Artlink Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to linking artists, business and the public to better understand, appreciate and support a thriving arts community in downtown Phoenix. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events, including complimentary Trolley Tours during the monthly First Friday Art Walk, one of the nation’s largest selfguided art walks; a pop-up gallery program; the Infusion arts initiative; and the annual Juried Exhibition, Art Detour, and Art d’Core Gala. Artlink is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Art Museum, The Arizona Republic, Dunn Transportation, The Torosian Foundation, David Wright House, BJ Communications, Heard Museum, Phoenix Convention Center, Valley Metro, Downtown Voices Coalition, Invexi Web Development, Urban Affair, Roosevelt Row CDC, Warehouse District, and Historic Grand Avenue. Interested arts patrons, volunteers, sponsors and advocates are encouraged to subscribe to the Artlink newsletter to stay up-todate on artist opportunities, community activities, and more. Visit artlinkphoenix.com or connect socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Artlink’s 18 th Annual Juried Exhibition Artlink Phoenix’s 18th Annual Juried Exhibition presents the work of 45 exceptional Arizona artists. A panel of three jurors from the Phoenix art community reviewed the submissions and selected the pieces for the exhibition. This year’s panel included Nancy Hill, owner of Chartreuse, artist Fred Tieken, and Ann Marshall, Ph.D., the Heard Museum's director of curation and education. The 45 artists featured in this show are Samantha Lyn Aasen, Bob Allen, Gary Beals, Brian Boner, Lexi Coburn, Heidi Dauphin, Jeff Falk, Page Filson, Gloria Gaddis, José Andrés Girón, Zarco Guerrero, Isadora Hale, Charles Harker, Dan Hoglund, Carlos Ibarra, Damian Jim, Kristine Kollasch, Lauren Lee, Rachel Linnemeier, Cheryle Marine, Hugo Medina, Rocco Menaguale, Ann Morton, Danny Neumann, Dan Pederson, Diego Pérez, Wayne Rainey, Jill Roig, Melissa Schleuger, Mary Serantoni, Diane Silver, Jason Smith, Laura Spalding Best, Kathy Taylor, Mohan Toopal, Archie Tucker, Zach Valent, Chris Vena, Onna Voellmer, Jon Wassom Joan Waters, Esther BeLer Wodrich, Niki Woehler, Danielle Wood, and Frank Ybarra. This year, the number of submitting artists was over 250, so far beyond the expected number of submissions. The Annual Artlink Juried Exhibition provides an important showcase for local artists and contributes to the ongoing conversation between emerging and established artists. We are very thankful to the jurors and all of the impressive artists who applied. Enjoy the show! 2
Jury Panel We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our jurors for providing their invaluable expertise in the selection process for our 18th Annual Juried Exhibition! Nancy Hill is the owner of Chartreuse, a contemporary art gallery in the Historic Grand Avenue arts district and the owner of Hazel & Violet Ink, a custom letterpress printing shop, specializing in wedding invitations, announcements, and stationery. Prior to opening Chartreuse on Grand, Nancy owned and operated Gallery 720 on 4th St. in the Roosevelt Arts District. www.chartreuseart.com Ann Marshall, Ph.D., is director, curation and education at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her M.A. in anthropology from the University of Arizona and a doctorate in arts administration from Arizona State University. Following a brief period of employment at the Heard Museum between 1974 and 1976, she worked for the Bishop Museum in Honolulu from 1976-1980. She returned to the Heard Museum in 1980 as the curator of collections. In her current capacity she supervises the curatorial, exhibit design, education and library and archives departments. During her career at the Heard, she has worked on many of the museum’s major exhibitions that involved cultural advisors. She was the project director for the museum’s signature exhibit HOME: Native People in the Southwest and editor of the accompanying book. She is also the author of Rain: Native Expressions from the American Southwest and the Heard Museum History and Collections. 3
Jury Panel In Fred Tieken’s paintings, the energy of street art is transformed through the artist’s feel for color and composition and his socially aware sense of humor. After years as a musician and then a graphic artist, Tieken found his voice as a painter by adding the clarity of graphic art to the uninhibited energy of jazz and rock music. While Tieken’s art often may seem comical on the surface, a closer look reveals an intellectual undercurrent that lays bare the weight of today’s pressing social issues. He is considered by many to be a leader in the worldwide renaissance of Neo-Expressionism. www.fredtieken.com
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Samantha Lyn Aasen Samantha Lyn Aasen is an artist adapting to the southwest, as she holds on to her Midwestern mentalities. Her suburban upbringing has her questioning female relationships and societal standards. She uses her art as an exploration of her ambivalence of pop culture and desire to protect young girls from facing negative attitudes about themselves or from others. Samantha Lyn Aasen has had exhibitions in Indiana, Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, Maryland, and recently the UK. She holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Art from Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University and a Studio Art MFA with an emphasis in Intermedia from Arizona State University. Currently she teaches at the Maricopa Community Colleges, and volunteers with Girls Rock! Phoenix. Artist Statement The focus of my practice is my own ambivalence towards the Princessindustrial-complex, which in some way mirrors our cultural ambivalence towards women’s and girl’s sexuality. My work explores gender, sexuality, and pop culture by seeking out the shifting boundary between girlhood and womanhood. The subject matter of artwork blurs the line of child and adult, in a perverse way. The absurdity of societal expectations (Brazilian waxes, acrylic nails, or disregarding personal boundaries to please someone) of the female form is juxtaposed with the absurd and grotesqueness of the reality of the consequences of the expectations. My art practice is a mix of video, photography, and objects. I use my studio to create installations for perform-for-camera work. www.samanthalyn.com
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Big Head inkjet photograph 14" x 18" 2016 $500
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Bob Allen For over four decades, Bob Allen has been involved in the arts in a variety of meaningful ways, in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Phoenix. Allen’s primary professional career was in the performing arts - as administrator, producer and multi-arts presenter but enjoyed a later career in city government. Throughout these years, he also pursued a parallel path in creating visual art in his studio and exhibiting when possible. He is now retired and make (art)work every day. Artist Statement I was responsible for overall venue management when the President first came to town to speak at the VFW convention; many of the materials used in this mixed media work are my recycled planning documents, meeting notes & hall schematics all blended together to capture the concern, chaos and charm of this historic day. 21crunch.com
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POTUS Phx mixed media painting on stretched canvas 24” x 24” x 1.5” $800
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Gary Beals Gary Beals was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From the time Beals was nine years old through high school, Beals was fortunate to be able to study art with Emily von Auw. Ms. von Auw was a remarkable teacher who mentored and nurtured dozens of students, many of whom later became professional artists, designers and teachers. Under her tutelage Gary Beals learned a wide range of techniques including pastels, watercolor, oil, wood cut printing, jewelry making, clay modeling and plaster casting. She had the knowledge and tools on hand necessary for teaching such a wide array of skills. While earning his degree in business from the University of New Mexico he was able to take elective art classes. Professionally, Beals immersed myself in furniture marketing and design development with Knoll International and Litton Business Furniture. These endeavors taught him the discipline required for moving a product from its conceptual stage through the various iterations required for a successful finished product. He follows the same process for creating a piece of abstract sculpture: working from sketches to scale models or 3-D computer drawings to finished product. Gary Beals painted and sketched all of his adult life, mostly to keep his hand and head in art. Twent- six years ago he began making sculpture. Beals taught himself to weld and finish steel. Since then he has created some one hundred works. bealssculpture.com
