CommUNITY:Strengthening the Bonds between People, Place and Purpose in a Time of Social Distancing.
To date, SAACA - the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance - has created over 200,000 arts-driven experiences, from innovative community festivals and cultural celebrations to creative sector development, and accessible arts enrichment programs. Matt will share an introduction to their community collaborations and programming; a look at how COVID-19 has impacted their programs and the arts and culture sector at large; creative adaptations taking place; and what we are seeing as the future of adaptation for artists, creatives, musicians, and makers.
Matt Rolland ~ Biography
In addition to being a touring musician and recording artist, Matt Rolland of Tucson, Arizona, is the Director of Programs at SAACA (Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance) and serves on the Board of the Tucson Folk Festival. As Director of Programs, Matt oversees SAACA’s community programs and outreach, ranging from chalk art festivals, mural commissions, to concert series and culinary festivals, and also manages their new 14,000 square feet collaborative arts space CATALYST Arts & Maker Space at Tucson Mall which opened in December 2019.
Matt has had a fiddle in his hand since the age of four. Well known as the bandleader and fiddle player for the Tucson-based band, Run Boy Run, Matt has performed at festivals and concert halls across the country, released six studio albums and was twice featured on American Public Media’s popular radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” Matt is a graduate of the University of Arizona and was a Fulbright Scholar to Mexico.
