The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating, preserving, and advancing the arts. SAACA strengthens the bonds between people, place, and purpose through collaborative, arts-driven experiences.

Our work strengthens the bonds between people, place, and purpose through collaborative, arts-driven experiences.
​Most importantly, our work creates necessary opportunities for our creative sector to thrive and grow. 
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We accomplish our mission through self-presented events and service-based programs, and advocacy delivered in partnership with Towns, Cities, Non-Profit Collaborators, and Businesses. The heart of SAACA’s work is cultivating programming that spotlights our creative community, celebrates our region’s unique culture, and provides direct opportunities for artists to make and sell their work.

OUR STORY & PATH FORWARD

SAACA was founded in 1997 as a rural community arts organization, the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council.  As the community grew, so did programs to reflect the shifting demographics. In 2009, the scope expanded to serve more communities in critical need of art infrastructure during a recession. 

As we grew to become the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, we prioritized and intiatied programming in underserved communities: Patagonia, Marana, Tohono O'odham Nation, Green Valley, and Pinal County.  Over the years, our programs have continued to grow throughout the entire State of Arizona, providing opportunities to engage and support artists. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Arizona lacks a permanent funding stream for the Arts, and many communities commit little or no dedicated funds to truly support the diverse and growing creative sector.  Our advocacy, programming and events will continue to tell the story of our culture, our communities and people while creating more connections and opportunities for the arts to thrive.

SAACA thrives on relationship-based innovation, as evidenced in many of our non-traditional types of collaborative work: arts and healthcare partnerships, rural creative placemaking projects, culinary arts, economic development, business and arts integration, and non-arts sector overlap programs. ​

how we support the community

​PROGRAMS & EVENTS

​Each year, SAACA produces over 55 large annual cultural festivals, concerts, and special events. We thoughtfully present artists from different communities, cultural backgrounds, and ages to showcase our region’s diversity of creative practice. 

​CULTURAL & CREATIVE PLACEMAKING

​Community engagement programs centered on preserving local culture, heritage, and values. These include public art and mural installations, rural community photography exhibitions, and temporary art installations.  

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS

These programs, events and placemaking projects all create significant paid opportunities for artists while providing new and innovative ways to engage, advocate for and connect resources Statewide.  SAACA provides call to artist services, new commissioned works, exhibit and emerging artist programs for our creative sector.  

​BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS

​Partnerships with companies that bring creativity and artists to the center, including business gallery spaces, dynamically integrated employee art programs, and public art installations.  

​HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS

​Partnering with hospitals, treatment facilities, and assisted living communities in providing arts-centered therapy programs and experiences for residents and patients.

CATALYST CREATVIVE COLLECTIVE

​SAACA manages the CATALYST Creative Collective, 14,000-square-foot venue at Tucson Mall that offers artists, organizations, and the community opportunities to connect and collaborate. The space includes a dedicated large, multi-use event and performance center, Teaching Kitchen, Arts & Crafts Studio, Artist Studios, and Digital Arts/Music Production space. 

​Since its inception in 2019, CATALYST has hosted over 1,780 individual artist residencies, concerts, theatre and dance performances, youth arts education workshops, art instruction classes and meetings, and host sites for hundreds of multi-disciplinary works of art.  SAACA provides the space for long-term use to non-profit organizations, with continuing partnerships focused on advancing our missions through collaborative work and resource sharing.  

Learn more about the CATALYST Creative Collective

ADVOCACY

​The COVID pandemic in Southern Arizona affected the arts and cultural sectors disproportionately.  It is clear to us now that a permanent funding stream is needed to secure the long-term viability of SAACA and the creative sector in Southern Arizona.  SAACA is committed to helping build a comparable funding mechanism as can be found in nearly every other municipality in Arizona. This collaborative work has already begun, with SAACA investing heavily through the Economic Impact Study (AEP6) and advocacy relationship-building within the arts and civic leadership. 
 
As a presenting and service-based arts organization, we understand the need for our programs to remain relevant during change. Change is constant, and our ability to adapt quickly has defined our growth arc. Adaptive and impactful programming is the work we are rooted in and what we do best. We will continue this work while focusing on internal development and external advocacy.