biodiversity. Festival headquarters will be at the Arizona riverpark inn, 350 s. Freeway. register online at tucsonAudubon.org.

indulging oneself for a good cause is always a win-win; thus the 2013 Salsa & Tequila Challenge. A $40/person ticket price benefits the southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance as well as the Community Food Bank of southern Arizona. the question is, are you up for it? therell be as many as fifty tequila-based mixed drink and menu pairings presented by area chefs with bragging rights at stake, plus creative salsa concoctions galore, so you may want to begin training. the competi-tion takes place at La encantada shopping center, 2905 e. skyline Dr., on saturday, August 24 at 5:30 pm with winning tequilas and salsa announced the same evening. Purchase tickets online at sAACA.org or by telephone at (520) 797-3959 ext. 1.

At Main Gate Square near the university of Arizona, the annual summer exodus leaves behind only the most determinedly heat-resistant portion of the student body. this sturdiest of breeds knows that irish pub and restaurant The Auld Dubliner, 800 e. university Blvd., continues their happy hour drink specials even during the hottest months. entertainment at geronimo Plaza next door comes courtesy of the Friday night Live! concert series, which on July 5 features the jazzy Butch Diggs & Friends and on July 19 cabaret crooner heather oDay. maingatesquare.com lists current merchant specials.

Longtime residents are familiar with mt. Lemmons charms; day trips to the Cat-alinas have cooled many a hyperthermic tucsonan over years past. During recent summers a pleasant scene emerged, with smiling and dancing folk flocking to a big white tent each weekend to simultaneously appreciate local bands and the Coro-nado national Forest. Music on the Mountain, as it was called, brought thousands of visitors following 2003s destructive Aspen Fire. Following a year off, the tradition now continues with top Dead Center on July 27 and stefan george on August 17 among others. Bring a chair and enjoy the fresh air free of charge! Find the fun each saturday afternoon from 12:30-4:30 pm at 12901 n. sabino Canyon Parkway up in summerhaven (so named for good reason).

De Anza Drive-in may be history, but tucsons love affair with watching mov-ies outdoors continues. Cinema La Placitas longest-running classic-movies-under-the-stars series screens an older hollywood gem for $3 admission each thursday evening at 7:30 pm through August. that price includes popcorn, and the courtyard setting at 110 s. Church Ave. is ideal for canoodling. Cinema La Placita will also show a film at 7:30 pm on saturday, July 13 as part of the months second satur-days Downtown celebration. Visit CinemaLaPlacita.com for more information.

thats not all thats afoot in tucson this summer. Science Sundays at the Chil-dren's Museum Tucson, 200 s. 6th Ave., are a chance for the little ones to explore hands-on educational exhibits at a discount. Admission is only $2 every sunday through August; plan your visit at Childrensmuseumtucson.org. For a flashback, try Flandrau Planetariums Dark side of the moon laser light show on Friday and saturday nights at 8 pm. the on-campus facility at 1601 e. university Blvd. also offers educational programs like exploring saturns mysteries and tucson sky tonight. Flandrau.org has details.

Above ground kiddie pool: $11.99. ten-pound bag of ice: $1.79. summer in tucson: priceless.

Zeventscontinued from previous pageSummer Townie Guide

Monterey Court505 W. Miracle Mile, 207-2429, MontereyCourtAZ.com

this 1938-built motor court turned boutique shops, caf 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 caf and bar have regular specials such as happy hour drinks with $5 appetizers and a brew and burger special for $10. theres also tequila tues-days, 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, Al Perry. 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 their website for all the great offerings and information on menus and cover charges.

tuCson sCooP FestHuB Parking lot, between Congress and Broadway off 5th Av-enue, 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.

tuCson sPeLLInG BeeFacebook.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.

2nD sAturDAysAlong Congress street, 2nd saturdays.com

the streetcar construction didnt 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 Vil-lage on July 13 and August 10, along with kids' fun and a movie.

continued from previous pageHot Fun

The Last Call Girls at Monterey Court July 6.


by CJ ShaneEtherton Gallery Unpacks

summer in tuCson can be pretty brutal. But staying in town has its rewards for those of us tough enough to stick it out. one of the biggest re-wards available to us through August is etherton gallerys new Unpacked: The Art Fair at Home exhibit.

on a recent hot summer morning, i sat down with gallery founder and director terry etherton in the coolness of his downtown gallery and talk-ed with him about his new exhibit. he explained how Unpacked came about.

this has been an unusual year for us. We participated in four art fairs in four months. We had to prepare for each art fair in a different way and for a different audience. We had to pack and unpack a lot, and finally we had everything back here in tucson. We just decided to recreate portions of each of the art fairs into one exhibit in tucson.

that means the Unpacked exhibit includes some of the best of the best. A few of the top photographers included in the new exhibit are Aaron siskind, Danny Lyon, Ansel Adams, manuel lvarez Bravo, and Alex Webb, among others. We also see the work of several Arizona artists, among them Bailey Doogan, David emitt Adams, mayme Kratz, and nick georgiou.

When i asked etherton if he had a favorite work in the Unpacked ex-hibit, he paused, clearly having difficulty naming just one or two works. Finally we went to stand before Alex Webbs Tehuantepec, Mexico, 1985.

the photo shows a group of young boys playing in a mexican plaza with a cathedral towering in the background. etherton points out the striking composition of repetitive vertical and horizontal lines, and of the color blue. if that shirt were yellow instead of blue, etherton said, it wouldnt work at all. Perhaps most arresting is the frozen moment in time caught by the photographer. Look at the ball spinning on the boys fingers, etherton said, and there on the far left, Webb has captured a basketball just as it passes through the net.

