Tucson Weekly 02/16/2023

ADMINISTRATION

Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher

Michael Hiatt, Vice President

Tyler Vondrak, Associate Publisher, tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Claudine Sowards, Accounting, claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, Executive Editor, christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Hope Peters, Staff Reporter, hpeter@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Katya Mendoza, Staff Reporter, kmendoza@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Karen Schaffner, Staff Reporter, kschaffner@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Rob Brezsny, Connor Dziawura, Veronica Kuffel, Laura Latzko, Evan Maharry, Andy Mosier, Linda Ray, Will Short

PRODUCTION

Shannon Mead, Production/Design Supervisor, smead@timeslocalmedia.com

Tonya Mildenberg, Graphic Designer, tmildenberg@timeslocalmedia.com

CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny, Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

Brian Juhl, Distribution Manager, brian@timeslocalmedia.com

ADVERTISING

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Candace Murray, Account Executive, candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Leah Pittman, Account Executive, lpittman@tucsonlocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising zac@timeslocalmedia.com

NAVY WEEK SAILING INTO TUCSON DURING RODEO

Special to Tucson Weekly

Tucson will host the city’s first Navy Week since 2020 when the Navy visits the area for a week of events Monday, Feb. 20, to Sunday, Feb. 26, in conjunction with La Fiesta de los Vaqueros - The Tucson Rodeo.

Tucson Navy Week brings sailors from across the fleet to the area to emphasize the importance of the Navy to Tucson, the state of Arizona, and the nation. Rear Admiral Brad Rosen, commander, Navy Region Southwest, will serve as the Navy’s senior executive host.

“I think Navy Week Tucson is an opportunity for the Navy to show what we

do to people who might not be familiar,” Rosen said.

“We are the Navy of the American people, and we are very excited to highlight what we do on a daily basis. We’ll have 75 personnel from a several units, most of whom have connections to Arizona.”

Participating Navy organizations include namesake sailors from USS Tucson (SSN 770), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), and USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), Navy Band Southwest, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One, USS Constitution, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, U.S. Ceremonial Guard, Navy Reserve

CMDR. DOUG PRATT, COMMANDING OFFICER OF USS TUCSON (SSN 770), ADMINISTERS THE OATH OF ENLISTMENT FOR FUTURE SAILORS IN THE TUCSON AREA AT THE 95TH ANNUAL TUCSON RODEO DURING TUCSON NAVY WEEK. THE NAVY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH USES THE NAVY WEEK PROGRAM TO BRING NAVY SAILORS, EQUIPMENT AND DISPLAYS TO APPROXIMATELY 11 AMERICAN CITIES EACH YEAR FOR A WEEKLONG SCHEDULE OF OUTREACH ENGAGEMENTS. (MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS COLE C. PIELOP/U.S. NAVY PHOTO)

Center Tucson, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Phoenix, Navy Supply Systems Command, Navy History and Heritage Command, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. America Vietnam War Commemoration, Department of the Navy – Office of Small Business Programs, and U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Navy and share my experiences with my hometown during Tucson Navy Week,” Burke said.

“I am filled with gratitude that the leadership skills, work ethic, and resiliency I developed growing up in Tucson have enabled my service.”

More than 75 sailors will participate in education and community outreach events throughout the city, including the Tucson Rodeo & Parade. This is the third Navy Week hosted by the city of Tucson since the Navy Week program started in 2005.

Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity.

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at

Cmdr. Robert Burke, commanding officer, USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), and a native of Tucson is excited to return to Tucson for Navy Week. Burke graduated from Palo Verde High School and NAU.

“I am honored to represent the U.S.

SEE NAVY PAGE 7

Ready to Volunteer?

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Learn how you can put your time, knowledge and talent to use volunteering with AARP in Pima County. Help make the communities where you live, work and play the best they can be while engaging with others who share your passion for service.

Get to know us at aarp.org/volunteer or call our Tucson Information Center at 520-571-9884.

CURRENTS

RODEO BRINGS PROFESSIONAL COWBOYS, COWGIRLS TO TUCSON

By Laura Latzko Tucson Weekly Contributor

Participating in and watching rodeo is a tradition in Tucson, and La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros Rodeo is an established part of this history.

Dating back to 1925 and organized by the Tucson Rodeo Committee, La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros Rodeo is set for Saturday, Feb. 18, to Sunday, Feb. 26. During its six performances, it attracts around 70,000 people.

Rodeo Chairman Jose Calderon said the rodeo stays true to its roots.

“We have kept it pretty traditional. We don’t like to make too many changes,” Calderon said.

In addition to rodeo events, the venue will host a beer garden, a Vaquero Mercantile with western-themed vendors and visits from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile the first weekend.

Calderon said multiple generations enjoy the rodeo.

“When I see a little boy with a cowboy hat or a little girl with pigtails, that to me is generation after generation they have been coming,” Calderon said.

“There’s nothing better than seeing the simple smile and the laughs of a little kid and then the life it brings to the parents and the grandparents.”

During the rodeo, cowboys from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) will compete in rough stock events such as saddle bronc, bull and bareback riding and timed events such as tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping.

For cowgirls from the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), there will be women’s barrel racing. The Tucson rodeo kicks of the PRCA season, as the National Finals Rodeo is held in December. The rodeo brings in 600 contestants from around North and South America.

Each day of the rodeo starting at 12:30 p.m. there will be a junior rodeo for

young people 6 to 13 and mutton bustin’ for kids 4 to 6. During the junior rodeo, participants compete in steer riding, barrel racing, bull riding and roping events.

Lonestar, known for their songs “Amazed” and “I’m Already There, will perform on Saturday, Feb. 18, after the rodeo.

The following day, the rodeo will host Wear Pink Day to create awareness about breast cancer.

On Thursday, Feb. 23 as part of Navy Day, members of the U.S. Navy will sing the national anthem, and six new Navy recruits will be sworn in.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, Sunday, Feb. 19, and Thursday, Feb. 23, to Sunday, Feb. 26, following the rodeo, barn dances will be held with live country bands.

TUCSON RODEO PARADE

Before the rodeo on Thursday, the Tucson Rodeo Parade will create a festive atmosphere.

It is the largest nonmotorized parade in the country, attracting around 150,000 spectators. Organized by 29-member Tucson Rodeo Parade

Committee, the event runs from Ajo Highway and Fair Avenue east to Park Avenue, south on Park to Irvington Road, west on Irvington to Sixth Avenue and north on Sixth to the Tucson Rodeo Grounds.

Wagner is a longtime parade fan. “I was born and raised here in Tucson. I remember going to the parade as a kid, watching my sister march in the high school band,” Wagner said.

The committee expects 116 entries, including marching bands, dance and musical groups, western riding groups, Native American royalty, re-enactment groups and businesses.

This year in honor of U.S. Navy Week, a vice admiral from the US Navy will ride in a wagon with submarine veterans. Sailors from the USS Tucson, the USS Gabrielle Giffords and the USS John S. McCain will also take part in the parade.

The League of Mexican American Women and the Mormon Battalion have been part of the festivities for more than 50 years.

Decorated wagons are main features of the parade. More than 65 of them come from the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum, and others are owned by companies and individuals.

Entrants have a chance to sponsor and decorate these wagons.

In the past, participants have often adorned these wagons with crepe paper, paper flowers or streamers.

This year, the grand marshal is Jessica Cox, a motivational speaker, author, pilot and Guinness World Record holder. She was born without arms and uses her feet to complete tasks, such as oper-

ating planes.

There will be pre-parade entertainment from the Square and Round Dance Association of Southern Arizona, a lion dance team from the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, the U.S. Navy Honor Guard and Drill Team, Mariachi Aztlán de Pueblo High School and the Grupo Folklorico Los Guerreros de Pueblo High School.

The parade museum, which will be open on select times during the rodeo, has more than 125 horse-drawn vehicles on display at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds.

La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros Rodeo

WHEN: Gates open 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, to Sunday, Feb. 26; both Saturdays and Sundays, Thursday and Friday

WHERE: Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson COST: Tickets start at $18; $9 per vehicle for parking at rodeo grounds INFO: 520-741-2233, tucsonrodeo.com

Tucson Rodeo Parade

WHEN: 9 a.m. start. Thursday, Feb. 23

WHERE: Ajo Highway and Fair Avenue to Park Avenue, Park Avenue to Irvington Road, Irvington Road to Sixth Avenue, Sixth Avenue to Tucson Rodeo Grounds

COST: Free admission, $10 for prepurchased grandstand seating for adults and $5 for children 12 and under

INFO: tucsonrodeoparade.com

Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to noon

Saturday, Feb. 18, Sunday, Feb. 19, Wednesday Feb. 22, Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26

WHERE: Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson COST: $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $2 for children under 16, 50% discount for military and first responders.

INFO: tucsonrodeoparade.com/ the-museum

GALLERY ROUNDS UP CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY RODEO ART

By Bridgette M. Redman Tucson Weekly Contributor

hen the rodeo comes to Tucson this month, it won’t just be the cowboys in the ring drawing the eye of those who love the sport. Artists will also be getting into the game.

At the Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery more than 100 pieces of art celebrating rodeo will be on display through Tuesday, Feb. 28. It will capture in photographs, paintings and sculptures the romance and reality of what fans will see at Tucson Rodeo “La Fiesta de los Vaqueros,” an event that is just two years shy of its centennial.

For Sublette, a 33-year Tucson resident who has run his gallery for almost as long, it’s a chance to honor a major part of his life.

He grew up in an eastern New Mexico ranching and farming community where they had a rodeo team in high school.

“I’ve always been familiar with rodeo and enjoy it — watching it, not competing,” Sublette said. “As I looked at things I had just in my own collection, I had quite a few rodeo pieces. It wasn’t because I purposely thought I should collect rodeo. It just kind of happened. I thought this would be a very interesting show. I love this stuff.”

Nor is he alone. Rodeo is part of his culture and his city.

“We’re the only major city like this that gets an entire week off for rodeo week, right?” Sublette said. “So, I thought this would be a wonderful show to try to put together some of the great early rodeo pieces.”

The group show features 38 artists from the late 1800s to today’s contemporary artists. Some were artists whom he represented and others responded to his call for submissions. It’s allowed the gallery to present a large show that covers several historic periods.

“I have some pieces that are very

“DELICATE COURAGE:” SCULPTOR MAEVE EICHELBERGER WORKS WITH PLEXIGLASS, CREATING SADDLES AND OTHER WORKS FROM HER DAYS GROWING UP ON A RANCH. (MAEVE EICHELBERGER/SUBMITTED)

modern interpretations of what the rodeo and the cowboy genre lifestyle is about from almost an abstraction to some extent to very tight realism,” Sublette said.

“It turns out if you do that, you can get 100 pieces pretty quickly.”

In addition to the more than 100 pieces of artwork, Sublette said it has “rodeo ephemera.” Some of his artists, such as Billy Schenck and Howard Post, were rodeo competitors who won national and local championships. Not only did they contribute their artwork to the show, but they (and others) loaned him things such as the buckles they won from rodeos, saddles, 35 hats and 40 pairs of boots. They’ll fill the gallery, adding an authentic touch to the art that surrounds it.

“It’s an all-encompassing sense of rodeo and cowboy culture,” Sublette says.

Sublette hopes the show will broaden people’s sense of what rodeo can be.

Maeve Eichelberger’s work is one example. A Colorado native, Eichelberger

FUR, FEATHERS, SCALES STAND UP FOR PET PARADE

By Karen Schaffner Tucson Local Media Staff

Pet owners know theirs is the cutest, best, most interesting fur baby around.

Let the world know it while supporting less-fortunate pets by walking with them in the Tucson Subaru Pets of Pima Parade, set for Sunday, Feb. 19.

The $50 fee will benefit Pima Animal Care Center. Torre Chisholm, executive director of Friends of PACC, said it’s fine if participants want to donate the entry fee.

“Some people just make the $50 donation, but a lot of people will do a fundraiser,” he said. “They’ll ask friends and family to make a $10 donation toward participating in this parade and supporting the animals.”

The parade is divided into three parts. There’s the “Raising Cane’s Procesión de los Perros,” for dogs, including a separate section for the wheelie set. Then there’s the cat “TEP Cat Convoy.” Finally, there’s the Pet Pride segment, where everything else may walk, fly or crawl as the case may be. Evidently there is a need for this section.

“Even last year we had an incredible variety,” Chisholm said. “There were

goats, chickens, a lot of reptiles, birds. You see a little bit of everything.”