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Bindings XIX steel with red powder coat finish 44" x 8.5" x 8.5" 2013 $3,800
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Brian Boner Born in South Dakota, Brian Boner has exhibited his work throughout the United States including Phoenix, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Tucson. He has participated in events, benefits and artists’ symposiums through the Phoenix Art Museum and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. Brian is represented by Wilde Meyer Gallery in both Scottsdale and Tucson. He currently lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona. Artist Statement This painting is about being a parent. It is about looking into your child's eyes and knowing that the world is not an innocent place, yet full of infinite beauty. It's the realization that the world is both comforting and terrifying, and that they will have to navigate that beautiful landscape using the tools and trades we pass down to them. www.brianboner.com
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Grackle Study oil on canvas 24" x 31" x 1.5� 2016 $900.00
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Lexi Coburn Lexi was born in the greater Sacramento area, and raised in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. The beauty and wonder of the natural landscape in which she grew up, has significantly impacted her life and work. Surround by three major rivers, dense oak forests and rugged mountains, as well as cultivated farms and orchards, the land has inspired and confirmed her love and appreciation of all things natural and organic. She has participated in shows throughout the west coast and southwest region of the United States, as well, as internationally in Wales and Bulgaria. She completed her MFA in Printmaking from the University of Arizona in 2009. Since graduation, she has participated in several international artist's residencies in both Bulgaria and Belgium and national workshops in New York and Colorado. Artist Statement: My work tends to address the lack of connection between humanity and nature. My prints and plates, often imitate small glimpses of the naturalness that surrounds us, like the breaking down of materials, the weathering of time like water etching a path through a stream bed, etc. I have found these moments to be quite beautiful and exhibit a rawness that exists within the erosive process that reaffirms my connection to nature. Saguaros have been popping up in my work over the last couple of years. I considered them specials friends, companions of the past, with many stories to tell. This is a multiple plate lithograph, stone and smart plate. lexicoburn.wordpress.com
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Saguaro Ghost Lithograph 14" x 12" 2016 $225
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Heidi Dauphin Heidi Dauphin is a mixed media artist that has lived in Phoenix since 2004. Dauphin is originally from Michigan where she spent much of her childhood vacations camping and exploring the forests and shorelines of the Great Lake State. From a very early age, she learned to gather and collect many things that would later influence her artwork greatly. Heidi earned a MFA and BFA from the University of Michigan. Since being in Arizona, Heidi has been an Artist-in-Residence, Guest Artist, and Art Teacher at several Phoenix area schools and art programs. Heidi has also partnered to work on public art projects in the Phoenix area. She has completed six different largescale, outdoor projects over the past ten years. Her most recent public art piece was completed in 2016 for the Metro Valley Light Rail on the 19th Ave. extension. Throughout her career, Heidi has shown her work at many galleries and art centers across the country including New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Heidi continues to be passionate about creating her own artwork, educating all ages in art, and making art accessible to all. Artist Statement I think of my creative process as a journey. I know that this journey began a long time ago. I realize that I am a collector traveling through life picking up bits and pieces of memories, items, places, and people along the way: all affecting my work and me. I concentrate on the accumulation of these things and incorporate multiples and repetition in my work. I examine the ideas of micro and macro within the arrangements of my collections. My curiosity leads me to look for connections and similarities. I integrate. The materials that I use greatly influence the content of my work. I am drawn to many different items and enjoy exploring the unique characteristics of each. I am not necessarily obedient to an object's intended use, and often find that when the boundaries are pushed, the best creations occur. As a result, I consider myself a mixed media artist, first investigating the “stuff� that art can be made from, then examining many concepts and processes that lead to the completion of my ideas. www.heididauphin.com
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Making a Point II mixed media (over 900 pencils) 31” x 31” x 3” 2011 $2,500
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Jeff Falk Jeff Falk has been a very active member of the Phoenix arts community since 1983. Falk witnessed, and also been a part of, it's growth and development over the decades. In 1984 he joined the legendary M.A.R.S. art space, which along with Alwun House, used to be just about the only games in town for artists here in Phoenix. Art, created by Valley based artists, has become an important part of the identity and personality of this city. Artist Statement This work of art is a visual melee of images and words created in a collage style that has been a signature approach of my art for many years. Chaos Theory (Flesh Is Grass) is made up of many images from 1950s era textbooks: science and geography books, etc. (I actually used some of these textbooks in the schools I attended as a student in the late 50s and into the 60s so I suppose there is a nostalgia factor at work here.) My intent is to stimulate the eye of the viewer with a visual chaos of color and background text bits and pictures and then allow specific dominant images to emerge in the foreground. The idea is to create a visual narrative that gives the viewer a lot of ideas to mull over. With this work the subtitle Flesh Is Grass is an actual phrase taken from a science book of that time. It refers to the food chain of life. (We eat meat so the flesh we eat is from animals that ate grass.) Yet it sounds very odd when taken out of context. I like that. signlanguageforclowns.wordpress.com
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Chaos Theory (Flesh Is Grass) mixed media on paper mounted on canvas. 36" x 24" x 2" 2010 $3,500 18
Page Filson Originally from Cleveland Ohio, Page Filson received a BFA in painting from Cleveland Institute of Art. Shortly after graduating, Filson moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. In the Bay Area, her work was featured in the Triton Museum of Art, Palo Alto Arts Center and many regional galleries and juried shows. In 2000, Filson moved to the Verde Valley of Northern Arizona where she has been represented by Arte-Misia and Manheim Galleries. Working with a variety of materials-acrylic paint, cement, sticks, ashes - her work is landscape referential. Through color and texture she seeks to evoke a feeling of place for the viewer. Artist Statement Every evening, I walk with my dogs to the field next to our house. We walk past mesquite, cactus and the charred remnants of unwanted brush in our burn pile. On the trail - red dirt, sticks and rocks. Recently I started gathering these elements to incorporate into my work. When I begin painting, I don’t set out to create a literal representation of the world but rather evoke the essence or feeling of light, smoke, and other natural forces. My process begins with initially building up the canvas with mortar and then scraping, washing, adding and subtracting materials until a narrative word or feeling begins to take shape organically, cumulating in a finished piece. I don’t want to make specific landscape but rather hint at one and let people bring to it what they will. sedonaartistscoalition.org/?mtheme_portfolio=page-filson-mixed-media-paintings
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Smolder mixed media (acrylic, mortar, powdered pigment, burn pile ashes) 40� x 20� $900
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Gloria Gaddis Artist Statement Painting is a process of becoming. Painting involves risks and rewards; tangible and intangible ideas; plus my work incorporates the universal and personal (subjective & objective) into a single view. Painting helps me extend my vocabulary beyond mere words into the realm of the imagination. I have no way of predicting the “final� look of my work. It is more like a dance; a give & take; and a rhythm of many working relationships; aware of possibilities as they emerge. So, how do I know when a painting is finished? When all the parts are working in harmony. When I am empty and it is full. When I know that one more move will alter everything or change the entire meaning of the work. Gallery representation: Gebert Contemporary (Scottsdale); Sue Greenwood Fine Art (Laguna Beach); Mikel Hunter (Martha's Vineyard) www.gloriagaddis.com
