Culture
Programs
The Sonoran Desert represents a unique intersection of nations, peoples and rich cultural heritage. At the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, we are committed to holding space for the complex, layered and sometimes challenging stories that constitute the character of place in the Sonoran Desert. We recognize and honor the Tohono O’odham, Hia C-ed O’odham and Akimel O’odham as the stewards of this land and the critically important role that songs, stories and ceremonies play in maintaining connections among the people, the land, the flora and the fauna. We celebrate the music, dance and visual art that make this region unique while acknowledging the outsized role that colonial influences play in so many of these art forms.
We cherish and work to preserve the memories imbued in the built environment while recognizing how much of it was built on an extraction-based economy in an atmosphere of segregation. As an organization, we strongly believe that place matters. Our commitment to preserving and enriching the regional culture without shying away from a challenging history reflects that core belief.
Curley school artisan apartments
A highlight of Ajo’s historic town center is the Curley School Campus, an unmissable landmark. The school closed in 1995, when a new K-12 campus opened across town. ISDA purchased the property and converted two of its three main buildings--the stately 1919 main building and the 1930s “J-Wing”--into the Curley School Artisan Apartments.
These beautiful, affordable live-work apartments, designed by Tucson architect Richard Fe Tom, put Ao on the map as a center of creativity and artistic endeavor. The entire redevelopment process cost approximately $9.6 million from 11 different funding sources.
Sonoran Arts Residency
ISDA strongly believes that the arts are a powerful way to engage in community building. This belief has manifested in a variety of regional, national and international artists creating and performing in Ajo, in the community of Sonoyta, Mexico and in the western villages of the Tohono O’odham Nations. From South American stilt walkers to a tile artist co-creating a series of mosaics to memorialize Indian Village and Mexican Town, artists have always led the way in an ongoing process of building community that transcends borders.
Since 2018, this commitment to engaging with artists from all over the world has formalized into the Sonoran Arts Residency. The residency is facilitated by the Sonoran Desert Inn and Conference Center, a supporting non-profit of ISDA. The residency is open to emerging, mid-career and established artists, giving them the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day hustle and focus on a new or existing project in an inspiring setting.
PUBLIC ART
Artists spark a creative community that brings people together, attracts visitors and stimulates the local economy. The Sonoran Desert, and Ajo particularly, represent a convergence and critical mass of creatives. This convergence manifests in all sorts of artistic expression.
ISDA conducted a survey of public-facing art which resulted in “Ajo Art” a self-guided tour and brochure. Ajo Art is a collection of art around town, the majority of which is accessible to the public. Ajo’s eclectic nature and diversity are expressed in a wonderful display of public art, community art, and outsider art.
ISDA Commissioned & Supported Art
Art is a disarming vehicle for deep and substantive community development. The International Sonoran Desert Alliance maintains that supporting and curating open artistic expression is one of the most powerful tools in the proverbial community development toolbox. As such, we are committed to supporting local, regional, national and international artists in community-engaged projects.
ISDA commissioned and supported works of art continue to help memorialize and honor the past while simultaneously blazing a trail for a vibrant and resilient future.
CLAY STUDIO
The Clay Studio in the former Manual Arts Building on the Curley School campus is a shared work space developed by ISDA for Curley School residents and the general community free of charge. Those using the studio purchase their own clay and operate on the honor system to pay for the use of glazes and to have their work fired. The studio is managed by long-time Curley School resident artist and co-owner of luna star pottery, Karen Sucharski. Anyone interested is invited to drop by on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1:00 and 4:00 pm to receive an orientation.
Wood Shop
The Wood Shop, located in the former Manual Arts Building on the Curley School campus, was developed by ISDA as a resource for community artists and makers. Anyone wanting to use the shop must first take a safety class, agree to abide by shop rules and sign a waiver. The Shop offers workshops in specific tool skills, furniture repair and other small projects. Hours vary by season and are posted on the door. For more information contact the ISDA Community Learning Center at 520-387-3364 or send us a note via the Contact Us page.
CULTURAL CRAFTS GROUP
The ISDA Cultural Crafts Group originated from a series of workshops held in 2008 connected to the Ajo Memory Project - a cataloging of memories and artistic expressions inspired by the now lost communities of Indian Village and Mexican Town. During the original workshops, participants made cascarones, paper flowers and papel picado in preparation for celebrations to remember each of these communities. With roots in the Ajo Memory Project, the cultural crafts group includes members with deep Ajo roots, but has also expanded to include more recent arrivals. Coordinated by long-time ISDA board member and Ajo native, Toni Cubillas, this group meets every Wednesday on the Curley School campus to create, eat, laugh and enjoy remembering. This extraordinary group also raises over $1,000 from their craft work every year to support the International Day of Peace Celebration in Ajo.
Events
TRI-NATIONAL SONORAN DESERT SYMPOSIUM
Organized by representatives from the Tohono O’odham Nation, Mexico and the United States, this biennial symposium offers presentations and dialogue about the dynamics of natural and cultural ecology, environmental challenges, and their relationships to peoples--past and present--living in the Sonoran Desert. The Tri-National Sonoran Symposium was established to promote increased understanding, conservation and celebration of the natural and cultural resources of the Sonoran Desert, and to foster communication and productive collaboration dedicated to this purpose.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
Every year around September 21st, the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, in collaboration with the local schools, businesses, civic organizations, and partners in Mexico and on the Tohono O’odham nation, holds its annual International Day of Peace celebration in Ajo, AZ. In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 36/67 declaring an International Day of Peace; in 2001 it declared September 21st of each year the official date for international celebration and observation.
Ajo, AZ is uniquely situated. It is at the intersection of three nations, located about 40 miles from the Mexican border and next door to the Tohono O’odham Nation. International Day of Peace in Ajo has always been completely non-political by design. It is quite simply an opportunity to intentionally gather the peoples of the Sonoran Desert together in a spirit of friendship and respect. Every year we gather in a fun, celebratory way that highlights respect for the rich diversity of the region and the world at-large.
Gallery
