AVM designer Renee Palmer-Jones
AVM Designer Donates Commemorative Painting BY KRISTI NORTHCUTT either in-kind donations, which was a lot of the construction; the benches; the stainless steel work; the emblem. The rest of the $150,000 was done through different and private citizens donations,” explains Elizabeth. The memorial features five marble pillars representing the five branches of the United States military. Each of the pillars is staggered by height with their appropriate military seal placements on each pillar based upon the Department of Defense prescribed precedence. Surrounding the Great Seal of the United States are brick pavers within the Circle of Honor inscribed with the names of U.S. serviceman and women, symbolizing the ‘support’ for their contributions. “I take the Paver Lane very seriously, because that is the story behind the memorial; it’s the veteran’s story and we want to honor each one of them carefully and respectfully,” says Elizabeth. Veteran pavers identify the name, rank, service branch, and years entering and exiting the service. They are available for $150 each, with $117 of that donation going to the Anthem Way Foundation for the educational programing and maintenance of the memorial. “The pavers take about eight weeks to come back to us. They’re engraved by a company up in California,” says Elizabeth, who helps personally contact the veterans and their families who’ve ordered a paver in that batch. They’re invited to Paver Lane for a ceremony where Elizabeth gives a brief talk about the history of the memorial and then she calls out each veteran’s name, along with their branch, rank, and service years. Then, the veteran or their family member lays the paver. “We have room for approximately 2,400 pavers and we have approximately 1,500 laid,” explains Elizabeth. Of the 1,500, there are 42 states represented, along with four countries. “We have some from Austria, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia,” she says. Plans are being discussed to expand the project to include more pavers, when the time comes. According to Renee, they’re Text continued on page 40.
36 || 85086MAGAZINE.com || NOVEMBER 2016
AVM designer Renee Palmer-Jones created an original painting commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Anthem Veterans Memorial. The painting, The AVM Spirit, will be auctioned Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. as part of the Art in Public Places opening at the Anthem Civic Building. The piece is a multimedia painting on canvas. A combination of three different potential concepts was the inspiration for the piece. Renee aimed to reflect the beauty of the five armed services pillars, without the structure itself dominating the purpose of the AVM, which is to honor veterans. “I focused on a classically spiritual rendering of the AVM. It is bathed in a symbolic light that is derived from veterans’ service and sacrifice, as it is they who light our journey of freedom,” says the artist. The primary composition is acrylic paint with metallics and a fiber photograph. The canvas is matte varnished, acrylic sealed, and framed by Steve Rusch, local resident and original AVM draftsman. The painting will be unveiled to launch the Anthem Community Council’s Public Art program. A partnership with the Sonoran Arts League, the Art in Public Places program features artwork from North Valley artists throughout the public spaces in the Civic Building. The Nov. 2 event will give the public an opportunity to tour the art, visit with artists showcased, and enjoy live music by Paradise Valley Community College Faculty Jazz Ensemble. Rotary Club of Anthem will provide a cash bar at the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to add the AVM painting to their collection at the event. Proceeds will benefit the AVM Honor a Veteran program and ongoing educational programming at the memorial.