Meet the Artist: Chip Thomas + Beyond Borders Film Premiere

July 25–26, 2026

Curley School Auditorium

A special weekend of art, storytelling and community is coming to the Curley School Creative Campus, with two events exploring the people, places and connections that shape the Sonoran Desert borderlands.

Join us Saturday for a welcoming reception with internationally known public artist Chip Thomas, followed Sunday by the Ajo premiere of the short documentary Beyond Borders.

Meet the Artist: Chip Thomas

Saturday, July 25 | 4–6 p.m.

Curley School Auditorium

Meet internationally known public artist, photographer and activist Chip Thomas, who will be visiting Ajo to install a mural highlighting the significance and beauty of Quitobaquito Springs.

The community is invited to welcome Chip to Ajo, learn more about his work and gather together for an informal artist reception.

Light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Beyond Borders Film Premiere

Sunday, July 26 | 4 p.m.

Curley School Auditorium

On Sunday afternoon, the Curley School will host the premiere of Beyond Borders, a short-form documentary capturing a collaborative community arts project created across the tri-national heart of the Sonoran Desert.

The film follows communities in Ajo, Arizona; Pisinemo on the Tohono O’odham Nation; and Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, as they worked with artists Christopher Lutter-Gardella and Jose “Buck” Sandoval to create larger-than-life puppets representing each community’s identity, values and connection to the region.

In March 2025, the three communities brought their creations together for a procession in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, creating a powerful visual expression of connection across cultures, communities and borders.

The film premiere will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the filmmaker, participating artists and community members who helped bring the project to life.

Beyond Borders also invites conversation about the environmental and cultural challenges facing this interconnected landscape, including concerns surrounding border infrastructure and sensitive places such as Quitobaquito Springs, or A’al Vaipia, within Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

The film and panel discussion will also be streamed live via Zoom for those unable to attend in person.

Special thanks to filmmaker Nathan Drillot for documenting the project, the National Performance Network for supporting the work, and the Sonoran Arts Residency Program at the Sonoran Desert Inn & Conference Center.

Together, these two events offer a weekend to experience art not simply as something to view, but as a way to tell stories, celebrate place and strengthen connections across the Sonoran Desert region.