MOCA Tucson

This June, the third edition of MOCA’s 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆 presented a parade of Fantastical Creatures at the museum’s Free Third Thursday event!

Campers dove into mythical and literary references, as well as ancestral and contemporary art practices, to develop papier-mâché masks and identity stories for each creature. We love seeing these beings as vessels of diversity, strangeness, and uniqueness!

Thank you to our local partners for their magic to make this family event extra welcoming and fun:

Live music by KXCI (KXCI Tucson 91.3FM)
Food by Special Eats (az_special_eats)
Root beer floats and Beer by Brick Box Brewery (Brick Box Brewery)
Photobooth by Everyday Occasion, LLC ()

Big big big thanks to MOCA’s Teaching Artists team: Emily Cole (Emily (Emi) Cole), Gem Abarca (Gem), Ghazal Hessam ([Gh]azal / غزل]azal / غزل), and Sirilak Rottler (Sirilak Rottler).

And to our special guest, Hilary Van Alsburg, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum (Children's Museum Tucson), for highlighting the importance of children’s access to art.

Photos by Julius Scholsburg (Julius).

𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘟𝘊𝘐 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰

☀️𝑴𝑶𝑪𝑨 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 ~ The museum will be closed to the public from June 28 - September 3 as we prepare for a busy fall season. Be sure to visit the museum this weekend during our last open hours: Thursday - Saturday, 11-6pm and Sunday 11-4pm, when admission is pay-what-you-wish.

This weekend, we hope you’ll join us for the final visiting hours for Natalie Brewster Nguyen: 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌, open through June 27.

MOCA’s East Wing exhibitions 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑰𝒏𝒋𝒖𝒓𝒚 and Hilma’s Ghost: 𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 will remain on view through September, following our closure.

Stay tuned for updates about upcoming programs, exhibitions, and learning opportunities by signing up for our newsletter at the link in bio.

2026 NIGHT BLOOM: GRANTS FOR ARTISTS ✨ MOCA is thrilled to announce the recipients of this year’s 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎: 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 program!

Eight artists and collectives have been awarded grants to bring their bold, visionary projects to life:

- 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒂 𝒚 𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂: 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒖𝒄𝒔𝒐𝒏 by Desirée Guerrero
- 𝑬𝒄𝒉𝒐 𝑨𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑼𝒔 by Shaye Aryanna Thiel (𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕪𝕖)
- 𝑳𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 by Elizabeth Denneau (Elizabeth Denneau)
- 𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒕: 𝑨 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒕 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 by Maria Torres (Maria Torres) and Caroline Tracey (caroline tracey) in collaboration with Archivo Familiar del Río Colorado (Archivo Familiar del Río Colorado)
- 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 by Anushka Peres (Anushka Peres), Maria Renée (Maria Renée Johnson), and Comet Sinclair
- 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 by Regina Dante (Regina Dante)
- 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒏 𝑷𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍 by Jacqueline Arias Thompson (Jacqueline Arias)
- 𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑩𝒐𝒅𝒚 by Nika Kaiser (Nika Kaiser)

This year’s grantees were selected by an esteemed panel of arts professionals:

Alanna Airitam (Alanna Airitam), 2026 Night Bloom Grant Recipient & photographic artist

mary v. bordeaux, EdD (Sicangu Oglala Lakota), co-director of Racing Magpie (Racing Magpie)

Christian Ramírez (CR), Cohn Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art and Director of Engagement at Phoenix Art Museum (Phoenix Art Museum)

Thank you to our jurors and congrats to this year’s cohort! We can’t wait to share more about these projects soon.

𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎: 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 is organized by MOCA Tucson in partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (The Andy Warhol Foundation).

SUMMER CAMP SHOWCASE ☀️Join us this evening for a special public showcase at Free Third Thursday to celebrate the fantastical works created by summer camp participants!

This year, MOCA campers created papier-mâché masks and sculptural works of hybrid creatures. Exploring layered identities, ecological interdependence, and future imaginaries, each camper designed beings that combine human, animal, and environmental elements.

