Joel D. Valdez Main Library invites you to an exhibit by local student artists. Living River of Words will be on display until August 29, 2025.
Nearly 1000 students and 34 teachers at 18 schools from Tucson Unified, Amphitheater, Flowing Wells, Marana, and Sunnyside school districts as well as the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind participated in full LROW residencies this season. These classes began their experience with a pre-field trip video introducing a precious and limited resource – water in Southern Arizona. They explore both the distant and recent history of the Santa Cruz River including the urban treatment and recycling of wastewater by Pima County, which is giving renewed life to portions of the river.
Finally, students were introduced to skills needed for both art and science: using their senses to observe, their minds to wonder, and their memories to see relationships between the new and the familiar. Students then embarked on a field trip to one of Pima County’s waterways – the Santa Cruz River, Agua Caliente Park, Historic Canoa Ranch, or Mission Garden. Field days began with an “I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of” journaling activity to make observations, spark their curiosity, and find inspiration.
Afterward, students engaged in science investigations of water quality and macro-invertebrates and the guided practice of poetry, photography, or visual arts. Following the field trip, the community teaching artist paired with each group continued to develop the students’ creative works through additional sessions at their schools. Students were then invited to submit their artwork, photography, or poetry to the county-wide LROW contest.