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Color Fields #4 oil on canvas 36" x 36" $4,500
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José Andrés Girón José Andrés Girón was born in Phoenix, Arizona and lived by the airport close to the Golden Gate Barrio. As a young boy he spent the summers in New Mexico on his grandfather’s ranch. His work almost always depicts the positive and beautiful things of the Hispanic/Latino culture. Just out of High School he joined the Army and found himself deployed to Viet Nam with the 101st Airborne Division. He received the Purple Heart for gunshot wounds. While recuperating in the hospital, drawing became as natural as breathing. He then made a promise to himself that if he was to survive this war he would make a solid commitment to becoming an artist. Using his G.I. Benefits he attended Art School in Hollywood California, Phoenix College, and ASU in Arizona where he majored in Art Education. Working with other artists he soon began showing at parks, community events or wherever there was an audience. He was a founding member of MARS and ARIZTLAN, which started a Latino Arts movement in the late seventies and early eighties in Phoenix, Arizona. In New Mexico he was awarded “Outstanding Artist 2003” at the Contemporary Spanish Market in Santa Fe, awarded First Prize in Albuquerque’s Spanish Market 2006 and has received awards and citations too numerous to mention. His art is part of the collection of the Latino Art Archives of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and is a collectible investment in Latino art history. José Andrés Girón draws inspiration from his roots. Artist Statement The title of this piece translates to “Making Tamales Forever” in Spanish. This piece compliments my original painting “La Tamalada” which shows my family making tamales in the flesh. The exact same scene is composed of my mom in the center, my wife, my daughters, niece and grandchildren. This is a family tradition that will continue long after we’re gone. www.artegiron.com
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La Tamalada Para Siempre watercolor 24"x34" 2016 $3,500
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Zarco Guerrero Zarco Guerrero: Sculptor, mask maker, performance artist - born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, has dedicated his artistic endeavors to create positive social change through the arts. Guerrero has exhibited his sculptures and masks in Mexico and throughout the United States. He has painted over 45 mural projects nationwide and his retrospective exhibition of over 200 pieces of art (including installations and murals) tours nationally. In 1984, PBS broadcasted nationally a one-hour documentary about his art entitled The Mask of El Zarco. In 1986 he won the prestigious Japan Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and spent one year in Kyoto, Japan, studying the Noh Masks. In 1993 he was awarded Arizona's Governor's Arts Award for his artistic contributions to the community. Guerrero has completed various public art commissions, including the 2 monuments to César Chávez in Arizona. In 1998, a larger-than-life size bronze sculpture of Farmworker Leader César Chávez commissioned by the City of Phoenix was installed at 27th Avenue and Baseline. In 2007 he dedicated a life size César Chávez sculpture for the City of San Luis, Arizona where César was born and died, on the occasion of leader’s 80th birthday. He is also the recipient of the Esperanza Teacher Award, the Hispanics in Higher Education Award, The Victoria Arts Award, among many others. Currently, Guerrero is the Artist in Residence at Childsplay, funded by the Doris Duke Foundation and a fellow with the Southwest Folklife Alliance. www.zarkmask.com
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Kabotie Clown acrylics on wood 36" x 30� 2016 $6,000
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Isadora Hale Isadora Hale grew up in the Bay Area, just outside of San Francisco. She credits her exposure to the brilliantly diverse musical, cultural and artistic influences of the area for her bold and colorful artistic style, often including touches of tattoo and/or rockabilly aesthetics. She studied Art Studio and Creative Writing at the University of California, Davis, where she had her art displayed in several shows and venues. While Hale diverted from fine art for a time, working in the graphic design industry, she has exuberantly returned to it with an eye on a full-time fine art career. A lifelong animal lover, Isadora regularly enjoys painting animal portraits, again infusing a colorful, alternative style to many of her portraits. She lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband and three children, where she paints daily with her dogs by her side. Artist Statement The original creative spark for “Freedom Ride” was the ride animals get to take home with their new family when adopted from a shelter. The exuberance of that phrase is uplifting to say the least, and I harnessed that feeling of joy and freedom when laying down the initial layer of fiber paste on the canvas. It flows in big, arching sweeps across the canvas, creating a subtle under layer of movement and texture that will always be visible if the viewer looks closely. I give a nod to the rat rod style with my own personal twist on it, as the dog and his adopter barrel down the road in a chopped, rusty old car. As I developed the piece, I realized it had a deeper layer of meaning to me, as my own first drive down a Sonoran Desert highway was one of personal freedom, leaving a difficult relationship behind and heading to Tucson to start anew. That layer of meaning is represented by the word “FREEDOM” which I painted big in the sky of the painting, and then I covered all but a hint of it. I hope the painting holds a special meaning for any viewer, as we are all searching for our own personal Freedom. www.artbyisadora.com 27
Freedom Ride acrylic and fiber paste on canvas 24” x 30” 2016 $425
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Charles Harker Charles Harker has been exhibiting his work throughout the Phoenix Area since 2005. His work has also been published in Phoenix Magazine twice and he’s published the book “The Imaginary Landscapes of Charles Harker.” Artist Statement "Inchy by Inchy, Leonardo De Vinci" Seen scrawled on bathroom wall in New York City www.charlesharker.com
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Gas Pump photography print 11" x 16" (19.5" x 24.5� framed) $600.00
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Dan Hoglund Dan Hoglund grew up in Minnesota where he studied art and design at the University of Minnesota, Dunwoody College and Century College. He recently relocated to beautiful Scottsdale, AZ to paint full time. Being a lifelong artist Dan Hoglund incorporates graphite, acrylics and mixed media on canvas to inspire rustic, minimalistic and simple visions of the environment around us. Each series starts with colors grouped around specific themes and meanings. Research gathering and production of new areas of interest normally leads to the next body of work. His passion for painting the colorful and exciting surroundings provide a mix of paintings for all to enjoy. dmhoglund.pixels.com
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Animal Farm 226 mixed acrylic on canvas 40"x 30" x 1.5" 2016 $1,800 32
Carlos Ibarra Carlos Ibarra was born in 1973 in the border town of Nogales, Arizona. By age five, drawing had become a passion. Throughout elementary school his drawings revealed a deep interest in popular culture. In 1987, while a freshman in high school, Ibarra published a series of political cartoons in the local newspaper, Nogales International. The newly appointed Governor of Arizona, Rose Mofford, recognized his work. After graduating high school in 1991, Ibarra spent a year in Mexico studying figure drawing at the Institute of Art in San Miguel de Allende. That experience fostered a strong appreciation for the work of the great Mexican muralists of the 20th Century. In 1995 he completed an Associate Degree in Graphic Arts and Design from Southwest University of Visual Arts. Armed with a honed set of skills, Ibarra began an independent career as a commissioned artist. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2011 from the University of Arizona. During his study, Ibarra developed an interest in capturing the geometry of urban landscape. This led to a pivotal realization that visual art, despite all complexity, is primarily composed of simple shapes and basic colors. These are the main elements that continue to influence his current body of work. Carlos Ibarra has exhibited in California, Michigan, Arizona and Mexico. He is included in private collections in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Mexico City. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona and continues to work professionally, and passionately, as an artist. Artist Statement This piece highlights the issue of obesity in America. Through analogy of war, Fat-Man alludes to one of the two deadliest bombs dropped on mankind. This makes a clear statement on the deadly consequences that addictive consumer behavior has on the human body. carlosim.carbonmade.com
