Duffy's TUSD Board Meeting Room has a new gallery exhibit!
TUSD Fine Arts is proud to bring you OMA students’ work under the guidance of Karise Allen-Bedwell (Soleng Tom K-6 Elementary), Hillary Douglas (Hollinger K-8), and Izabella Garcia (Banks Elementary). OMA provides students a way to access classroom themes through the lens of art, engaging them in process and expression. Izabella Garcia’s class explores space with light and shadow through her lesson on planets using chalk pastel on black paper. Karise Allen-Bedwell class learned about the bio-medical world through illustrating X-rays with oil pastel and black paper. Hillary Douglas’s class explored the ocean by creating clay relief tiles inspired by a field trip to the undersea exhibit at the University of Arizona’s Flandrau Science Center.
- Leanne C. Miller, Curator of Art and Artifacts
On Tuesday, January 28th, middle school students from Booth-Fickett, Gridley, Magee, Miles, and Secrist joined Sabino high school in a unique rock orchestra concert, led by violinist Mark Wood and vocalist Laura Kaye. Mark Wood, a world-renowned performer who rose to fame as the original string master of the internationally acclaimed Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has released seven solo albums (his latest, TURBOW, was released in August 2016). His commission credits include The Juilliard School and extensive TV broadcast music including The Winter Olympics and The Tour de France (for which he won his Emmy). Wood's Electrify Your Symphony program, now in its 25th year, is an intensive collaborative experience that boosts student self-esteem and motivation and helps raise money for music education. Students develop musical awareness, spatial awareness, improvisational skills and enthusiasm for music in this culturally relevant, 21st century skill building experience. Most importantly, Mark is a Tucson resident and is deeply passionate about serving and supporting the music students and teachers in his community.
- Danielle Applegate, Orchestra - Sabino High and Magee Middle
Feb. 5th - Art of India, Carol and Leanne
Feb. 12th - OMA only PLC, Trista Tamura
Feb. 26th - Oyama Elementary exclusive school PD, with Carol and Leanne, if you'd like to schedule your own private PD for up to 36 people (Max), please contact Leanne.miller@tusd1.org
March 5th - Part 1: Clay Masks 2:30-4pm
March 26th - All day PLD, TBD
April 2nd - Finish Masks from part 1 March 5th
For about the last decade, I have hired professional storyteller (and THMS Drama class of 1997 alumnus) Mel Blumenthal to work with our Advanced Drama students on the art of storytelling. Mel gives them a simple prompt, and the students mine their life experiences to write and perform first person monologues. It's an incredibly powerful way for students to find and create personal power and meaning, for themselves and for the audience.
As we approached graduation last year, I realized that the class of 2024 had started high school online during the pandemic. I was bothered by the large numbers of adults who, with the benefit of hindsight, seemed to forget the trauma of the pandemic and regularly referred to young people as "behind". During a classroom visit from Pima County Superintendent of Schools Dustin Williams, two of my students spoke with us about their experiences with COVID and its aftermath. Their insights were remarkable. Dustin and I were really moved, and we decided to host a talk circle with eight of my strongest students and invite Norma Gonzalez from TUSD. Many laughs and tears followed. It was amazing. Dustin and I agreed that while we knew the pandemic had been horrific, we had no idea how horrific it had been for young people. We also agreed that more people needed to hear these stories.
I contacted Arizona Public Media and bounced the idea of collaborating with them on the storytelling project. They loved the idea, and we decided that they would record the students' stories for broadcast on Arizona Spotlight with Mark McLemore. Mel Blumenthal volunteered to assist as they brainstormed and created. As we all talked, we realized that not only had these eight students started high school during the pandemic, they are young enough that they never knew a time without school shootings. They have been doing lockdowns since the first day of pre-K, and never feel safe in school or public places. We asked them to choose the pandemic or gun violence as their prompt, and they started writing. The stories are extraordinary. We spent multiple days over the summer at AZPM recording. Gene Robinson, COO of AZPM, loved the stories and agreed that they needed the biggest audience possible. He felt that there was a natural next step: air the stories and follow immediately with a live performance, recording and filming it for airing on AZPM.
This ticketed performance for Arizona Public Media supporters is set for Saturday, March 1st at 6:30pm in the Tucson High Little/Almquist Theatre.
- Art Almquist, former Drama teacher from Tucson High Magnet School
In collaboration with TUSD's Fine and Performing Arts department, Arizona Arts Live is offering tickets for the 7:30p performance of the Martha Graham Dance Company at Centennial Hall on Wednesday March 19, 2025 to all attending students, chaperones, and teachers for $7!
Read below for more details on this spectacular performance:
Since 1926, Martha Graham’s groundbreaking and uniquely American dance style has influenced generations of artists, dancers, and audiences worldwide. In celebration of its upcoming centennial, the Company has organized GRAHAM100. This three-season program explores Graham’s artistic legacy through performances, new productions, exhibitions, film screenings, publications, discussions, and educational activities. This March, join “one of the great companies of the world” (New York Times) for a captivating performance featuring Graham masterworks and new pieces, including Steps in the Street (1936, featuring UA School of Dance students), Immediate Tragedy (1937), Errand into the Maze (1947), and We The People (2024).
During one of the dances, University of Arizona School of Dance students will dance alongside the Martha Graham Dance Company. This will be during the piece entitled, “Steps in the Street.” This is an exciting partnership for all of the dancers involved and promotes Martha Graham’s legacy of collaboration.