Arizona Illustrated

Returning to Earth Dr. Sian Proctor is a geoscientist, educator, Afrofuturist artist, and most recently-- the first black female astronaut to pilot a spacecraft. She piloted the SpaceX Inspiration4 craft, which is the first all civilian mission to space in September 2021. Now, she is inspiring the next generation of explorers through her art, poetry, and speaking engagements. Her Afrofuturist art promotes conversations about diversity and women, and the future of human spaceflight. Viola and the Brain As a viola professor with a background in neuroscience, Molly Gebrian balances on the nexus between art and science. Her unique insight into how the brain works has allowed her to develop innovative educational tools that elevate her students in the practice room, and in life. Sweetwater Visit the Sweetwater Wetlands on a hot Tucson day, and step into a cooler, wetter, wildlife filled world. The wetlands is a public park, birding hotspot, and part of the city’s reclaimed water system. Cattails, willows, and cottonwoods surround the ponds that purify water and deposit it back into the aquifer. If you’re lucky, you might even see the resident bobcat. Cardio Party-o at Floor Polish The gym is not for everyone and so take we a look into other forms of exercise offered in Tucson. For this story we spent time at Floor Polish Dance Studio and sat in on a class called Cardio Party-O, a high energy dance class set to a wide range of music. The class is less about getting all the moves right, and more about having fun and being part of a community.