The true heart of Tucson never has been and never will be a marketing campaign.
Its genuine pulse is a collective beat of socially conscientious, creative, pragmatic dreamers and doers who are (generally) generously passionate about seeing community projects come to fruition.
It’s the artists, musicians, performers and technicians who produce events on both large and small scales; it’s the small businesses that evolve to survive; it’s the local developers who respectfully rehab historic buildings; it’s the non-profit organizations; it’s the writers, photographers, sound guys, bookers and community directors who are both agents and support staff. And none of it could, or would, be done without a populace to support these endeavors.
On a daily basis, dedicated individuals unselfishly contribute their energy to grassroots causes – for the betterment of our niche, and the world.
On page 50, Flam Chen’s Nadia Hagen says, “Art grows or withers like plants and children - if we are there to love and care for the work, then it thrives. We believe art and the expression of culture from all people is the heart and strength of a city and ultimately a civilization.”
We concur. Motivated by good intentions, people can plant the seeds of positive change and have the power to cultivate its growth into a fully-fledged entity.
This month’s contributors have a lot to say about the fruition of ideas and the realizations of nurtured dreams.
Love is a running theme in this issue, it is February after all, but love should always be the inspiration.
Without it, we are lost.
