The past year has been difficult for many industries here in Tucson, including our local arts community. But if we have learned anything from this experience, it is that our community comes together in times of crisis to support one another!
What you may not realize is that the arts community affects many aspects of the framework of our society. As the Arts and Social Impact Explorer shows, art affects everything from Education and Youth Development, to Housing, Immigration, Economic Development, and a lot more. When art thrives, we all thrive!
The artists in our community need your support now more than ever before. We have compiled a list of ways that you can support our local artists during these trying times.
TYP Save our Venues Campaign
The TYP Board along with the Arts & Culture team are launching the Black Man Clay Memorial Fund in honor of late, legendary Tucson musician and father to TYP Board President Crystal Adams. Clarence “Black Man Clay” Adams was an inductee in Tucson’s Musician’s Museum and had a deep appreciation for Tucson’s live music scene.
Please donate what you can to the fund. All proceeds will be administered by TYP to support the foundations of beloved local live music and arts venues. There is a $500 match for all donations! Donate now!
Arizona Gives Day: April 6
Arizona Gives Day makes it super easy to support the art nonprofits that you love and to explore new nonprofits you may have not heard of before. Since it launched in 2013, the event has raised $23 million dollars for nonprofits in Arizona, with 6.1 million of that raised in 2020 alone! Though the one-day event is on April 6, they are starting fundraising now. You can also donate year-round on their website.
A few of our local favorites include Ballet Tucson, Groundworks, The Rogue Theater – but there are so many more to explore and help!
Buy an album on Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a platform dedicated to paying artists fairly. When you purchase music on Bandcamp, 80% of your money goes directly to the artists, and the platform pays daily! According to their website, fans have paid $21.5 million in the past 30 days alone. This is a great way to directly support our music industry and explore new local artists. Visit the site here.
Be sure to check out our Spotify playlist of local artists, and choose a few of your favs to support! Plus, coming up on Friday, April 2, Bandcamp is waiving its revenue shares and giving all sales made that day directly to the artists.
Troubadour Thursdays
Live music? Good food? Sounds amazing to us! Every Thursday in April, the Fox Tucson Theatre is hosting a troubadour-style presentation of musicians who will wander through downtown and visit a variety of outdoor dining locations. This is a great way to support our local musicians and our favorite downtown restaurants. Though the events are free, you can support the music through an online donation.
Museums
We recently shared a blog post on some great local museums that have virtual exhibits for you to explore from the comfort of your home. While these virtual experiences are free, consider donating to the museums through their website so that they can continue to offer both virtual exhibits now and in-person exhibits in the future!
Theater
There are still theater productions running, both in-person and online. Check out just a few of our amazing local theater companies to see what they have to offer!