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Fat-Man acrylic on wood 12.5" x 9.25" $1,500
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Damian Jim Damian Jim is a Diné artist born in Shiprock, New Mexico in 1973. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Jim works predominantly with acrylic and ink on canvas and paper, as well as digital art and prints. Jim has an AA in Graphic Design from Al Collins Graphic Design School in 1993 and a BA in Computer Information Systems. In 1992, Jim won Best Artist of the Year in Flagstaff, Arizona, and People’s Choice in Sedona’s Fine Arts Festival of the same year. In 1998, Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum Exhibition featured Jim’s paintings, and his original contemporary rug designs woven by local Diné rug weavers. In the same year, Jim won two first place awards for his contemporary acrylic paintings. Damian has exhibited work in numerous shows in the Southwest including Arizona State University College of Public Programs, Artlink A.E. England Gallery, Indie ArtHouse of Phoenix, Xico Inc – Latin & Native American Arts Organization, Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson, AZ, and 1Spot Gallery in downtown Phoenix, and Vestal Village 2014 Coachella Music & Art Festival, to name a few. During 1995 to 1999, Damian Jim created hundreds of graphic designs, contemporary works of art that incorporated traditional Navajo motifs. Many of them were woven into baskets and rugs by leading Diné weavers, in collaboration with Twin Rocks Trading Post in Bluff, Utah, thus jumpstarting a revival of Navajo basketry. Jim has collaborated with artist collectives including Conspire Art Collective and Indie ArtHouse based in Phoenix. In 2012 he co-founded Ziindi: Indigenous Art Zine, a small, free art magazine featuring established and up and coming contemporary indigenous artists from across the U.S. Damian Jim has recently exhibited work in Indian Market Edge for SWAIA in Santa Fe, NM, Dundas Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, The Coe House Gallery, 1Spot Gallery, Project Ethos, Times Square in New York City, and the traveling Phoenix Phabulous Mural exhibit currently at the Burton Bar Central Library in Phoenix, Arizona. Jim lives and works in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, where he co-owns and runs the only contemporary indigenous art gallery in Phoenix, 1Spot Gallery. DamianJim.com
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The Fire Inside mixed media on canvas (spray paint, markers, acrylics, colored pencil, chalk, oil markers, pen) 60� x 48� $4,300 Text written inside of mouth: "My Definition Remains Clear High in Clarity with Error Redundancy, Check that Nozzle Flow, Glow with Your Obsession" 36
Kristine Kollasch Kristine Kollasch is an artist who works in many mediums, from steel, to clay and every color in-between. Her business, Fine Art & Creative Environments, which began over 18 years ago is an umbrella for many facets of art, including: fine art, murals & themed environments and public art. Her fine art can be found in residences and medical facilities from Canada to California. Her public work focuses on community based public art, involving youth and adults in the process enriching the lives of participants and elevate community pride. You’ll find her murals and tile projects throughout Tempe, Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria. Kollasch is a Valley Leadership Alumni, curates First Studio’s Gallery Space in downtown Phoenix, and has donated her time and talents for nearly 20 years to work with the youth and serve on the Board of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona. She is a two-time Governors Arts’ Awards nominee and recipient of the 2014 Phoenix Mayors Arts Award. Artist Statement Three Musicians is a piece originally created for an invitational show where 10 artists were asked to collect some “good trash” from the Chandler, Az recycling facility and transform it into Art. In my piece you will find parts of an ironing board, a washing machine, a gas patio heater and those sunglasses you finally found with a crunch beneath your foot, along with lots of other repurposed treasures. Enjoy exploring. www.ArtandEnvironments.com
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Three Musicians mixed media 46" x 42" x 6" 2010 $1,900
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Lauren Lee Lauren Lee is a Phoenix based painter and muralist who works primarily in public art and private development. She has been featured on the cover of Echo Magazine as well as featured in Java Magazine and named one of Phoenix's Top 100 Creatives by the Phoenix New Times. Lee graduated in 2007 from Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Fine Art and from there went on to teach art for five years at The New School for the Arts and Academics in Tempe, Arizona. She currently is a full time freelance artist, dividing her time between gallery shows and murals. Artist Statement My work aims to create a sense of place and presence. I focus primarily on the biodiversity of the desert and taking a new look at flora and fauna. www.laurenleefineart.com
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Quail and Barrel acrylic on canvas 40” x 30” $1,200
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Rachel Linnemeier Born in 1989 in Indiana, Rachel Linnemeier works in the mediums of oil paint and watercolor. She has finished her undergraduate B.F.A. in Painting with a minor in Art History from Herron School of Art & Design in Indianapolis. She recently relocated to Tucson, Arizona where she continues to create figurative artworks with a focus on color and high detail. Rachel is currently available for commissions and interested parties are encouraged to contact her. Artist Statement I have been creating a body of work consisting mostly of modern selfportraits combined with vintage found imagery as my backgrounds. I enjoy using bright colors and adding all of the tiniest details into my artworks. Recently I have started to branch out from the self-portrait to find new models that bring different personalities and stories to each of the pieces I create. www.rachellinnemeier.com Instagram: @rlinnemeier
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Setting the Record oil on panel 18� x 24" (21.5" x 27.5" framed) 2015 $3,500
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Cheryle Marine Cheryle Marine attended Maine College of Art, graduated from Western Michigan University in 1988 with a BFA in Sculpture, Minor in Painting. Marine has been an active participant in the Phoenix arts scene since 1999, beginning with a collaborative art space on Jackson Street and a special events production company, where Marine helped design, paint, texture, sculpt, install, and de-install themed events. This experience has expanded into working with numerous Interior Designers in specialty finishes and applications and custom murals. As well, Marine has done numerous custom murals for Carl's Jr's across the state of Arizona utilizing local history and points of interest. Marine has assisted with several prominent public artists, expanding her scope of renaissance talents. She is a former Eye Lounge collaborative member, part of numerous art collections, and has exhibited nationally and internationally. Presently, Marine is involved with the Found:RE hotel (renovation of the Lexington Hotel on Central/Roosevelt), providing room art, artistic services, 104 individually painted room number pieces of art, and a large installation of recycle materials in "The Box". Artist Statement My work investigates our human existence: the relationships we have with each other and with our environment. My work cycles around the objects I surround myself with or encounter in my daily travails, whether simply being influenced by their beauty (that's the easy one), their history (was it from a relative or loved one, or a discarded item crushed in the street?), form (form defined by given or circumstantial environmental conditions?), and purpose (does this object have a purpose, how do I use it, do I need it, how does it fill my life?) EVOLVING to the casting, collaging, rubbing, tracing of them to incorporate into sculptural or two-dimensional works. It is almost a process of breathing in my environment and releasing the essence. It comes naturally. I am reducing the objects to shapes, pushing to have the shapes contain blackness and solidity on their own or a remembrance on the surface of them being there. For a moment, I want to hold them in this frozen, vibrating sense of being. Defined by edges, and the rest to one’s imagination. Much like "people" relationships that come and go. Recently, I am using thin horizontal strips of vintage or found papers, inferring subtle words (I call them word pockets), imagery, and color. These are one-sided conversations I can have with the viewer symbolizing our individuality and energy of past experiences, memories, and projections... our vibrations. Website coming soon- cheryle-marine.squarespace.com
