Arts & history
The Tucson Mountains have a rich history and are home to a vibrant community of artists.
TMA celebrates this heritage and encourages members to share their stories.
(Please contact us if you’d like to contribute!)
Stories
Media
Artists
Stories
Written by Bob Riddell Jr., Life On Ye Ol’ Homestead is a remarkable true story of a family arriving in Tucson from Philadelphia in 1927 and homesteading in the Tucson Mountains foothills.
Santa Cruz River marks the eastern border of the Tucson Mountains Region. Daily Star photo editor Rick Wiley has assembled images tracing the history of the river from 1890 to 2022. How much has changed!
Media
An award-winning film by TMA member Thomas Wiewandt. Click below to watch the trailer, order a copy, and earn a donation for TMA.
Artists
Frank Staub Photography
Frank Staub is an award-winning photographer and writer whose work spans nature, wildlife, global cultures, and adventure, including photography and authorship of dozens of nationally recognized children’s books. A lifelong environmentalist and adventurer, he has documented issues from invasive species in the desert to sustainable living, while also climbing major North American peaks and completing solo treks by foot and bike. He now lives off the grid near Tucson, Arizona, in a strawbale home he built to blend with the surrounding landscape.
Carlos Nakai
Of Navajo-Ute heritage, R. Carlos Nakai is the world’s leading performer of the Native American flute, known for blending traditional sounds with jazz, classical, and global musical traditions. With over four million albums sold—including the first Native American recording to go Platinum—he has earned eleven GRAMMY® nominations and performed internationally as both a soloist and collaborator. A cultural innovator and educator, Nakai has expanded the expressive potential of the flute while honoring its origins, earning him numerous accolades including the Arizona Governor’s Arts Award and induction into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame.
Will Clipman
Will Clipman is a seven-time GRAMMY-nominated percussionist, poet, and educator who has mastered over 100 world instruments and recorded over sixty albums, including extensive work with Canyon Records. A published poet and award-winning mask maker, he integrates music, storytelling, and visual art in performances and workshops like Planet of Percussion and Myths & Masks. His lifelong contributions to the arts have earned him numerous national and regional honors, including induction into the Tucson Musicians Museum and multiple Arizona Governor’s Arts Award nominations.
