A COLLABORATIVE ARTS & MAKER SPACE
OPENING DECEMBER 3, 2019 @ TUCSON MALL
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The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance is proud to announce our largest community investment project to date. We conceived the CATALYST collaborative arts & maker space because to fulfill a need for dedicated community space that could uplift, connect and build stronger collaborations within our creative sector.
WHATCATALYST is a first-of-its-kind innovative space where culture, collaboration and community intersect.
Combining over 14,000 square feet of flexible learning, performance, gathering and maker spaces which highlight over 30 disciplines, CATALYST is a space for all ages and forms of creativity to flourish. OUR PURPOSE & VISIONTo establish an inspiring, innovative place where people from all walks of life connect through the shared experience of arts and culture. By bringing diverse groups of people together, this new center nurtures shared learning and understanding – of both the value of individuals and the power of community.
This center will serve as an active partner in the educational, economic and cultural life in Southern Arizona; inviting discovery, creativity, entrepreneurship and learning through collaboration. We are group of passionate leaders and members of the community dedicated to building a space which could function as a regenerative hub for all disciplines, functions and new creative collaborations in our community. |
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GETTING TO CATALYSTOpening December 3, 2019, CATALYST is located in the heart of the Tucson Mall, on the lower level, between Sears and Dillard's in the former Gap/Gap Kids space.
CATALYST Collaborative Arts & Maker Space TUCSON MALL 4500 North Oracle Road, Suite 110 Tucson, AZ 85705 (520) 797-3959 
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MAP & DRIVING DIRECTIONS
HOURSThe CATALYST space is open outside of the above hours for special events, private classes, full rent outs and employee development training. The SAACA Offices are located at the new CATALYST space, opening to the public on December 3, 2019. Offices are now available by appointment.
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MORE ABOUT THE CATALYST COLLABORATIVE ARTS & MAKER SPACE
With over 14,000 square feet of flexible space, the CATALYST Collaborative Arts & Maker Space provides a first-of-its kind gathering and learning space for our community. Each square foot of this space has been designed with flexibility, adaptability and accessibility in mind. With over 20 signature mural installations to awaken the space, projection and interactive arts capacities, performance, gathering and production spaces, it will be an ever evolving, and ever changing space- always inciting discovery, lifelong learning and experimentation in creativity within our community.
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TEACHING KITCHEN
Cooking Classes, Education & Test Kitchen and Culinary Learning Space. Chefs, educators and culinary technicians can use this space to teach classes based in developing culinary education and skills. The Culinary Teaching Kitchen will be a place to take cooking classes, and develop new skills and knowledge in the culinary arts. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TEACHING KITCHEN HERE |
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MUSIC & DIGITAL ARTS STUDIO
Video, Film, Green Screen, Digital Design & Music Production Studios. Record an album, learn how to use a design platform, or learn film editing in this space for makers and creators. Classes, film screenings, sound mixing, performances and more will help this space come to life with sound and passion. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MUSIC & DIGITAL ARTS STUDIO HERE |
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EDUCATION, INSPIRATION & COLLABORATION
Rent out an education space, business meeting rooms, or the whole space to conceptualize a new project, performance, special event, meeting, convening or training. Over 1,000 square feet of flexible learning spaces, with technology provided for presentations, and multiple learning layouts. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ROOM HERE |
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ARTS & CRAFTS STUDIO
Painting Classes, Textiles & Sewing, Pottery, Craft Arts, Kiln, Glass Lamp Work, DIY Projects and more. Artists can teach classes, and the community can take classes in over 30 mediums. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARTS & CRAFTS STUDIO HERE |
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ROBOTICS & ENGINEERING LAB
A space for builders, creators, innovators, designers and tinkers. The tech lab will be fitted with 3D printers, laser cutters, engineering tools, Electronics Hardware, Fabrication Equipment and Software Development, metal working tools and other maker tools. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROBOTICS & ENGINEERING LAB HERE |
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PERFORMANCE & EVENT VENUE
Over 3,000 square feet of performance and presentation spaces. Integrated stages, lighting and sound provide a unique venue for a host of dance and music presentations, large capacity teaching and lecture space, as well as special event venue. A place to meet, gather, experience and make music, art and community. The space will feature a community gallery capable of showcasing both 2D and 3D sculptural and mixed media art. Take or teach a dance class, experience a performance, or gather around a literary arts speaker series in these communal spaces designed to experience and learn about art in all its disciplines and forms. |
COWORKING SPACE FOR CREATIVES
Work with other creatives, makers and community leaders, in an inspiring, and collaborative environment to seed new work, projects and creativity together.