Everything, that is, except horses, which are not allowed in the parade, because there are no accommodations for them or their trailers.

Some pets bark or bite too much to be present in public so the Friends have an answer for that. Those pet owners may carry a big cutout of their pets’ faces glued to a stick, otherwise known as a Fathead.

Sometimes pets like to dress up for the event, and they like their humans to dress up, too. Chisholm said that is perfectly fine.

“The best thing about the event is you just can’t help but smile,” he said. “There are just hundreds of beautiful animals. A lot of them are dressed up. Everybody’s just in a good mood.”

Elizabeth Cerveri is the owner of One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning of Tucson. This is one of her favorite parts of the day.

She and her staff and family have been collecting money for PACC all year, and they are looking forward not only to showing off their pets and decorated van, but to handing over their $1,000 donation.

Her technicians collect donations for PACC, the Salvation Army or Community Food Bank. One Hour matches every $1.

It’s a true labor of love that is relatively painless for their customers. It’s even in the company’s handbook.

“We are in people’s homes, so how can we do this?” Cerveri said.

“We actually have a conversation, and we will donate $1 to (the chosen) organization, and then we will match it on your behalf.”

Cerveri said she and her employ-

takes photography, drawing, collage and hand etching to create sculptures made out of Plexiglass. She spent her early years on a ranch and has a series of work that focuses on western and urban motifs. In the Tucson show, she’ll display her Plexiglass saddles.

“She grew up on a ranch and knows horses,” Sublette says. “She’s also academically trained with a BFA and an MFA and she works in this unusual media of Plexiglass and acrylics, but makes images of things that would be used by cowboy culture, including chaps and saddles.”

Sublette said he loves placing her work next to a Charlie Russell painting.

Russell created more than 2,000 paintings and bronze sculptures of the Old West before he died in 1926. One of his works will be part of the exhibition.

“They are opposite ends of the spectrum, but they still have the same thematic approach, which is a love for the culture and the material used in the culture as far as the imagery of what takes place,” Sublette said.

Sublette said his goal with this show

is to get the very best examples from different artists. In late January as he was still finalizing the list of artwork, he planned to tell a story about rodeo culture rather than arrange staging by artist.

“It is going to be set up in a form where it’s kind of telling the story of the landscape, the people, the animals and the material that are used for the ro-

never been done before, not just in Tucson, but nationally to my knowledge,” Sublette said.

“It encompasses everything from historic to modern interpretations of cowboy culture and the rodeos through a variety of media of bronzes, paintings and photography and ephemera as well.”

deo—chaps, hats, boots, those kind of things,” Sublette said.

Rodeo, Sublette said, is the true American culture of the West, something he hopes people will see when they come to the exhibition. He’d like to see many of the stereotypes shattered, such as the idea that rodeo is made up of white guys on horses. He explains that probably 40% of all cowboys are people of color.

“You have this diverse group of individuals that are partaking, something that really comes from the roots of cowboys, which again, was very diverse, whether it is vaqueros or African American cowboys or white cowboys,” Sublette said. “It’s this blending of cultures, races and different ethnicities in this wonderful, coming together of testing your skills.”

Sublette issues an invitation for the public to join him in his celebration of rodeo and all that it represents.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind exhibit that’s

“COWBOY AND BUCKING HORSE:” THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES WORK BY THE LATE CHARLES M. RUSSELL, A PROLIFIC PAINTER OF OLD WEST SCENES. (CHARLES M. RUSSELL/SUBMITTED)

Rodeo de Tucson Exhibition and Group Show

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 28

WHERE: Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, 6872 E. Sunrise Drive, Suite 130, Tucson COST: Free admission INFO: 520-722-7798, medicinemangallery.com

ees are all excited about seeing who else is in the parade, which begins promptly at 10 a.m. and moves on to Fourth Avenue. Merchants will be open, and onlookers may watch the fur and feathers go by.

The parade ends at Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street, where the Four Legs on Fourth Festival takes place. There will be vendors, live music, and pets available for adoption. Look also for a classic car show. The entire event is an opportunity to “create new families with fur babies,” Chisholm said.

The Tucson Subaru Pets of Pima Parade

WHEN: 8:30 to 9 a.m. registration; 9:30 to 10 a.m. prepare for parade; 10 a.m. parade Sunday, Feb. 19

WHERE: The Nonstop for Tucson Staging area is on Third Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets COST: $50 to walk, children 17 and younger may register for free if they are with their families, free to watch the parade

INFO: petsofpimaparade.com

PARADE FROM PAGE 9

“CHUTE BOSS:” HOWARD POST PAINTS A SCENE FROM TUCSON’S 98-YEAR-OLD RODEO. (HOWARD POST/SUBMITTED)

By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist

FAMILY NIGHT AT DONNA LIGGINS CENTER

Play games for free with friends and family. Food, drinks and a prize raffle are included. Choose from popular board games, card games and video games for all ages. While you’re there, check out all the center’s facilities for future reference. You’ll find public WiFi, a weight room, a teen room, a covered basketball court, sand volleyball and ball fields, among other amenities.

6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, Tucson Parks and Recreation’s Donna Liggens Center, 2160 N. Sixth Avenue, Tucson, tucsonaz.gov, free, call 520791-3247 for reservations.

24 HOURS IN THE OLD PUEBLO: SPOKES EDITION

This one-of-a-kind, international event began 25 years ago in the same location, miles north of the town of Oracle. It covers a brutally uncivilized path over hills, through valleys, across sandy washes, nonstop from hour one through hour 24, camping out in the desert with their team, within a community of more than 5,000 other contestants mad for biking. And they laugh a lot. The event is now celebrating 23 years of riding single track through desert treachery. Presented by Tucson Medical Center, it’s one of the largest 24-hour cycling events in the mountain biking world. A total of 35,000 attendees are expected.

Various times Friday, Feb. 1 , to Sunday, Feb. 19, epicrides.com, reservations start at $300 but are waitlisted, free to hang out (and a lovely drive) but stay out of the way.

TUCSON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: FAMILY SCI FEST

Fizzy popping science experiments and everyday wonders have helped make Family Sci Fest one of the Children’s Museum’s longest running and most popular events. This year’s fest features demonstrations and hands-on activities in STEM (science, technolo-

“THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART”

We know only to expect a theatrical experience unlike any other. We’ll start at the bar on the site of a Tucson legend: The Grill. Then we’ll find a table and await further impulses. The performance is said to be inspired by Scottish Borderland Ballads. It features a starchy academic, Prudencia Hart, who judges her companions to be “too post-poststructuralist.” Alas, she’s stuck with them. They’re trapped in the snow on a winter night. What luck they’re stuck in a pub! With karaoke! Prudencia naturally regards it as hell. We observe her undoing in a site-specific, immersive experiment in musical theater, drenched in witty wordplay.

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, to Saturday, Feb. 18, The Shirt Shop Mercantile (formerly The Grill), 100 E. Congress Street, Tucson, ticketmaster.com, tickets start at $35.

CITRUS CELEBRATION/TRADITIONAL O’ODHAM AGRICULTURE

Mission Garden is spectacular with traditional local citrus right now—Valencia oranges, Seville oranges, Mexican sweet limes, pomelos, grapefruit, Meyer lemon, tangerine, kumquat and a few more. They’re all varieties that originated in Asia, Melanesia and Australia centuries ago, traveled the world adapting and mutating into the citrus that now grows even in our back yards. Did you know that Seville oranges are the sours of all the world’s orange marmalade? Sample the lot and learn how to grow and prepare your favorites. As luck would have it, the Citrus Celebration coincides with Maegan Lopez’s and Sterling Johnson’s hands-on, monthly, third-Saturday class in traditional O’odham agriculture. The class is a collaboration between Mission Garden and the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane, Tucson, missiongarden.org, $5 suggested donation

ALIVE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

“A SAXY NIGHT”

A graduate of Boston’s storied Berklee College of Music, Jeanette Harris was a standout already in her Fresno, California, high school’s Latin jazz band. She returned to Fresno after college and started a smooth-jazz band with her brother Michael Harris. They played festivals all over California. Now she tours the United States and is looking forward to going international. She records on the Sweet Music label. Rounding out “Saxy Night” is special guest saxophonist Dee Lucas.

8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, The Dunbar Pavilion, 325 W. Second Street, Tucson, eventbrite.com, tickets start at $35

gy, engineering and math) activities. The fun part: watch kids discover how much science they already know. It’s all around them in everyday life. They may learn a whole new way to think about even bouncing a ball.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson, childrensmuseumtucson.org, free museum admission all day.

FAT TUESDAY COOKING CLASS: GUMBO!

“Laissez les bons temps rouler” in your own kitchen! Tucson top chef Jim Murphy is holding forth on Fat Tuesday with a class to teach us how to make celebratory NOLA classics—turkey and andouille gumbo and praline bread pudding. According to the Flying Aprons cooking class folks, the event’s organizers, gumbo is considered the official state cuisine of Louisiana because it features the Creole “holy trinity” of celery, bell peppers and onions. The event provides students with everything they need for class.

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, Catalina United Methodist Church kitchen, 2700 E. Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, flying-aprons-tucson. myshopify.com, $77

LAUGHING STOCK

BEN PALMER: TROLLING HIS WAY TO THE TOP

By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist

More than a dozen top comics have ascended to enviable heights via social media.

But do you know anyone else who launched their comedy career on MySpace in 2006? Ben Palmer was that pioneer, out taming the Internet wilderness for future comedy upstarts.

“The first time I started making people laugh was on a MySpace blog when I was 19,” Ben Palmer said. “I just wrote some silly one-liners and updates about my life.”

Friends and family posted positive comments and shared the bits. Palmer got the bug.

Two years later, when friends held a roast for his older brother, they invited Palmer to bring his humor to the stage for the first time. His brother was leaving their Cleveland home to try his luck in comedy.

Palmer said he felt wobbly, but the response was positive enough that he felt ready to start taking his act to a hometown open mic.

“Then I had a show that went better,” he said. “I got good laughs and started making friends and getting invited to do shows. Before I knew it, there was nothing else I was going to do.”

“Once MySpace was over, Facebook started up, and by 2007 I was on Facebook writing the same kind of silly stuff. I would also share articles and wait for people’s responses.”

Then he started posting absurd captions for what he calls “cheesy stock photos” that he found online. The bits were a hit among Palmer’s friends and fellow comedians. One of them suggested that he create a show around them.

By then Palmer had moved to Atlanta where a popular comedy venue had a big screen. That’s where he did his first show with screen shot stills, narrating with a microphone in the back of the room.

er service representative.” As a “freelancer,” of course, he was free to comment on all and sundry business accounts. Readers laughed and shared his comments by the thousands.

At that point, Palmer said, “Press started noticing. It (became) an internet thing. All the blogs and cool little publications were sharing my content. So, I started doing those bits on stage and the show just grew from there.”

Palmer said he hasn’t heard from a single troll-ee, but he’s been banned from loads of corporate social media accounts along the way. He continues to poke fun freely wherever he sees an opportunity. In a recent YouTube troll, he owns a known pyramid scheme operator by pretending to be a job applicant, and he recently drew Facebook heat for defending NASCAR’s tribute to Black History Month.

“I had (an onstage) set that I had polished that was making people laugh. I was still doing some festivals. I did San Francisco Sketch Fest a few years in a row, and I was killing at that festival, but I still wasn’t really ‘discovered’.”

“I needed a screen and a projector to get out there and was saving up for a little projector that I could take with me and do my show anywhere.

“That’s when the coronavirus thing happened and then it was no more comedy. But I had been wanting to put my videos out on TikTok. I had bought a green screen and (COVID-19 lockdown) gave me the push to do it.”

That taste of success inspired him to see what the future might hold in L.A.

“Shortly after that, I started doing a new bit, pretending to be a customer service rep for companies on Facebook.” Having served time as an actual customer service rep, Palmer had expert command of the patois.