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Deer One mixed media 60" x 42" 2015 $4,000 44
Hugo Medina Born in La Paz, Bolivia, Hugo Medina immigrated to New York as a child. He received my BFA from C.W Post/ Long Island University in 1998 and my Masters in Education from University of Phoenix in 2006. While completing his undergraduate work in New York, he volunteered to teach classes at a summer program at the Kumayya Indian reservation in California. His experience at the reservation is what led Medina to become an art teacher. Upon completing his degree, my desire to give back to the community and my love of children led me to a teaching career. His great appreciation and admiration of the Southwest and constant search for adventure brought me to Phoenix in 1998. Medina taught art at various schools in Phoenix, while continuing to design custom metalwork and sculpture in his free time. During his time teaching he founded after school programs to extend the arts beyond the classroom and to reach out to the community. His passion for the arts, and desire to pursue my dreams lead him to becoming a full time artist, having my first exhibit in Arizona in 2009. Medina’s ability to develop and organize programs and events and desire to give back to the community, led him to co-founding the Calle 16 mural project, a nonprofit grass roots project to build communities through the arts. With this newfound passion, and direction, he not only organized and painted murals for Calle 16, but has moved on to creating, organizing and curating other community murals throughout Arizona. Medina’s community work with the arts led him to a board position for Artlink and being appointed to sit on the board of The Phoenix Arts and Cultural Commission by the Mayor of Phoenix. Hugo Medina is recognized for his work in a wide range of multicultural projects, which have given a voice to the city through artistic expression utilizing line, shape, color, formm and space. He has worked together with the community to create a conduit not only for art, but for cultural discussion that tells a story of this vibrant cultural city. Medina is an accomplished artist who has a wide range of experiences stemming from a 30 year career of teaching, coordinating and managing community art projects, fabrication with various materials, murals, and educating Phoenix citizens in arts related projects. www.hugosart.com
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They Tore Down History and Put Up A Parking Lot acrylic / aerosol on canvas 60” x 96” x 24’ (diptych- 60” x 60” and 60” x 36”) $6,000
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Rocco Menaguale Rocco Menaguale hails from Fairport, New York near Rochester. Currently based in Phoenix, Arizona in the Central Art’s District, where he works as a fine artist, licensed Arizona Architect, and interior designer. Menaguale is a formally taught and self-taught artist and his innate artistic ability and passion has guided all of his creative work and remains central to his life. Menaguale holds a Master’s degree in architecture from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from State University of New York at Buffalo. Throughout his education and career, design and artistic expression has been the primary focus. Rocco Menaguale’s combination of experience and artistry work together to create truly unique visual experience. Menaguale’s work has been commissioned and purchased for many public and private collections throughout Arizona and across the country. His works of art have been featured in galleries as well as solo and group exhibitions as listed in the CV attached. Artist Statement We now live in a world where significant pieces of nature will be only memories in the near future if we do not do our best to protect them. This work of art is meant to highlight the state of coral reefs and draw attention to this current environmental challenge. This work of art explores the concept of inauthentic replications and the idea that one day soon the only way to physically observe existing elements in nature will be through representations of that element. roccomenaguale.com
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The Recollection of Coral acrylic paint on hand molded acrylic panels 26" x 54" x 14" $4,000
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Ann Morton Artist Statement This textile portrait features one of the Street Gems team members - an individual who has known chronic homelessness - and whom I’ve come to know well after working with him since the summer of 2012. Street Gems is a social enterprise that engages people who have experienced chronic homelessness to make jewelry and flowers from discarded plastics for public sale. This large-scale work is assembled from clothing that was deemed unworthy of distributing to the clients of the Human Services Campus, the largest facility serving people experiencing homelessness in Phoenix – revealing individuals in grand scale that would otherwise be unnoticed, even invisible. By using cast-off clothing to create these portraits, they are naturally imbued with the history of all those that once wore and touched the fabric used in this work. The materials of these faces still carry a collective energy from the broader community - a collective consciousness that one day may gather the will to decide that homelessness in our society is no longer acceptable. This portrait was supported by the 2014 Arizona Commission on the Arts Artist’s Research and Development Grant. Josef Josef lived on the Human Services Campus for over three years, joining Street Gems in June of 2012. Sometimes he slept outside in the “men’s overflow” due to their capacity; but he then moved to NOVA Safe Haven on campus, and now lives with Michelle in supported housing. Josef is 37, grew up in Mesa, AZ and attended school until 6th grade – the years between then and now are hazy to him. Josef is self- taught. He knows about music, movies and books. He views himself as a creative artist and would like to show his work more. He doesn’t want to be stereotyped as anything other than what he is: “I’m still a regular person – I’m not like somebody you would see begging for change on the street. I’m not one of those people, so I wouldn’t want to be cast or stereotyped as one of those people. I’m a regular person just trying to find my path and make my way through this world, and hopefully make a name for myself.” Looking ahead two years, he sees himself as happy. www.annmortonaz.com
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Josef discarded clothing given to CASS deemed unworthy for distribution to people experiencing homelessness, thread 60� x 72� 2014 $4,000 50
Danny Neumann Artist Statement My childhood was defined by the toys I played with. I was four years old in the Spring of ’77 and was transported to that galaxy far, far away. Star Wars figures transitioned to G.I. Joe figures, then He-Man figures, with lots of other good stuff in between. What’s left of my childhood collection has been reinforced over the course of my adult life with thousands of companions. Too much of my free time is spent keeping up with the latest in this subset of geek culture. When blogging about action figures I assume the role of “Action Figure Anthropologist” and refer to my subjects as “parumplasticus populus" [little plastic people]! But what I really enjoy is photographing my action figures. I try hard to bring action figures to life, thereby recreating the magical way toys are seen through the eyes of a child. The stars of I Love You. I Know. are customized vintage (1979) Kenner 12” Princess Leia and Han Solo Star Wars figures. The lockers are from a 1984 Barbie Workout Center set. Photographed with a Canon 5D Mark II. cantinadan.com
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I Love You. I Know. 2 May 2016 30” x 24” $300
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Dan Pederson Artist Statement My work continues to be about color, layers, and the organization of clutter. I try to explore different ways to express, both with ephemeral media, paper, found objects, and with more traditional media, wood and canvas. I work in the moment, it is a flurry of energy and color and the euphoria of creation. I think my work is immediate, almost simplistic but the layers help create new colors and textures. Every day I continue to learn something new both texturally and technique wise to help push my process forward.
