The Catalyst Creative Collective is a dynamic community hub designed to inspire and empower collaboration across the creative spectrum. Located within the Tucson Mall, Catalyst spans over 14,000 square feet of versatile space, providing a home for artists, creatives, educators, and cross-sector organizations.

Our mission is to foster sustainable collaboration and collective impact, creating a vibrant environment where connection, creativity, and celebration thrive. From hosting special events and performances to offering spaces for seminars, rehearsals, and social gatherings, Catalyst is where ideas come to life and communities grow stronger together.

OUR HISTORY

When SAACA first envisioned the CATALYST Arts & Maker Space in 2018, the goal was to create a versatile space for co-working, educational classes, workshops, and artistic collaboration.

​However, the challenges of operating an indoor gathering space during the COVID-19 pandemic led SAACA to reimagine CATALYST's role within the community. The creative community urgently needed a space to produce mission-driven work using shared resources.

CATALYST weathered the pandemic through the collaborative efforts of over a dozen organizations and individuals who came together to share resources and utilize the space for diverse needs.

​Rebranding as the CATALYST Creative Collective better reflects the space's current mission and significance in Southern Arizona. The new name captures the essence of the daily work at CATALYST and strengthens our ability to support the creative community.

THE HISTORY OF CATALYST

​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.  
 
​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. 

OUR COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESS

​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.

BOB & VIVIAN WEEDE MUSIC & DIGITAL ARTS STUDIO​
​Bob & Vivian Weede are true disciples of the arts. As co-founder of the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council (GOVAC), Bob Weede believes in the trans-formative power and purpose of the role arts and culture play in a community. As lifelong supporters of music and arts education, it is our honor to dedicate the CATALYST Music & Digital Art Studio to Bob & Vivian Weede. Their firm belief, and tenacious support for the arts were truly the founding catalyst behind SAACA's drive to change the community we serve.
 
Philanthropy, leadership, and service barely touch the surface of that which describes what Bob & Vivian Weede have done for, and continue to do for the arts in Southern Arizona. Their life-long support for the arts are an inspiration to us all. 

DON LURIA & DONNA NORDIN TEACHING KITCHEN
In 1981, Donald Luria retired from government work in Washington D.C. having served as a Consultant to the Assistant Secretary of Policy Development & Research at HUD, then as Chief, Center for Applied User Research at the Bureau of the Census and as Director of Research, Executive Office of the Mayor, Washington, DC. He moved to Tucson, Arizona (not knowing a single person) bought the Tasting Spoon Cooking School and launched a culinary career. He then started Gourmet to Go as a catering company and gourmet take out to-go.
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After participating and donating food to the Tucson Festival Society, Tucson Museum of Art and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, he was asked to join their Boards of Directors.  With a dedicated passion for community, culinary arts and giving back, Don has served on over 25 area non-profit Boards, and is fully committed to moving Southern Arizona forward. Many of the Board leadership roles were related to his interest in expanding Tucson’s culinary field.

He founded the Tucson Originals Restaurants and the Tucson Culinary Foundation and notably served on the Board of Tucson Meet Yourself, Native Seeds/SEARCH and Local First Arizona. He was Board Chair and then President of the Council of Independent Restaurants in America. 

Donna Nordin, whose teaching and culinary career began in San Francisco, is the former owner/chef of Terra Cotta in Tucson, Arizona. Under Donna’s culinary guidance for 23 years, Café Terra Cotta was one of Tucson’s most popular restaurants. This success came from her creative merging of French culinary techniques with the flavors of the American Southwest.
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Donna studied at Le Cordon Bleu and Lenôtre Pastry School in Paris. Donna continues to teach cooking in Arizona and California. Donna was the 1993 James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southwest and was inducted into Arizona’s Culinary Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1999, Donna received IACP’s Award of Excellence for Chefs. Donna was seen in segments of three nationally televised cooking shows.
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The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance is honored to pay tribute to Don Luria and Donna Nordin, with the naming of our community teaching kitchen, in their honor.