What opened the door for his new character was corporate America’s social media neglect. Palmer said, for instance, that when Uber first opened its Facebook account, it almost never responded to customer comments and complaints. Palmer started commenting as “Ben Palmer, freelance custom-

Now he’s got it all together, the gear, the slides, the videos and a lot of new material he wrote for the stage when there were no stages to deliver it on. In Tucson, Parker’s virtual and actual stage can finally come together so he will never have to work for Uber again. Palmer Trolls, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, rialtotheatre.com, $20

Katherine Byrnes may be less known as co-director and choreographer for

BEN PALMER IS TROLLING HIS WAY TO THE TOP. (BEN PALMER/SUBMITTED)

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

By Connor Dziawura Tucson Weekly

FEBRUARY 16

Bill Charlap Trio

The Century Room, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $30-$45

FEBRUARY 17

Bill Charlap Trio

The Century Room, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $30-$45

Chateau Chateau

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $10

Greg Morton and Jim Stanley

LaCo Tucson, 5:30 p.m., free

Hot Club of Cowtown and Tyler Hilton

Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $27-$42.50

Tucson Symphony Orchestra:

A Venezuelan Valentine

The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 7:30 p.m., $18-$90

FEBRUARY 18

Amor y Amistad, Serenata del Amor w/ Mariachi Pueblo Viejo, Mariachi Los Camperos and Lorenzo Mendez

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $32-$82

Brooke Davis

The Century Room, 7 p.m., $35

David Huckfelt w/Billy Sedlmayr

Hotel Congress Plaza, 7:30 p.m., $15-$18

Inner Wave

Club Congress, 7:30 p.m., $26.27

Ladies Night 2023 featuring Sheena Easton and Taylor Dayne

Desert Diamond Casino and Entertainment -

Sahuarita, 8 p.m., $30-$100

Miss Lana Rebel and Kevin Michael Mayfield

LaCo Tucson, 6 p.m., free

Pablo Cruise and Orleans

Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $35-$82.50

Palmer Trolls

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $20

FEBRUARY 19

Ballyhoo!

Club Congress, 7:30 p.m., $20.60

The Karen Carpenter Story starring Chloe Foston

DesertView Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $30

Mik and the Funky Brunch

LaCo Tucson, 11 a.m., free

Steel Pulse

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $30

Todd Hammes

The Century Room, 4:30 p.m., $10-$15

Tucson Symphony Orchestra: A Venezuelan Valentine

The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 2 p.m., $18-$90

Twiddle

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $27

FEBRUARY 20

Century Room Jazz Orchestra

The Century Room, 7 p.m., $0-$10

Haley Reinhart

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $26

FEBRUARY 21

Black Jacket Symphony presents Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $25-$30

Miss Lana Rebel and Kevin Michael Mayfield

LaCo Tucson, 5:30 p.m., free Peaceful Skies Benefit w/Unwound Club Congress, 7 p.m., $30-$35

FEBRUARY 22

Goon and Teethe

Club Congress, 7 p.m., $15.45

Oscar Fuentes

LaCo Tucson, 5:30 p.m., free

FEBRUARY 23

Big Gigantic

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $34.50-$48

Hank Topless

LaCo Tucson, 6:30 p.m., free

Home Free

Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $27.50-$59.50

Mark Stuart

Hotel Congress Plaza, 7:30 p.m., $10-$13

The Sadies

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $20

Shadows of Algol Club Congress, 7 p.m., $10-$12

FEBRUARY 24

Greg Morton and Jim Stanley LaCo Tucson, 5:30 p.m., free Metal Fest 22 w/Santo Diablo, The Sindicate, Parasite, Dedwin, Manguera, Flying Half Full and Guardians

191 Toole, 7 p.m., $5 Nunca Jamas Club Congress, 8 p.m., $33.99

FEBRUARY 25

10-Year Anniversary w/Napalm Strike, Theocide, Evasion, Hell Doubt, Stands with Fists, and Hillbilly Bo Rialto Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $5

Coco Montoya and Ronnie Baker Brooks: Celebrate Albert Collins

Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $25-$47.50

The Heart of Rock & Roll: A Tribute to Huey Lewis & the News

DesertView Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $30

LoCash w/Drake Milligan

Desert Diamond Casino and EntertainmentSahuarita, 8 p.m., $25-$45

Lucas Julián Carballeira LaCo Tucson, 5:30 p.m., free Show Me the Body 191 Toole, 7 p.m., $24

FEBRUARY 26

Jerry Cantrell

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $45.50-$59.50 Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Latin Fire

The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 7:30 p.m., $18-$59

Mik and the Funky Brunch LaCo Tucson, 11 a.m., free

FEBRUARY 27

Century Room Jazz Orchestra

The Century Room, 7 p.m., $0-$10

Epik High

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $50-$65

Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Latin Fire

The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 2 p.m., $18-$59

FEBRUARY 28

One Night of Queen Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $30-$70

S. G. Goodman Club Congress, 7:30 p.m., $15-$18

Tinsley Ellis

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $24

Spring Arts

SPRING ART EXHIBITS PAINT PERFECT PICTURE OF TALENT

By Margaret Regan Tucson Local Media Contributor

Tucson has been an art town for years, a haven for artists and art lovers alike. From the big museums downtown and at the University of Arizona, to the upscale galleries in the Foothills to the small edgy warehouses on Sixth Street, and the newer venues in Barrio Viejo, there’s plenty to choose no matter what your fancy.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

“The Linda McCartney Retrospective” ccp.arizona.edu/

The highlight of the season is a major exhibition of Linda McCartney’s wonderful photography. As a young woman in the 1960s, she emerged as a hot-shot photographer of rock ‘n’ roll musicians. Later, when she married Paul McCartney, she started doing many pictures of her children and of the beautiful lands around their country home in Scot-

CHRIS RUSH, ANNA AND MADDA, 2023 PRINT. (COURTESY ETHERTON GALLERY)

land. She also loved to do photos on the streets of people who were not famous. Some Tucsonans have known for

FESTIVAL

SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 1-4PM | TUCSON J 3800 E RIVER

years that the McCartneys have had a ranch on the east side of the city. But many don’t know that the New York-born McCartney lived in Tucson long before she met Paul. She came to Tucson to study art history at the University of Arizona. During her short time here, she met Hazel Archer, an extraordinary photographer and teacher. McCartney made her first photos under Archer’s guidance at the Tucson Arts Center, which later became the Tucson Museum of Art. McCartney would always say, “It was Hazel who made me a photographer.”

The Center for Creative Photography at the university is at long last mounting a show honoring her work, featuring 176 photos from the family archive in London. It’s McCartney’s first

retrospective in North America. The show is in three sections: family and domestic life, experimental, and the popular portraits of musicians and others. Keep your eyes open for the many events that the center is planning. Runs Saturday, Feb. 25, to Saturday, Aug. 5

“WOMAN-OCHRE”

Across the way at the University Museum of Art, the dazzling “Woman-Ochre” stands in splendor. If you have not visited her then get thee to her heavily guarded perch. As everyone knows, this abstract painting by Willem de Kooning, done in 1955, was stolen from the museum in 1985 but recovered in a shop in Silver City in 2017 and restored at the Getty. It returned to its home in Tucson last fall. Closes Saturday, May 20.

The museum has built a whole show, “Abstract Perspectives in Mid-Century Art,” around de Kooning and his contemporaries, with a large collection of

See ART Page 4

SCAN HERE

The LINDA McCARTNEY Retrospective

The University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography is proud to host the North American premiere of “The Linda McCartney Retrospective,” opening Feb. 25!

Celebrate McCartney’s 30-year, barrier-breaking career, and her connection to Tucson. Free to all!

ccp.arizona.edu | Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00a-4:30p

Linda. New York, 1967. © Paul McCartney / Photographer: Linda McCartney.

Linda McCartney, Jimi Hendrix. London, 1967. © Paul McCartney / Photographer: Linda McCartney.

abstract paintings from the same period, roughly 1950 to 1970. Among the artists who are in the show are Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner. Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. That show closes Saturday, March 25. artmuseum.arizona.edu/

THE ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM statemuseum.arizona.edu

ASM, also on campus, is sparkling with Southwest native jewelry for the exhibition, “Ancient — Modern: Continuity and Innovation in Southwest Native Jewelry,” which closes Saturday, Oct. 28.

Beautifully put together by curator Diane Dittimore, more than 70 pieces are on display, created across the ages, from ancient, historic and contemporary times. Indigenous artisans created these jewels to adorn themselves and their loved ones. Their styles vary and denote different regions and practices. Many used shell, silver and turquoise. Another show at the museum, “Sámi Dreams,” explores the history of the indigenous people of northern Europe,

with photographs by Randall Heyman. It runs Saturday, March 18, to Saturday, June 17.

DOWNTOWN ETHERTON GALLERY ethertongallery.com

Etherton Gallery shows off two excellent Tucson artists in the new exhibit “Chris Rush and Ellen McMahon: Again with the Real.”

At one time, Rush was mostly known in town for a giant baby mural. Now, in this big show of his paintings and drawings, he covers many of his styles, from remakes of 19th century documents to compassionate portraits of children. In this show, he has another baby, this one flying happily over a lake and woods.

Ellen McMahon has created two melancholy series. “Lost Language of the Desert” uses a letterpress to make letters and symbols, known and unknown, and colored in gray and red. “What Is Lost and What Remains” features moody landscapes on paper, colored in ink, chalk or pastel. Closes Saturday, April 15.

ARIZO NA T HEATRE COMPANY

KennedyGordon Clapp

Mimi Kennedy (Mom, Dharma & Greg, Midnight in Paris) stars as Prudence “Pru” Payne, an esteemed critic widely recognized as a wit, a scholar, and a public intellectual. But as her memory begins to fade, all her preconceived notions — about herself and, more importantly, others — also slip away. Gordon Clapp (NYPD Blue, Emmy winner) stars as Pru’s unconventional love interest Gus in this remarkable, funny, and emotional journey about the evolution of love and identity in the face of memory loss.

CAN’T LIVE WITH ‘EM, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT ‘EM

This hilarious classic comedy starts when an explosive divorced couple and their new spouses inadvertently honeymoon in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. When combustible chemistry reignites, mayhem occurs, and strong passions and stronger personalities take over.

A BIG-HEARTED, FIERCE, MUSIC-FILLED COMEDY

When successful Elvis impersonator Casey loses his gig, a drag show moves in and “The King” transforms into an all-out queen with some help from his new friends. With snappy zingers and dance-worthy numbers, this wildly entertaining story is full of sass and good spirits.

Mimi

ANDREW SMITH GALLERY

andrewsmithgallery.com/

Next door, an excellent photography gallery is showing another Tucson artist: Michael Hyatt. For years, Hyatt has made images of people of all kinds; his pictures of desperate migrants in the desert led to a successful book, “Along the Migrant Trail.” The new show, “Crossroads: The Music & Streets of Los Angeles 1969 –1981” takes us to gritty Downtown neighborhoods. He made beautiful black and white pictures of musicians and sex workers, drinkers and gospel singers and the down-andout. Hyatt’s own grandfather was a regular on Skid Row. His new book, “Fifth and Wall Street: Skid Row, Los Angeles in the 1970s,” can be purchased at the gallery. Closes Thursday, March 30.

PHILABAUM GLASS GALLERY

philabaumglass.com/

A new exhibition at Philabaum has the enticing name: “Stories Reimagined.” The four glass artists don’t disappoint.

Sandy Pendleton of Cave Creek and Pinetop makes fused glass pieces that interestingly have cloth and textures inside. Phoenix artist Andrew Shultz is inspired by southwestern landscapes and colors. Look for one of his lovely pots of sky blue, desert yellows and sienna. Richard Satava of Chico, California, is

owned and directed by Alison Harvey and Dylan Harvey. Closes Saturday, June 24.

TUCSON MUSEUM

OF ART tucsonmuseumofart.org

a master of glass; he wields his wares with gleaming glass jellyfish and glass petroglyphs.

Jim Scheller uses kilns for bowls whose designs are somehow between paleolithic and midcentury modern. The longtime gallery, founded by glass artist Tom Philabaum, is now happily

All winter, the museum has been showing the American West from a new point of view. In “More Than: Expanding Artists Identities from the American West,” you’ll find African American cowboys on their horses captured in photography. Among other photographic works is a giant installation of six lifesized native women wearing traditional skirts and contemporary black T-shirts, each inscribed with the name of her tribal nation. Closes Sunday, March 19. In early February, a companion show opened, “Enduring Legacies: The James T. Bialac Indigenous Art Collection,” with paintings, prints and works on paper by Native American artists from around the country. Tohono O’Odham Michael Chiago, a favorite in Tucson, is represented with a painting of tribal baskets. Be on the lookout for the late

See ART Page 8

DYANI WHITE HAWK IN COLLABORATION WITH PHOTOGRAPHER TOM JONES, I AM YOUR RELATIVE (FRONT), 2020, TWO-SIDED ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINTS MOUNTED ON DIBOND. (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND BOCKLEY GALLERY, MINNEAPOLIS, MN. © DYANI WHITE HAWK)

Julian Martinez’ charming watercolor of a barnyard battle between a skunk and a rooster. Martinez was from San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. Closes Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024.

