​Advocating for a Brighter, More Vibrant Future

Building a movement around the transformative power of the arts begins with recognizing the arts as a catalyst for change—sparking creativity, fostering empathy, and bridging divides within our communities. By engaging artists, decision-makers, and the public in meaningful collaborations, we can harness the arts to address social challenges, promote healing, and inspire collective action. Together, we can create a future where the arts are integral to every aspect of life, driving progress and enriching our shared humanity.

​The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is committed to leading a bold and visionary effort to establish a permanent funding stream for arts and culture in Southern Arizona. Our region is a vibrant hub of creativity, home to over 340 arts and cultural nonprofit organizations and a thriving community of creators, makers, and artists. The richness of our artistic landscape is unparalleled, but to secure its long-term viability, a dedicated funding stream is essential.

We recognize the urgent need for sustainable funding to support SAACA and the thousands of working artists, creatives, and nonprofit organizations that tirelessly preserve our culture and drive authentic change within our community. Our mission is to build a funding mechanism that mirrors those found in other municipalities across Arizona, ensuring that Southern Arizona's arts and culture continue to thrive.

SAACA has already begun this transformative work by investing in the Economic Impact Study (AEP6) and fostering advocacy and relationships with arts and civic leaders. Our efforts are focused on leading a voter-approved ballot initiative that will safeguard the cultural heritage that makes our community a unique and vibrant place to live, work, and experience life.

By integrating arts and culture into the fabric of our communities, we envision stronger economic opportunities, more equitable public health systems, and sustainable, meaningful businesses rooted in collaboration and connection. We believe that taking a creative approach to addressing community challenges—such as healthcare, equitable businesses, education, cultural preservation, outdoor recreation, wellness, transportation, humane policy, and diverse representation—benefits us all.

Arts and culture offer solutions to nearly every aspect of our communities and everyday life. As a presenting and service-based arts organization, we are dedicated to keeping our programs relevant and impactful year after year. Change is constant, and our ability to adapt quickly has fueled our growth. Adaptive and impactful programming is the heart of our mission, and it is what we do best.
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Join us in this inspiring journey to secure a brighter future for arts and culture in Southern Arizona. Together, we can build a legacy of creativity, connection, and cultural richness that will benefit generations to come.