Artists giving back with sale to help Tucson nonprofits

She figured she had a choice to make: Do nothing and feel helpless, or do something and be part of a solution.

“That’s my motivation right there,” said the 76-year-old jewelry maker. “I felt helpless. I know I can’t save the world. I can’t make a big difference, but I can do something to feel power in this situation.”

On Saturday, May 10, Farmilant and nearly 20 other Tucson artists will showcase some of their creations for “The Art of Giving Back” sale at the Tucson Symphony Center, 2175 N. Sixth Ave.

At least 20% of the proceeds will benefit seven Tucson nonprofits — Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, Cody’s Friends, Sister Jose’s Closet, TIHAN, Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation, Youth on Their Own and Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Farmilant, who makes gold jewelry, said she is giving 100% of her sales in addition to picking up the costs to put on the event, and several of the artists have agreed to give more than the 20% minimum.

“This is the biggest thing I’ve ever done,” said Farmilant, who has held small benefit events with artists from her home. “But these are desperate times so I am doing desperate things.”

Farmilant, who with her husband ran nursing homes in Chicago before moving to Tucson in 1990, has been making jewelry for 30 years. She and a friend owned Strung Out On Beads on East Speedway, which led her to create the nonprofit Bountiful Beads that gave women in domestic violence shelters and other crisis situations a chance to make jewelry as a form of healing.

That’s how she first became involved with Emerge, to whom she is giving her Saturday sales proceeds.

“The grants and some of the government funding being cut everywhere is really going to affect this agency,” she said.

Karina Valle, Emerge’s vice president of community engagement, said the agency is looking at $1.4 million in government funding cuts in the next fiscal year, which begins in October. That includes $660,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Victims of Crime Acts funding, which the state has “backfilled” over the past couple of years, Valle said.

Valle said she is not confident the state is in a position to come through with VOCA funds this year.

Emerge, which annually assists 6,000 victims of domestic violence in Pima County, is looking at another $678,000 in losses from DOJ, Housing and Urban Development and Department of Health Services grants that are either no longer offered or frozen.

“It’s been very challenging,” Valle said. “We are looking at a couple of different deficits going into the next fiscal year.”

Emerge, the largest and most comprehensive domestic violence survivor services agency in Pima County, is trying to soften the financial blow with a number of fundraising efforts centered around its 50th anniversary this year. Those include aligning with 50 community partners, getting support from 50 corporations and getting individual donations from community members.

“We are trying our best to ensure that these vital services continue,” Valle said. “Barbara has been a gift in what she is doing for us in helping us reach and fill the gap.”

In addition to handcrafted jewelry, participating artists at Saturday’s sale, which runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., will offer paintings, textile designs, ceramics and sculptures.

Artists include Paradise Jewelry, Elegant Beads and Artisan Gallery, Ted Bergahusen, Chuck Albanese, MF Studios, Barbara Farmilant Designs, Barbara Rodgers Art, Debra Johnson Jewelry Designer, Angel Soto Designer, Mary Jane Fink Spirit Doll Designer, Lucine Dirtanuan & Ursula Rogers, Jacqueline Tse Studio/Mad Brooklyn LLC, Joe Bourne Music, Art, Brenda Peo Fine Art, KT Beads an Art, Cita Scott, Amy Boran and Chrystal Canyon Creations.