Later in the spring, fans can visit the Arizona Biennial 2023. The popular juried exhibition brings in the work of artists from all over the state. Runs Saturday, April 1, to Sunday Oct. 1.

MOCA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

moca-tucson.org

The latest MOCA show is inspired by centuries-old Indigenous art from South America. Among the ancient peoples of the Andes, webs of knotted cords called quipus were used to record community histories. Even after the Spanish banned them in the sixteenth century, local peoples continued to make them. Now artist Cecilia Vicuña has reimagined them as an artform. Vicuña, from Chile, invited people and organizations in Tucson to gather everything from discarded kitchen waste to alley-way junk for their own “Sonoran Quipu.” The piece is a multi-media sculpture, with videos and soundscapes. According to the gallery, the artist “invites viewers to consider the beauty and precarity of our world, and our interconnected relationships to the environment and to each other.” Closes Sunday, Sept. 10.

pima.edu/community/the-arts

WE ST LOUIS CARLOS BERNAL GALLERY AT PIMA COLLEGE WEST

but who’s counting!

The creator of this masterpiece, Joseph DiGiorgio, painted the work in pointillism, a style that makes images with colorful dots. The Brooklyn artist (1931-2000) typically worked in the pointillist style and often showed his paintings in Tucson.

DiGiorgio gave the whole of “The Grand Canyon” as a gift to the Tucson Museum of Art years ago. A portion of the work was first exhibited in New York City, but has been shown in its entirety just once, here in Tucson, at the museum in 1997. Thanks to a collaboration between TMA and the Bernal Gallery, now, at last, it is being shown again in Tucson after more than a quarter century. Closes Friday, March 10.

The Bernal Gallery is bursting with 19 painted panels of the Grand Canyon. Each gorgeous painting, 7 feet high, represents one hour of the day’s 24. From the pinks of sunrise to the golden shadows of sunset to the darkness of night, the colorful shadows and light move across the landscape. Five of the original 24 panels are not in the show,

Pointillist fans who come to see the painting in early March can also see a student performance of “Sunday in the Park with George,” a play that honors George Seurat, a French master of the style. Runs Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 12.

Also, over at the Visual Arts Gallery

on campus, an exhibition honors Pima College professors the late Darla Masterson, known for innovative monotone landscapes, and Phillip Bellomo, for his ceramics. They helped found the Visual Arts Department. Closes Friday, March 24.

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

RAICES TALLER 222 ART GALLERY

raicestaller222.com/

Raices Gallery opens the spring with two shows, jointly titled “Historias, Lugar, y Tiempo/ Histories, Place, and Time.” John Salgado, the gallery’s co-director, said he is excited to bring in nine UA undergraduates from the College of Fine Arts. When Raices started more than 25 years ago, student artists were among the first to be shown there. In the new batch, all have studied with Alejandro Macias, an exciting new member of the faculty. The second of the two shows presents the work of established members of the collective in the large room to the back. They have happily given over the front gallery to these promising young artists. Open only 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closes Saturday, March 11.

CONTRERAS GALLERY AND JEWELRY

contrerashousefineart.com/index.html

Contreras Gallery, up the road from Raices Taller, is staging “Organic,” a three-woman show of abstract works. Sylvia Garland and Ann Tracy, regulars in the gallery, both seem to conjure the ocean. Garland’s richly colored paintings suggest tidepools and the ocean deep. Tracy also seems enamored by the sea. One of her pieces, to my eye, conjures the shoreline in Ireland. Eve McEwen is the guest artist. The highlight of her work in the show is a southwestern church, painted all in white, with signs asking for peace and unity. Closes Saturday, March 25

Later in spring, Contreras brings in nine artists for “A Group Show, No Theme, Any Medium” from Saturday, April 8, to Saturday, May 27.

STEINFELD WAREHOUSE

steinfeldwarehouse.org

The old Downtown warehouse is filled with small galleries. They include Untitled, Seven-Legged Spider Gallery, and Steinfeld Gallery and Studios.

You never know just which ones will be open for their regular Art Walks, but give it try on the first Saturday of every month from 4 to 9 p.m.

MIDTOWN EVERYBODY GALLERY

everybody.gallery/

This avant-garde gallery at the unlikely location of 437 East Grant Road wraps up its current exhibition “Sunsets” this weekend on Saturday, Feb. 18. The show includes works by Amy Granat with Shane Rossi, Sundblad / Granat Films, and DIRT. Starting in March, José Villalobos brings his multimedia and performance works to the gallery. His art explores border cultures and the tensions between traditional and contemporary identities. One piece, “La Agua Que Nos Carga (The Water that Carries Us),” is a water jug encased in barbed wire, a haunting memory for migrants crossing the desert.

MADARAS GALLERY

madaras.com/collections/diana-madarasoriginals

Diana Madaras’ bright watercolors and acrylics are all over Tucson and fans love her saguaros, birds and desert landscapes. Besides her own work, the Madaras Gallery sells paintings, sculpture and photographs by other artists. One is sculptor Al Glann, whose metal horses can be seen along the Loop. Another is Rocky LaRose, a celebrated UA athlete who’s become an accomplished nature photographer.

EAST SIDE

TUCSON DESERT ART MUSEUM

tucsondart.org

At the museum far east of town, a new photography show “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas” tells the history of baseball in Latino communities across the country. This exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Museum of American history. As the curators have written, “Latino players helped to make the game what it is today.”

A second show tells the dreadful story of the incarnation of Japanese Americans in camps during World War II. Photographs by Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee and others show the agony of

those who were torn from their homes.

Arizona had three camps, the Gila River War Relocation Center near Phoenix, the Poston Internment Camp in Yuma, and the Federal Honor Camp nearby in the Santa Catalina mountains outside Tucson.

Housed within the museum is the Four Corners Gallery, with small works by the Tucson Barrio Painters Group as well as paintings and sculptures by other southwestern artists. Ongoing.

FOOTHILLS

TOHONO CHUL GALLERY

tohonochul.org

Two of the best artists in Tucson — or anywhere else — take the stage at their home base in the old Pueblo with a show at Tohono Chul Gallery. In “Prescience Remains,” according to the gallery statement, both women “exalt the castaway, celebrating the wonder and beauty of nature while confidently looking forward, steadfast in the belief that beauty is found everywhere.”

Kate Breakey is a multimedia artist of photography and hand-coloring,

and Barbara Rogers makes brilliantly colored large-sized paintings. Both are known nationally and internationally. Breakey is perhaps best known for her early work, “Small Deaths,” photographs of the beautiful remains of feathered birds made human-sized in hand-colored prints. She also makes gorgeous photographs of the sky, the moon and the clouds over the ocean, and gives them a shine of gold. Rogers paints large oils, with bold planes of color overlayed with images from nature, such as acorns Opens Thursday, Feb. 16.

JANE HAMILTON FINE ARTS GALLERY

janehamiltonfineart.com/

Hamilton’s latest show is “Canyons and Cactus,” with Greg Heil and Dawn Sutherland. Both artists paint bright, richly colored oils of familiar western landscapes, many in Northern Arizona. Heil has an eye for architectural forms in mountain canyons, while Sutherland is known for her plein air work in the Grand Canyon. A party celebrates their opening from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17. This year, the Jane Hamilton Gallery is

celebrating 30 years in Tucson.

SETTLERS WEST

settlerswest.com/

Settlers West has opened a huge show of tiny paintings, miniatures of the American West by 150 different artists. Closes Saturday, March 4. Starting Saturday, March 25, “Tales of the West,” will showcase six artists. Five works in oils, but Rachel Brownlee draws remarkably realistic images of cowboys and horses in charcoal. Closes Saturday, April 8. A summer show will follow, Saturday, May 6, to Saturday, May 27.

MARK SUBLETTE MEDICINE MAN GALLERY

medicinemangallery.com/mark-sublettebiography

The Medicine Man Gallery carries a wide variety of high-end Western and Native American art. On any given day, you may find Louise Serpa photographs of Arizona rodeos, early twentieth century oils of cowboy life by artists like Edward Borein, fine historic Diné blankets, or a painting of a Diné family by contemporary artist, Tony Abey-

ta. Sublette also is well-known for his collection of Maynard Dixon paintings, prints, and memorabilia, a kind of museum within the gallery.

TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

tucsonjcc.org

Artist Lauri Kaye has for years been making multimedia images of the people she meets in coffee shops and along the streets of Tucson. She gets their permission to make their portraits by using hand drawings, photography, digital coloring, and printing on metal.

Now her “Tucson Portrait Stories” will be the highlight of a fun art happening. On Sunday, March 12, the JJC hosts an afternoon event, with 60 of Kaye’s portraits. Some 15 of their subjects are scheduled to be on hand for what is billed as an interactive festival. Renowned Chef María Mazón, one of those lucky to get her portrait done, will run a tasting for her salsa and chips. Another is Yaqui classical guitarist, Gabriel Ayala, who will give a concert. The fun goes from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 12. Free for all.

DANCE SPRINGS ETERNAL THIS SEASON

By Margaret Regan Tucson Local Media Contributor

BALLET TUCSON

WINTER CONCERT, FRIDAY, FEB. 17, TO SUNDAY, FEB. 19

Leo Rich Theater ballettucson.org/

The four dances in Ballet Tucson winter concert are exciting and varied. Once again, Ballet Tucson is performing a cherished George Balanchine dance. His “Allegro Brillante” is a challenging, romantic piece danced to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The 13-minute performance demands strength and precision from the principal couple and eight other dancers. As Balanchine said himself, the piece “contains everything I know about the classical ballet.”

Resident choreographer Chieko Imada has created a new work, “Himiko,” inspired by the legendary Japanese Queen from the third century A.D. Thanks to the

Tucson Desert Song Festival, she will have live music to pair with her dancers. Jing Xia will play the guzheng, a Chinese zither, and Bin Hu, classical guitar. Together they go by the name Duo Chinoiserie, and they will perform onstage with Ballet Tucson’s professional dancers. The score includes music by award-winning composer Yusuke Nakanishi.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, the company mounts one of the sweetest duets in ballet, the “Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux,” With music by Sergei Prokofiev. The two love birds dance in the beloved balcony scene. Artistic director Margaret Mullin has created a fresh new Pas de Deux to add to the company’s repertoire.

Price Suddarth, an award-winning choreographer based in Seattle, has contributed “Borderland,” featuring four dancers. The piece is about sleep and waking, tranquility and manic tension, dark and light,

See DANCE Page 12

with music by Johann Sebastian Bach.

SPRING CONCERT, FRIDAY, MARCH 24, TO SUNDAY, MARCH 26

Leo Rich Theater

Ballet Tucson’s Spring Concert offers five dances, including another Balanchine piece: “Walpurgisnacht Ballet.” He originated it as a small piece for the final act of a 1925 Paris Opera production of “Faust.” In New York, in 1975, he reimagined it as a stand-alone ballet. The dance is known for its many roles for women, 24 total, as Balanchine famously said, “ballet is woman.”

Mark Schneider, a regular guest choreographer, mixes jazz and ballet. His piece “Joplin,” is a crowd-pleaser set to the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. Imada’s piece “Bossa Nova” is a comedy for five dancers. Set in a 1950s Bossa Nova lounge, new connections lead to confusion and romance.

Suddarth’s choreography returns with the Ballet Tucson premiere of “First Light.” This fast-paced and athletic ensemble piece is set to the piano music of Carly Comando.

Each year “Footprints at the Fox” invites company dancers to choreograph their

own pieces. Last October, the audience got to vote for their favorite, and, in the March show, dancer Brooke Amundrud will get to bring her winning piece to the Ballet Tucson mainstage.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SCHOOL OF DANCE

dance.arizona.edu/news-events/events

In April, the professors and the young dancers will be hitting the stage at the Stevie Eller Dance Theater on the UA campus. In “Dance Springs Eternal,” the teachers and guest artists show off their own choreography, handing off the performance to their students. But the students have the stage to themselves for “Awakening: Student Spotlight,” presenting and performing works they have choreographed themselves.