An entire wall is devoted to Webbs work in the Unpacked exhibit. take your time and look closely. there are secrets to be discovered in Webbs photos. his Istanbul, Turkey, 2001 at first glance appears to be a casual photo of a street scene. then you realize you are seeing multiple levels of reality in this photo. taken from inside a barber shop, we see the street outside the shop both directly and also through reflections. People are scurrying by, and shop signs that can be read normally are reversed in reflections. intriguingly, theres the image of man, one of those hurrying by on the street, whose reflection was caught at just the right instant in a small mirror on the barbers work table. that kind of compositional com-

plexity and sheer beauty indicate a real master at work. Webbs photos are in the interface between photojournalism and fine art.

As we move away, etherton casually gestured to another Webb photo, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1986. multiple layers here, too he said. indeed.

Alex Webb was the single artist shown by etherton at Paris Photo Los Angeles art fair. Paris Photo, one of europes premier art fairs, is based in Paris, France. this year Paris Photo opened a second fair in Los Angeles.

Paris Photo is very selective. etherton said, We were very pleased to be invited. he added. to this day Los Angeles hasnt had a high qual-ity art fair, and i think Paris Photo was trying to fill that gap. they largely succeeded. Paris Photo Los Angeles was the last of the four art fairs in four months for etherton gallery. the first was Classic Photographs, also in Los Angeles.

second was the Palm springs Art Fair in California. etherton took paintings and sculptures to Palm springs as well as photographs. of the twelve artists we showed, he said, ten were from tucson. he added, i wanted to say at this fair, Look how great our artists are!

one of the tucson artists included in the Unpacked exhibit is nick georgiou. this took us to ethertons other favorite piece in the exhibit, georgious Wig-O-Rama, a wall sculpture created in honor of Congress streets long-standing wig shop by the same name. georgiou, a new York City transplant to tucson since 2009, creates unique two and three-di-mensional sculptures of hand-stitched recycled books and newspapers. georgious art was on the cover of the Zcalo, and he was profiled in Print to Artifact in the october 2012 issue.

the third art fair for etherton gallery in four months was the prestigious AiPAD (Association of international Photography Art Dealers) in the Park Avenue Armory in new York City. etherton showed a solid selection of work by photographers represented by etherton gallery. then it was back to LA for the Paris Photo exhibit.

etherton speculated about where hell go next. Back to miami? to Chicago? thats not decided yet. What is important is that right now here in tucson, we have a chance to see a really superior collection in the un-packed exhibit. Brave the heat, and dont miss an important art event for the old Pueblo.

etherton gallery which opened in tucson in 1981 is considered one of the top ten photography galleries in the united states. Unpacked:The Art Fair at Home will be on exhibit through August 30. Learn more at www.ethertongallery.com/index.php

artsZ

Nick Georgiou, Wigorama, 2012, 48 x 60.Alex Webb (1952 -), Tehuantepec, Mexico, 1985, Fuji Crystal Archive print. Alex Webb, Courtesy Etherton Gallery


by Herb Stratford

Arizona Biennial: A State of Art Exhibition

WhAt Does Art in Arizona look like today? Do artists in tucson do the same type of work as Phoenix based artists? is painting dead? What the heck is an installation?

every two years the tucson museum of Art undertakes an ambitious exhibition that attempts to answer these questions and highlights con-temporary art as it is being created by Arizona artists in a single show like no other. the Arizona Biennial is open to any artist residing in the state and is always an fascinating survey of how artists are working and what their work looks like. For the past few iterations, the show has been guest curated by a single, invited juror. this arrangement offers two benefits, first all artists who submit to the show have their work seen by a prominent art world curator, and secondly the final show is often a representation of our states artists by an outside, unbiased eye. this year the guest juror is rene Paul Barilleaux, chief Curator of Art after 1945 at the mcnay Art museum in san Antonio, texas.

Barilleaux selected a large number of installations and videos for inclusion this year according to tucson museum of Art curator Julie sasse. his unique vision will prove to be a factor in this exciting new look at Ari-zona art said sasse. this year the Biennial features five installations and six video artworks. that coupled with 28 paintings, 12 sculptures and 12 photographs, 15 works on paper and two mixed media pieces, it makes for a diverse and eclectic range of genres in one place. the 80 selected works were drawn from over 1,250 that were submitted by 419 artists around the state. 62 different artists are represented with a slight edge of male over female artists this year. the Phoenix area is home to 22 selected artists,

while there are 34 tucson based artists in the mix, along with 4 hailing from Flagstaff.

Paintings make up a large percent of the wall space at the biennial again this year with several well known figurative artists presenting strong new works. tucson favorites Daniel martin Diaz, Craig Cully, James Cook and michael stack are represented with their powerful and unique vi-sions. Former university of Arizona school of Art head and public artist moira marti-geoffrion, and mixed media artist michael Cajero also present strong works that speak to their unusual use of materials and presentation styles.

But perhaps looking beyond the recognizable names is the true allure of a show like the biennial. Work by emerging, or under-exposed artists from around the state lets us see how artists are responding to social, political and gender issues, along with how they are reacting to new me-dia and non-traditional modes of expression. While this show represents the view of a single juror, and is based upon the submissions that were received, it is also a curious snapshot of a moment in time, and by looking at this show every two years, art aficionados can truly take stock of what contemporary art in Arizona looks like.

The Arizona Biennial exhibition opens on July 20, but a reception for mu-seum members and included artists is set for July 19 from 6-8pm. The show will be on display at the TMA through September 29 in the main exhibition space. The museum is located at 140 North Main Avenue. TucsonMuseumOfArt.Org

Zarts

Below: Wen Hang Lin, Day_08-09from 10-29 to 17-18, 2012, Computer recording of mouse movement, digital inkjet output on photo rag paper, 12 x 40

Above: Anh-Thuy Nguyen, Thuy & Rice, 2011, Still shots, Video, 4:34 minutesCraig Cully (Tucson), Conviction: A Soft Punch, 2012, Oil on panel 12 x 12


by CJ Shane

At First gLAnCe, Luke Parsons seems to be a man living three different lives. hes a full-time doctoral student in geosciences at the university of Arizona studying climate change modeling. in summers, you can find him leading wilderness courses for national outdoor Leadership school (noLs). Year round, Parsons creates stunning art photographs. Yet a clos-er look reveals that for Parsons, everything is connected.