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Part of a Tree mixed media on wood 18” x 15” x 4” 2015 $350
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Diego PĂŠrez Diego PĂŠrez (1987) is a Mexican artist focus on traditional techniques. He started painting as a teenager and studied his Bachelor degree in the Art School "La Esmeralda", which was founded in 1927 by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and other Mexican artists. In 2007 he won the INJUVE National Art and Health Award. His formative influence is the Caravaggio's Baroque where the realistic observation of the daily life is combined with the dramatic use of light, known as chiaroscuro. Artist Statement My creations fluctuate in two planes: what we are told and what we experience with our senses. Our consciousness will try to read the things buried under the painting, maybe an unknowable desire, a profound dream or just the tangible object. diegolcd.wixsite.com/missobras
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The Blue Cat oil on canvas 36” x 48” 2016 $2,000
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Wayne Rainey Wayne Rainey is an artist whose passion lies in documenting people and the places they inhabit, while uncovering hidden symbolism behind the seemingly mundane. By re-imagining human interaction and activity through myth and legend, Rainey explores the unexpected meaning woven into the fabric of everyday life. A conscientious observer of people and culture, Rainey draws his inspiration from travel and observation. Rainey’s strives to capture the essence of an environment through the people who shape it. Rainey’s most recent work is centered around unique perspectives of the human condition - a quality that crosses over into commercial projects often. Notable bodies of work include “The Passenger”, a collection of mesmerizing imagery in London, a large video installation in the main lobby of State Farm’s Marina Heights building, and the Arizona Department of Tourism campaign, a project that Arizona Foothills Magazine noted “captured the essence and beauty of the valley of the sun”. Leading the artistic revitalization in downtown Phoenix, Rainey has spearheaded some of the city’s most prominent creative ventures, including Holga's Artists live/work facilities, and the creative consortium realized in monOrchid featuring two art galleries, co-working, studio and events space. These developments have played a crucial role in cultivating the artistic community within the Roosevelt Row Arts District. Rainey provided a forum for intellectual discussions about art, and artists in Shade, an urban arts magazine, that he founded and published independently. Rainey has earned awards and accolades from publications such as ArtNews, Communication Arts, Art in America, and PDN. Artist Statement This photograph is one in a series of portraits I'm making that deal with artists, creators and sacred places. I found John Logan quite by chance one night, sifting through the ruins of the Scientology/Greenhaus buildings after demolition had begun, (where the Illuminate project is being built) turning over bricks as if he were looking for his home. It brought to mind the semblance of a war zone and ironically perhaps he, as a casualty. The remaining structures pictured were gone within hours. The next day passersby collected some broken bricks but more than that there are now only memories and this. Raineystudios.com
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Illuminated color photograph- mounted C print 60" x 90� 2016 $5,000
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Jill Roig Jill Roig is a contemporary abstract ceramic artist. She received her B.A. degree from the Pennsylvania State University in State College. She has participated in eight group shows in the United States, including Artlink Phoenix 16th and 17th Annual Juried Exhibitions and Shemer Art Center and Museum, “Reflections of Arizona” exhibition juried by Constance McBride. Roig is currently exploring larger scale ceramic art and draws inspiration from the natural world. Her work is distinctive and dramatic, challenging the viewer with her unique combination of glass and clay, representing the artist’s signature style. JillRoig@gmail.com
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Sedona Waves clay and glass 12" x 16" x 3� 2016 $700
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Melissa Schleuger Specializing in abstract expressionism, Melissa Schleuger begins her paintings without preconceived influence and continues by following the lead of brush strokes and paint. Her interests in other mediums are evident as she has developed a skill for incorporating geometric shapes into organic backdrops, creating work that blends the unexpected with sophistication and beauty. An honor student of Fine Art and recipient of the Beth E. Ells Scholarship at Scottsdale Community College, Schleuger’s work has been selected for publication in the school's annual juried VORTEX and articulate publications. In 2016 and 2015 Schleuger was named one of the finest emerging artists in the valley by the Chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges. Her work continues to gain recognition with showings at prominent local venues. MelissaSchleuger.com
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Plus One mixed media 40” x 40” 2015 $850
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Mary Serantoni Mary Serantoni is an Award-winning member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA International/ SWPPA Regional, AZPPA State), and licensed artist. Photographer’s Forum Magazine Awards 2016 selected her as a Finalist to be published in ‘The Best of Photography 2016’ (Serbin Publications). Her work in Layout Design, Arts Marketing, and as Photographer's assistant for Chicago's arts and society events led to a love of Fine Art Photography. She attended American Academy of Art and graduated from DePaul University. Serantoni is represented by Scottsdale's Xanadu Gallery (curated online), and previously featured at Scottsdale's Method Art Gallery (12/20132/2014) and Charlottesville's Atelier ONE Gallery (04/2014). Her work is in private collections from Brazil; Finland; Australia; England; India; Dubai; Canada; Newport Beach; San Francisco; Chicago; New York; Washington; Colorado; Connecticut; Texas; Massachusetts, Maine, New Orleans. www.SerantoniPhotography.com
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Bar Americano fine art photography piece printed on premium metallic art paper 12� x 18" framed/matted, museum glass $500
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Diane Silver Diane Silver has studied art at New York University, Scottsdale Artist’s School, Scottsdale Community College and Anderson Ranch in Colorado. She has both a BA degree and a MAT (Masters In Teaching Arts) degree from Simmons College, as well as a JD degree from Boston College Law School. Artist Statement I think of my paintings as captured moments of memories and dreams. I create a visual language by layering paint, employing color and utilizing abstract gestural marks to reflect the fleeting thoughts and emotions that run through the terrain of my mind. I work spontaneously and intuitively using my gestural marks to expose, sometimes erase and then bring back into focus the elements of balance and disorder that inhabit our inner worlds. Sometimes, I combine fragments of writing with my gestural marks both for their calligraphic beauty and to communicate a visual record of what is on my mind. Diane is represented by Gebert Contemporary. www.dianelsilverartist.com dsilver800@aol.com
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One Moment in Time acrylic mixed media 36" x 36" on cradled panel 2016 $4,800
Writing on the Wall acrylic mixed media 36" x 36" on cradled panel 2016 $4,800 66
Jason Smith Artist Statement My work seeks to tell a story or give the impression about something subconsciously. To me, color and form are crucial in my work. When I work on a piece, I freely use form and objects to ground my subject and suggest what the viewer might see in the mind's eye. The artwork created in my childhood was very important to me. I feel this is because the thought process is unburdened by convention and is largely personal and unspoiled. I try to bring this into my current working process, seeking to ignore the baggage in my mind to create a free flow of consciousness. My desire, is for all the parts in my work to come together supporting the idea as a whole, while giving individual stories in the margins. jasonsmithart.com
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Modern Tribes Acrylic and Paper on Baltic Birch Panel 24" X 30"
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Laura Spalding Best Laura Spalding Best is an artist living and working in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her BFA from Arizona State University in 2003 and has been actively involved in the local art scene since then. Best recently received a Pollock-Krasner grant and has appeared on Arizona Horizon Art Beat to discuss her artwork. She has been involved in numerous solo and group exhibitions in downtown Phoenix and currently has completed several public murals. Best has been the Exhibitions Manager at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art for ten years. Laura Spalding Best's artwork documents and dissects the urban landscape of the American West. Best is interested in describing and quantifying place and exploring mundane iconography and infrastructure. Best's oil paintings on found objects emphasize and celebrate the strained overlap of the romantic southwestern desert and its modern support system. The artist is specifically interested in the moments when the raw beauty of a desert landscape is abruptly met by concrete, or when a mirage in the distance blurs the lines between street lights and a mountain. To Best these moments are conversely problematic and undeniably beautiful. Best's current body of work addresses environmental issues and water use in the urban desert and examines the necessary, complex, and sometimes absurd relationship we have with our natural resources. Artist Statement The series Following the Mirage examines the optical phenomenon of the inferior mirage, in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. Commonly seen when driving through the Phoenix area, the inferior mirage looks like water on hot pavement. In the context of the urban desert environment, these paintings chase what could be a mirage or an oasis in an endless pursuit of perceived water. LauraSpaldingBest.com