The two shows alternate on different days on consecutive weekends in April, from Wednesday, April 19, to Sunday, April 30. To conclude the spring season, on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, Arianna Aquino, Cat Cogliandro, Gabriel Speiller, and Halston Strange will present their MFA graduate thesis projects, Loud Undertone, in the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

TUCSON THEATERS SERVE UP SMORGASBORD OF STORIES

By Bridgette Redman Tucson Local Media Contributor

This spring, Tucson theater goers can choose from an eclectic mix of works, heavy on the comedies and musicals with a few dramas sprinkled in. From new works to classics, local theaters are offering a diverse selection of tales to tantalize their audiences.

ARIZONA REPERTORY THEATRE + NEXT PERFORMANCE COLLECTIVE

theatre.arizona.edu

“Romeo & Juliet,” Thursdays through Sundays, Sunday, Feb. 26, to Sunday, March 19

William Shakespeare’s story of two star-crossed lovers whose feuding families force their love to happen in secret with tragic results. Matinee performances for high schoolers available.

“Head Over Heels,” Thursdays through Sundays, Sunday, April 9, to Sunday, April 23

The musical features songs by the Go-Go’s and follows the escapades of a royal family on a journey to save their kingdom. Based on Sir Philip Sidney’s “The Arcadia,” the musical celebrates love as the royal family learns the secret to survival is in their hearts.

New Directions Festival, Fridays through Sundays, Friday, April 21, to Sunday, April 30

The second festival showcasing undergraduate student-created, student-designed and student-performed content.

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY atc.org

“Pru Payne,” Wednesdays through Sundays, Saturday, March 4, to Satur-

See THEATER Page 14

Where nature, art, and culture connect.

Celebrating ELVIS PRESLEY’S Records from Sun Studios HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN & TYLER HILTON 2/17

LOS LOBOS 3/10

Special guest Gaby Moreno

THE PLACE TO BE — THE ARTISTS TO SEE

Legendary Vegas Magicians PENN & TELLER 3/1

John Pizzarelli & Catherine Russell salute

Billie Holiday & Frank Sinatra BILLIE & BLUE EYES 3/4

MEOW MEOW 3/29

An intimate, bawdy night with internationally iconic burlesque artist

STILL THE ONE: PABLO CRUISE & ORLEANS 2/18

Gary Mullen & The Works ONE NIGHTOF QUEEN 2/28

THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS & RUTHIE FOSTER 3/14

Limited Engagement Tour

WYNTON MARSALLIS 3/31

Only 5 U.S. Concerts

PRESERVATION HALL

JAZZ BAND: PASS IT ON 3/8 60th Anniversary Tour

ROSANNE CASH & JOHN LEVENTHAL 3/24

MARTY STUART & HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES 4/27

MELISSA ETHERIDGE 4/29

40+ SHOWS NOW ON SALE

day, March 25

This world premiere by Steven Drukman explores love and identity in the face of memory loss. Critic Pru Payne, a wit, scholar and intellectual, questions her preconceived notions of identity and finds unexpected love.

“Private Lives,” Wednesdays through Sundays, Saturday, April 15, to Saturday, May 6

Noël Coward’s most popular comedy about a divorced couple having honeymoons with their new spouses in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Combustible chemistry reignites and mayhem ensues in this battle of equals.

BROADWAY IN TUCSON

broadwayintucson.com

“Dear Evan Hansen,” Tuesday, Feb. 21, to Sunday, Feb. 26, the hit musical’s national tour.

A high school student inserts himself into a tragedy, taking on a role he has no right to. The teen story deals with suicide, survival and loneliness.

“Mean Girls,” Tuesday, March 28, to

Sunday, April 2, the national tour.

The musical based on the movie in which a new student has to make choices about what clique she will belong to and how she will treat people. With a book by Tina Fey and music by Jeff Richmond, this coming-of-age story finds Cady adapting to life in a Chicago high school after growing up in Kenya.

Riverdance, Friday, April 28, to Sunday, April 30

The Irish dance troupe makes its 20th anniversary tour with their Irish dance, music and song.

GASLIGHT THEATRE

thegaslighttheatre.com

“The Ballad of Two-Gun McGraw: A Wacky Western Adventure,” Tuesdays through Sundays, through Sunday, March 26

Gaslight Theatre brings back its 2015 melodrama set in San Pecos, Texas, in the 1880s when corrupt businessmen come to town and are challenged by a singing, gun-toting Texas Ranger, Two Gun McGraw.

“Robin Hood,” Tuesdays through Sundays, Thursday, March 30, to Sunday, June 4

A wacky musical adventure of Robin Hood, as he and his merry men steal from the rich, give to the poor, try to protect the throne for King Richard and defy the evil sheriff of Nottingham. Also known as “It Sherwood be Fun.”

INVISIBLE THEATRE

invisibletheatre.com

and the winding road of love, joy, blues and racism.

“Small Mouth Sounds,” Wednesday, April 19, to Sunday, April 30

This play tells the story of four strangers who go on a silent retreat in the woods. Bess Wohl’s humor-filled play is a compassionate look at how people address life’s biggest questions when words fail them.

LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP

“The Sabbath Girl,” Tuesday, Feb. 15, to Sunday, Feb. 26

This rom-com by Cary Gitter is about Angie, a successful woman working at an art gallery with a new apartment on the Upper West Side, who runs into Seth, a divorced Orthodox Jew who needs someone to help him with tasks he is forbidden from doing on the Sabbath.

“Billie! Backstage with Lady Day,” Saturday, March 18, to Sunday, March 19

An NAACP-award winning musical that follows the haunting journey of Billie Holiday, some of her amazing songs

livetheatreworkshop.org

“On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, Feb. 23, to Saturday, March 25

Set in 1888, three female explorers attempt to conquer Terra Incognita, an unexplored territory where they encounter cannibals, trolls and artifacts. Eric Overmyer’s fantasy/sci-fi tale is a study of ambition and the human condition.

“Tell Me About You,” Fridays and Saturdays, Friday, March 3, to Saturday, March 11

Set on the theater’s new Etcetera Stage, this one-woman show takes place on a first date. Playwright, director and actor Ally Tanzillo plays a version of herself in this comedy about modern dating.

“Tooth Fairies in Training,” Saturdays and Sundays, Saturday, April 15, to Sunday, April 30

Richard Gremel’s children’s show takes place on the first day of tooth fairy training for Bridget Bicuspid and Marty Molar. Their miscues make Calvin McCavity threaten to end the Fairy Flight Force forever and they must save the day.

MYSTERY AND MAGIC DINNER THEATRE

tucsondinnertheater.com

“Murder at the Magic Show,” Saturdays and Sundays through Saturday, April 1

This dinner theater production includes a murder mystery and a magic

show. A candlelit three-course dinner is served along with a comedy three-act murder mystery. Actors serve the meals, providing clues to the audience who can win prizes by solving the mystery.

ROGUE THEATRE

theroguetheatre.org

“The Seafarer,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 19

Conor McPherson’s classic play is about an alcoholic drying out and living with his blind brother. He reluctantly hosts a Christmas Eve gathering with friends and most confront a promise he made decades ago to an ambiguous figure with supernatural echoes. A dark, funny and intense play.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, April 27, to Sunday, May 14

Shakespeare’s comedy comprises four lovers and forest full of fairies. Hermia and Lysander run away into the woods when she is told she must marry her father’s choice, Demetrius. He chases her along with Helena, who is in

love with Demetrius. Fairies intervene and rude mechanicals rehearsing for the wedding of the prince provide additional hijinks.

SCOUNDREL AND SCAMP THEATRE scoundrelandscamp.org

“Brontë,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, Feb. 16, to Saturday, March 5

“Brontë” is a dramatic and literary examination of the lives of the three Brontë sisters by Polly Teale. It is 1845 and Branwell Brontë returns home in disgrace, turning the lives of his three literary sisters upside down as they live their isolated lives.

“One Twig at a Time,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, April 13, to Sunday, April 30

A world premiere of Wolfe Bowart’s physical theater, the show incudes found art puppets, poetic visual theater, humor, pathos, drought, flood, overabundance and the vacuum of space. Five multigenerational actors explore community through visual poems.

“Pooh,” Fridays through Sundays

(with weekday matinees for schools), Friday, May 12, to Sunday, May 21

A new Scoundrel and Scamp adaptation of A.A. Milne’s beloved characters from “Winnie the Pooh” features humans and forest-dwellers romping through the Hundred Acre Woods learning about courage, friendship, growth and acceptance.

WINDING ROAD THEATRE ENSEMBLE windingroadtheater.org

“Tick, tick, BOOM,” Friday, Feb. 24, to Sunday, March 5

Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical, written before “Rent,” is the story of a composer and the sacrifices he makes. It features 14 songs, 10 characters and three actors. It’s the story of a composer’s journey to a big Broadway blockbuster.

Eight 10s in Tucson, Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 28

The fifth annual 10-minute play festival features eight original scripts chosen from hundreds of blind submissions, vetted and curated to create an eclectic collection of comedies and dramas.

MUSIC STRIKES A CHORD THIS SPRING

By Laura Latzko

Tucson Local Media Contributor

• Folk singer and activist David Huckfelt, the founding frontman for Minneapolis indie group The Pines, Saturday, Feb. 18, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• LA-based electronic/soul/garage rock band Inner Wave, Saturday, Feb. 18, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Twiddle, a Vermont four-piece band, Saturday, Feb. 18, 191 Toole, 191toole. com

• In four decades, Steel Pulse has been tackling subjects such as global racial injustice and human rights in its music, Sunday, Feb. 19, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Maryland ska/punk/reggae band Ballyhoo!, Sunday, Feb. 19, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Peaceful Sky Benefit Presents an Evening of Desert Voices, Monday, Feb. 20, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Haley Reinhart, a Chicago-born singer who now lives in Los Angeles, appeared on season 10 of “American Idol,” Monday, Feb. 20, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• A Mardi Gras celebration will feature live music from Dr. Mojo and Zydeco Cannibals and the Mysterious Babies Traditional Jazz Band, Tuesday, Feb. 21, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress. com

• Cuarteto Casals, Wednesday, Feb. 22, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Americana/folk artist Mark Stuart, Thursday, Feb. 23, Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• A Phoenix native who now lives in New York, Michael Eckroth will return to Arizona to perform with his trio, Friday, Feb. 24, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Metal Fest 22, Friday, Feb. 24, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Locash w/Drake Milligan, Saturday, Feb. 25, Desert Diamond Casino, Sahuarita, ddcaz.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Latin Fire, Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Piano Explosion! w/Ricky Nye, Eric-Jan “Mr. Boogie Woogie” Overbeek, Saturday, Feb. 25, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Brujeria, Saturday, Feb. 25, The Rock, rocktucson.com

• Coco Montoya has spanned blues, rock and soul genres with his music and released 11 albums since going solo in the ’90s, Friday, Feb. 25, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, Sunday, Feb. 26, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Wildcat Jazz Band performs Fats Waller music, Monday, Feb. 27, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• South-Korean hip-hop trio Epik High, Monday, Feb. 27, Rialto Theatre, rialto-

theatre.com

• Southern blues rock guitarist and singer Tinsley Ellis, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Gary Mullen and the Works will bring “One Night of Queen,” Tuesday, Feb. 28, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Post-punk’s Holy Faint, Friday, March 3, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Longtime friends Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore bring blues/folk music, Saturday, March 4, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Artists John Pizzarelli and Catherine Russell will play homage to Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra, Saturday, March 4, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• The Queen’s Cartoonists, Saturday, March 4. Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Southern Gothic’s The Legendary Shack Shakers, Wednesday, March 8, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Dawson Hollow w/Nite Tides, Thursday,

LOCASH WITH DRAKE MILLIGAN WILL PERFORM AT DESERT DIAMOND CASINO ON SATURDAY, FEB. 25. (SUBMITTED)

March 9, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass.org

• Skeletal Remains, Friday, March 10, The Rock, rocktucson.com

• Liam St. John, Friday, March 10, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass. org

• Los Lobos, Friday, March 10, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Tucson Swing Festival, Friday, March 10, to Sunday, March 12, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Wisconsin-based pianist Geoffrey Keezer, Saturday, March 11, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Rapper Aaron Smith, also known as Shwayze, Saturday, March 11, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Led by Dublin-born singer Dave King, Flogging Molly is a Celtic punk rock group formed in Los Angeles in the 1990s, Tuesday, March 14, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tuesday, March 14, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Blues/Southern rock’s North Mississippi Allstars, Wednesday, March 15, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Tantalizing Tricksters, Friday, March 17, to Sunday, March 19, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• The Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation will pay tribute to Arizona Blues Hall of Fame artist Anna Warr with a special memorial concert, Sunday, March 19, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Greta Van Fleet, Monday, March 20, Tucson Arena, tucsonmusichall.org

• Black Violin, Tuesday, March 21, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Mexican musician Oscar Alfonso Castro, otherwise known as Caloncho, Wednesday, March 22, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: An Evening with Hilary Hahn, Wednesday, March 22, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• “Stayin’ Alive: One Night of the Bee Gees,” Thursday, March 23, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Country singer-songwriter and author Rosanne Cash, Friday, March 24, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Country’s Jimmie Allen, Friday, March 24, Desert Diamond Casino, ddcaz.com

• Metalachi blends mariachi and metal, Friday, March 24, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Nashville gospel/country singer Josh Turner, Friday, March 24, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: The Magic of John Williams, Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall. org

• Saxophonist, singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier, Sunday, March 26, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour, Tuesday, March 28, Tucson Arena, tucsonmusichall.com

• Formed in 1985, the Silos are a New York-based alternate country, rock and Americana group, Wednesday, March 29, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Postmodern artist Meow Meow, Wednesday, March 29, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• After performing during Tucson Jazz Week, Christian Sands and his trio return, Friday, March 31, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Mahler’s

GET A JUMP ON RISING INTEREST RATES TODAY!