Parsons, a native of northern Arizona who moved with his family to new mexico when he was nine, explains how his fascination with geosciences and art photography began on family hiking trips.

my parents started taking me backpacking at an early age in the can-yon lands and mountains of Arizona and utah. When we moved to Al-buquerque, my middle school had a required photography rotation. this is where i found out i loved working in the darkroom. As i matured and participated in more outdoor trips in high school, i began to re-discover my fascination with the towering, layered navajo sandstone and the rip-pling sand dunes from my childhood backpacking trips. i was also taking geology classes, and i started making the connection between those sand dunes and the cross-bedded sandstone in the cliff walls.

Photographing these features, Parsons says, started off as a study in texture (and still is), but it took years for me to start meditating on the time aspect that ties all of it together. When im in the backcountry, the

wide-open landscapes remind me of how small and short-lived we are compared to the planet. i want to convey this sense of time and place to a viewer of my work. We fit into a larger continuing process of creation and erosion all around us.

he pauses and adds, i think im trying to capture longer than 100 years of time, trying to get people to see processes going on around them all the time.

Although he works both in color and black and white, Parsons creates especially spectacular panoramic black and white landscapes. his dra-matic Grand Canyon and Storm Clouds draws our attention to the passage of time in the canyon rocks which contrast dramatically with ephemeral clouds overhead. the same sense of time is found in Echo Canyon Tow-ers in southeastern Arizonas Chiricahua national monument. here rock formations give witness to those geological processes that long outlive hu-man activities.

Parsons geology class eventually led to the study of climate change. in college, i started studying the history of climate and carbon on our planet, and i realized there was a whole world of study completely un-known to me that was related to the atmosphere and its effects on climate and life here on earth. i started a research project examining the link between the strength of ocean circulation and changes in climate in north

artsZ

Time, Space and Texture


Parsons' Landscape and Panoramic Photography Inspires awe

Zarts

America. While teaching AP environmental science after college, i realized that i needed to know more about the climate system in order to be able to better communicate about climate change to both my students and the general public. i hope i can play a part in having a real impact on policy and peoples lives by studying and teaching about the variability of rainfall, drought, and climate.

Parsons is especially interested in helping policy makers develop bet-ter public policy using up-to-date information about the effects of climate change. his current research involves evaluating how accurate the climate change models are. Areas of public policy that he considers relevant in-clude agriculture, water resources, energy resources, public safety, and national security.

i hope i can play a part in having a real impact on policy and peoples lives by studying and teaching about the variability of rainfall, drought, and climate. he and his colleagues have developed an explanation of climate models which can be viewed at sites.google.com/site/azclimatemodeling/home

so how are we doing? how well do current models predict temperature and precipitation? over all the climate change models do a pretty good job, Parsons says, but it has to be an average. the models are large-scale. they cant represent small areas like just Arizona.

Whats the connection between his photography and his climate change research?

Parsons explains. i worry that the wild and open places are being forgotten. i hope my photography encourages the viewer to connect with and appreciate her surroundings. i want the viewer to ponder time, the backcountry, or even the cacti growing up around the buildings here in tucson. Without a connection to the outdoors and the environment, what reason does a person have to advocate for their preservation? i hope to start forming or help strengthen this connection.

he adds, the study of climate and the art of outdoor landscape pho-tography are both related to close observation of the world around us. the planet has been changing for billions of years and will go on changing long after we are gone, but just as we are too busy to often notice the erosion of a stream in the Catalinas, i think we are ignoring human-induced global warming. i hope to deepen our knowledge and raise awareness about the changing planet both in my photography and in my research.

Luke Parsons is leading an outdoor wilderness course for noLs this month. his photography is currently on display through August 25 at Petroglyphs gallery in the Lost Barrio. You can see more of his work at lukeparsonsphoto.wordpress.com

Echo Canyon Towers, photo Luke Parsons, www.lukeparsonsphoto.wordpress.com

additional photo on next page


Grand Canyon and Storm Clouds, photo Luke Parsons, www.lukeparsonsphoto.wordpress.com

by Monica Surfaro Spigelman

ts summer, and night falls in the desert. What relief when that pur-plish glow finally creeps along the horizon! the long broiling day takes cover in the shadows. And then the magic begins, as moon shine and constellations crowd the darkening skies.

tucsonans may have mixed feelings about our summer daytime sizzle but theres universal awe when it comes to our summer nights. theres a folklore, science, coolness and, of course, great beauty in our dark skies. theres nature, too: this is the season when tens of thou-sands of mexican free-tailed bats rise in ribbons from the Campbell Av-enue bridge, in search of insects in another seasonal night spectacle.

But its the wonder of the show put on by the cosmos that calls to all of us in tucson. Zocalo takes a look at tucsons unique summer dark skies, our local viewing sites and our often-quirky star-gazing community. Were also flagging some upcoming astronomical events: tis the season for tucsonans to look up and be astonished by the heavens.

Stars, you cant hide from Tucson

Arizona is well known in the astronomy world and a great place for appreciating the stars. in trade talk its called seeing. With its higher elevations, tucson has very good seeing. tucson is the states shining star as a unique celestial-viewing environment, with a dry climate, high-altitude mountaintops, and proliferation of astronomers, academic pro-grams and nearby viewing sites. its home to many telescopes and optic research facilities. the large number of technical industries here leads to a high number of people who are interested in astronomy and space.

According to terri Lapin, co-coordinator of the tucson Amateur As-tronomer Association, or tAAA, professional astronomy actually began in southern Arizona with the establishment of the steward observatory in 1916. Kitt Peak came along in the 50s, and the uA Lunar labs and Whip-ple in the 60s. the university of Arizona emerged as a leading astronomy and optical design institute. it was inevitable that the predictably-numer-

ous cloudless nights (even with the monsoons, clear skies are likely after midnight), are what call to pros and the enthusiasts alike.

