Gem & Jam Artists to Benefit Beloved Tucson Nonprofit
Cultural movements emerge when artists from diverse disciplines support each other to uplift whole communities. The Tucson Gem and Jam Festival is igniting a beautiful crossover with the creative community of Tucson by benefitting the Many Mouths One Stomach (MMOS) nonprofit. MMOS hosts and produces the annual All Souls Festivities, a city-wide free celebration which draws 60,000-plus people together to honor life through remembering our ancestors each fall. Artist Curator, Jennifer Ingram of Tribe 13, along with the production team of Gem and Jam Festival want to do something special to give back to the Tucson community this year. There will be over 55 renowned visionary artists creating works to be auctioned on Sunday of the event. Half of the proceeds will be going to benefit Tucson’s beloved All Souls Festivities and the other half will go to the artists themselves.
Gem and Jam is a perennial winter music and arts festival in Tucson that accompanies the world-famous Gem and Mineral Show. Hosting both prominent internationally and nationally touring names in the electronic music and jam-band scenes, it is a lot more than a music festival. Workshops, dancers, visual performers, high-end art gallery installations coupled with cutting edge production and attention to every detail ensure for an multi-dimensional experience for all.
Gem and Jam takes place at the Pima County Fairgrounds right outside of Tucson on January 31 through February 2. You can explore their website here. There are Day Passes, Weekend Passes, VIP Passes, and onsight Camping Passes still available!
Visionary Art is an expression of the transcendent, an exploration of radiant and exalted states of consciousness. Watching an artist work is rare because they are usually in their studio away from the distractions of the world. Visionary artists love to “jam” with live music. This is a community collaboration because their interactions with people while they paint and the feelings that arise spontaneously are somehow translated and captured onto the canvas. Scientific brain scans actually prove that observing art can literally alter your consciousness and brain chemistry. All weekend long during Gem and Jam you will have the opportunity to meet the artists and witness their paintings unfold, in real time, right before your eyes.
Tribe 13 has been a lightning rod for the Visionary Art Movement for over 2 decades, and you will enjoy learning more about their amazing work here. Jennifer Ingram is determined to take her work as artistic curator at Gem and Jam for the past 9 years to a new level with the generosity of the artists. You may fall in love with a painting as it is being created and want to take it home and you will have your chance to do that. In addition, your purchase will go towards supporting a worthwhile annual cultural tradition in Tucson. The silent auction will take place on Sunday at 6pm so be sure to be there!
The visual arts pavilion will be the hub for all festival goers to peek at what the artists are working on throughout the weekend. Gem and Jam festival is one of our favorites to partake in and we are so happy to help create a project which gives back to the Tucson art community. -Jennifer Ingram, Tribe 13, Gem and Jam Visionary Art Curator
“Festal Culture” is the expression and fulfillment of core human needs through public celebration, ceremony, and ritual. The All Souls Procession is an event that was created to serve the public need to mourn, reflect, and celebrate the universal experience of Death, through their ancestors, loved ones and the living. Our events establish a legacy that reclaims public space through art and blurs the line between participant and observer, ritual and performance. Together with our commitment to education, outreach, and collaboration, MMOS stewards a vision wherein the creative act becomes a mode of living. -Many Mouths One Stomach
Tucson is a city filled with murals and cultural expression. Visionary art can be found on buildings throughout the city. Artists with international acclaim lik Fin Dac and Diego Roa, or local legends like Joe Pagac, Rock Martinez, and Joel Valdez have colored this desert town with their dreams. As one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in North America, Tucson has beautiful barrios, delicious tamales, and a deep history set in the southwest desert mystique.
A Cultural Movement to Uplift the Whole Community! The producers of Gem and Jam, along with Tribe 13, the artists, musicians and festival-goers are elated to weave such a beautiful and deep bond with the culture and people of Tucson. At a time when the country and world are experiencing so much division, it is art and community that bring us together. Dance with us into the night under desert skies and dream of the better world we all know is possible. Come Sunday and bid on these extraordinary pieces of art and support the legacy of Tucson All Souls. Gem and Jam is taking their visionary festival to the next level in 2020. Be sure to check out their website for a full list of musical guests. We hope to see you there!