Thursday 10
STAR POWER. Artistic major-leaguer Fritz Scholder returns to town for a lecture at the UA.
A native of Breckenridge, Minn., Scholder earned his masters in fine arts from the UA in 1964. He later taught advanced painting and art history at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and finally quit in '69 to devote his life to art and travel.
The internationally known painter has since seen his works included in collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, La Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He's also been the subject of no fewer than three films and more than 20 books.
Scholder will speak at 11 a.m. in the UA Main Library's Room A313, on the southwest corner of University Boulevard and Cherry Avenue. Admission is free. Call 621-6431 for details.
RASTA LEGEND. For more than three decades, luminary rasta-mon Jimmy Cliff has been making world-wide riddims, and today he ranks up there with Bob Marley as the best known of all reggae masters.
Now the legendary star who cemented his reputation with the classic film The Harder They Fall returns to Tucson for an intimate show. Special guest Papa Ranger will open.
Doors open at 8:30 p.m. at Bob's, 6350 E. Tanque Verde Road. Advance tickets are $21, and are available at Hear's Music, Zip's on University, CD Depot and Guitars Etc., or by calling (800) 965-4827.
FOX FILM. Efforts to renovate downtown's landmark Fox Theatre roll on with an outdoor benefit film series hosted by the Fox Theatre Foundation and La Placita Village.
Showing tonight in La Placita's lovely courtyard is The Island of Lost Souls. This classic 1932 creep-fest stars Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi. Poor Edward Parker finds himself shipwrecked on a weird little island where even the humans are only barely so. At first, Dr. Moreau is a pleasant host, despite his ominous references to the House of Pain. But soon Parker finds himself knee-deep in pioneering genome experiments involving shadowy creatures with questionable hygiene.
Will he escape, or spend his last days bonding with a host of passive-aggressive chaps? Find out at 7:30 p.m. in La Placita Village, 110 S. Church Ave., on the southwest corner of Church and Broadway. Admission is free, but $3 donations are suggested. For details, call 623-2748.
Friday 11
MOVERS AND SHAKERS. Yank off those spats and get your bad self down to another Bohemian Boogie at the Barefoot Ballroom.
Light-hearted, well-shaken souls gather each week to celebrate the joy of movement via eclectic musical genres, everything from funk and blues to world beat and R&B. If August's dog days have wilted your lily, this exhilarating bunch of boogiers say it's time to "awaken your sacred fire of movement, dance with all the motion and emotion of many musical styles," and "espresso yourself."
The smoke-free dance party runs from 8 to 11 p.m. every Friday in Orts Space, 121 E. Seventh St. Admission is $3. For information, call 323-2438.
MESSENGERS OF PEACE. On June 26, a nine-member delegation from Arizona arrived in Washington, D.C., where they met with a slew of government officials. The purpose? To call attention to vigilante actions by several Cochise County ranchers, militarization of the border and ineffective immigration policies.
Now the members of Derechos Humanos are back, and they'll share their Beltway experiences during a potluck gathering from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Armory Senior Center Ballroom, 220 S. Fifth Ave. Admission is by donation. For information, call 770-1373.
POINTED CINEMA. St. Phillip's In the Hills Episcopal Church continues its fascinating summer film series with Bullworth.
Hosted by the Tacheria Interfaith Spirituality Center, the biting satirical film stars Warren Beatty and Halle Berry. It centers on aging Senator Bullworth, who takes out a large insurance policy on himself in the twilight of his career--and also arranges to have himself assassinated. This frees him up to be honest and "tell it like it is" to his constituents. His life changes as he experiences honesty in a new way.
The free screening is at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion in St. Phillip's Palo Verde Room, 4440 N. Campbell Ave. at River Road. Admission is free. Call 299-6421 for information.
Saturday 12
ACOUSTIC TROUBADOURS. Award-winning singer-songwriters Lucy Kaplansky and Cosy Sheridan regale Tucson with a folk-tinged showcase.
Boasting a sumptuous voice and solid roots-rock foundation, Kaplansky dishes up songs of longing with a tinge of twang. Her subtle arrangements balance alternative country and folk rock, highlighted by a full-bodied alto and sensual phrasing that has the Associated Press calling her "clearly among the largest talents on the acoustic scene today."
Cosy Sheridan is a charming, lively and hilarious entertainer with a sharp eye for the excesses of our fast-food, TV-happy culture. According to the Boston Globe, this Kerville New Folk and Telluride Troubador award-winner "embodies the best of the modern troubadour tradition."
Show time is 8 p.m. in the Plaza Palomino, on the southeast corner of Fort Lowell and Swan roads. Advance tickets for the all-weather concert are $15, and are available at Antigone Books, Brew & Vine, Enchanted Earthworks, the Folk Shop and Hear's Music. Tickets are $17 at the door. For information, call 297-9133.
FLORAL STROLL. Join desert aficionados Barbara Rose and Brad Lancaster for a native plant walk in the Tucson Mountains.
