I have very exciting news to share with you.
After three years of building Tubac School of Fine Art into a nationally known workshop center, we began to seek non-profit status. In order to keep up the quality and the pace at which it was growing, we would need to change the way things were structured.
I had a particularly serendipitous conversation with Karon Leigh the Artistic Director of Tubac Center of the Arts and a wonderful idea was hatched. Tubac School of Fine Art would come under the wing of Tubac Center of the Arts and become the adult art education arm of TCA. Truly a win/win acquisition for two active, positive art organizations in Tubac, collaborating to fulfill our missions, pool our resources, and provide an even stronger artistic influence to the community.
It has taken months of planning and negotiations between the two organizations, I am now happy to announce it is official. Tubac Center of the Arts has acquired Tubac School of Fine Art as their adult education division. There won’t be too much noticeable change, art workshops will continue to be held at Tubac School of Fine Art located in Old Town Tubac inside El Presidito, I will remain the Director and provide the community with outstanding learning opportunities. When the world returns to normal we’ll be able to hire a studio manager so that we may provide you with even more opportunities, and comfortably fun art experiences. We will also be eligible to receive charitable donations from our supporters to provide an even wider range of equipment and tools to open up even more types of art media offerings.
I especially want to thank, Karin Topping, Karon Leigh, Debbie Bostian, and Linda Wagner for their dedication to making this new endeavor an extremely positive one. I also am so thankful for friends in the community who helped me in making the decisions and paying attention to the details I would have surely overlooked.
Tubac School Of Fine Art began as a passion project, fulfilling the dreams of a very giving member of our community and my mentor Lou Maestas. A group of artists came together in support of the idea of going forward with the school Lou so passionately began. Their support has been crucial to its success, I want to thank John Miller, Doug Nail, Gwen Griffin, John and Desta Marbury, and Lisa Morrow for many many volunteer hours and sweat equity. Your dedication has meant the world to me.
I should reiterate thank you John Miller for your incredible support. I love you.
Many of you know my amazing daughter Elizabeth, she has been the one who has corrected my many blunders before you ever saw them, helped me with wording for so many things when I just am overwhelmed, and answered many of your inquiries. But more important than that she has been my ear, my shoulder and my rock in this endeavor and I want to publicly thank her as well.
I certainly want to also mention the incredible art instructors that have taken a chance on a relatively unknown establishment in a small southern Arizona town and shared their skills and talents with so many artists. Your backing gave us credibility and introduced many new faces to the art scene in Tubac. Thank You.
One of the wonderfully unique qualities of Tubac School of Fine Art is the individualized attention to all of our guests, making the experience of taking art workshops as stress-free as possible. Lunch Delivery, setting up your easels and adjusting the lighting and music to suit the day, filling your coffee cup, printing reference materials, and taking care of special needs that arise when traveling is all facilitated by our volunteer hosts.
This is beginning to sound a bit like an awards show but I do feel like I have been rewarded by you all.
So here goes, a shout out to our civic-minded hosts. Jan Holland, Cinda Pettigrew, Jean Hanson, Tim Stewert, Jan Thompson, Kristen Knerr, Paula Lisowsky, and Lynn Baker. As well as volunteers that have helped with gardening and moving furniture and easels back and forth Jan Caldwell and Ana Thompson.
More than anything I want to say cheers to all of you who’ve taken workshops and classes, stopped in and cheered us on, and helped keep us going. Your support never goes unnoticed. Artists Rock! #ilovewhereilive