More-than-Amateur Nights

Probably one the oldest and most popular tucson groups focused on our summer night skies is the tAAA (tucsonastronomy.org), founded in 1954. Around 350 fans, ranging from professional astronomer to begin-ner, participate in observation programs of all sorts including astrophotog-raphy. the group also does education outreach with telescopes in hand, spreading the love of night sky astronomy to the community. the tAAA also is one of the larger astronomy clubs in the country, bolstered by the professionals and amateurs who come to tucson for similar reasons.

Lapin, who spends much of her time in outreach explaining astro-nomical concepts like the curvature of space time and other fun stuff to kids and adults, says that the tAAA has two star parties each month one close to the Desert museum is for pros as well as beginners who can learn to look through a telescope and understand what theyre seeing. At the other, a dark site about 90 minutes southeast of tucson, there more set-ting up of scopes and observing. owning a scope is optional, as everyone shares at the parties. its usually a very social atmosphere but not the celebration type of party... just a party of people with common interests sharing time under Arizonas dark skies, she says.

Serious Star Students

For the students among us, theres the uA chapter of students for the exploration and Development of space (uAseDs chapters.seds.org/uaseds) a close-knit group of about 40 uA students interested in the cosmos. uAseDs is just one chapter of a much larger, global organiza-tion. in november, the uA group is co-hosting the annual seDs confer-ence along with the student crew from Asu.

eric sahr, the uAs national rep and communications officer, has been

Z

Dont be ready to call it a night until youve looked up and admired our heavens.

Look up, Tucson


I


involved in the club for several years. he says all students who are pas-sionate about space are welcome. theres the occasional odd project (getting to fly around in microgravity in nAsA's reduced gravity jet), but more regularly the club is involved in engineering projects (such as weather balloon payloads, and reduced gravity projects), trips (to places around Arizona and around the country), and educational outreach (vis-iting elementary schools to teach children about stem and space).

space is a broad and constantly-evolving field of interest, there's always something interesting going on, he comments. We had a land-ing of the largest rover on mars back in August, and Commercial Launch services have been very interesting as of late (companies like spaceX and Virgin galactic).

SpaceFest

tucson hosts an annual space and dark skies event that even has nAsAs attention. spaceFest (www.spacefest.info) is an eccentric, won-derful, under-the-radar happening where space heroes, astronauts, art-ists and scientists get to schmooze about space. this years spaceFest occurred on memorial Day. if you attended you could have met the likes of 15 astronauts and moonwalkers, including scott Carpenter (Aurora 7), Jim mcDivitt (gemini 4, Apollo 9), Alan Bean (Apollo 12, skylab 2) and the last man on the moon, gene Cernan (gemini 9, Apollo 10 & 17). in addition to hobnobbing with spacemen, many rock stars of the astronomy world appeared on panels, including teD conference speak-ers Dr. Carolyn Porco (imaging team leader for 1990 Cassini-huygens spacecraft, which arrived at saturn mid-2004 and now racking up amaz-ing discoveries about saturns unseen rings) and physicist Brian Cox, Britains answer to Carl sagan. You also would have met the presidents of two asteroid mining companies and an advisor to a back-to-the-moon company. spaceFest is run by tucsonan Kim Poor (whose work has been commissioned by the national Air & space museum, numerous astro-

nauts and nAsA, as well as tV programs and movies including star trek and Babylon 5). he and his family also run novaspaceart.com an inter-net gallery with items by the most prominent space artists. Attend next year and meet them all.

Shop and Star-Gaze

thinking about star-gazing? Year-round, you can view the moon, planets and various deep-sky objects at starizona (www.starizona.com). this business offers free stargazing from the oracle road store on Friday and saturday nights sharing enthusiasm for the skies with anyone who stops by. the staff lets people try out telescopes and accessories, and teach new telescope owners how to use their instruments. Last year, hun-dreds gathered at the shop to watch Venus transit the sun. And if it lives up to expectations, another comet (Comet ison) could be a spectacular sight later in 2013 (see Watch for it section)

starizona wants you to know that summer night sky holds the most spectacular deep-sky objects, including bright nebulas and star clusters, many of which are visible in a small telescope or even binoculars. the brightest portion of the milky Way stretches across the sky in the late evenings.

the most incredible recent advances in the hobby have to be the computerization of telescopes and digital imaging, notes astrophotog-rapher scott tucker, who has worked at starizona more than a decade. Computerized telescopes are now inexpensive and most models fea-ture a "go-to" system where the telescope can automatically point to any object you choose and then track it as the earth rotates, says tucker. many telescopes can interface with mobile devices like iPhones and iPads to offer wireless control, audio descriptions of objects, and many more features.

the biggest change in telescopes and star gazing has been digital

Galactic Desert, photo Sean Parker, www.sean-parker.com



imaging, he notes. Advances are allowing would-be astrophotogra-phers to capture images in just a couple minutes, from their back-yard. the images that show up on a computer screen in even just 30 seconds with a modest amateur telescope show far more detail and color than you would ever see visually through an eyepiece, even through a huge telescope! says tucker.

Astronomy as a hobby is also something anyone can enjoy, he re-minds us. it can be as simple as lying in a chair and looking through binoculars from your backyard, or as advanced as having a remotely-operated observatory that is capable of doing cutting-edge scientific research. there is something for every level of enthusiast.

Wind Up At Sky Bar

if you are looking for alcohol-based cosmos in addition to the celestial ones, look no further than sky Bar on 4th Avenue (skybar-tucson.com). this astronomy-influenced solar-powered planetarium bar, opened by the owners of Brooklyn Pizza Company a couple of years ago, gives you big screen viewing of the universe as you sip your cocktail.

tony Vacarro, one of the owners, is especially proud of their tele-scopes, usually operating three each night. the roof top telescope takes amazing deep space images, and the two on the patio are available for hands-on viewing. the bar has an astronomer work-ing tuesday through saturday nights, and astronomy simulations on three projectors every night. Family nights on tuesdays get the kids interested.

every month we have all day happy hour for any astronomical event like full moon, eclipse or meteor showers, says robby tack-ett, one of the two astronomy pros on staff at sky Bar. on tuesdays robby will introduce people to astrophotography, using his adapters to help visitors mount their personal cameras to the 14 mead LX200

on the patio. sky Bar has a wide range of customers, that is why i like working there so much, tackett says. the public outreach is of a very wide range, in one night i can show someone who has never looked through a telescope saturn and the ring nebula and five minutes later be talking to a pro astronomer about how stars form and die.

the night skies in the sW are unsurpassed in beauty, adds Vacarro. they also provide a mind expanding experience in which we realize the enormity of the "whole thing," and allow our woes to dissipate because it's just a lot bigger than all of us. the night sky is also very romantic....

