By Caroline Hansen
On Sept. 25, a celebration was held at The Drawing Studio (TDS) for founder Andrew Rush’s 94th birthday. The party was held in the new gallery space located on Tucson Boulevard, adjacent to TDS’s main space on Glenn Avenue. Several of Rush’s works were showcased and available for purchase with proceeds benefitting the studio. The show was titled “Bodies and Buildings – A Collection Celebrating Andrew Rush at 94.”
“This is work that spans from 1961 to 1995 and includes a variety of media: watercolor, ceramics, intaglio printmaking—it just really shows the incredible breadth of this artist’s work, a man who is a visionary,” said Anthony Avila, development manager for TDS.
In 1992 Rush and a group of artist friends opened TDS in Armory Park, an historic Tucson downtown neighborhood. The group of artists wanted to create a teaching studio where artists, students and art lovers could gather. In 2000, TDS incorporated and received 501(c)3 status. The collective continued to grow and in 2015, the studio was able to purchase the building that had once been home to Ted’s Country Store. In 2023, TDS bought the recently closed convenience store and expanded even more.
TDS offers a variety of classes for all ages and all levels of experience. It has become a third place for many artists and art explorers. Benjamin Brockman teaches printmaking and runs the printlab. He said the community and people connecting with one another in a creative space is one of the most important benefits to taking a class there.
“Anybody that has any level of interest or any level of experience is welcome to take pretty much any class. It’s never too late to start and this is the perfect environment for anyone who might be a little stuck or intimidated about learning a new process. This is an extremely welcoming environment where everyone helps each other,” Brockman said.
Russell Kahn, who teaches drawing and painting classes at TDS, believes art is at the root of everything in life and is vitally important.
“It shows people’s expression of how they see the world and it’s part of our living culture and it’s a necessity more than a lot of other things,” Kahn said.
Andrea Mendola has taught at TDS for fifteen years and is the lead teacher for Drawing Fundamentals, TDS’ foundational course.
“Of course we teach art,” Mendola said, “but in the end it’s really about the community and inviting people to come and discover who they are as a creative person inside. For each student, no matter their age, to be able to look inward, build their confidence, know that they are something more than their job, their role in life, any of the things that we tend to think of ourselves as. I believe that we each and every one are an artist.”
Maggie Rush Miller, daughter of Rush, became the executive director of TDS in 2024. On the brochure for her father’s celebration she wrote, “We are all lucky to have this space and time to create art, make friends and stay connected while the world reels in the throes of chaos and change.”
The Drawing Studio’s schedule of classes can be found on their website, thedrawingstudiotds.org. Scholarships are available.
