For the last nine months, local musician Logan Greene has been on a mission.
His objective: To create a community space where Tucson teens, interested in furthering their love of music and the arts beyond what’s taught in school, can thrive.
The center, per Greene’s vision, would provide a venue space for local artists and bands, and separate classroom areas where students can learn everything from comic book drawing to ukulele for beginners.
Dubbed Groundworks, it would welcome people of all ages, but be primarily youth-driven.
“When people in Tucson want to do something creative, we want to be there to facilitate that,” Greene said.
Greene now finds himself in the final stretch of turning his dream into a reality.
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On May 18, he announced on the Groundworks Facebook page that the project was approved for its 501c3 nonprofit status.
In a Kickstarter campaign that ended Saturday, more than 220 people contributed more than $11,800 to help Groundworks get off the ground.
Greene’s team will be holding a fundraiser at 191 Toole, downtown, on June 22 to help raise more money for, among other things, securing a venue space.
Greene, 31, said a project like Groundworks has been missing in Tucson for some time.
Greene was born and raised in the Old Pueblo and is a University of Arizona graduate.
He remembers frequenting places like Skrappy’s, a youth collective downtown, when he was a student at Amphitheater High School.
Skrappy’s, which had operated in different capacities since 1995, offered an alcohol-free, youth music and arts venue that hosted local bands and up-and-coming touring groups over the years, including Fall Out Boy, The Bled and Give Up the Ghost.
It shut its doors in 2013.
“I see a lot of younger bands who don’t have a lot of places to play,” Greene said. “It has been a few years since Skrappy’s closed and nothing has really popped up in its place. There is enough momentum in youth arts and music in town, but nothing to fill the void.”
Greene, who already teaches guitar at Sahuaro High School and through private lessons, said the venue would cover its operating costs through renting classroom time to instructors, holding concerts and through donations.
The nonprofit’s board would run operations, but Groundworks’ members would help develop the programming, and shape where the space was going.
Greene said a lot of people in Tucson have already reached out to ask about how they can contribute.
“The positive response has absolutely energized the entire team,” Greene said. “We originally planned to go through with this on a limited budget. Because of all of the support, we’ve readjusted our whole game plan.”
Greene said he hoped to have Groundworks running by this fall.
His board is looking at several spaces in the midtown area, including a 2,000-square-foot building that last served as a gym near East Glenn Street and North Campbell Avenue.
“We have this awesome momentum right now,” Greene said. “We are trying to utilize that as we move forward.”
