William Skiles creates a lunch box for Urban Picnic. photo: Tom Spitz
Urban Picnic began as a fundraising event for the Temple of Music and Art 13 years ago. Originally hosted by the Tucson Arts District Partnership, the event was handed over to Ballet Tucson (BT) in 2006 because the dance company had more resources available to them. This year’s event sees BT partnering with non-profit organization Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage (BICAS).
Cynthia Hansen, president of BT’s board of directors, believes that the organizations are a good match, “We wanted to work with an organization that artists are involved in and that they like.” In the past organizers have raised up to $35,000, this year they hope to match or exceed this amount.
“The great thing about Urban Picnic is that the money is staying in the local art scene,” adds Hansen. Proceeds from this event will benefit both organizations.
According to John Salgado, administrative coordinator for BICAS, the fundraiser will help the non-profit fund their programs. “We promote education, art, and a healthy environment through a range of programs. We have a refugee program where we help people who are new to our country to build bicycles - which they use for transportation. We teach bicycle building, maintenance, and safety workshops. We make recyclable art out of donated bicycle parts...we have a lot of programs,” says Salgado.
BT will put the money towards the operational costs of the company, which includes the four productions that they are putting on this season. Production costs range from $35,000 to $100,000, “It depends on whether you’re re-doing a production or creating a new one, but this doesn’t include our dancer’s salaries,” elaborates Hansen.
The luncheon and art auction is taking place on Friday, April 23 at La Encantada Shopping Center, 2905 E. Skyline Dr. Tickets cost $45 per person and the Armitage Wine Lounge and Café will be catering the event. Festivities begin at 10am with a silent auction of juried artwork of all mediums. The event will also showcase a performance by BT and the music of the Ed DeLucia Jazz Trio. For the ballet, principal dancers Jenna Johnson and Daniel Precup will perform a pas de deux from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a magical fairytale ballet and it is spring so we thought it would be appropriate,” explains Hansen.
A live auction of original lunchbox creations produced for Urban Picnic will conclude the event. Jeweler and sculptor William Skiles is donating a lunchbox to this fundraiser for the 13th year in a row.
“It’s a great event featuring internationally known local artists. Items sell for wholesale or less because it’s an auction, so you get very reasonable prices and great bargains,” comments Skiles. Other works of art, including a Rufino Tamayo lithograph are also part of the live auction. The lithograph was donated by master printer Ernest de Soto, who worked on this piece with Tamayo in 1988. Artists Curt Brill, Manuel DeLeon, Barbara Farmilant, Barbara Gurwitz, Troy Niemann, Vytas Sakalas, Ross Stefan, Sara Spanjers, Paul VerBurg, and Don Weller will also have pieces on auction.
To reserve tickets, call 903-1445, or visit BalletTucson.org for more information and images of the artwork on auction.
