David Aguirre
David B. Aguirre, an accomplished ceramic artist and longtime advocate for the
Downtown arts community, received the “Heart of Downtown Award” from Mayor Bob
Walkup on June 3, 2004. The ceremony was held at Santa Theresa Tile Works, an artist
studio located in Downtown’s Historic Warehouse Arts District.

“Downtown Tucson and the Warehouse District wouldn’t be what they are today without
David,” said Mayor Walkup. “It’s an honor for me to give him the ‘Heart of Downtown
Award’ because his commitment to our city has had a tremendous effect on all of us.”
Aguirre moved to Tucson in 1987 after receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree in
ceramics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He says he immediately fell in
love with Downtown’s vibrant artist enclave and decided it was the “right place” to begin
his career because of its unique combination of small town charm, contemporary urban
culture and creative energy.

“Downtown Tucson is like a village,” Aguirre says. “It’s small enough and yet it’s big
enough, too. It has intimate cafés and coffee shops like a small town and major
cultural attractions such as contemporary art galleries and theatres. I know the shop
owners by name and every day I’m surrounded by highly creative people and cutting-edge ideas. Downtown is
simply where I love to be,” he continued.

In the 17 years that he has lived and worked Downtown Aguirre has played an instrumental role in developing the
Warehouse District and helping other artists establish themselves there. He founded and manages several warehouse
studios that lease loft space to artists and believes that the area’s success depends on attracting and retaining new
talent. “The more grapes, the stronger the vine,” he said, comparing the arts community to a thriving plant. “We
need to keep growing more grapes!”

Aguirre has also supported the Downtown arts community by volunteering his time with a number of prominent arts
organizations. He is the current president of both the Tucson Arts Coalition and Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery
and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Tucson/Pima Arts Council. He is a member of the National
Council on Education for Ceramic Arts and is part of the team working to create a long-range master plan for the
Warehouse District.

His art has been displayed in dozens of museums throughout the United States, is also represented in the permanent
collections of the McDonald’s Corporation, Tucson International Airport and several others.

<- Back to Downtown Personalities