Resurrection, Friday, March 31, to Sunday, April 2, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Gabriel Ayala, Friday, March 31, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass. org

• Jazz’s Wynton Marsalis, Friday, March 31, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Over a 20-year career, funk and soul musician, composer and producer Eddie Roberts has worked with pop names in the music scene, Saturday, April 1, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Drummer Holly Channell, the winner of the Jazz Education Network’s 2023 Sister in Jazz honors, will pay tribute to composer Dorothy Fields, Sunday, April 2, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Foreigner: Greatest Hits Tour, Monday, April 3, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Grammy-nominated Christine Santelli, a New York-based singer, and Heather “Lil Mama” Hardy, an inductee into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, Tuesday, April 4, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Grammy-Award-winning twins and Julliard graduates Peter and Will

Anderson will pay tribute to the music of George Gershwin, Friday, April 7, the Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Indigo Social Club, Saturday, April 8, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass.org

• South-Korean group SURL plays British rock music, Sunday, April 9, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Third Eye Blind, Wednesday, April 12, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• A five-piece Americana group, Brothers Comatose bring high-energy bluegrass, country and rock music, Saturday, April 15, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Los Angeles Azules de Iztapalapa, Saturday, April 15, Casino Del Sol, casinodelsol.com

• Canadian artist Gordon Lightfoot, Thursday, April 13, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Silverstein, Tuesday, April 18, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• The Cream of Clapton Band, a group of musicians with ties to Eric Clapton, Friday, April 28, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Melissa Etheridge, Saturday, April 29, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

ARTIST DONATES PIECES TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS

Special to Tucson Local Media

In celebration of her 81st birthday, Carolyn Eastman Cazares has commissioned The Center Gallery Fine Art in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, to sell her personal “legacy” collection.

Cazares is donating the profits from the sale of some 200 originals to her two favorite causes: The Sierra County Student Art Show (aka Tiger Art) and TorC’s People Growing Together.

When Cazares was 4 years old, she drew a tree that she notes did not look like the “lollipop trees” that her peers drew. Her nursery teacher proclaimed her an artist and her parents supported her art by buying $1 Walter Foster “how-to” books, which she “preferred to classes.”

She has produced thousands of pieces, from large paintings to calligraphy of Hebrew letters, as well as ink drawings as small as a postage stamp. Cazares is fond of saying “no piece of paper is safe around me.”

She summarizes her body of work as the four Fs — faces, figures, flowers and fruit. She is including her “small treasures” in this show gleaned from her years of accumulated sketchbooks, many which had never been shown.

CAROLYN EASTMAN CAZARES’ “COWGIRL,” WATERCOLOR ON PAPER, FRAMED, 21 INCHES BY 24 INCHES. (CAROLYN EASTMAN CAZARES/SUBMITTED)

At 7, she received her first set of oil paints. At 14, she took life drawing classes taught from renowned artist Warren Hunter. She said drawing the human figure still fascinates her.

Her work broadened over the years and from her 20s to 40s, she explored fashion design and sculptures, collage, acrylics, pastels, air brush and watercolors.

In the ’60s, she painted with Alberto Mijangos, a member of San Antonio’s “angry young artists” and was the Mexican American Institute of the Arts’ director at the time. She studied sumi painting (Chinese brush and ink) in Virginia with sumi master, I-Hsiung Ju.

Cazares said sumi came to her quite naturally and has influenced almost everything she’s done since. Her sumi master calls sumi painting a performing art.

“The brush dances and the ink sings,” she said.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cazares opted for quarantining at home and devoted herself to further studies in “ancient wisdom, comparative religion, conspiracy theories, historical fiction, and the relationships between humans and extraterrestrials.” With no TV or radio, she found “a book a day keeps reality away.”

Cazares calls this stage of her life the fat lady’s swan song:

“If I live, I live and if I die, I live,” she said.

Tiger Art is the popular name of the Sierra County Student Art Show, sponsored annually by the Sierra County Arts Council and The Center Gallery Fine Art.

The show allows sixth- through 12thgrade students, selected by a panel of judges, to sell their art at the show and compete for scholarships and prizes. The second Student Art Show will be held at the TorC Civic Center from April 21 to April 22.

The nonprofit, People Growing Together, organizes community assets to maintain Sierra County food security through building an underground sustainable greenhouse for year-round production.

Join us this spring for these concerts and more!

Latin Fire

February 25 & 26

Tantalizing Tricksters

March 17 & 19

An Evening with Hilary Hahn

March 22

The Magic of John Williams

March 25 & 26

Mahler’s “Resurrection”

March 31 & April 2

May 12 & 13

Return of the Jedi in Concert

José Luis Gomez, Music Director

BALLET TUCSON PRESENTS WORLD PREMIERE OF ‘HIMIKO’

By Veronica Kuffel Tucson Weekly Contributing Writer

Ballet Tucson partners with the Tucson Desert Song Festival to present their 2023 Winter Concert, featuring four premieres centered around love, legends and inspired by the event’s theme, “heroes and villains.”

This year’s concert will feature some of the company’s most challenging and exploratory work. The world premiere of “Himiko” is Chieko Imada’s opportunity to showcase her skill and culture.

The accomplished Japanese-born dancer has lived and worked in Tucson for more than 30 years.

Along with dancing and teaching for Inoue Ballet of Tokyo, she’s worked with big state companies like Ballet Arizona, Ortz Theatre of Dance and Tenth St. Danceworks. But it was as Ballet Tucson’s associate artistic director and resident choreographer she found the chance to tell Queen Himiko’s story.

“I always knew Himiko in my mind as a hero,” Imada said. “Himiko is a powerful female figure, and I was always attracted by her character. Years ago, when I came here, I knew I wanted to do something based on her.”

While not much is known about the mysterious third century ruler, Queen Himiko is considered the great uniter of Japan. She was a legendary shamaness that Imada brought to life through her choreography, brimming with passion.

Imada’s focus on emotion-filled movements has a lot to do with her love of drama. To her, the dancers aren’t solely moving their bodies — they’re telling stories with each step.

Ballet Tucson’s Artistic Director Margaret Mullin, a former student of Imada, praised her colleague’s ability.

“It’s a deep reflection on what it means to actually be a leader,” Mullin said about the piece. “I was moved when Chieko talked about

exploring the pressure around it — the weight of responsibility but also the hope for the future.”

In “Himiko,” the renowned choreographer also incorporated Japanese dancing to further its authenticity. Imada studied the style when she lived in Japan, and wanted to blend it with ballet and contemporary dances. To her, it was “a merging of East and West.”

Imada worked on this “merging” with the Tucson Desert Song Festival, an organization that celebrates classical music in the Southwest and around the world. Each year, the festival partners with organizations around the city to encourage local collaboration.

“I think it’s so special what they do. They try to spread across Tucson to create unique arts experiences,” Mullin said.

The festival introduced Imada to Duo Chinoiserie, a partnership of Chinese guzheng performer Jing Xia and classical guitarist Bin Hu. The duo is globally known for their expert Chinoiserie style, combining the music traditions of East and West.

Imada worked with one of their composers, Yusuke Nakanishi, to expand a few pieces she planned to use in the show.

ing Xia’s specific skill with the guzheng when they came to the studio.

“Their music touched us,” Imada said. “Immediately, when she played the instrument, the warm plink of sound showed 5,000 years of history. There was depth in a single note, she really puts her soul into it.”

The winter concert will be the official world premiere of “Himiko,” along with Ballet Tucson’s first collaboration with Duo Chinoiserie. Along with the piece, the company will perform three other numbers that fit the themes of love and legends, heroes and villains.

Ballet Tucson’s fourth premiere is “Borderland,” which explores the haunting barrier between consciousness — being awake and asleep. The neoclassical work was produced by Mullin’s former colleague, Price Suddarth, an up-and-coming choreographer with a flair for experimentation. While it’s still considered ballet, the piece explores the different ways dancers can move their bodies and feet.

Altogether, “Borderland,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Allegro Brillante” and “Himiko”’ are the diverse and varied stories Ballet Tucson will tell in its upcoming winter concert. The company will perform in the Leo Rich Theater at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 19.

Thanks to the festival and the Tucson Guitar Society, Ballet Tucson’s “Himiko” will feature the live onstage accompaniment of Duo Chinoiserie.

Imada acknowledged the talent of the duo, discuss-

“Allegro Brillante” is everything legendary choreographer George Balanchine claimed he knew about ballet in 13 minutes. With permission from the George Balanchine Trust, Ballet Tucson will share a repertory piece with two of the largest ballets in the United States — the Pacific Northwest Ballet and New York City Ballet.

“Allegro Brillante is considered one of his hardest ballets,” Mullin said. “Having something of this quality is a big testament to where Ballet Tucson is as a company.”

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Ballet Tucson will also perform Romeo and Juliet’s famous “Pas de Deux,” featuring the famous balcony scene from the Shakespeare play. Choreographed by Mullin, the piece features the musical work of Sergei Prokofiev. She said she hopes the piece will remind audience members of the power and excitement of the first time they fell in love.

Altogether, Imada and the company will showcase a premiere 30 years in the making, in which the accomplished dancer dreamt with each pointe-shoed step.

“We can do so much with steps,” Imada said. “Finally, after three decades, it’s a dream come true. I appreciate it.”

Ballet Tucson: Winter Concert

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 19

WHERE: Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Street, Tucson

COST: Tickets start at $30 INFO: ballettucson.org

FROM LEFT, BROOKE AMUNDRUD, KAYLA DEGARAY, FILIPE ARAGÃO, SPENCER WALDECK, DANIELLE FU, LIANG FU AND SARAH WILKERSON PERFORM A SCENE FROM “HIMIKO.” (BALLET TUCSON/SUBMITTED)

ELVIS-OBSESSED TYLER HILTON HONORS ‘THE KING’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Weekly Staff

Tyler Hilton was on a cross-country car trip with his family when his mother played Elvis Presley music to prepare for a trip to Graceland.

Hilton immediately fell in love with what he heard.

“I loved his music,” said Hilton, who later went on to star as Chris Keller on “One Tree Hill.”

TYLER HILTON AND THE HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN HEADLINE THE FOX TUCSON THEATRE. (TYLER HILTON/SUBMITTED)

and tell them how much I’m into them.’”

“I loved the house. I loved his style. I loved his image. There was just something about it that spoke to me. I was like that from a kid. I started combing my hair like that. I thought he was the coolest person I had ever seen.

“I was an Elvis guy forever. For gifts, I received Elvis books or Elvis accoutrement. I just collected them. That got me into blues, country and gospel and it led me to play guitar.”

When he hit his teenage years, he thought it was “dorky” to pretend he was someone else, so he dropped it.

It resurfaced, though, in 2005 when he played a young Presley in the Reese Witherspoon/Joaquin Phoenix film “Walk the Line.”

On Friday, Feb. 17, Hilton will celebrate Presley’s records from Sun Studio with The Hot Club of Cowtown at the Fox Tucson Theatre.

