Tucson may not have Coachella, but this year, Hotel Congress and Keep Tucson Crafty are hosting Junkchella. Sunday, April 19, from 4 to 7 p.m., you can don your best Coachella fit for a night of junk journaling, flash tattoos, and local vendors on the Hotel Congress patio, 311 E. Congress St.
Codi Wilcox, the organizer of the event and creative behind Keep Tucson Crafty, started the junk journal club after moving to Tucson from Los Angeles as a way to create her own community.
Codi Wilcox, organizer of junkchella and creative behind Keep Tucson Crafty.
“I was part of three different junk journal clubs in LA,” she said. “I decided to start the community for myself because I was so homesick. I missed LA so much, and I loved my junk journal community there.”
She held her first meetup in September, and since then has tried to host at least one event a month to provide a space for people to relax and get creative.
“Mostly it's junk journaling, but lately I've been trying to add in other little crafts,” Wilcox said. “Last month was DIY keychains or journal charms at Hotel Congress, so that was a lot of fun. I sourced a bunch of fun charms and we all made journal charms there together and then journaled afterwards.”
Sometimes, Wilcox said, it’s as simple as getting together and coloring while sipping on a drink from Pueblo Vida Brewing.
Keep Tucson Crafty's craft n' chill meetup at Pueblo Vida Brewing.
The original inspiration for Junkchella, she said, was to create a whimsical, springtime journaling event, which then expanded to include a lineup of local artists and vendors.
“We came up with Junkchella, and I wanted to step up my game and raise the bar for myself, and bring in vendors,” Wilcox said.
The Junkchella vendors are Lala Links, who specializes in permanent jewelry; fine line tattoo artist Vonsartistry; June’s Booth; Picnic Palz; and local artists Greta Ruekgauer and Marissa Regole.
Regole is known for her hand-drawn, pop-culture themed stickers and pins that she has been creating for the past five years.
“I started during COVID-19, because I was working from home, and I was really bored,” she said. “I started drawing again, then I started talking to other artists and learned how to make pins, and it just kept going from there.”
Out of all her designs, she said that her Taylor Swift items are the most popular.
Regole said she is looking forward to seeing everyone who shows up for Junkchella.
“It seems like people are dressing up and super excited for it,” she said. “I'm just excited to be in the community for an event like that.”
Greta Ruekgauer, the artist behind Stubbornworn, will be providing handmade stamps to embellish your journal pages, and a selection of thrifted clothing pieces printed with her linocut artwork.
“I fell in love with linocut printing about six months ago,” Ruekgauer said. “And I started producing so much that I ended up having the idea to start a business to sell some of my pieces so I can make more of them.”
To create her works, Ruekgauer carves her designs into rubber and uses fabric ink to stamp the art onto her clothing canvas. The ink binds with the fibers, making durable pieces of wearable art.
She uses exclusively thrifted items to combat the waste of used clothing.
“So, it’s a sustainable way to wear clothes and purchase clothing,” she said. “That's what I'm going for.”
Ruekgauer started her business back in January and said she has already had the opportunity to participate in several markets.
“It's growing quickly,” she said. “It's just so cool to be an artist in the Tucson community.”
Her biggest inspirations in her designs, she said, are the desert landscape and old-fashioned Western wear.
“I was born in New Mexico but I moved to Maryland when I turned 10, and I had always missed the desert. It just feels like something that is just tied to me,” Ruekgauer said. “I think Tucson is such a cool place, and its history is obviously much richer than just the Western aspect of it, but that being the part I relate to, I wanted to showcase it.”
Like Regole, Ruekgauer said she is thrilled to be part of Sunday’s Junkchella event.
“It seems like it's going to be a big event,” she said. “Hopefully it's a therapeutic, fun night and we'll meet a lot of cool people.”
Tickets to attend the junk journaling event are priced at $37, which includes access to the community table of journaling supplies and some personal goodies.
“I personally curated a little goodie bag of things you would typically have at a festival,” Wilcox said. “Little glitter, freckles, hair clips, bead rings, just little things that just add a little fun.”
That ticket also includes a scrap kit, put together by graphic designer Arine Dekermenjian.
While the junk journaling is capped at about 50 attendees, anyone is welcome to come and shop the vendors and experience Junkchella.
“We're encouraging Coachella vibes as far as dress but at the same time, we want people to come in whatever they're comfortable with,” Wilcox said. “I think Hotel Congress is going to have the outside bar open as well, so they can come and grab a beverage and then just shop.”
“I think it's gonna be a really great time, and we are all so excited,” she said. “I just can't wait to see it all come together.”
If you can’t make it to Junkchella, Wilcox said her next upcoming event will be at Di Luna, May 9 with Ruekgauer.
Keep Tucson Crafty's craft n' chill night at Pueblo Vida Brewing.
“We're taking her pieces and shrinking them down, and then the guests are going to make paper dolls with her clothing,” she said. “It is my first of many local Tucson artists spotlights. I'm hoping to start having them, if not monthly, at least, every other month.”
