A QUARTER OF A CENTURY OF EDUCATION

In 1992, Artist Andrew Rush, his wife Ann Woodin, and 20 art friends began The Drawing Studio in Tucson, Arizona, to offer instruction and fellowship to artists and art students outside traditional institutions. What started as a project among friends attracted others, and a year later, The Drawing Studio sublet a space in a converted Armory Park market to offer expanded classes. A newsletter and membership program were created to respond to the community’s demand for more.

In 2000, The Drawing Studio incorporated and received 501(c)3 status. As more and more participants came to study, we expanded into larger space on 4th Avenue. A designated gallery space allowed us to offer a year-round schedule of exhibits.

The communities we served continued to grow. With a heart for service, Drawing Studio staff and members launched The Art of Summer immersion program for teens, which eventually expanded to serve youth ages 9-17. In 2005, The Drawing Studio established its first outreach program to serve seniors who couldn’t access or afford our regular adult programs.

Continued growth in numbers of students and new programs spurred us to double our space with a move to the heart of downtown. We added satellite sites to establish a presence throughout metro Tucson. 

In response to participants’ desire for a more accessible space, in January 2015 The Drawing Studio purchased a building on an acre of land at Tucson Boulevard and Glenn Street. 

The new space has enabled the growing TDS staff to serve more students both in house and online, grow community programs throughout Tucson with a strong emphasis on DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion), and build awareness about the importance of cultural arts.

Today, there are plans under way to expand the reach of TDS even further in order to create exciting opportunities for social convening and exhibition spaces that can educate and inspire the next generation of artists in Tucson.