Meet Meteorite Man

geoff notkin (www.notkin.net), one of the two hosts of meteorite men, the award-winning science/adventure television series that ran for three seasons on science Channel and is now airing worldwide on Discovery and other networks, has a romantic story of his own regarding sky Bar: he had a first date there about three years ago with elizabeth egleson, a professional ballet dancer with Ballet tuc-son. the two just recently got engaged.

i have spent time at sky Bar on many happy occasions, smiles notkin, who hosted a series of meteorite men premiere parties at sky Bar over the past few years. in addition, the tucson meteorite Club meets at sky Bar, once a month.

notkin is a one of those life-long astronomy enthusiasts who wanted to go beyond observing, to touching elements of space. since moving here about a decade ago, notkin has found an un-usually-strong community of believers in both astronomy and me-teoritics (the study of meteorites) in tucson. the interest is grow-ing in thriving sciences that are constantly pushing the boundaries

Photograph by Leigh A

nne DelR

ay A

erolite Meteorites w

ww

.aerolite.org

Geoff NotkinSky Bar

photo: Monica S

urfaro Spigelm

an



Lotus Massage & Wellness2850 E. Grant Rd.520-326-7700LotusTucson.com

Delectables Restaurant & Catering 533 N. 4th Ave520-884-9289Delectables.com

Deco: Art for Living2612 E. Broadway Blvd.520-319-0888DecoArtTucson.com

Yikes Toys & Gift-O-rama2930 E. Broadway Blvd520-320-5669YikesToys.com

Betts Printing110 S. Park Ave520-623-0441BettsTucson.com

Antigone Books411 N. 4th Ave520-792-3715AntigoneBooks.com

Atomic Tucson520-878-6399AtomicTucson.com

Barbs Frame of Mind319 E 18th St520-620-0932BarbsFrameOfMind.com

Fed By Threads435 E. 9th St520-445-8533FedByThreads.com

Olivastro Oils & Balsamics540 West McDowell Road480-264-0228OlivastroOils.com

Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro5845 N Oracle Rd520-408-9000GourmetGirlsGlutenFree.com

Tea and More3054 N. First Avenue520-360-0092TAndMore.com

Join Local First Arizona in celebrating our local independent businesses. Take the pledge to shop local for one whole week, June 30 - July 7. Try someplace new, explore what Tucson and Arizona independent

businesses have to offer. Keep your money where your home is and support these and many more local businesses of all types listed in the Local First Arizona directory at LocalFirstAZ.com

Independents Week, June 30 - July 7, 2013


of knowledge and understanding, he says. notkin related a major announcement made in June regarding a martian meteorite and the discovery of contents of boron in it. Boron may have played an im-portant role in the formation of the so-called "building blocks of life" on our planet, he says.

several of notkins meteorite men segments were filmed in and around tucson, notably the season one episode "the tucson ring mystery," which was shot in the santa rita mountains. notkin also films during the tucson gem and mineral shows, at the Flandrau sci-ence Center and in the desert between tucson and sahuarita.

on the advisory board of Deep space industries (Dsi), a private sector space program company that is developing an ambitious plan to mine asteroids, notkin is one of those tucson enthusiasts who combines serious science and his passions. Just like the movies - Dsi intends to harvest raw materials from asteroids and use them to develop resources and build hardware in space. After spend-ing much of my professional life searching for material that has fall-en out of space, it is rather exciting to be working on a project that will send cutting-edge technology into space, he says.

Amateurs and private enthusi-asts regularly make important con-tributions to both astronomy and meteoritics, and notkin encourag-es the curious to get involved in the diversified tucson scene. Attend a local meeting, get a drink at sky Bar, do some free star-gazing at a local business. start by looking up tonight. Let the night skies cool you never know what mysteries they will reveal.

Watch for it!

there's always something going on in the night sky, and thats par-ticularly true in the months ahead. An option is to check out the nAsA night sky network (nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov), which can give you star charts, location of local clubs and special sky events. Lapin and notkin offer these other tips:

these are prime months for stargazers, with one of the best annual meteor showers around, Perseid, appears in late July and August. the skies will be popping with maximum activity between August 9 and 14, when earth passes through the dust left behind by Comet swift-tuttle, with the ice or rock from the Comet burning up in our atmosphere. head over to sky Bar or starizona for viewing, or check in with the tAAA to learn about star parties scheduled those months. remember, even if there are thunderstorms, theyll usually dissipate around or after midnight, so you can still get in some nice meteor shower views.