“We’re just doing a celebration of Elvis’ music,” he said. “It’s going to be a bunch of Elvis songs from Sun Records done really authentically — no drums or anything; stand-up bass, vocals and guitars. I love this kind of music but it’s hard to find.

“I’d always been a fan of Hot Club. I’ve seen them several times and been to a workshop of theirs. When we ended up on the same agency, I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m a huge fan of Hot Club. I’d love to get hooked up with them and just say hi

The two met and decided it would be fun to do something musically together.

“For me, it was kind of a big deal,” he said. “We settled on doing Elvis stuff and they are so good at that era of music. I flew down to Austin and we started rehearsing. We needed to find a place to do this.”

However, they were talking about it right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Finally, they played their first show together at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Jan. 13.

“I’m still in a little bit of disbelief that people are going to come see us tonight because it just seems too good to be true,” he said. “It’s going to be fun.”

The show was especially poignant as Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, died the night before, Jan. 12.

“We were just texting about it last night,” added Hilton, a California native who lives in London, Ontario, Canada, now with his wife, director Megan Park, and their daughter. “It’s an eerie, eerie, sad thing.”

He acknowledges that some of his fans may be unfamiliar with Elvis, but

light Theatre, but she’s possibly least known for providing vocals for the China tour of Artifact Dance Project’s “Great American Dance Tour.” Only deep-cut music geeks will be aware of her work as a harmony singer for Amos Lee. In recent years, she’s attracted fans as a soloist with the Tucson Symphony, Calexico and Orkesta Mendoza, and for Sweet Ghosts, her project with partner Ryan Alfred.

Still, almost no one outside her circle knows how funny she is, and what great stories she has to tell.

SINGER AND GASLIGHT

CO-DIRECTOR KATHERINE BYRNES TELLS STORIES

TIM TURNS INTO LAUGHS. (KATHERINE BYRNES/ SUBMITTED)

That secret will be out Friday evening, when Byrnes steps up to the Tucson Improv Movement’s “Soapbox” show. Byrnes will tell anecdotes from her life, and then TIM’s top house team, “The Soapbox,” will spin and sling them into new lives of their own.

HILTON FROM PAGE 16

he hopes some of them attend the gigs to learn more about his hero. After all, it’s an educational process for him, too.

“As a kid, I would sing Elvis at karaoke all the time,” he said.

“That was my thing. So, getting to do ‘Walk the Line,’ it was a huge step up from karaoke. Getting to do this club tour, it’s a huge step up. You’re in the music. You’re not just singing it. You’re in it. This is like college for me. I’m learning a ton playing with these guys.

COMEDY ELSEWHERE THIS WEEK

Catalina Craft Pizza,15930 N. Oracle Road Suite 178, 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18,” Comedy in Catalina,” $8 or free with a donation of food or clothing. Reservations are recommended, 520-825-0140. LA comic and actor Jay Hewlett headlines this show with special guests Jay Rivera (“The Puerto Rican Grizzly”) and Phoenix comic Floyd Haas. Raymond

They’re way beyond me, musically.

“I just feel like I lucked out and I’m in a room full of people that I don’t belong in.”

The Hot Club of Cowtown and Tyler Hilton

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17

WHERE: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson

COST: Tickets start at $27 INFO: foxtucson.com

Stalling hosts and Jen Blanco, Joel Martin and Holly Hilton fill out the bill.

Chuckleheads Comedy Club and Bar, 41 Brewery Avenue, Bisbee, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, chuckleheadsaz.com, $5 advance at the website. Whittles & Friends Comedy Showcase features Zo Thomas, Aldo Campana, Tony Bruhn, Jennifer Churchill, “Whittles,” Sylvia Remington and Lisa Kristine.

Hotel Congress, 311 E Congress Street, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, hotelcongress.com, $15. The more-fabulousthan-life “Retro Game Show,” now in its 12th year, presents “Sassword.” Prepare to laugh hard for the duration with emcee Chatty Kathee and celebrity guests Fulta Burstin and Oasis Kimmelman.

Laff’s Comedy Caffe, 2900 E. Broadway Boulevard, 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, laffstucson.com, $15, $20 preferred seating. Jade Esteban Estrada is a Laff’s favorite, guaranteed to make you laugh about things that never occurred to you. The only question is what color his feather boa will be.

The Screening Room,127 E. Congress Street, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17,

screeningroomdowntown.com, $10, “The Downtown Comedy Show,” hosted by Chris Quinn, features Nic, Anthony Jenkins, Sylvia Remington, Allana Erickson-Lopez and Dom DiTolla. Tucson Improv Movement/TIM Comedy Theatre, 414 E. Ninth Street. tucsonimprov.com, $7 each show, $10 for both shows, same night, free jam and open mic. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, 101 and 201; 8:30 p.m. Cage Match; 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, Improv Jam; 7:30 p.m. “The Soapbox” with Katherine Byrnes; 9 p.m. Stand Up Showcase; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, “Finding the Words” and The Riveters; 9 p.m. “The Dating Scene”

Unscrewed Theater, 4500 E. Speedway Boulevard, unscrewedtheatre.org, $8, live or remote, $5 kids. 6 p.m. Friday, Feb 17, ImprovBlox Musical Showcase (free admission); 7:30 p.m. Family-Friendly Improv; 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. Unscrewed Family Hour (all tickets $5); 7:30 p.m. “Unscrewsical” Family Friendly Musical Improv Comedy; 9 p.m. “The Backyard” Improv Playground (Pay what you will admission.)

invites you to a special community screening of the award-winning Lyme disease documentary The Quiet Epidemic Sunday, February 19

invites you to a special community screening of the award-winning Lyme disease documentary The Quiet Epidemic Sunday, February 19

The Quiet Epidemic Sunday, February 19 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

invites you to a special community screening of the award-winning Lyme disease documentary The Quiet Epidemic Sunday, February 19

Followed by Q&A

3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

3:00 PM - 5:30 PM

The Loft Cinema | Screen #3 3233 E Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85716

Followed by Q&A

Followed by discussion with director/producer Lindsay Keys The Loft Cinema | Screen #3 3233 E Speedway Blvd | Tucson, AZ 85716

Tickets: $10

Benefitting LDASA Scan for tickets:

The Loft Cinema | Screen #3 3233 E Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85716

Followed by discussion with director/producer Lindsay Keys The Loft Cinema | Screen #3 3233 E Speedway Blvd Tucson, AZ 85716

Tickets: $10

Tickets: $10

Benefitting LDASA Scan for tickets:

Benefitting LDASA Scan for tickets:

Learn more about the film and take action: www.thequietepidemic.com

www.thequietepidemic.com

Tickets: $10

Learn more about the film and take action: www.thequietepidemic.com

Benefitting LDASA Scan for tickets:

URL for Tickets: https://loftcinema.org/film/the-quiet-epidemic/

Learn more about the film and take action: www.thequietepidemic.com

TUCSON’S BEST RESTAURANTS TO SATISFY THE MUNCHIES

By Evan Maharry Tucson Weekly Staff

When Tucsonans are hungry, they get a Sonoran dog. They get an eegee or raspados. It’s a no-brainer.

When they’re stoned, they get two of each.

There’s no shortage of yummy food to hit the spot during those high times in the desert. With so many, it’s easy for stoner-brain to set in. But anyone can get high with a little help from Tucson Weedly’s Top 10 list of the best places to satisfy your munchies. And with friends, too, designated drivers are a must. Here’s our Top 10.

CLASSICS

EEGEE’S

Over 26 locations in the Tucson area,

eegees.com

It would be a crime not to include Eegee’s on the list. A certifiable Tucson classic, its grinders and slushies never miss. Plus, every month, there’s a new limited time flavor of the month — perfect for experimenting with different strains and a variety of slushies.

JERRY BOB’S

1325 Duval Mine Road, 520-399-2500, jerrybobs.com

Another staple of Southern Arizona, this time in Green Valley. Jerry Bob’s is the de facto diner in the area not only for its friendlieness, but its solid clubs and soup of the day.

FOURTH AVENUE AND VEGAN BISON WITCHES BAR & DELI

326 N. Fourth Avenue, Tucson, bisonwitches.com

Looking for a fun place to duck into while flying high on Fourth Avenue? Bison Witches hooks it up with its bread bowls, sandwiches and stellar environment anyone can enjoy.

TUMERICO

2526 E. Sixth Street; 402 E. Fourth Avenue, 240-6947, 520-392-022, tumerico.com

Featuring vegan and vegetarian op-

fino.

tions with a Latin influence, Tumerico is well known for its Instagram-worthy dishes.

SERENE

KITCHEN

Food delivery and catering, 520-534-6542, facebook.com/ theserenekitchen

EL GUERO CANELO RESTAURANT 5201 S. 12th Avenue, 520-295-9005, elguerocanelo.com

Finally, a place with mind-blowing Sonoran-style hot dogs makes the list. For just under $5, money is still left over for weed.

Variety is key at this Black-owned delivery service, which boasts THC-infused desserts, delivery and the occasional pop-up event. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

THE AMERICAN EAT CO.

1439 S. Fourth Avenue, 520-867-8700, americaneatco.com

The American Eat Co. calls itself “Tucson’s First Local Food Court,” which boasts seven restaurants with full bar, arcade and co ee shop. Oh, and they have live music on Fridays.

SOUTH SIDE

LA ESTRELLA BAKERY INC.

5266 S. 12th Avenue, 520-741-0656, laestrellabakeryincaz.com

Moving down to South Tucson, La Estrella Bakery Inc. deserves respect. Munchies of the sweet and savory variety are no match here; they o er tamales and tortillas and hebillas and pan

KARICHIMAKA

5252 S. Mission Road, 520-883-0311

Rounding out Southern Tucson, this spot can proudly brag about their jaw-dropping chimichangas and chorizo. Family owned since 1949, this gem is perfect for a meal—high or sober.

FRYBREAD ON THE WEEKENDS AT MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC 1950 W. San Xavier Road, 520-294-2624

Fry bread may just be the ultimate stoner food. It comes savory with beef, tomatoes, cheese and lettuce, or sweet with honey, sugar and cinnamon. The fact that this fry bread is at the San Xavier Mission located on the San Xavier reservation, part of the Tohono O’odham nation, means that not only is the food authentic as hell, but that it can also be enjoyed after visiting the older than 230-year-old chapel.

HALO INFUSIONS’ NEW FACILITY TO SUPPORT 7 PRODUCTION LINES

Special to Tucson Weedly

Halo Infusions & Extractions

LLC is building the state’s largest dedicated infusion kitchen, with plans to open in the middle of this year.

The $2.5 million state-of-the-art kitchen will initially provide more than 7,000 square feet of manufacturing space, supporting seven production lines, and thousands of square feet of refrigerated storage and distribution space.

A year ago, as part of a $30 million sale of its retail and cultivation licenses, Halo Infusions spun off its infused product manufacturing business.

“Selling the licenses enabled us to focus on our first true love-infused products,” said Murray Stein, CEO of Halo Infusions.

“Without the distraction of the de-

mands of retail, we felt that the 10 years of infusion experience we’ve gained would prepare us for even greater opportunities.

“This is really the original vision of our founders. We are software, electronic and optical engineers by training and vocation, so it’s easy to appreciate why we’re so formal and process driven. We’ve always believed that we could create better infused products by applying the disciplines of science, engineering, and manufacturing that we learned elsewhere.”

Plans include new automated gummy and candy lines, multiple beverage production systems, and multiple large ovens and freezers.

“We’ve designed the space to employ an agile reconfiguration model that allows us to shift production lines based

on our real-time needs and those of our customers,” said Brandon Hamm, infrastructure manager at Halo Infusions.

“Every one of these production lines has a minimum of three stages, or as many as 10 when we include product and lot packaging. Accomplishing this accurately requires that our production, packaging and quality teams work together effectively. Scaling that model is our mission.”

Halo Infusions’ brands are among the longest available in the Arizona market and include Aunt Ellie’s, Cannabliss, Canna Confections, Chronic Health, and Pure & Simple. Soon to be released is a suite of canine pet products under the Canine CBD Therapy brand.

“Our unique whole-plant approach using RSO extraction methodologies allow us to retain more of the plant’s compounds than many other ap-

proaches,’’ said Chad Johnson, Halo Infusions’ infusion R&D manager.

