Arts & Life

Dogs, denim and daring to learn

By Mikayla Kaber

Fashion minor students at the University of Arizona are learning the tricks of the trade as they host and plan a Dogs N’ Denim Fashion Show. While these students are learning what it really means to work in fashion, they’re doing it all in a sustainable manner and for a charitable cause. The second annual Dogs N’ Denim Fashion Show is on Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. on the UA Mall.  The students have been working the majority of the semester on designing capes for the dogs using donated, upcycled materials, as well as planning the entirety of the event themselves. Read more

Revisit Tucson's History at Old Town Artisans

In old adobe, beneath saguaro rib ceilings covered in twinkling lights and lush plants, Old Town Artisans’ aesthetic ambiance makes this historic building a go-to spot for both Tucsonans and tourists looking to shop until they drop. Made up of seven shops, a restaurant, a pub and a market, all housed in a Spanish-style courtyard, Old Town Artisans offers a unique and varied experience for all its customers. Read more

Tucson becomes a stage for international burlesque dancers

The sixth annual Arizona Burlesque Festival is strutting over to Fourth Avenue with two days of competition, variety acts and workshops featuring performers from all over the southwest.  Matt Finish, producer of the festival and University of Arizona alumnus, is hosting the event at The Hut on Oct. 11-12.  Read more

Birds of Paradise: The beauty within oppressed bodies

On pieces of wooden board that are all different shapes and sizes, environmentalism and feminism collide in an explosion of color. Based in Toronto, artist Sara Golish explores eco-feminism through her oil painting series, "Birds of Paradise." The reception for this work was recently held in the Joseph Gross Gallery on Sept. 26, and is open to the public for free until Nov. 14.  Read more

Local store of herbs, teas and other home remedies

As soon as you enter the store, you are encompassed in the scent of incenses, teas and herbs.    The Tucson Herb Store, located at 228 N. Fourth Avenue, has been providing herbs and herbal medicine to the Tucson community since 2003. According to the Tucson Herb Store website, the store offers “a large variety of herbs, both staples and natives, teas, tinctures, incense, and products for the home, body, and mind.” Read more

Meditation Mondays helps students de-stress

 Alex Barksdale is a Ph.D. student in gender and women’s studies who had been going through some difficulties with comprehensive exams and a stressful semester of studying. They would later find solace in a stress-relieving program through the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences' Center for Compassion Studies called Meditation Mondays. Meditation Mondays is a weekly informal but guided meditation session that helps participants de-stress and feel comfortable. The sessions are open to anyone in the community free of charge and no previous meditation experience is required. Every week the session group will focus on a topic theme. Read more

Women supporting *Womxn* at Desert Dreams

Find women supporting womxn at the “Desert Dreams: All-Womxn Interactive Art Exhibition,” where local female and non-binary artists will congregate to showcase their work and celebrate feminine culture within the borderlands community. A small group of independent young artists — fashion artist Yurika Isoe together with the co-hosts of the local Pajama Party Podcast — teamed up to host the event at the Subspace Art Collective this Saturday, Sept. 28, to inspire local women of all backgrounds. Read more

'Ad Astra': Technically proficient, lacks flare

“Ad Astra” stars Brad Pitt as astronaut Roy McBride, who is tasked with a mission to find his lost father, Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), who has been perceived dead for many years. While this film may be visually and technically astounding, the story falls flat with a basic structure. Read more

UA rapper "Stitch" making a name for himself

On the day-to-day, Ethan Lee is a freshman at the University of Arizona, but online he is known by another name  — “Stitch,” the songwriter and SoundCloud rapper. Alongside attending classes, Lee also writes rap lyrics and makes beats behind his dorm room door. He has already made a diss track, has over 20 songs produced to his name and one album called “BTB,” for “Back to the Basics,” out on SoundCloud. Read more

Find the book you never knew you needed at The Book Stop

You approach the small storefront and reach for the door, tugging it open. A sign next to the entrance warns you to close it fast. The smell of aged paper hits immediately, the strength of this aroma only rivaled by the sight that accompanies it. Stacks upon stacks of books are laid out in the front of the store, and though many of the spines are nondescript, there’s bound to be some good literature tucked away. The Book Stop on Fourth Avenue may not have the grandeur of most chain bookstores in business today, but it makes up for it with a certain charm that can only be found in used book shops.  Read more

UA researchers named 'Oscars of Science'

Roll out the red carpet and bring your telescopes; 36 University of Arizona researchers, graduate and undergraduate students were a part of a project that won the 2020 Breakthrough Prize, otherwise known as the “Oscars of Science.” Read more