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Following the Mirage #1 2016 oil on found object 12"x12" $400
Following the Mirage #2 2016 oil on found object 12"x12" $400
Following the Mirage #3 2016 oil on found object 12"x12" $400
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Kathy Taylor Growing up in Southern California during the ‘60’s, Kathy Taylor was exposed to endless change and a bohemian life style. Although Taylor currently resides in Phoenix Arizona and calls the desert her home, it is the influences from her childhood that have played the greatest role in her journey as an artist. Ever the “truth seeker”, Taylor has spent the past 35 years as a professional artist exploring the inner workings of the mind as well as personal development. Taylor has studied with numerous artists throughout her career but credits artist Dick Phillips as her greatest influence and mentor. She now adds teaching to her resume with full classes in her Creative Development courses at Studio 6020, which helps to nurture “budding” artists! Taylor exhibits in galleries throughout Southwest, Pacific Northwest and Europe. Her work is in numerous collections including: Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, AZ; AT&T, Phoenix, AZ; Campeau Corporation, Boston, MA; Juhl Marketing Inc., Scottsdale, AZ; Stroebe, Zine & Assoc., Portland, OR. Artist Statement Most of my work starts without an initial drawing but is preceded by many hours of research and thought. This creative process begins with an idea bubbling into my consciousness. As the paint hits the painting surface, the images begin to reveal themselves. I prefer to work on a large format using masonite or canvas. I may start by gluing paper to the board or by randomly applying colors to which I feel drawn. As the piece develops, the forms take shape. Gesso, paint and more paper is applied and the creative process begins all over again. It may take weeks or months to complete a painting. In the end is a merging of horse and human. www.KathyTaylorArt.com
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Bedouin archival pigmented ink, acrylic/collage on canvas 21" x 41" framed 2016 $1,050
Graffiti Horse acrylic/mixed media on board 26.5" x 26.5" framed 2015 $1,800 72
Mohan Toopal Artist Statement I am a portrait and figurative artist although I am beginning to paint landscapes and cityscapes alla prima I usually work with oils. I paint from life and paint in one sitting. My paintings are done in impressionistic realism style. This is challenging because it requires an integrated approach to painting, forcing the artist to paint efficiently and still retain all the important elements of the subject. I try to incorporate directional lighting in my paintings to add some drama. moesart-portraits.blogspot.com
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Downtown 2 oil on Canvas 36” x 24”
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A. O. Tucker A. O. Tucker is a native Arizonan, growing up on a farm west of Phoenix. His adolescence life was one not for the faint of heart. Fortunately he lived through that and went on to graduate from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Currently his wife/muse and he call Arizona and Nicaragua home. Artist Statement My goal is to create Fine Art Photographs that makes you say WOW! I feel a Fine Art Photograph is an image that is both inspiring and technically excellent. Not just one or the other. For me a work of art is primarily the product of a person, not a machine. For this reason, a photograph printed straight from the original capture is unsatisfying. Such an image represents the output of a machine rather than my expression. I’m a self-Taught Artist that didn’t become serious about photography until I purchased my first DSLR, a Sony A55 in late 2011. I began showing my art in 2014 and have displayed photography in juried exhibitions from California to New York. www.aotucker.com
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Fountain Of Feathers photography 24” x 24” (other dimensions available) $395
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Zach Valent Most recognized for creating fictitious fossils relative to modern society, Zach Valent’s art engages the imagination of the viewer by blending the aesthetic qualities of geological processes with idealized representations of advancing civilization. In the past, Valent fabricated the artificial remnants of outdated technologies such as rotary dial phones and Polaroid cameras. However, his recent work is centered on more powerful images that stand as icons of current consumer culture such as large stacks of wasted paper and gasoline cans. A wide range of materials including concrete, ceramic, wood, paper, and casting resins are used in his work. Zach Valent graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art. Currently, he is living and working in Phoenix, Arizona where he is steadily progressing to achieve a Masters of Fine Arts Degree with a focus in sculpture at Arizona State University. Valent is also an Instructor of Record at ASU and has taught Sculpture 1 and 3-D Design. Valent has been the recipient of multiple awards including the Nathan Cummings Travel Fellowship, and a Windgate Charitable Foundation Award. www.zachvalent.com
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The 19th of February recycled magazines, concrete, quarts crystal, alum crystal, concrete stain 21" x 21" x 16" 2016 $3,850
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Chris Vena Chris Vena was born in Manassas, Virginia and raised in North San Diego County, California. He attended the San Francisco Art Institute on a Community College Merit Scholarship awarded by Mira Costa Community College. While attending SFAI he received the Ivan Majdrakov Award for painting and was selected and featured three times in the school’s annual juried Spring Show. In 2000 Chris Vena was awarded the grand prize in San Francisco’s annual Arti di Gesso drawing competition. Judges decisions were unanimous and included notable gallery owners Paule Aglim of Gallery Paule Anglim and Togonon Gallery’s Julia Togonon, who was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle regarding her decision, saying “(Chris’ work) was fresh and technically very well done.” In 2001 he spent a semester abroad where he studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. His experience in Paris was invaluable as he gained firsthand experience of one of the great centers of western art history. In 2007 Vena completed an artist residency at the Mano y Mente facility in Tularosa, New Mexico. In addition to New Mexico he has exhibited work in San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Eugene, OR; Seattle, WA; Vancouver, BC; Phoenix, AZ; and Paris, France. His work is included in several private and public collections across the country. Vena lived and worked in Seattle, WA where he volunteered at local non-profit arts organizations from 2004 to 2010. Subsequently, he lived in Istanbul for 4 years, painting and teaching art and English. Vena is currently in the third year of his MFA in Painting candidacy at Arizona State University. www.chrisvena.com
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It cuts the burn oil on canvas 56” x 38” 2016 $3,000
Sunday, June 9th, Occupy Gezi III oil on canvas 31” x 43” 2015 $1,800 80
Onna Voellmer Onna Voellmer grew up in the Pacific Northwest and received my Bachelors in Fine Arts in 2000. She is a mixed media artist living and working in southern Arizona. Her work has been exhibited nationally and has found homes with collectors nationally and internationally. Artist Statement My work explores self as a reflection of nature, and nature as a reflection of self. It is an exploration of consciousness, memory, and experience; our consciousness intertwined with nature. I’m interested in creating a meditative space, one that is both beautiful and contemplative, joyful and serious. www.onnamove.com
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Meditating On Love mixed media on canvas 42” x 48” $4,030
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Jon Wassom Jon Wassom has always been drawn to things that have involved movement, music, and the arts. He is considered to be a "Renaissance" man. He learned to play many musical instruments, received his black belt in Tae Kwon do, and became a competitive figure skater to name a few things. It wasn't until high school that he found his passion for painting and drawing. He quickly developed his talent and won many awards and was published in various magazines. He attended college at Utah State University on scholarship as a painting and drawing major. He apprenticed under his professor and learned most of what he knows in terms of stenciling, color theory, and the freedom of exploration. He now works as a full-time artist and has had many commission opportunities. His experience with movement shows in his work. He is influenced by spiritual concepts, other artists, and the human figure. Artist Statement The pieces seem to fall in and out of place within this temporary realm of the human experience. “Who am I?” I ask myself. I am told that I am a sparkly star among a universe of living breathing organic creatures. I get to reside among them with an energetic purpose only I can discover. My mind is a shapeshifter that constantly morphs my reality through my thoughts and actions. Every breath has been an odyssey to find where I fit in, my origin, purpose, and destination. This quest inspires my work. I depict the human form in all of its rawness. I fabricate it in moments of clarity amongst abstract thoughts… I place it in a world of duality similar to the one I live. In lightness and darkness. With struggles and successes. This person, both human and spiritual, encounters moments of pain, and moments of joy. I can relate to it. These shapes are filled with explorations of emotions and sexualities. Learning, unlearning, and relearning. That painting might become something new. The image’s surface is but a remnant that has gone on many journeys…Thus, creating a path to just one perception of this transient life. www.wassomgallery.com
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Polarity acrylic and oil on canvas 48” x 60” $2,500
