.png)
El Pueblo 50: Celebrating the Living Heart of the Southside!
Join us as we share the stories of the people!
El Pueblo 50 is a public exhibition celebrating fifty years of El Pueblo Neighborhood Center’s historic role as the living heart of the Southside.
Home to some of Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods, the Southside is a place of safekeeping—of culture, of the environment, and of the collective power to shape intergenerational destinies. Established in 1975, the center is wrapped in murals and memory and home over the years to multiple agencies, offices, services and institutions. Daily traversed by families and civil servants, educators and librarians, recreation and health workers, El Pueblo is also the hub of reinvestment by multiple stakeholders committed to its revitalization.
Drawing from multiple archives and community stories, the exhibition presents thematic panels narrating the center’s vibrant actions for community and environmental care, while envisioning El Pueblo’s role in shaping a more resilient Southside future.
The exhibition will be on display from Nov. 8, 2025 - Jan. 18, 2026.
Join us for a series of free, community event's honoring El Pueblo's legacy and the exhibition launch.
.png)
El Pueblo 50 Clean-up, Tree Planting & Meditation
Sunday, Nov. 2 | 8-10 am
El Pueblo Neighborhood Center
101 W Irvington Rd Building 1, Tucson, AZ 85714
Let’s show El Pueblo Neighborhood Center some love! Join us for a day of clean-up, landscaping, tree-planting, decorating, and a closing meditation. Refreshments will be served.
Contact info@sunnysidefoundation.org to sign up to volunteer.
Sponsored by the El Pueblo 50 team, Sunnyside Foundation, Barrio Restoration, Tucson Clean & Beautiful, City of Tucson Parks and Recreation and Storm to Shade.
Radio Rebelde: A Retrospective Tribute to KXEW-FM
and El Pueblo
Join Tucson’s Raúl Aguirre (REA Media) for a vibrant mix of music, stories, and conversations with special guests uplifting the entwined histories of activism and community empowerment in two forces of cultural resistance: Spanish bilingual radio and the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center. Sponsored by REA Media and Bustos Media.
.png)
El Pueblo 50 Launch Day: Tree Dedication Ceremony & El Pueblo’s Green Future
Saturday, Nov. 8 | 1-2 pm
El Pueblo Neighborhood Center
101 W Irvington Rd Building 1, Tucson, AZ 85714
Join us for the dedication of the El Pueblo 50 Tree, a living memorial celebrating Southside loved ones and their legacy of justice and care for the environment. Hear from community leaders and get a first look at new landscaping and stormwater improvements by Tucson Parks & Recreation, Storm to Shade, and Tucson Clean and Beautiful.
El Pueblo 50 Launch Day: Open House
Saturday, Nov. 8 | 2-5 pm
El Pueblo Neighborhood Center
101 W Irvington Rd Building 1, Tucson, AZ 85714
Celebrate the public opening of the El Pueblo 50 exhibition with light refreshments from Taquería La Esquina, gallery talks, and a children’s activity table.
Facilitated conversations with El Pueblo 50 curators and community experts, concluding with an audience Q&A
-
2:30: Designing the Exhibition
-
Jacqueline Barrios (UA) and Rebecca Senf (Center for Creative Photography) with Jessica Wolff, Lizzy Guevara-Golden)
-
-
2:50: Chicano Movement
-
Liz Soltero (Sunnyside Foundation) with Dr. Lydia Otero, Bob Diaz (UA) & Raúl Aguirre (REA Media)
-
-
3:10: Environmental Justice
-
Jacqueline Barrios (UA) with Yolanda Herrera (Unified Community Advisory Board), Beki Quintero (Sunnyside Neighborhood Association), Vanessa Gallego (FUGA)
-
-
3:30: Built Environment
-
Kenny Wong (UA) with Cassandra Becerra (Sunnyside Foundation), Jasmine Chan (City of Tucson Parks and Recreation), Philip Swaim (Swaim Architects)
-
-
3:50: Generations of Care
-
Selina Barajas (Mountain Mamas) with Anna Sanchez and Patrick Robles (Sunnyside Foundation)
-
-
4:10: Q&A
4:30 - 5:00 pm: Spotlight Panel: The Archives of Congressman Raúl Grijalva
Explore the preservation of Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s archives through personal stories and memories, celebrating his legacy. Panelists: Cassandra Becerra with Mona Grijalva, US Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva and Ruben Reyes
El Pueblo 50 Launch Day Party
Saturday, Nov. 8 | 5-9 pm
El Pueblo Neighborhood Center
101 W Irvington Rd Building 1, Tucson, AZ 85714
Celebrate the El Pueblo 50 exhibition launch! Enjoy performances, interactive storytelling, participatory mapping, screenings, reflections from community leaders, cake and a piñata!