A bright comet is predicted for this fall, and the comet actually is visible now with a telescope. if the predictions hold up, the comet will be visible to observers without a telescope. Contact a local expert mentioned in this article for addition information.

there also are the occasional supernova (a star at the end of its

life) and sunspot activity this summer. Attend one of the tAAA star parties if you have questions about this and the other interesting activity our universe has planned this summer.

if discussions are more your thing: the tAAA will participate in the uAs Lunar and Planetary Lab's summer science saturday, themed "the outer Planets," on July 20. the tAAA will have an interactive display about strange life forms found on the earth. As conditions on the moons of some of the outer planets might be similar to extreme conditions on earth where we find these strange life forms, the tAAA will be talking about which moons are good targets for looking for simple forms of life.

tucson also is home to the oldest chapter of the national space society (www.nss.org): tucson L5 space society (L5 signifying the Lagrangian libration point or space orbit configuration which might be an ideal locations for the large rotating earthlike space habitats envisioned by Princeton professor gerard K. o'neill in 1969). the L5

society merged with the national space institute (nsi) in the 1980's to form the national space society (nss). While the nsi was more Washington DC scientist-in-a-suit, the L5 group was much closer to a scientist/space hippie mix from tucson. Kim Poor of spaceFest was the original L5 art director, and the organization has regular monthly meetings and is involved with science-related community outreach in the schools. (www.tucsonspacesociety.org)

Night Skies End Notes

Dark skies, an international movement, has its roots in tucson. the international Dark skies Asso-ciation (iDA) began in tucson with the inspiration of Dr. David Craw-ford and Dr. tim hunter in 1988. this group ensures that the world knows light pollution is not just an astronomers problem.

Beyond blocking the stars and making it very difficult and/or im-possible to do astronomical research, light pollution impacts wildlife, human health and safety. the iDA tells us that streetlights in the united states will waste about $2.2 billion dollars a year because the light is going where it is not needed.

Although tucson officially is not a dark skies-designated city, it does have a serious outdoor lighting ordinance adopted by tucson and Pima County in 1972. since then legislators, non-profits and as-tronomers have been helping update regulations to ensure that the skies around us are as dark as possible for everyone, especially our observatories. the tucsons 2012 outdoor Lighting Code has strict guidelines on maximum light brightness as well as hours of operation and light shielding requirements. Although tucson is trying, much light pollution recently from maricopa County is making its way south and threatening our local skies. Learn more via the southern Arizona international Dark skies Association chapter (www.sa-ida.org).

U.S. Light Pollution

grap

hic:

Ant

on B

alaz

h

Tea and More3054 N. First Avenue520-360-0092TAndMore.com



no doubt: southern Arizona leads the way in terms of sites that help you check out the cosmos. Zocalos top 10 list:

1) MT. LEMMON/UA SKyCENTER (skycenter.arizona.edu) skynights and other programs. reservations are required.

2) UA STEWARD OBSERVATORy MIRROR LAB (mirrorlab.as.arizona.edu) A very interesting must see of technology and the worlds largest telescope mirrors. reservations required.

3) MT. HOPKINS AND WHIPPLE OBSERVATORy VISITORS CEN-TER (www.mmto.org). tour the visitor center and also reserve a seat on the bus for a day-long excursion up the mountain.

4) KITT PEAK (www.noao.edu/kpno) get away for a daytime picnic lunch or make reservations for the night program.

5) MT. GRAHAM mgio.arizona.edu/visitor-information the newest and one of the largest Binocular telescopes in the world is here, nearby safford.

6) FLANDRAU SCIENCE CENTER (www.flandrau.org) opened in 1975. Changing exhibits and southern Arizonas only Planetarium the-ater.

7) UA LUNAR AND PLANETARy LAB (www.lpl.arizona.edu/calendar?ID=737): this is where youll find family programs, lectures

and a research collection of nAsA planetary images.8) THE NIGHT WINGS program (July 27, August 24) at Pima Air &

space museum (www.pimaair.org) with special activities for kids, with all hangars open until 9pm. see nAsA planes including the super guppy, built to transport rockets. the Flight grill is open for dinner and theres a mock-up of martian lander in spirit of Freedom hangar. or head over to titan missile museum (www.titanmissilemuseum.org)to launch seltzer rockets, sample space food and take an astronaut test (second satur-days through september).

9) DESERT STAR WEEKEND: You only need to journey out about 50 miles to get an incredible view of the milky Way. Preferences are to head southeast (Portal), where there are several B&Bs, or even a house rental in Arizona sky Village (www.arizona-dreaming.com/star.php). to put on your bucket list for an extended visit someday: Chaco Canyon (www.nps.gov/chcu). Also, when it opens, roden Crater will be a must-see excur-sion. rodencrater.com/about

10) MOON TREE: Visit a very splendid and unusual moon tree, planted next to the Flandrau science Center. notkin explains the history of the tree here: tucsoncitizen.com/lizard/2009/06/07/mystery-of-the-moon-trees

Wild Wild West, photo Sean Parker, www.sean-parker.com

Top 10 Southern Arizona Deep Space and Star Gazing Sites


ime lapse has always been fascinating in photography, but rarely has it been used in such beautiful celestial ways as employed by local landscape and time-lapse cinematogra-pher sean Parker.

Parkers photos, which grace this edition of Zocalo, also have appeared in smithsonians Air & space magazine, Digital sLr Pho-tography magazine and other online media.

Parker started his career in computer technology. interest in astrophotography was born at sky Bar just a couple of years ago. in 2011, after relaxing for a drink at sky Bar, sean wandered up to the 12-inch mead patio telescope and took a photo of the moon with his iPhone. he was hooked instantly.

its apparent that the recent shift from technology to photogra-phy is what gives Parkers work both impeccable technical quality as well as a sense of play and vigor.

For the next few months after that 2011 sky Bar experience, Parker borrowed a friends Canon rebel camera and loaded up his Jeep to head out to remote corners of the desert to try his hand at shooting the stars. his favorite spot is about 55 miles south of tucson, nearby Kitt Peak, where hell often go in early evening, to set up his camera and look for his shots. nowadays he loads up the Jeep with some 20 pounds of equipment, including tripods and dolly slider, to shoot time lapses with his new Canon 5D through the night.

i first saw time lapse videos on Youtube and it blew my mind, Parker recalls. When he goes out now, he prefers to use his wide angle or fish eye lens shooting and stopping for 25-odd seconds intervals over a four-hour time lapse. Although some photographers accept preset apertures and time lapse sequences, Parker contin-

ues to experiment. Like a true photojournalist and tech specialist, too, Parker sees both science and creative art in the star formations he shoots. nights skies offer incredible and limitless inspiration, he explains.

Parkers treks have not been without some scary moments. he recalls one terrifying evening coming down from mt. hopkins, when his battery cable came loose. he advises enthusiasts to let people know when heading out for night shoots.

