AZ CCI Team: Barrio Anita

Barrio Anita is one of nine communities represented in the inaugural Arizona Creative Communities Institute, a learning program wherein diverse teams from Arizona cities, towns, and neighborhoods reimagine community assets and devise meaningful projects that place creative engagement, ethical and equitable practices, and local wisdom at the center.

Team Members & Collaborators

The list below includes persons affiliated with the team at any point in the 2+ year engagement:

Julian Argote, Secretary, Barrio Anita Neighborhood Association

Steve Arnquist, Chief of Staff, Ward 1, Tucson City Council

Julian Barceló, Teacher, Davis Bilingual Elementary Magnet School

Adam Cooper-Terán, Artist

Miguel Garcia, Program Coordinator, Oury Center, City of Tucson

Heather Gray, Artist

Efren Martinez, Garden Coordinator, Davis Elementary School

Tanya Moreno, Barrio Anita Resident

Marc David Pinate, Executive Director, Borderlands Theatre

About Barrio Anita

Population: 725

First platted in 1903, over 90 percent of this historic Hispanic barrio had been built by 1920, with the remainder built prior to WWII. Early neighborhood dwellings were built in the Sonoran Tradition of adobe with flat roofs, later dotted with Queen Anne and American Territorial styles at the end of the 19^th century. Beginning in the 1930’s The Oury Park Tigers baseball team used to bring out 400 fans at a time in what is now the David G. Herrera/Ramon Quiroz Park. Once home to an irrigation canal which watered trees and gardens, the barrio also contained numerous Chinese grocery stores; only the Anita Street Market, known for its tortillas and burritos, continues today.

Source: Downtown Tucson Partnership

Project

A multidisciplinary community celebration of the history and heritage of Tucson’s historic Barrio Anita neighborhood, meant to preserve and reflect the vital stories of the people who call Barrio Anita home—and giving rise to new creative ventures, strengthened neighborhood bonds, and galvanized community leadership.