Work with other creatives, makers and community leaders, in an inspiring, and collaborative environment to seed new work, projects and creativity together.
A CATALYST ORIGIN STORY
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For over 20 years, the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance has had the honor of advancing, preserving and creating new opportunities for the arts, and artists of all disciplines to thrive. From humble beginnings as a rural community arts organization founded in 1997 as the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council, the organization has continued to expand it's work in communities throughout the State with the same community-centric core competencies we learned so long ago.
Growing alongside the communities we serve, it has been our honor to let the arts take us to places and spaces we could only dream. We have been committed to redefining thoughts and perceptions about the arts since our inception. We take a genuinely expansive view of arts and culture which has led us to learn more about the power and form that creativity takes shape in our lives, each and every day. Our programming and events have always reflected the diverse people, traditions and disciplines foundational to creativity, culture and art. Unique to each group and community we serve, this commitment continues to drive our growth. From partnering with countless businesses to bring the arts to life in the workplace and community shared spaces, driving new Health sector arts collaborations for seniors, hospitals, Veterans and continuing health support agencies, and integrating the arts into public spaces through public art, community festivals, and collaborative work with non-arts based partners, we have learned much about our local artistic resources, the innovation the arts bring to tourism and economic development initiatives, and communities we serve. |
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This new space puts to work what we have learned over the past 20 years in a larger than life way. This new first of its kind space will put ambitious ideas to work, combining over 30 disciplines under one multi-use space. We hope to draw in our community through learning and collaboration experiences in one central home. Al true space for the arts which is a place for artists, creatives, makers and community members of all ages to come together to learn and innovate.
Community members of all backgrounds, demographics, skill level and interest will find value in this space. Artists can take classes, and teach in this space - chefs, artisans, engineers, designers, musicians, performers and filmmakers all will find home in this space. Learning experiences for all ages are welcome, and collaboration will be key. This project is ambitious, and named with that in mind. CATALYST is meant to be the place we start to envision new ideas, and opportunities for collaboration with artists and organizations throughout the Tucson Mall in en effort to allow this space to become a regenerative space for arts, culture, experience and creativity. We are at stage one of that plan, and hope to envision a future for the space that gathers feedback and ideas from our community members and leaders for what comes next. We are honored to partner with Brookfield Properties on this innovative and forward thinking project and look forward to learning more about the collective vision of what this space, and place can be for our community. Kate Marquez Executive Director Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance |
ACCESSIBILITY @ CATALYST
A prime location for a permanent home for SAACA, the Tucson Mall offers ample parking, year round air conditioning, over 8 Million annual visitors, and mixed used amenities as well as access from the newly established Chuck Huckelberry Loop, access to the arroyo, the highly trafficked Tohono Tadai Bus Transit Center at Stone/Wetmore, as well as existing infrastructure and expandable indoor and outdoor spaces to host events, partnering organization tenants, and a central location with access to surrounding communities off of Oracle and River Road.
To learn more about adaptive reuse of mall spaces throughout the world, check out the SAACA TenWest Social Impact Presentation on trending rethinking of mall spaces around the country.
To learn more about adaptive reuse of mall spaces throughout the world, check out the SAACA TenWest Social Impact Presentation on trending rethinking of mall spaces around the country.
OUR COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESS
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The space is supported as a signature Arts & Business Partnership between SAACA and Brookfield Properties at Tucson Mall.
The space is designed in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT) Dean Chris Lasch, a partner with the New York and Tucson-based firm Aranda/Lasch, which is a leader in “computational architecture,” or the application of the latest tools and theories coming out of computer-assisted design and manufacturing to architecture. 
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