Parker, who is always on a mission, attended spaceFest and is a member of the iDA. his outstanding and diverse works are printed locally at Photographic Works. he has a few gallery shows, includ-ing one at Black Crown Coffee and red sky tattoo. At the march hotel Congress raw generation show, he won best video, and he is working on a paid-for version film of beautiful time lapses. Astro calendars are for sale on his website.

most exciting is a special uA project. opening this summer is a new campus area called uA experience a room full of high defini-tion monitors displaying the dazzle of our city (including some of Parkers photography).

summer is Parkers favorite time of year, mostly because of the vibrant bands of the milky Way. he suggests others head out to a spot like Windy Point on mt. Lemmon, to try out astrophotography. its a satisfying way to look at the universe and capture its special moments, he says.

Visit Parkers website, Sean-Parker.com, or look him up at Sky Bar, where he works part-time with the telescopes.

T

Indelible Imagesthe astrophotography of sean Parker


photo: Michael D

anson

Sean Parker


fashionZ

the luxurious textiles and beautiful motifs of the east have captivated au-diences since the days of the silk road. But could such an ancient culture be re-imagined for a new age?

Against a backdrop of minimalist lines the basic elements of Asian dress the staple kimono, mandarin dress and obi, were reinterpreted and a neo-traditionalist collection fit for a modern Anna may Wong was conceived. if Paul Poiret were alive, wed like to think he would approve of this imperial vision for the edge of a modern world.

introducing our vintage version of the orient. Built from the ground up.

by Sydney Ballesteros

Creative team credits:Creative director + stylist | sydney ballesterosPhotography | stacia lugoModel | kendall visserMakeup | tangie duffeyHair | raul mendoza, fringe salonWardrobe | black cat vintage + razzle dazzle vintage (jewelry)

Silk Road


the merChAnDise rAnges from vintage clothing to graphic design art-work and from 8-tracks to fashion art pieces made from computer keys. the room is splashed with light pink and green and features a large vintage chandelier hanging in the center. this new 6th Ave storefront is sure to be like no other around and it joins the downtown shopping scene July 13.

Psychedelia mod Willy Wonka except you cant lick the wallpaper. that is how eleonor Leon, an award-winning artist and the owner of La Fashionista, would describe the feel of her store. You may find yourself wondering if you have stepped into an alternate world when you leave the busy streets of modern downtown and enter La Fashionista. Feel free to get your groove on while browsing. We can dig it.

the long-time dream of opening a store became a reality for Leon in January when she and her father began the process of creating La Fash-ionista.

i think people kind of think youre crazy when you just go out on a limb. i just decided that i was going to do it regardless, Leon said on start-ing this new venture at 43 years old.

Leon received a bachelors degree in visual communication from the university of Arizona and also studied fashion design at the Academy of Art university and FiDm. many of the items for sale at La Fashionista are handmade by Leon, who enjoys all things design and is also a designer for tucson Fashion Week.

Costume designer and graphic artist, Leon says that she is a fusion of

her parents. her love for costumes began at a very early age. my mother loved to dress up in costumes so she would bring us downtown to find clothes at vintage thrift shops, Leon said. my mother was the fashionista. she would dress up and she was spectacular.

inspired also by her father, a sheet metal mechanic, Leon enjoys drill-ing and creating things out of metal and other materials. A few of her unique items on display at La Fashionista include jewelry crafted from guitar picks and computer keys.

While Leons artwork is shown throughout the store, an art gallery fea-turing the award-winning artist Domingo toledo will also be on display at the entrance of La Fashionista. toledo received an Addy award while un-der the instruction of Leon, who has been an instructor at the Art institute of tucson, tucson Design College and Pima Community College.

Leon moved to tucson as an infant and lived downtown during the early years of her life. she finds great value in historical pieces of tucson and is happy that she has been able to save part of tucson history by collecting many treasures from old downtown locations to showcase in her store. the original cash register and bar stools from the old hotspot grill can be found in La Fashionista.

The grand opening of La Fashionista what Leon dubs a retro eclectica shop will be held on Saturday, July 13 at 45 S. 6th Ave from 6-10 p.m. Fashion art designed by Leon will be modeled at the event.

Fashion Inspired Art

Eleonor Leon and son, Emmanuel Spiro

by Allie Knapp


by Teya Vitu

Tap + Bottle YouD sWeAr there is a brewery or vineyard out back at tap + Bottle, 403 n. 6th Avenue.

though they don't brew beer or tend to grapes, owners rebecca and scott safford are playing right into the turn of the century ambiance firm-ly in place at their newly opened beer and wine tasting room and bottle shop.

Youll find exposed brick walls and original wood flooring dating back to when tucson had maybe 10,000 inhabitants. And now, a spacious bar, beer glasses and growlers on metal shelves, a giant chalkboard menu, and a 10-foot long community table grace the restored building. the tap + Bottle logo is on the brick wall, appearing as if its been there for 100 years. the top half of the logo, created by Dennis Fesenmyer at Fezlab, looks like a keg and the bottom half like a bottle cap.

this is our beer baby, says rebecca, the safford who youll most likely find working at tap + Bottle. We got the idea of doing this while traveling up and down the West Coast and in Colorado. We discovered a lot of bottle shops where you can purchase craft beer bottles for take out or stay and drink them on the spot.

having opened in late June, tap + Bottle is a bar but not really a bar. no hard liquor, just beer and wine on tap and also available by the bottle (or can) to take home. With nearly 400 varieties of bottled beer and 20 tap beers, the concept is clear. Provide an impressive inventory of harder to find beers from around the country and world, add a local feel in an historic setting, and tap + Bottle becomes a one-of-a-kind destination in tucson.

the 20 craft beers on tap continually rotate out, some on a daily basis. two kegs are always "on deck" ready to be tapped once a line opens up. one cask condition beer is also available. the beer goes into the cask flat and the beers yeast creates the carbonation. other elements can be added to the cask such as orange peel or blueberry. in the future, they hope to convince local tucson breweries to brew one-off varieties just for tap + Bottle.