The stroll will weave culture and traditions of both edible and medicinal desert plants. Starting with basic identification, the workshop will progress into describing native plants of multiple uses, ranging from food, medicine, fiber and attracting wildlife to dyes and landscaping. After the hike, the group will move to a cooler setting, where they'll prepare "mouth-watering dishes" using native food.
Rose and Lancaster are expert permaculture instructors and designers, and longtime residents of the Sonoran Desert.
The group meets promptly at 6:15 a.m. in the Fry's parking lot at Cortaro and Silverbell roads. The cost is $40, and enrollment is limited. For registration and other information, call 624-1673.
HOMETOWN TALENT. UA music student and master pianist John Aylward tickles the ivories with a live performance in Sonoita's Grasslands Café.
Last year's winner of the UA's highest academic achievement award, Aylward is currently perfecting his chops under the tutelage of Nohema Fernández, a leading member of the UA piano faculty who specializes in Latin genres. That passionate flavor will be in full-force tonight, along with fine chow at this dinner concert.
The event starts at 6 p.m. in the Grasslands Café, 3119 S. Highway 83 in Sonoita. Tickets including dinner are $35. For reservations and other information, call (520) 455-4770.
Sunday 13
ROLLING RENDEZVOUS. Pull on your stretchy shorts and pedal over nearby hill and dale with the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists.
Today, the intrepid rollers tackle a "standard issue loop with some mileage detours thrown in" when they head toward Starr Pass. The 10-12 mile loop is geared toward intermediate riders.
The group meets at 6:30 a.m. in the Safeway parking lot on the corner of Broadway Boulevard and Campbell Avenue. For information, call 745-2832, or 240-0500 on the day of the ride.
MUSICAL RESPITE. Escape those searing temps--and enjoy refreshing music--with Back from Bach.
Presented by the St. Andrew's Bach Society, the performance will feature John Snavely on clarinet, Sandy Schwoebel on flute, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Steve Secan on oboe, and Leslie Dukes on piano. They'll perform works by Malcolm Arnold, Jay Vosk, Robert Russell Bennett and others.
The performance is at 3 p.m. in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 545 S. Fifth Ave. Tickets are $8, $5 for seniors and students. For information, call 628-8119.
Monday 14
MYTHIC OASIS. Forget the boom boxes of Reid Park, the dog poop at Himmel, the jocks on the UA mall, and the fee gouging at Catalina State Park. Instead, pack yourself a little lunch and head up to Agua Caliente Park, the grooviest little outpost within city limits.
Part of the county park system, Agua Caliente was a onetime cattle ranch and later a getaway for health-seeking easterners. Today, it remains full of big, towering trees, great picnic areas and a handful of lakes that don't sidle up to sprawling, plaid-inundated golf courses. Best of all, it doesn't cost you one thin dime to enjoy.
Agua Caliente Park is at 12325 E. Roger Road. Call 740-2690 for information.
Tuesday 15
MALL CRAWLERS. Say what you will about shopping malls, one thing's for certain: They've got awesome refrigeration. As in air conditioning. As in heavenly breezes that turn otherwise roaring summer afternoons into purring kittens.
The Tucson Mall boasts something else as well: Club Kidz. These free summertime diversions for the rugrat set combine ambient refreshment with exciting activities and performances. Today, the tradition continues with Patty Horn and The Desert Dwellers. The rollicking troupe specializes in songs about the Old Pueblo, encouraging sing-alongs while kids learn about the desert and wildlife.
Club Kidz is 10:30 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month at The Tucson Mall Food Court. Call 293-7330 for details.
ENVIRONMENTAL ART. Jury-selected artists from across the country bridge the physical/spiritual gap with Roots: Environmental/Cultural Connections.
Now showing in the GOCAIA gallery, the show ranges from Winona Grasty-Lyons' dancing paintings to Darden Bradshaw's "phat fat" critique, from Jenn Stratman's hands dangling down to the earth to Mark Cowardin's pieces of Astroturf "we would all like to call home."
Roots runs through September 23 in GOCAIA, 302 E. Congress St. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call 623-4588 for information.
Wednesday 16
HARD TIMES. Think these long hot summers are a bitch? Try enduring them in wool skivvies, with no air conditioning, uncomfortable transportation, and the threat of Indian attack.
That was the lot of those hardscrabble soldiers and their families who were stationed at Fort Lowell in the 1800s. In those days, the old fort was beyond the comfortable confines of town, and it took a special breed to survive, and to thrive.
More than 70 in-depth, captioned photos, along with plenty of artifacts, detail the struggle of these soldiers and their families in the Fort Lowell Museum exhibit We Served at Fort Lowell.
Also on display is Images of Resistance. It illustrates the plight of the Chiracahua Apaches during the Apache Wars in 1886. Photos chart their leaders, their families and their eventual surrender.
The Fort Lowell Museum is at 2900 N. Craycroft Road. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Call 885-3832 for information.
