Arizona Illustrated

This week on Arizona Illustrated… Deidre Peaches, Filmmaker – Deidra Peaches journey in filmmaking has taken her to Alaska, the Sundance Film Festival, and the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19. She has used the medium to illuminate injustice, tell stories about space travel, and better understand her own community. She takes us through this journey in her own words, illustrated by her own films. TSO’s Digital Stage – The Tucson Symphony Orchestra faces an incredible yet not entirely unique challenge … How to stay engaged with their audience when they can’t perform live due to the coronavirus pandemic? The solution? TSO reimagined its 2020-2021 season as curated repertoire of performances streamed and available online. We eavesdropped on a performance and created a behind-the-scenes look at their Digital Stage. Favorite Places: Underwood Garden – Our series featuring southern Arizonan architects speaking thoughtfully and personally about a special building, place, or space in southern Arizona continues. This week, a little-known oasis on the UA campus… Underwood Garden. The Bahidaj Harvest - For centuries the Tohono O’odham people have harvested the Saguaro fruit to make syrups, jam, and wine. The ripe fruit, known as bahidaj,is collected from the Saguaro cactus and cooked over mesquite fire. This tradition has been handed down from one generation to the next and continues each season during July, known as the month of “big rain” on the Tohono O’odham harvesting calendar.