Z food&drink

Quench your thirst at

phot

o: A

ndre

w B

row

n

Rebecca and Scott Safford


Zfood&drink

While they do an excellent job of celebrating beer, they also feature six wines on tap three red and three white. their bottled wine section includes over 70 choices.

Don't expect to find tap + Bottle within the 4th Avenue or Congress street bar scene. its just north of the 6th Avenue underpass, which is not exactly a spot screaming location, location, location.

Were totally one block off, rebecca says. We want to be something different. We've watched Borderlands Brewing and eXo roasting closely. nearby, they've created their own culture and scene without being in the middle of it all.

tap + Bottle shares a building with eXo and old market inn tile shop. old market tile decorates the restroom and denotes the street addresses for all three businesses.

it makes sense how rebecca and scott got into the beer and wine business. they met at the tap room at hotel Congress and live at the ice house Lofts near Barrio Brewing.

We grew into it together with our love of beer and love of learning about beer and wine, she says. We both did Cicerone wine certification training. We studied together. We talked about it a lot. it really did happen together. it was not one person saying i love beer and now you have to love beer, too.

As expected, this is a true joint venture in beer proficiency right down to their chalkboard menus detailing not just the beer, brewery and price but also specifying iBu and ABV values (international Bitterness units and Alcohol by Volume the percent alcohol). Flip their branded coasters over and youll find beer tasting note sheets to mark down sweetness, bit-terness, hoppiness, and on the wine coaster, intensity, body, flavors and hue.

rebecca and scott are nose-to-nose about having nine different glass-es for beer and a stemless tumbler for the wine. Depending on which glass best suits a given beer, you will get your brew in english pub, Belgian or munique glasses in sizes ranging from 10.5 to 23 ounces. get the right curves in the glass for the right beer and drinking becomes all about aro-matics and smell along with the taste.

it starts with what not to serve it in, scott says. We say, be good to the beer.

For those less concerned with stemware and more oriented toward take-out or volume, you can buy 4-pint and 2-pint tap + Bottle growler bottles to take along and for later refills.

Like at eXo roasting, where they offer coffee tastings by flights, you can sample a flight of four 5-ounce beers at tap + Bottle. Well-briefed employees happily detail any of the nuances.

not just anybody works at tap + Bottle. the safford application pro-cess resembles a college essay exam. theyre less concerned with where you've worked, your references or your record. Where potential employees score their points is with answering application questions such as What is your favorite style of beer and why? and What do you believe is the most overrated beer and why?

We want to hear how they explain it, says rebecca.With a plethora of beer and wine tasting options at tap + Bottle, some

friendly guidance from the staff sounds just about right.

Tap + Bottle is open from 11 am to 11 pm Monday to Thursday, 11 am to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 pm Sunday. Find them online at www.thetapandbottle.com

phot

o: A

ndre

w B

row

n

Tap + Bottle soft opening. In its first week of business, T&B went through 46 kegs of beer.


eACh FArm is a microclimate in itself, Clay smith explains as he un-spools the cycles of growing on sleeping Frog Farms. Five years ago, smith and three partners Debra Weingarten, Adam Valdivia, and CJ marks had a dream of creating a sustainable farm for the food desert of tucson, and planted the seed on a single acre on the northwest side. in two years the dream had overgrown the land, and they transplanted to a 75 acre piece on the san Pedro river Valley. today sleeping Frog Farms is 15 acres with 80 varieties of heirloom plants, goats, laying hens, and hon-eybees tucked under the east flank of the rincon mountains. this is the place where they've brought farming back to its roots.

Creating a permaculture farm, Clay smith reveals, is like making la-sagna: it's a lot of layers. First they grow a cover crop on a pasture and pad the soil with organic material. next, chickens and goats forage on the crop, naturally composting the soil with manure. then the plot is ready for vegetables. it's a process, smith adds. it takes time. And the difference between this and conventional farming is that you can pump synthetic food into dirt with no real soil base and get a crop out of it, but over time you get toxicity in the soil. Whatever the plant doesn't eat each year gets locked in the soil. the organic method is a way of building soil layer by layer, like lasagna, and each year it's a healthier overall biomass.

even in the riparian eden where sleeping Frog Farms sits, their biggest challenge is soil humus. the natural desert doesn't hold much organic ma-terial. it's either sandy loam or packed clay, but not much actual topsoil, smith describes. so the biggest challenge for us is getting the soil built in the desert. the solutions are found in a community of local ranchers, from whom the farm gets free range cow and goat manure, and a commu-nity of probiotics and beneficial bacteria that smith and his partners use to ferment their green waste. the fermentation process with bacteria like lactobacillus hastens the decomposition, smith explains. the natural composting style is letting something rot; you smell a lot of that process, and what you're smelling is the off-gassing. When you ferment, you're holding in that smell and the nutrients that come with it, creating a much more nutritionally dense compost in a lot less time. Building soil is the first step. By continually amending the soil beds, each year we're going to build better and better soil, with fewer pathogens and a better crop result.

With their land lease they inherited agricultural wells and conventional watering equipment. each 3-acre plot had a watering cannon spraying a few hundred gallons of water 70 yards out in rhythmic bursts, losing much of the volume to evaporation and pounding the ground into pancakes. the wells pumped 800 gallons of water per minute, and the excess ran

off toward the river. the team dismantled the cannons and replaced them with drip irrigation that releases water at each plant root at just two to ten gallons an hour. Partnered with a variable speed drive on the well, they're able to control the water output from a laptop, reining in precious water usage and saving power.

From the harvest they prepare 150 residential Community supported Agriculture shares and sell the abundance at the Food Conspiracy Co-p and st. Phillips Plaza Farmer's market. the abundance also goes into local schools. ten percent of every CsA pickup at green Fields school on the northwest side and Civano on the southeast side is don

zocalo magazine - july/august 2013

Documents