TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson families traded in traditional Mother’s Day gifts for something a little more hands-on this year, gathering at the Tucson Museum of Art for a celebration that blended creativity, community and culture.
The museum’s special Mother’s Day event, held as part of its monthly Second SundAZe program, transformed the space into a lively hub of activity, offering families an opportunity to make memories through shared art experiences. From recycled-material art projects to bracelet-making, children and parents alike were encouraged to get creative together.
“This is what I chose to do for Mother’s Day,” said Tucson resident Sarah Brush, who attended with her husband, Dalton, and daughter, Wren. “I love arts and crafts and coming to the museum. It’s a really fun way to connect and pass it down. It made me feel really good.”
Later in the morning, Yoga Oasis led a group of children through the basics of yoga. The event also featured a special pop-up performance by Ballet Tucson, complete with a community dance class and ballet-themed storytime, capturing the imaginations of young attendees.
“Seeing young children, especially when we have the tutu moment and the pointe shoe moment—you can see something light up in their eyes,” said Margaret Mullin, Artistic Director of Ballet Tucson. “It’s a really beautiful experience for them.”
Ballet Tucson takes part in about five pop-up performances per season. Along with the Tucson Museum of Art, the organization partnered with La Encantada, Tohono Chul Gardens, the Tucson Children’s Museum and the Tucson Pops Orchestra. Mullin says these are “organizations that care about making sure that our community stays vital and enriched through the arts.”
She says these pop-up performances provide access to arts, such as ballet, that may not be as visible, especially for lower-income residents.
“I was a low-income kid, a scholarship and financial aid student,” Mullin said. “Arts were a huge part of my life but also access was transformative. Having grown up here, it’s personally very special to share with our community’s children and give them access something that they would not have as much access to.”
The museum’s Director of Education, Morgan Wells, emphasized that the goal of the program is to create a welcoming environment for all.
“In the museum world, we find that people are intimidated by art museums,” Wells said. “So that’s really my goal with this program—to make sure people know that it’s a place they can come, have fun, be loud, be themselves, and make art.”
The Second SundAZe program takes place every second Sunday of the month, offering pay-what-you-wish admission and family-focused activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It aims to make the arts more accessible to all Tucsonans, fostering a lifelong love of creativity and culture.
For more information on future events at the Tucson Museum of Art, visit its website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
