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El Pueblo 50: Celebrating the Living Heart
of the Southside!​
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El Pueblo 50 is a public exhibition celebrating fifty years of El Pueblo Neighborhood Center’s historic role as the living heart of the Southside.
Home to some of Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods, the Southside is a place of safekeeping—of culture, of the environment, and of the collective power to shape intergenerational destinies. Established in 1975, the center is wrapped in murals and memory and home over the years to multiple agencies, offices, services and institutions. Daily traversed by families and civil servants, educators and librarians, recreation and health workers, El Pueblo is also the hub of reinvestment by multiple stakeholders committed to its revitalization.
Drawing from multiple archives and community stories, the exhibition presents thematic panels narrating the center’s vibrant actions for community and environmental care, while envisioning El Pueblo’s role in shaping a more resilient Southside future.
El Pueblo 50 Exhibition Launch
On Saturday, November 8, 2025, we celebrated the launch of the El Pueblo 50 Exhibition!
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The day was filled with memorable activities, including a Tree Dedication Ceremony, an Open House, and the Launch Day Party.
You can check the full program of activities by clicking the button below:
Missed the celebration?
No worries! You can still experience the El Pueblo 50 Exhibition.
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Enjoy it at the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center's patio located in Building 1 (101 W Irvington Rd) from Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday 8:30 am - 1:00 pm through January 18, 2026.
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Open houses with members of the El Pueblo 50 team, with access to the displays in the Multipurpose Room (MPR) including the The Drawings and Doodles of ¡GRIJALVA¡ (Curated by Shannon Smith) and ¡Viva El Pueblo! Project (2023) (Jessica Wolff)) and other related programming, are listed in the calendar shown below.
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​If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@sunnyside.org​
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Media Coverage
The launch of El Pueblo 50 was covered by local and regional media outlets, such as:
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Cassandra Becerra, KaryAnn, Selina Barajas, Youth Tree Leader program volunteer by the El Pueblo 50 tree. (Courtesy Selina Barajas)
El Pueblo 50 Tree & Living Memorial
In 1980, a pair of olive trees were planted for peace at El Pueblo’s patio and outside the center by Ted Warmbrand and his environmental justice group, Nuclear Free State, to commemorate a visit from the Japanese group, No Nukes.
In 2025, Tucson Clean and Beautiful and Grow Tucson partnered with the El Pueblo 50 team to plant the newest tree at El Pueblo. A keystone species of the Sonoran Desert and one of our hardiest native plants, desert ironwood (Olneya tesota), was chosen, along with native species, a velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina), a desert willow (Chilopsis linearis), and a whitethorn acacia (Acacia constricta), to become a living memorial for Southside loved ones, especially for those who lost their lives too soon to the impact of groundwater contamination in the Southside.
We dedicate these plantings in their honor, and others who have passed, to remember the story of their struggle for justice, and to carry on their legacy to care for our air, water and land.
At its dedication ceremony on November 8, Southside community members and visitors were invited to honor loved ones by tying ribbons of remembrance to the branches of its older sibling, the El Pueblo Olive Peace Tree. Also, the community got a first first look at upcoming landscaping and stormwater improvements by Tucson Parks & Recreation, Tucson Clean and Beautiful and Storm to Shade.
Read more about the commemorative planting and El Pueblo’s capital investments and green future in our program booklet.
On display
The Drawings and Doodles of ¡GRIJALVA¡
Over 175 doodles by Congressman Raúl Grijalva will be on display at El Pueblo! Come celebrate the creativity of this beloved US Congressman and activist.
First displayed at The PROJECTS/SPACE, The Drawings and Doodles of Ä°GRIJALVA! will be on view at El Pueblo until January 18, 2026.
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Curated by Shannon Smith with the permission of the Grijalva family.
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View the accompanying film, “The Drawings and Doodles of ¡GRIJALVA!” (2025, digital video, 12:00) produced by Netza Aguirre. The film weaves interviews with staff and family offering their take on the extraordinary body of enigmatic drawings that spanned Grijalva’s career, including actual footage of Raúl doodling.
Radio Rebelde: A Retrospective Tribute to KXEW-FM
and El Pueblo
Join Tucson’s Raúl Aguirre (REA Media) for a vibrant mix of music, stories, and conversations with special guests uplifting the entwined histories of activism and community empowerment in two forces of cultural resistance: Spanish bilingual radio and the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center.
Sponsored by REA Media and Bustos Media, the show first aired November 8, 2025 on The Groove 106.3 FM and again November 9 on Urbana 104.3 FM.
Ground/Water II: Advocacy on the Santa Cruz – The Zine (2025)
The Ground/Water II zine is a creative publication that documents the work of Water Advocacy on the Santa Cruz River. It collects images, reflections, and prototypes that tell the story of caring for one of the nation’s most endangered rivers and its watershed.
The zine highlights key water justice efforts in Tucson’s Southside, exploring everything from remediation and recharge to the connections between groundwater, the river, and the surrounding community.
In addition to showcasing community stories and environmental projects, the zine includes new artwork and collaborations, such as art engagements with students from Los Niños Elementary School.
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A limited edition of prints will be available to the community as part of El Pueblo 50. Access the digital edition using the button below.
The project was led by Jacqueline Barrios (UA College of Humanities) and Martina Shenal (College of Fine Arts), and the zine was designed by local artist-in-residence Jessica Wolff.
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El Pueblo 50 Map
El Pueblo 50 Map highlights landmarks that connect El Pueblo to Southside life over the years. The map initially features key locations collected through community co-curation across a base map from 22nd St. to Valencia Road, and Campbell Avenue to the Santa Cruz River.
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Now, the community is invited to help expand the map! Parks, schools, businesses, places of worship and gathering are some of the iconic locations that reveal the networks of work, family, and community that build a collective sense of place.
What other places connect you to the Southside? What memories and stories do places hold that are important to share?
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Stories South of 22nd (SS22.ST)
Stories South of 22nd (SS22.ST) is a digital hub that showcases what community-led reinvestment looks like in practice, bringing Tucson’s Southside cultural, historical, and speculative imaginaries into the public eye.
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The website was developed through an ongoing partnership between the Sunnyside Unified School District Foundation and the University of Arizona.
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This collaboration has brought together community stakeholders to create a public portfolio of exchanges documented by SS22.ST, from site-specific courses to storytelling and arts & culture activations.
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The site went live during the launch of El Pueblo 50!
El Pueblo 50 Collaborators
El Pueblo 50 is made possible through support from:
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Technology and Research Initiative Fund/Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions Initiative (TRIF/WEESI) administered by the University of Arizona Office of Research and Partnerships (ORP)
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Arizona Institute for Resilience (AIR)
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City of Tucson Parks and Recreation
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City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero
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Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz Ward 1
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Councilmember Rocque Perez Ward 5
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Pima County District 5 Supervisor Andres Cano
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REA Media
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Bustos Media