In Brief: 'On Our Own Time,' family fun over winter closure, LQP hiatus

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Embrace your creative side with the 'On Our Own Time' exhibition

Employees and members of their families again have the opportunity to flex their creative muscles as part of the annual "On Our Own Time" art exhibition. Registration for the exhibition, which returns to an all in-person format this year, is open until Jan. 27.

Participants must be employees, retirees, volunteers or their immediate family members.

Submissions can be viewed Feb. 6-18 in the lobby of the Bioscience Research Laboratories building, 1230 N. Cherry Ave. Judges will select a best in show award winner, as well as winners in five categories: professional, intermediate, amateur, teen and youth.

The showcase is coordinated by the Employee Recognition Committee and is held through a partnership with the National Arts Program. 

For more information, visit the National Arts Program website or email exhibit coordinator Pamela Wagner, administrative associate in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, at pamelaw@arizona.edu.

If you need inspiration, check out last year's award winners in this gallery.

Find family fun over winter closure

Looking for ways to keep kids and visitors entertained over the winter break? The University offers plenty of events and activities that people of all ages can enjoy during the closure.

Cheer on the Cats

While football season ended with a Territorial Cup win over Arizona State, the men's and women's basketball seasons are still in full gear. Families can buy tickets to home games – including the women's basketball match-up against the Sun Devils on Dec. 29 – on the Arizona Athletics website. Get ready to gear up, Bear Down and cheer on the Cats.

Fly at Flandrau

If you'd like to experience something beyond this world, head to the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium. Fulldome shows are held on a nearly daily basis, exploring the worlds of stars, black holes, our moon and more. Keep an eye out for the "Tucson Sky and Beyond" show – which showcases our city's clear, dazzling night sky – or the immersive laser shows celebrating pop culture favorites like "Stranger Things," David Bowie and Queen. The planetarium's offerings also include holiday-inspired shows and a daily winter break camp for kids from Dec. 26-30, with each day featuring a different theme.

See a whole new world

If you or your family enjoys immersive adventures into the world of science, the University has got you covered. Make your way through the five ecological biomes of Biosphere 2. Guided indoor and outdoor tours are available to aid guests in exploring some of our world's major habitats and fascinating research. Biosphere 2 will be open every day during closure (except Christmas Day) from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Relax with nature

The Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter – home to the University's public astronomy outreach program – is the perfect place for friends and family to relax and marvel at Tucson's beauty. Feel your surroundings shift from desert to deciduous forest as you drive upward towards Sky Island, the center's headquarters. At an elevation of 9,157 feet, you'll get a vast and dazzling view of the mountain's green, rolling hills. Once at the SkyCenter, you'll have the opportunity to participate in daytime telescope tours (picnics are included) or, if you stay until dark, stargaze from one of Tucson's best locations. See the center's event calendar for more details.

Looking for more destinations? Check out the Arts & Museums web page for ideas.

LQP will return on Jan. 11

Today's edition of Lo Que Pasa is the last for 2022. LQP will return on Jan. 11.

In the meantime, we will continue to post UAnnounce memos and classified ads through Dec. 22. The University will be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2.

We wish all University employees and their families a safe and happy holiday season!