“Our infusion model relies on capturing minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and even flavonoids. We genuinely be-

SEE HALO PAGE 24

LINDA BELL, CFO, AND MURRAY STEIN, CEO, OF HALO INFUSIONS & EXTRACTIONS AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE COMPANY'S PLANNED INFUSION KITCHEN . (SUBMITTED)

TUCSON AREA DISPENSARIES

BLOOM TUCSON

4695 N. Oracle Road, Suite 117

520-293-3315; bloomdispensary.com

Open: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

BOTANICA

6205 N. Travel Center Drive

520-395-0230; botanica.us

Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

DESERT BLOOM RE-LEAF CENTER

8060 E. 22nd Street, Suite 108

520-886-1760; dbloomtucson.com

Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Offering delivery

DOWNTOWN DISPENSARY

221 E. Sixth Street, Suite 105

520-838-0492; thedowntowndispensary.com

Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

6834_2

D2 DISPENSARY

7139 E. 22nd Street

520-214-3232; d2dispensary.com

GREEN MED WELLNESS CENTER

6464 E. Tanque Verde Road

520-886-2484, greenmedwellness.com

Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

HALO CANNABIS

7710 S. Wilmot Road

520-664-2251; thegreenhalo.org

Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

HANA GREEN VALLEY

1732 W. Duval Commerce Point Place

520-289-8030

Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

HARVEST OF TUCSON

2734 E. Grant Road

520-314-9420; askme@harvestinc.com; harvestofaz.com

Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

lieve that the synergy between all of the cannabinoids and other compounds in the plant is lost when overprocessed or refined. Our infusion model minimizes that loss for a better product and experience.”

Opportunities in the Arizona cannabis market are limited by the relatively small number of dispensary and cultivation licenses available through the state’s program.

“Every infusion kitchen has to operate under a state-issued license.” Hamm added.

“There is a lot of responsibility that comes with operating under that license. Maintaining compliance with Arizona’s strict rules requires dedicated staff and expertise. Semi-annual inspections of dispensary, cultivation, and kitchen operations determine how well the rules are adhered to, and not doing so can mean significant fines or worse.

PLEASE REVIEW PROOF CAREFULLY!

NATURE MED

Submit any changes or approve your ad via the link attached to this proof.

5390 W. Ina Road

Arizona’s rigorous cannabis product testing program, now in its third year, places additional burden on operators. It is all about safety.

“Many of these businesses are challenged by limited product space and operations staff. They are also at the whim of the license holder, who may not want the risk of an operation they do not fully control using their license.”

Another key factor affecting the Arizona cannabis market is the impact of multi-state operators.

“MSOs like Curaleaf, Verano, and Harvest (now Trulieve) obtained their inhouse brands through acquisition of the dispensary licenses they were associated with,” Tracy said.

“And while some of the brands and their products are decent quality, many are not, so we have a lot of independent brands in Arizona, some struggling in-house brands with multiple dispensary operators, and many small infusion companies hoping to build market share.”

As Halo Infusions began looking to the future, it realized that sharing its expertise and operations resources represented the greatest opportunity.

Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

520-620-9123; naturemedaz.com

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Open: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

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EARTH’S HEALING

Date: 3/14/19

Two locations: North: 78 W. River Road

520-253-7198

South: 2075 E. Benson Highway 520-373-5779 earthshealing.org

Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays; Offering delivery

THE PRIME LEAF

Two locations:

Designer: OM

• 4220 E. Speedway Boulevard

• 1525 N. Park Avenue

520-44-PRIME; theprimeleaf.com

Open: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays

TUCSON SAINTS

112 S. Kolb Road

520-886-1003; medicalmarijuanaoftucson.com

Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT & COUNSELING

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“We have a staff of five quality management and quality control staff, and we are still super busy.”

The team helped formalize a system that documents processes, procedures and responsibilities for achieving regulatory compliance, product safety and meeting customer expectations.

“Every day we remind ourselves of the importance of the safety of our products. Patients and adult users alike look for consistency and quality. They don’t have to worry about the product safety because we do,” Hamm said.

While Arizona may have a limited number of licenses, it has not restricted the proliferation of new brands.

“Our partners got together and decided that our greatest contribution to the infused product market would be to help others excel as well,” said Linda Bell, chief financial officer, for Halo Infusions.

“Our new kitchen will enable us to do several exciting things we couldn’t before. For example, we’re planning a white label operation for smaller operators to help establish and build their own brands. And we expect to provide manufacturing facilities and support to enable independent – even currently out-of-state brands – to better penetrate this market.

“There are well over 75 individual infused product brands in Arizona, with more than 30 making gummies,” said Suzy Tracy, corporate marketing manager for Halo Infusions.

“Using our new kitchen, our well-established current good manufacturing practices, our comprehensive testing program, and our state-wide distribution capabilities, we expect to become a real catalyst for maturity in our market. It’s going to be a terrific ride.”

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19)

Aries director Francis Ford Coppola was asked to name the year’s worst movie. The question didn’t interest him, he said. He listed his favorite films, then declared, “Movies are hard to make, so I’d say, all the other ones were fine!” Coppola’s comments remind me of author Dave Eggers’: “Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them.” In accordance with astrological omens, Aries, your assignment is to explore and embody these perspectives. Refrain from judging efforts about which you have no personal knowledge. Be as open-minded and generous as you can. Doing so will give you fuller access to half-dormant aspects of your own potentials.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)

Artist Andy Warhol said, only half in jest, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art.” More than any other sign, Tauruses embody this attitude with flare. When you are at your best, you’re not a greedy materialist who places a higher value on money than everything else. Instead, you approach the gathering of necessary resources, including money, as a fun art project that you perform with love and creativity. I invite you to ascend to an even higher octave of this talent.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)

You are gliding into the season of maximum volition, autonomy and liberty. Now is a favorable time to explore and expand the pleasures of personal sovereignty. You will be at the peak of your power to declare your independence from influences that hinder and limit you. To prepare, try two experiments. 1. Act as if free will is an illusion. It doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing. Then visualize what your destiny would be like. 2. Act as if free will is real. Imagine that in the coming months you can have more of it at your disposal

than ever before. What will your destiny be like?

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)

The ethereal, dreamy side of your nature must continually find ways to express itself beautifully and playfully. And I do mean “continually.” If you’re not always allowing your imagination to roam and romp around in Wonderland, your imagination may lapse into spinning out crabby delusions. Luckily, I don’t think you will have any problems attending to this necessary luxury in the coming weeks. From what I can tell, you will be highly motivated to generate fluidic fun by rambling through fantasy realms. Bonus! I suspect this will generate practical benefits.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG.

22)

Don’t treat your allies or yourself with neglect and insensitivity. For the sake of you mental and physical health, you need to do the exact opposite. I’m not exaggerating! To enhance your well-being, be almost ridiculously positive. Be vigorously nice and rigorously kind. Bestow blessings and dole out compliments, both to others and yourself. See the best and expect the best in both others and yourself.

VIRGO

(AUG. 23-SEPT. 22)

Is there a bug in the sanctuary of love? A parasite or saboteur? If so, banish it. Is there a cranky monster grumbling in the basement or attic or closet? Feed that creature chunks of raw cookie dough imbued with a crushed-up valium pill. Do you have a stuffed animal or holy statue to whom you can spill your deep, dark, delicious secrets? If not, get one. Have you been spending quality time rumbling around in your fantasy world in quest of spectacular healings? If not, get busy. Those healings are ready for you to pluck them.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22)

There’s a weird magic operating in your vicinity these days — a curious, uncanny kind of luck. So while my counsel here might sound counter-intuitive, I think it’s true. Here are four af-

firmations to chant regularly: 1. “I will attract and acquire what I want by acting as if I don’t care if I get what I want.” 2. “I will become grounded and relaxed with the help of beautiful messes and rowdy fun.” 3. “My worries and fears will subside as I make fun of them and joke about them.” 4. “I will activate my deeper ambition by giving myself permission to be lazy.”

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21)

How many people would fight for their country? Below I list the countries where my horoscopes are published and the percentage of their populations ready and willing to take up arms against their nations’ enemies: 11 percent in Japan; Netherlands, 15 percent; Italy, 20 percent; France, 29 percent; Canada, 30 percent; US, 44 percent. So I surmise that Japanese readers are most likely to welcome my advice here, which is threefold: 1. The coming months will be a good time to cultivate your love for your country’s land, people, and culture, but not for your country’s government and armed forces. 2. Minimize your aggressiveness unless you invoke it to improve your personal life—in which case, pump it up and harness them. 3. Don’t get riled up about vague abstractions and fear-based fantasies. But do wield your constructive militancy on behalf of intimate, practical improvements.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21)

By the time she was 33, Sagittarian actor Jane Fonda was famous and popular. She had already won many awards, including an Oscar. Then she became an outspoken opponent of America’s war in Vietnam. Some of her less-liberal fans were outraged. For a few years, her success in films waned. Offers didn’t come easily to her. She later explained that while the industry had not completely “blacklisted” her, she had been “greylisted.” Despite the setback, she kept working — and never diluted her political activism. By the time she was in her forties, her career and reputation had fully recovered. Today, at age 84, she is busy with creative projects. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I propose we make her your role model in the coming months. May she inspire you to be true to your principles even if some people dis-

approve. Be loyal to what you know is right.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19)

Charles V (1500–1558) had more than 20 titles, including Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Lord of the Netherlands. He was also a patron of the arts and architecture. Once, while visiting the renowned Italian painter Titian to have his portrait done, he did something no monarch had ever done. When Titian dropped his paintbrush on the floor, Charles humbly picked it up and gave it to him. I foresee a different but equally interesting switcheroo in your vicinity during the coming weeks. Maybe you will be aided by a big shot or get a blessing from someone you consider out of your league. Perhaps you will earn a status boost or will benefit from a shift in a hierarchy.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18)

Some people I respect regard the Bible as a great work of literature. I don’t share that view. Like psychologist Valerie Tarico, I believe the so-called good book is filled with “repetition, awkward constructions, inconsistent voice, weak character development, boring tangents, and passages where nobody can tell what the writer meant to convey.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I believe now is a good time to rebel against conventional wisdom, escape from experts’ opinions, and formulate your own unique perspectives about pretty much everything. Be like Valerie Tarico and me.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20)

I suspect that arrivederci and au revoir and sayōnara will overlap with birth cries and welcomes and initiations in the coming days. Are you beginning or ending? Leaving or arriving? Letting go or hanging on? Here’s what I think: You will be beginning and ending; leaving and arriving; letting go and hanging on. That could be confusing, but it could also be fun. The mix of emotions will be rich and soulful.

By Rob Brezsny. Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY HOROSCOPE 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 $1.99 per minute. 18 and over. Touchtone phone required.

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928-420-2297 for info and/or schedule a visit (Pantano/ Speedway area)

at 5855 S Palo Verde Rd Tucson AZ 85706 will be auctioning off Unit 1937 Jose Reyes last known address was 2101 S Montezuma Ave, Tucson AZ 85711. The Auction will be posted to Storagetreasures. com on 02/20/23 where you can place bids.

Edited by Will Shortz

30 Moves from 9 to 5, say

33 It’s sometimes weatherrelated

34 Early role for Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake

36 Studies

37 Neighbor of Turk.

38 Couplet

40 Tupperware stock

stock 41 French 101 verb

41 French 101 verb

Ristorante su ix

Paleo, e.g. 51 Actress Tyler

43 Ristorante suffix

44 Paleo, e.g.

Tofu, for instance 55 Question asked without reservation?

51

Quirky old fellas

a charm away!” avoring a solitary walk through the woods, say able to control the outcome of ’s actions emote power sources, maybe enue with highlights and replays Carry the day Chicken (out) Does some work on the ask me locale

___ (part of N.Y.C.) 12 Show up in labor? 13 Frozen food brand 14 Birds that rarely swim, despite having webbed feet

Khaki 22 The Bastille and the Tower of London, historically 23 Salmon variety 25 Albert with a Nobel Prize

British ___

“Rumor has it …”

Popular companion bird

Transportation in a Duke Ellington

3 Loses it

Preceder of word or sense 5 Pride : lions :: ___ :

Knocks over

Whitish 28 Shade of brown paint 29 Made hay? 31 Much of “Deck the Halls”

Beady-eyed and sneaky

Kumail Nanjiani’s role on “Silicon Valley”

Impetus

Curb

Erroneous answer to “What are the odds?” 44 Place of honor

“Casablanca” role

Website with a Cra Supplies section

It provides more coverage than a tank

Grenade, in gaming lingo

Deal preceder 50 11/11 or 12/12, but not 13/13 53 Psalm possessive 54

PUZZLE BY BENJI GOLDSMITH