Photo courtesy of the Tucson Museum of Art Paintings, photographs, ceramics and glassware are some of the handmade works of art shoppers can purchase at the Tucson Museum of Art's Spring Artisans market.

If you'd rather do spring shopping than spring cleaning, put the Tucson Museum of Art's annual Spring Artisans market on your to-do list this weekend.

A juried arts and crafts show, the Artisans market begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the TMA courtyards, 140 N. Main Ave.

"All booths are offering hand-made art, like glass art, ceramics, jewelry, photography, paintings, food and music," said Sherry Stepleton, TMA's director of marketing. "It's very, very different. It's really a fun day."

Stepleton added that more than 10,000 people will attend the market over its three-day span.

The market features more than 100 artists from the Southwest boasting their wares amid music, food and Tucson's historic culture, since the market also provides the opportunity to check out Tucson's historic Spanish district. The district has some of Tucson's early buildings and homes filled with art and antiques.

Everything, including TMA and the historic district, will be free and open to the public. TMA is currently exhibiting Layers Concealed and Revealed, work by renowned artist Terence La Noue.

"The museum itself is located in the Presidio district, which is the early historic Spanish district of Tucson," said Laurie Rufe, the executive director of the museum. "The historic district is really a part of our exhibition venue, so the market really gives people a great opportunity to find out about some wonderful arts and crafts, and to see some great art in the museum - as well as look at our historic buildings."

The Spring Artisans market is the first half of TMA's biannual series of crafts markets, the other half being the Holiday Crafts market held each fall. Both events provide the museum with revenue and the public with an opportunity to have some fun, all while learning about art and historic Tucson.

"We really get the satisfaction of supporting the local artists, and certainly in a financial sense, it supplies general operating support for us," Rufe said. "The market does give the artists a lot of exposure, and there's a great diversity of arts and crafts on view."

This year's spring market marks both its eleventh anniversary and its rapid growth from a small craft exhibit to a large, vibrant display of local and regional talent.

"The market has grown from being a very small venue for just arts and crafts stuff to a really high quality venue for Arizona artists," Stepleton said. "It's not Southwestern art as much as the artists themselves are regional. It's an upscale, outstanding market with prices from $5 to $2500."

Even if you're not looking to purge your bank account on art, the market offers patrons something equally as valuable at no charge.

"The market really celebrates what Tucson's all about, and that's cultural and artistic diversity," Rufe said.

Call 624-2333 for more information, or go to www.tucsonarts.com.