The organization as we know it today grew out of the rural arts organization, the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council, which was founded in 1997 to enrich the lives of the community through the arts.

The Greater Oro Valley Arts Council was established in 1997 by co-founders and Oro Valley residents, Bob Weede and Dick Eggerding, dedicated to building a sense of place and purpose through Arts and Culture in Southern Arizona.  

After a series of funding reductions and community assessments, the organization expanded it's scope of work to include communities throughout the Southern Arizona region.  In 2009, under key Board and Staff driven leadership, the organization amended its Strategic Plan and focus program areas, to establish the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance.  ​

Nearly 25+ years later, our programming, collaborations and work have grown to be recognized as a statewide leader in advancing new partnerships and approaches for the arts to transforms the lives, experiences and opportunities of individuals throughout the region.
​Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) aims to create thriving communities through innovative and relevant community arts and cultural programming. We achieve our mission by partnering with towns, cities, nonprofits, and businesses to offer a range of service-based programs, including events, public art and mural installations, community gallery services, and programs for creative aging. Each year, we present over 100 cultural festivals and concerts throughout the state in partnership with more than 50 collaborators.


Our creative placemaking programs focus on engaging the community and preserving local culture. This includes public art installations, mural projects, festivals, and community events. We collaborate with businesses to foster creativity in the workplace through business gallery spaces and employee art programs. We partner with healthcare facilities to provide arts-centered therapy programs and experiences for residents and patients.


In 2019, SAACA founded the Catalyst Creative Collective in Tucson Mall, a 14,000-square-foot venue that creates connections and collaborations with non-profit organizations, artists, and the community. The space includes a teaching kitchen, arts and crafts studio, artist workspaces, and music and digital art production space. CATALYST has hosted over 2,500 individual artist residencies, performances, workshops, classes, and art exhibits. More than a dozen non-profit organizations use the space in a long-term capacity to further their missions through collaboration and resource sharing.


SAACA is dedicated to building equitable, healthy, and dynamic communities through meaningful arts and cultural programming.