NEWS FROM THE ASSOCIATES

Mary Croll is our Associates Program Manager. Please contact her through The Drawing Studio. Associates are welcome to send her information about their artistic activities for inclusion in this space.

      

NEWS FROM OUR ASSOCIATES

RLV 40th Anniversary Celebration
Many years before founding The Drawing Studio, Andrew Rush helped to found the Rancho Linda Vista arts community in Oracle, Arizona. This May, RLV will celebrate its 40th anniversary with art exhibits, poetry, music and much more. For information, visit: www.rancholindavista.org.

Looking for News...
While summer is often a quiet time in the Old Pueblo, it isn’t quiet everywhere. Wherever you are, we welcome news of exhibits and publications from all our TDS associates. Give your colleagues a chance to find out what you (and your art) are up to over the coming months.

 

For the Love of Art
by Susan Day

Andy Rush recently expressed to me his awe and gratitude for the financial support that is creating TDS’s new home in downtown Tucson.  "Many of the folks donating aren't artists.  They just want us out there serving our community." To be around so much generosity is humbling as well as gratifying.  I know what he means.

For years, TDS Associates have donated their work to fundraising auctions held by nonprofits. Although still helping raise thousands of dollars for these organizations, about a dozen years ago, some of us associated with TDS began to shift our focus.  It started with Aids House.

Aids House became a neighbor while The Drawing Studio was in Armory Park.  We soon realized they had no art for their walls, and nothing in their budget to remedy the problem. How could they justify purchasing artwork when they were scrimping to pay for necessities like electricity and water?

We found paintings for Aids House.  I've lost count of the art we donated to Kino Hospital. In agencies all around town, counselors who work with children now do so in rooms hung with our artists' work.  The art we've donated to once bare COPE Cottages (for recovering addicts) has helped make the clients feel better.  At New Beginnings for Women and Children, where women struggle to start new and safer lives, TDS artists made it possible for each woman to pick out a nicely framed piece of original art of their choice. We’ve also provided art to homes for the elderly. 

One could argue that artists, like everybody else, need to make a living.  They should sell their art, not give it away. So why do so many of our artists donate their art?

It’s not for the tax write off, because artists can only claim the cost of supplies and framing.  It can't be for fame.  TDS artists give without fanfare. So I asked a few of them to tell me:

            They really like and respect certain nonprofits.

            Because they can.

            Why not?

            They believe artists are generous by nature. (!)

After watching this phenomena for awhile, I've formed my own opinion.  Artists can't imagine a life without this very personal visual language of communication. They like the way making art makes them feel.  In fact, they can hardly believe they get to do this. It's like they walk around feeling lucky in love. There's an old saying I like: "You don't have to give to love.  But if you love, you have to give." Maybe it's as simple as that.

The community gives to us for the love of art, and we give back to the community for the same reason. We seem to have come full circle and that circle just keeps growing wider and wider.

If you are interested in donating art and/or know of a nonprofit that needs art, please contact Susan Day @ 299-2628.

 

RLV 40th Anniversary Celebration

In many ways, the idea for the Drawing Studio grew out of Andy Rush’s experiences as a founding member of the Rancho Linda Vista arts community in Oracle, Arizona. This May, RLV will celebrate its 40th anniversary with art exhibits, poetry readings, music performance and much more. For information, visit: www.rancholindavista.org.

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