Proctor's Global Art Classroom program has shifted from its new home base near Tucson to Europe for the final three weeks of the spring term. After an 18-hour travel day, the group landed in Rome and went directly to the Vatican Museums to see the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. After immersing themselves in all things art, architecture, and culture in Rome, they boarded a train north for Florence. Look for an update on their experience in Italy soon.
Today's post looks back at the close of the program's Arizona chapter through the writing of two students. Gigi '26 reflects on the small-town thrift shops she and Adele hunted through across the Southwest, and Abby '27 captures a weekend in Tucson when Proctor faculty members Kara Hayes and Derek Nussbaum Wagler came out to spend time with the group. Read more below!
Thrifting Our Way Through Arizona
Gigi ’26
Adele and I have a special way of taking a piece of everywhere we go home with us, commonly known as antiquing or thrifting. Every stop in a town in Arizona, the two of us scour for spots to scour for unique treasures. Some may say that we just love shopping, but we know that this isn't just any regular shmegular clothes shopping. Inside a secondhand shop, the world opens, unleashing many unknown possibilities before our eyes. Maybe we'll find a short tweed trench coat, maybe a turquoise necklace, maybe a five-dollar piece of decorative lace, or maybe a one-dollar T-shirt.
We never know what we are going to find, and going in and out of strange little shops leaves you with a resounding sense of satisfaction. Unpredictable. That is the word to describe this process. This word explains why people hate on this experience, but why we love it so much. Into the time machine we go, where we can purchase signs from the '50s, shirts from the 70's, and shoes from the 2000's--what else could you ask for during a stop at a random Arizona town!? One might ask, can't you just thrift back at home? But as we shop in each town, we get to learn about the people who live here: how they are doing in life; whether life is hard around this area; what colors are more popular in the Southwest versus the Northeast; and a thousand other stories emerging from each piece sitting on the shelves. While our memories may fade of the many towns we pass through, we have a piece of each destination which becomes part of our external skin or living space, each one shaping us into a collage of our experiences on this program.
A Whirlwind Adjunct Weekend
Abby ’27
Kara and Derek came to Arizona and stayed with us while Amy and Laura got a break. When we got back from glass blowing, they had just arrived at the NOLS campus, so we met up and had pizza for dinner. We sat around talking and catching up, and it was a really nice way to start the weekend. Kara brought a really calm, easygoing vibe that made everything feel relaxed right away. She was super fun to be around, but in a grounded way that made everyone feel comfortable just being themselves.
The next morning, we went to Downtown Tucson. We walked through the Tucson Museum of Art and spent time looking at all the different exhibits. After that, we got street tacos for lunch, which were really good. Later, Fiona and I rented scooters and rode around Tucson for a while, exploring different streets. It turned out to be one of the more fun parts of the day. We went back to campus after that, had dinner, played a game together, which really bonded us together, and then, of course, we needed a sweet treat, so we went to Dairy Queen. I didn’t really know Derek before this trip, but he ended up being fun to be around. He had a smile on his face pretty much the whole time, making everything feel more laid-back.
The next day, Kara taught us yoga in the morning, which was a good way to start the day. After that, we went to the Pima County Fair. We watched pig racing, and the pig I chose, Porkahontis, came in last, which was kind of funny. We walked around more and went to a ninja show where Fiona went on stage and got flipped over! Later, we went back to campus for dinner and then drove up to Windy Point to watch the sunset. The next morning, they headed back to New Hampshire, which was sad. The weekend went by fast, but it was fun having Derek and Kara in our world for a weekend.
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