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Joan Waters Originally from England, Joan Waters grew up on the east coast of the US. Childhood travels with her family developed her love of tropical color and foreign cultures, and helped her cultivate the habit of looking at the world from different perspectives. She earned her BFA at MICA—Maryland Institute, College of Art—where she studied painting, drawing and printmaking. After moving to Phoenix in 1989, Waters had a successful graphic design business, then re-committed to her fine art after having breast cancer. More recently, she began working in welded steel at her Tempe studio, and this led to public art projects for the Cities of Phoenix, Mesa and Chandler. She exhibits widely, and her work is in many private and public collections. In 2007 she was the guest curator for the Herberger Theater Art Gallery in Phoenix. She recently completed the Desert Landscape Certification program at the Desert Botanical Garden with the goal of combining desert plants with her sculptural work to enliven the urban environment. The artist welcomes commissions and enjoys the synergy of the collaborative process. Artist Statement Box for Secret Thoughts: Temple embodies a sense of mystery and inquiry from its juxtaposition of opposites. Its origin is an image from a dream. Its shape suggests temple, confessional, leaf, shield, casket and boat slicing through water of the unconscious. The light reflecting, welded and intricately textured exterior contrasts with the hidden dark, mysterious interior. Perforated steel on the back suggests a confessional, whether before a priest or an examination of one’s own thoughts and secrets. Colored patinas add depth and richness to the surface. www.JoanWaters.com
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Box for Secret Thoughts: Temple welded steel with patinas 53” x 8” x 11” 2016 $7,200 86
Esther BeLer Wodrich Esther BeLer Wodrich firmly believes that surrounding herself with beauty brings sanity amidst the chaos of raising four kids alongside her husband. Immersing herself in drawing and painting, she balances her creativity with her relentless pursuit of excellence. Wodrich spends an unconscionable amount of time holding her breath while working on intricate details but so far has yet to pass out. She has currently been focusing on a detailed architecture series in watercolor, pen and ink of places she has traveled. Wodrich attributes her experience in graphic design to her love of order and white space. She relies on instinct to determine composition, including what to keep, what to leave out and what to change. She is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she enjoyed a fantastic education in both visual communications and fine art, but is selftaught in watercolor. Esther BeLerWodrich is influenced by aesthetically beautiful art that captures emotion and atmosphere, and is inspired by many artists including Andrew Wyeth, Archibald Motley and Edward Hopper. She has shown for 3 years at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids as well as a number of local and juried exhibits including an upcoming exhibit at the Herberger Theatre and as the featured artist with Call to Art in October 2016. Esther BeLer Wodrich prefers to start an artwork with a clean desk, the blinds open, an audiobook playing and a hot cup of coffee. However, especially during her kid's summer break, she will take whatever she can get. www.estherbeler.com
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St Paul's Cathedral watercolor, pen and ink 14� x 8.5" (22� x 15.75" framed) 2015 $1,800 88
Niki Woehler Artist Niki Woehler is rapidly becoming one of the most collectable artists in the West. Woehler’s paintings have been featured exhibitions in galleries in Arizona, including Town Studio, New City Studio, Skyline Lofts Gallery in Phoenix, PavoReal Interiors, Roche Bobois, Modern Group Scottsdale, as well as a guest of the Waldorf Astoria Arizona Biltmore Resort during the Arizona Concours D'elegance. Niki Woehler will be one of a select few artists invited to show at the Found:Re Hotel, an upscale boutique hotel dedicated to the visual arts in downtown Phoenix, opening fall 2016. Woehler will also have a solo show at the Art Museum of Ventura’s hottest new space, The Tool Room, in October 2017, during the famed Ventura Arts Festival. Woehler and her work have been showcased in numerous media outlets such as Modern Luxury Scottsdale, So Scottsdale!, Phoenix Magazine, Arizona Lifestyle magazine, the cover of Tucson Home & Garden magazine, and more. Her art can be found in private collections all over the United States and Canada. Toptier interior designers integrate her work into their contemporary designs. Woehler is also contracted with several top art consultants throughout the United States, including Soho Myriad and Town Studio. Woehler grew up in Toronto, Canada and has lived in Phoenix since 1994. Artist Statement Lines, layers and textures invade smooth facades, exchanging surface beauty for depth, character, strength and wisdom. My paintings are inspired by objects ravaged by nature and the participating elements, including; water, wind, earth or fire. To me, the longer something stands the tests of time, the more interesting it becomes. I am drawn to the details of the imperfect, needing to tell its story: A tree on fire – literally or figuratively; a perspective magnified or obscured by rain; a piece of wood that’s been weathered; eroded rocks, and metal rusted and etched. Force of Nature where the opposing forces of wind, earth, metal and water collide. Unstoppable. Unforgettable. www.nikiwoehler.com instagram: @NikiWoehlerArtist
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Force of Nature acrylic, graphite and enamel on canvas 48" x 60" x 2.5" $7,200
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Danielle Wood Danielle Wood creates ceramic installations and sculptures that abstract forms found in nature. She views the ocean as a metaphor for the subconscious and explores the dynamics of social relationships through her artwork. Her artwork is always made in relation to itself, there are always multiples interacting with each other. In her installations, she is interested in creating spaces that surround the viewer and make them a participant in the space by removing the artwork from the still pedestal and placing the it in the viewer’s environment. Surrealism and creating a suspended liminal space much like the ocean is an inspiration for her. Wood received her Masters of Fine Arts from New Mexico State University in 2012 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Arizona State University in 2006. She completed a residency in ceramics at Anderson Ranch Art Center in 2014. Her work has been on display this year at Spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity at the Mesa Art Center, the Arizona State University Ceramic Studio Tour, INFLUX Cycle 6, and a solo show at Eye Lounge Gallery in downtown Phoenix, AZ. She has shown nationally, regionally, and has work in the permanent collection at New Mexico State University Art Museum. Artist Statement I conceptualize the ocean as a surreal metaphor for the subconscious. I view the ocean as a flat blue surface from above, but know that below the surface there exists beauty, mystery, fear, intricate social relationships, and potential danger. The ocean is much more complicated below the surface than what it appears from above, much like the human psyche. Semiotics and how nature can be a symbolic visual language to describe the human experience and emotive inner world intrigues me. The abstractions of nature— its forms and shapes— describe emotional states and create a dialogue between the artwork and the viewer. My work intertwines fact and fiction. The shapes and forms originate from my knowledge of biology, but I do not pursue to render specific species, but rather pure abstractions of forms in nature from a variety of habitats spliced, collaged, combined with mixed media, inspired by conscious and subconscious patterns that evolve. I objectively sculpt my pieces with the façade of realism, but most of what I create is made of fantasy, science fiction, and the interpretation from my viewers. My ceramic work is made mainly in porcelain clay because the smooth surface quality of porcelain refers to something mysterious, tactile, uncanny, and “other,” which greatly intrigues me. I would like the viewer of my work to examine the works’ otherness and to escape into the possibility of imagination it creates. www.daniellewood.net 91
Conjoined porcelain, crystalline glaze 8.5” x 11” x 9” 2012 $1,200
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Frank Ybarra Frank Ybarra draws inspiration from the landscapes and familiar landmarks of the Southwestern Region of the United States. He is regarded for his simplistic still life’s too. Ybarra was born and raised in a working-class neighborhood in Phoenix, AZ. His keen interest in art developed early; he vividly recalls drawing on brown paper grocery bags as a toddler. His love of art flourished during his years at East High School in Phoenix, followed by studies at Scottsdale Community College and Arizona State University. His work has been displayed in local and national galleries and exhibitions. In 2012, Ybarra was chosen by the Arizona Tourism Commission to create works for the states’ year long centennial commemoration. Artist Statement A native of Phoenix, I have always been inspired by our Sonoran Desert surroundings. Not to mention, the beautiful landscapes we see in our great state of Arizona. I am also inspired by my Mexican heritage and my upbringing in a primarily Mexican American neighborhood and family traditions. I hope to inspire others who view my work, and hopefully they can be touched by my simple, everyday observations. www.ybarraart.com
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Vintage Tempe, Wigwam Lodge acrylic on canvas 20” x 30” 2016 $2,500
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Artlink Inc. Board of Directors Catrina Kahler, President Sarah Levi, Vice President Jill Bernstein, Treasurer Dan Clevenger, Secretary Sally Russell Hillary Foose Jerry Harper Brittany Butler Constance McBride Bentley Calverley Nicole Underwood Mark Scarp Margaree Bigler Rick Naimark Administrative Support Leslie Criger Lauren Potter
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