-
5:00 - 5:30 pm: Performances, DJ and Refreshments
-
Mariachi los Diablitos de Sunnyside High School
-
DJ Arnold Montiel
-
Taquería La Esquina
-
-
5:30 - 6:30 pm: Remarks by partners and local leaders sharing stories, memories, and visions for El Pueblo
-
Emcee: Raúl Aguirre
-
Speakers: El Pueblo 50 Team, City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Director of City of Tucson Department of Parks & Recreation Lara Hamwey, Vice Mayor and City Councilmember Ward 1 Lane Santa Cruz, Ward 5 Councilmember Rocque Perez, Pima Country District 5 Supervisor Andres Cano, US Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva
-
-
6:30 - 7:00 pm: DJ & Open Program
-
Mobile Storytelling
-
Participatory mapping booth
-
Screening
-
and more!
-
-
7:00 pm: Happy 50th El Pueblo!
-
Piñata and Cake
-
-
8:30 pm: DJ, Reception Continues
-
9:00 pm: Event concludes
Also on display
The Drawings and Doodles of ¡GRIJALVA¡
Over 175 doodles by Congressman Raúl Grijalva will be on display at El Pueblo! Come celebrate the creativity of this beloved US Congressman and activist.
First displayed at The PROJECTS/SPACE, The Drawings and Doodles of İGRIJALVA! will be on view at El Pueblo until January 18, 2026.
- Curated by Shannon Smith (Artist) with the permission of the Grijalva family
.jpg)
El Pueblo 50 Map
El Pueblo 50 Map highlights landmarks that connect El Pueblo to Southside life over the years. The map initially features key locations collected through community co-curation across a base map from 22nd St. to Valencia Road, and Campbell Avenue to the Santa Cruz River.
Now, the community is invited to help expand the map! Parks, schools, businesses, places of worship and gathering are some of the iconic locations that reveal the networks of work, family, and community that build a collective sense of place.
What other places connect you to the Southside? What memories and stories do places hold that are important to share?
Ground/Water II: Advocacy on the Santa Cruz – The Zine (2025)
The Ground/Water II zine is a creative publication that documents the work of Water Advocacy on the Santa Cruz River. It collects images, reflections, and prototypes that tell the story of caring for one of the nation’s most endangered rivers and its watershed.
The zine highlights key water justice efforts in Tucson’s Southside, exploring everything from remediation and recharge to the connections between groundwater, the river, and the surrounding community.
In addition to showcasing community stories and environmental projects, the zine includes new artwork and collaborations, such as art engagements with students from Los Niños Elementary School.
A limited edition of prints will launch as part of El Pueblo 50.
-
The project was led by Jacqueline Barrios (UA College of Humanities) and Martina Shenal (College of Fine Arts), and the zine was designed by local artist-in-residence Jessica Wolff.
Stories South of 22nd (SS22.ST)
Stories South of 22nd (SS22.ST) is a digital hub that showcases what community-led reinvestment looks like in practice, bringing Tucson’s Southside cultural, historical, and speculative imaginaries into the public eye.
The website was developed through an ongoing partnership between the Sunnyside Unified School District Foundation and the University of Arizona.
This collaboration has brought together community stakeholders to create a public portfolio of exchanges documented by SS22.ST, from site-specific courses to storytelling and arts & culture activations.
The site will go live during the launch of El Pueblo 50!
El Pueblo 50 Screen List:
-
The Drawings and Doodles of ¡GRIJALVA! (2025, digital video, 12:00) Produced by Netza Aguirre to accompany the exhibition of 200 of Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s doodles. The film weaves interviews with staff and family offering their take on the extraordinary body of enigmatic drawings that spanned Grijalva’s career, including actual footage of Raúl doodling.
-
Trip Down Memory Lane with Congressman Raύl Grijalva (2023, digital video, 3:37) - Produced by Netza Aguirre, this short film features Congressman Grijalva reflecting on the history and future of El Pueblo Neighborhood Center as a space of culture, diversity, and community renewal.
-
Resiliencia (2023, digital video, 5:45) - Created by Luis Fernando González, this film explores how El Pueblo fosters emotional strength and pride through community support, blending personal footage, collaborations, and interviews.
-
Cynthia Aponte (2024, digital video, 17:18) - In this interview film by Raúl and Netza Aguirre, artist Cynthia Reyes Aponte shares the stories behind her murals at El Pueblo, honoring life, heritage, and the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui Nations.
-
Stories South of 22nd (2025, digital video, 1:41) - Produced by Netza Aguirre, this introduction film presents ss22.st, a new digital platform showcasing creative placekeeping projects and partnerships led by the Sunnyside Foundation in Tucson’s Southside.
El Pueblo 50 Collaborators
El Pueblo 50 is made possible through support from:
-
Technology and Research Initiative Fund/Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions Initiative (TRIF/WEESI) administered by the University of Arizona Office of Research and Partnerships (ORP)
-
Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR)
-
City of Tucson Parks and Recreation
-
City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero
-
Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz Ward 1
-
Councilmember Rocque Perez Ward 5
-
Pima County District 5 Supervisor Andres Cano
-
REA Media
-
Bustos Media