Thursday, June 18 at 6pm, MOCA campers will bring their fantastical creatures to life in a collective parade. The fun evening will include water sprinklers, live music by KXCI (KXCI Tucson 91.3FM), food by Special Eats (az_special_eats), and free beer and root beer floats by Brick Box Brewery (Brick Box Brewery)!

Don’t miss this lively time to gather with friends and family around art, music, and drinks; all ages are welcome!

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘟𝘊𝘐 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰.

☀️Join us next Thursday for a 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝑴𝑶𝑪𝑨 with galleries open late, live music by KXCI (KXCI Tucson 91.3FM), food by Special Eats (az_special_eats), and free beer and root beer floats by Brick Box Brewery (Brick Box Brewery)! Don’t miss this lively time to gather with friends and family around art, music, and drinks; all ages are welcome!

This same evening, the plaza will come to life with the 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆, a vibrant celebration of the artworks created by this year’s youth participants. The event features a parade of student creations, music, fun outdoor water sprinklers, and more.

Visitor’s are also invited to experience 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑵𝒈𝒖𝒚𝒆𝒏: 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌, on view through June 27!

Thursday, June 18
6-9pm

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘟𝘊𝘐 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘙𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰. KXCI Tucson 91.3FM

Free Third Thursday is this week! From 6-9PM on May 21st, MOCA will be the place to beat the heat with free beer from Brick Box Brewery (), a DJ from KXCI Community Radio (), and food by Reservation Sensation (), and museum galleries open late!

No Desert Data Center Coalition () will present their work protecting water, desert, and community from the Project Blue data center and other extractive industries. They will also share information about the water pollution that results from data centers. Watershed Management Group () will present materials on how they develop community-based solutions to ensure the long-term prosperity of people and health of the environment. Learn about our precious water systems, how to conserve, and replenish water in the Sonoran Desert.
Plus, free artmaking activities for all ages with MOCA Teaching artists!

Join us on Saturday, May 23rd from 6-9pm for a showcase of new works that examine the ‘grassification’ of the Sonoran Desert! This evening will showcase several new projects that received special grants to promote awareness and public engagement around the issue of invasive grasses, including artworks by Alex! Jimenez (), David Fenster, (), and Serena Tang alongside video works by Tohono O’odham Community College students, plus the work of Barrio Buffelworks Adobe Brickyard! MOCA’s plaza will come to life with efforts to bring awareness about invasive plant species and their impact on the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

Drinks by Brick Box Brewery () and food by Brazilian Delights ().

The Grassification and Fire Resilience projects are part of the AIR Annual Resilience Theme Theme Award project Invasion, Ignition, and Restoration: Science, Art, and Education for Sonoran Desert Resilience.

Summer Camp is almost sold out! Sessions 1 & 2 are full, secure a spot in Session 3 (June 8–12 | Ages 12-17) before May 31!

Throughout the week of Summer Camp, participants take part in a schedule that combines play, artmaking, rest, music, and meditation. The heart of the camp is the Fantastical Creature LAB, where youth imagine and build wearable sculptures with papier-mâché. Across the week, campers develop their creatures imagining their form, identity, movement, textures, colors, and details.
At the end of Summer Camp, campers participate in a special showcase at MOCA, where they present their fantastical creatures in a runway public event.

Register at link in bio.

This Thursday May 14th, MOCA presents an online artist talk by artist collective Hilma’s Ghost on Thursday, about their current exhibition Light as Resistance. The duo, artists Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray, will discuss their artistic processes and the works in the exhibition. The program will open and close with a collective ritual.

This artist talk will take place over Zoom from 3:30pm - 4:30pm MST on Thursday, May 14th. Register at the link in bio.

Last chance to participate in Artist Office Hours with Natalie Brewster Nguyen, this Saturday, May 9th from 2-6pm.

In conjunction with her current exhibition titled we need to talk, Nguyen will offer a range of poetic and dialectic services for visitors on a drop in basis, as an extension of their examination of communication, care, and meaningful conflict in the installation. Visitors can discuss individual problems, workshop hard conversations, or commiserating around the elusive nature of communication together,

Visitors may also respond to poetic prompts by inscribing their own balloons that they may choose to take home or contribute to the growing assembly of balloons within the exhibition.