Free family films at The Loft’s Kids Fest
The Loft Kids Fest film series, in its twelfth year, returns to the screens of The Loft Cinema this July 20 through the 29.
The festival, sponsored by organizations like Pima County Public Library, Bookmans Entertainment Exchange and the Cares Foundation, showcase family-friendly films along with hands-on activities, live performances and giveaways.
The films — along with popcorn — are free to parents and children, and The Loft will also feature a free raffle to win a $50 gift certificate to Mildred & Dildred Toy Store.
Doors open at 9:15 a.m. followed by pre-show activities for parents and children, and the films begin at 10 a.m. Encore screenings are at 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
“The Loft Kids Fest has become an annual go-to event for many families throughout Southern Arizona, many of whom return every year,” said Jeff Yanc, program director at The Loft Cinema. “The fest offers free films, activities and popcorn to kids who may not regularly have the opportunity to enjoy the experience of seeing movies in a theatrical setting.”
The kick-off event will be a screening of “Trolls” at Himmel Park Friday, July 20 at 6 p.m. Following films will be held at The Loft. Upcoming films are “Home” on Saturday, July 21, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” on Sunday, July 22 and “Walking with Dinosaurs” on Monday, July 23. The entire schedule can be found at LoftCinema.org.
— Pascal Albright
College of Fine Arts welcomes new dean
Andrew Schultz, an internationally renowned and award-winning scholar, was named the new dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Arizona. As of August 1, UA will be looking to further its success in fine arts with the help of Shultz.
Shultz has set the bar high for higher education with his numerous leadership positions at Penn State, including associate dean, national leader in the Alliance for the Arts and serving as the current vice-president of external relations in the College Arts Association.
Schulz has received numerous awards and fellowships, including a 12-month fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a five-year Faculty Excellence Award from the University of Oregon in recognition of innovative scholarship.
“I think that fine arts has a major role in the UA campus strategic plan that we are now developing,” said Jeff Goldberg, acting provost at UA. “[I’m] looking forward to Dr. Schultz bringing the college together to develop a plan to move forward and then working with him and his team to execute that plan.”
Schultz will oversee the entire Fine Arts program consisting of the School of Art, the School of Dance, the Fred Fox School of Music and the School of Theatre, Film and Television.
— Monica Baricevic
Compost Cats use grant to give back
University of Arizona’s Compost Cats, a student-run campus organization that turns food waste into compostable material, received the North American Development Bank grant to divert compostable materials from local landfills.
The grant of $91, 519 will allow the organization to expand into Santa Cruz County to turn food waste into a resource that will teach students job skills, put food on people’s tables and support local agriculture.
Compost Cats is expanding because the more they learned about food waste, the more they wanted to do, said Chet Phillips, UA Compost Cats project director in an article in The Arizona Daily Star.
The UA Cooperative Extension’s new center will compost about 3,000 tons of produce each year, according to a press release by the EPA on June 13.
That compost will be used on farms, gardens, and rangelands, benefiting the environment and advancing agricultural production across the region.
The center will be operated by UA’s “Compost Cats,” who will train and employ local students from Rio Rico High School, Santa Cruz County Community College and UA South students.
— Pascal Albright
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