ADRIANA GALLEGO hero arts

Art is her instrument for positive change wherever she is — Los Angeles, where she taught in education and corrections systems; Phoenix, where she was Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Arizona Commission on the Arts; San Antonio, where she was Chief Operating Officer at the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.

Now the self-described “border girl” is back where her career began. AFTSA, formerly the Tucson Pima Arts Council, was an early supporter of her work as a painter, and it provided her first job teaching in rural communities.

Gallego is approaching her third anniversary leading an organization that centers its mission on strengthening the regional creative sector on a vision of diversity, equity and inclusion. That work includes two new initiatives that connect public- and private-sector entities to the creativity and brain power of artists.

“By creating this proof of concept, we want folks to see artists as the improvisational thinkers that they are, but also as solutions generators for society’s most pressing issues,” she says.

It could be like Spiderman amassing a legion of collaborators with superpowers working to do what’s best for Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Do you know an Arts Hero? Someone who works tirelessly to strengthen, improve and enhance the arts in our community?

Nominate him or her at onmediaaz.com sponsored by

The Arts Nourish Us All

The story behind Mario Di Vetta leading Broadway in Tucson to historic success is a lot about making peace with reality a long time ago. Truth is, Di Vetta says, he just wasn’t very good in other roles for the very thing he believes is essential to life.

“I tried to be an actor,” he says. “I was terrible. I auditioned for “Grease” in high school and remember not getting a call back. … They were like just, ‘Go in the box office. You’ll be fine in there.’ ”

Turns out he really does do fine there.