Art

Glassblowing at Philabaum Glass Studio & Gallery
Witness a craft dating back 2,000 years at Philabaum Glass Studio & Gallery. The glassblowers will describe the process as they shape the fluid glass, reheating, spinning, blowing, torching, cooling, and reheating all over again. Watch the art unfold from seats inside the "hotshop" - close enough to feel the heat of the two furnaces and see the steam rise.
At any time tour guests may stroll through the gallery to shop the array of contemporary glass art from around the country.
Cost: $10/person
Attendees: 15 min./40 max.
Length: 1 hour
Contact: Martha Patey
Times: Tues. - Thurs, 10:00 am
Reservations: At least two weeks in advance with 50% nonrefundable deposit. Philabaum Glass reserves the right to cancel due to changes in studio operations (deposit would be refunded).
Philabaum Glass Studio & Gallery, 711 S. 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701, 520-884-7404
philabaumgallery@qwestoffice.net, www.philabaumglass.com 

Meet the Artist at Madaras Gallery
Experience the romance of the desert Southwest through the eyes of one of Tucson's best-known painters, Diana Madaras, with two tour options. Tour the Gallery-Madaras Gallery serves as the anchor of Gallery Row at El Cortijo, a high-end fine art complex located in the Santa Catalina Foothills. The gallery features original paintings, prints, art tiles, art calendars, and many other fine art gifts. Meet the Artist-Diana will speak about the exciting life of an artist and the fascinating journey that led to her success today. She also will share a few little-known facts about painting techniques. 
Cost: Free during regular gallery hours.
Attendees: 10 min./60 max.
Length: 1 hour
Contact: Diana Madaras, Owner
Special Offer: Each guest who spends $30 or more during the gallery visit will receive a complimentary $30 print (more than 60 to choose from).
Madaras Gallery 3001 E. Skyline Dr. #101, Tucson, AZ 85718, 615-3001
diana@madaras.com, www.madaras.com

Create-Your-Own Santa Theresa Tile Plaque
Harness the heat of the kiln by creating a wall plaque of beautiful tiles made at Santa Theresa Tile Works. After an introduction to the techniques used to create these colorful tiles, begin working on your own creation-a 6"x6" wrought-iron-and-tile wall plaque. Assisted by Santa Theresa Tile Works artists, each participant will choose the tiles they will use, and determine how they will be arranged. (Final setting in mortar is completed at home.) Snacks available throughout the workshop.
Cost:  $112/person
Attendees:  20 min./36 max.
Length:  2 hours
Reservations:  30-day notice is required. 50% deposit due at the time of booking.
Sample Menu: Cakes, cookies or fresh fruit, nuts, crackers, cheese. Beverages include water, soft drinks, coffee, tea, wine.
Contact: Susan Gamble, Owner
Santa Theresa Tile Works 439 N. 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705, 623-1856
www.santatheresatileworks.com

Warehouse Arts District Tour
Artists are everywhere in Tucson. It's not uncommon to see a young artist on a bike, toting a canvas with his latest creation. Downtown Tucson is host to hundreds of artists and performers. For a glimpse into this creative downtown scene, take a tour of Tucson's alternative Warehouse Arts District.
Begin the tour at Dinnerware Contemporary Arts and see the work of some of Tucson's most exploratory artists. Dinnerware has grown to become one of the premier contemporary art galleries in the district.
Next door, visit the Alamo Woodworkers Guild, home to the only woodworkers cooperative in Tucson. From cabinetry to rebuilding grandma's rocking chair, they can create it.
You may also choose to visit BICAS, Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage, where art and bicycles meet in a 5,000-sq.-ft. basement of wheeled energy.
In the same building is Tucson PuppetWorks, which creates oversized puppet dramas often including puppets up to 20 feet tall. Their unforgettable performances blur the line between spectators and performers.
Next door is the rehearsal studio of Flam Chen, a pyrotechnic group that often performs with Tucson Puppet-Works. Performers have been known to spin Balinese fire chains, battle with fire staffs and flaming swords, dance with fire fingers and fire fans, and even eat and breathe flames.
Another must-see is poet/musician Mat Bevel of the Mat Bevel Institute, who dresses up in kinetic machinations. His 4,000-sq.-ft. warehouse is filled with moving parts, from sharks to robots.
Cost:  $15/person
Attendees:  5 min./35 max.
Length:  11⁄2 hours
Contact:  David Aguirre, 628-7047
aguirre5@earthlink.net

"Blow Your Own Ball" at the Sonoran Glass Art Academy
Ever wonder what it would be like to blow glass? The Sonoran Glass Art Academy offers a quick taste of glassblowing and gives you a chance to step up to the furnace and watch the process up close. Under the guidance of an instructor, visitors design a unique holiday ornament (or year-round suncatcher) and assist in the process of turning molten glass into a one-of-a-kind keepsake. No prior glassblowing experience necessary.
Cost: $45/person (includes one ornament; $15/additional ornaments)
Attendees:  10 min./30 max.
Length:  11⁄2-21⁄2 hours, depending on the size of the gr
Reservations:  At least two weeks in advance with 50% deposit.
Special Instructions: Glass ornaments take one day to cool down. Finished ornaments can be picked up any day following the experience or can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. for a small additional charge.
Contact: David MordenSonoran Glass Art Academy 633 W. 18th St., Tucson, AZ 85701, 884-7814
info@sonoranglass.org, www.sonoranglass.org

More Art Ideas:

Center for Creative Photography (CCP) Located on the University of Arizona campus, the center is an archive, museum, and research facility dedicated to photography as an art form and cultural record. The vast collection includes more archives and individual works by 20th-century North American photographers than any other museum in the nation.

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Built to showcase the unique Southwest art of Ted DeGrazia, the gallery is a unique adobe construction with rooms exhibiting DeGrazia originals. Elsewhere in the gallery are a movie room, original bronzes, ceramics, enamels, and a gift shop.

Old Town Artisans In Tucson's El Presidio Historic District, the 150-year-old restored adobe buildings contain seven distinctive shops and galleries featuring contemporary and traditional art and fine crafts from hundreds of local and national artists.

Tubac, Arizona Established in 1752, this artist colony features unusual craft shops, galleries, and an art center.