ARTS & CULTURE ISSUE AUGUST 2019 – VOLUME 17, ISSUE 8
World-class artists bring Riders of the Purple Sage to stage and screen
HEARD MUSEUM + ARIZONA BROADWAY THEATRE + SHEMER ART CENTER
Winner of 6 Tony® Awards including
BEST MUSICAL
KINKY BOOTS A joyful musical about finding your footing. August 28 - October 13 at The Phoenix Theatre Company
up next: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time October 9 - November 10
The Sound of music
November 13 - December 29
Million dollar Quartet
December 18 - February 16
Experience the Best Live Entertainment in Arizona With Craft Cocktails, Small Bites and Free Parking All Year Long.
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STORY CONTINUED
Become a 2019-2020 Season Member and Save! 25, 2019 August 9 thru 25
June 12 thru 28, 2020
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December 6 thru 23, 2019 24th Year!
February 7 thru 22, 2020
April 3 thru 19, 2020
Purchase the Full 2019-2020 Season or a 4-Show Package! Call (602) 253-8188 Ext. 1 or visit www.vyt.com for more information.
EDITOR
PUBLISHER
Karen Werner
Andrea Tyler Evans
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
Tom Evans
Ashley Ford
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Neill Fox
Jillian Rivera
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
BEAUTY PARTNER — MAKEUP
Lesley Kitts
The Sparkle Bar
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
BEAUTY PARTNER — FASHION
Ashley Ford Judy Pearson Carey Peña Catie Richman
Saks Fifth Avenue Phoenix
CULINARY WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY PARTNER
Lisa Mullavey
Thurlkill Studios
THE PAW REPORT
Virginia Nelson
On the Cover Ed Mell, Kristin Atwell Ford and Craig Bohmler
Photo: Thurlkill Studios Makeup: Leiah Scheibel of The Sparkle Bar
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TABLE OF CONTENTS {august 2019, volume 17, issue 8}
EDITOR’S NOTE...................... 07 Take What’s Beautiful and Make It More Beautiful
32
10 QUESTIONS WITH.......... 08 Kiel Klaphake BOOKMARKED....................... 13 Olivia’s Book Club OFFICE DOORS...................... 14 Ken Schutz, Executive director of Desert Botanical Garden
48
CAREY’S CORNER................ 18 Escaping Rock Bottom COVER STORY....................... 22 ‘Riders’ Rides Again NEXT DOORS.......................... 28 At the Heard Museum, It’s All About What’s New STYLE UNLOCKED............... 32 Patsy Lowry and the Spirit of Style A 2ND ACT.................................. 37 A Guy With a Guitar CHARITY SPOTLIGHT........ 41 Shemer Art Center KITCHEN DOORS.................. 44 Airport Eating CHEERS TO THE CHAIRS.. 46 Nan Howlett, Maja Langbein and Sandy Magruder OPEN DOORS......................... 48 Fall 2019 Calendar
22 ARTS & CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE: ++ Arizona
++ The
++ Arizona
Broadway Theatre Opera ++ Childsplay ++ Desert Botanical Garden ++ Heard Museum ++ Mesa Arts Center ++ Phoenix Art Museum
++ Phoenix
Phoenix Symphony Theatre ++ Phoenix Zoo ++ Scottsdale Artists’ School ++ Shemer Art Center ++ Six Strings Acoustic ++ SMoCA
EDITOR’S NOTE {on the job}
TAKE WHAT’S BEAUTIFUL AND MAKE IT MORE BEAUTIFUL Fifteen years ago, I got an assignment to write about an artist whose name I didn’t know. He was a Phoenix native who painted Arizona landscapes and had worked as the art director of an ad agency in New York. I went to his studio, an unassuming building in Central Phoenix, and had one of the most enjoyable interviews of my career. His incandescent work filled the small room, resting humbly on the floor, tilted against walls. He was funny and welcoming and almost unbelievably nice, despite his international acclaim. After an hour of chatting, he offered me a book about his work and I went home to write a piece for the magazine I worked for at the time. When it came out, I got an email from him, saying something along the lines of “Hot damn, you can write.” Ed Mell made an impression on me then for his singularity, brilliance and kindness. So I was thrilled to chat with him again for this month’s cover story. And not quite as surprised when his colleagues Craig Bohmler, the composer of “Riders of the Purple Sage,” and Kristin Atwell Ford, the documentary filmmaker and co-producer of the opera, turned out to be similarly down-to-earth and talented. Same story goes for another Arizona institution featured in this issue. Patsy Lowry, artist, author and consummate hostess, recently invited me and some of the Frontdoors team to her home for breakfast. She greeted me at the door with a warm hug and hello, asked me to don one of her signature bejeweled headpieces, and led me to a tablescape arranged as artfully as a painting.
Succulents, kachina dolls and handmade place cards (with names written on the front and back, lest you forget the name of the person you were sitting across from) festooned the joyous table, an obvious extension of Lowry’s abundant zest for life. She was generous with entertaining advice and led the room through one of her signature hostessing maneuvers — asking each guest to share a fact about herself that no one would ever guess. Soon the five of us were revealing personal anecdotes about our real selves, rather than the one who showed up at a stranger’s house for the first time. Two hours later, we found ourselves perched on Lowry’s bed, trying on her whimsical creations — jackets, blouses and headpieces meticulously decorated with beads, rickrack, flowers and any small treasure that captured Lowry’s delight. “I take what’s beautiful and make it more beautiful,” she told me, a philosophy that defines her art, home and life. Arizona is blessed with more than its fair share of artists — those driven, dynamic souls who work, play and say yes to the daunting call to express themselves. Enjoy meeting a few of them here as we salute some one-of-a-kind Arizonans who are not just great artists, but great people.
Karen Werner EDITOR
@kwerner409
10 QUESTIONS {fascinating people}
KIEL KLAPHAKE
Founder and executive producer of Arizona Broadway Theatre 1. What makes Arizona Broadway Theatre unique? ABT is a privately funded performing arts center that contains two theatrical performance spaces, a production facility where we create our own sets, a costume shop where our staff creates all of the amazing looks for each show, a rehearsal hall and, of course, a full restaurant that prepares exceptional dining options in conjunction with performances and events. A nationally recognized theatrical producer, ABT employs hundreds of actors, musicians and technicians from across the country to create our own productions here in Arizona.
2. How did you get started in theater? I originally studied classical music and opera, 8 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
having received my master’s degree from New England Conservatory in Boston. It wasn’t until my wife Cassandra recommended I audition for “Phantom of the Opera” that my pursuit of theater really took hold. When I auditioned, I honestly didn’t know much about “Phantom” other than having seen it in Vienna during my undergrad semester abroad. I don’t think I did anything right, but I got the job and remained in the production for two years. I was 28. When I left the company, Cass and I moved to NYC to see how we could make a go of this musical theater thing. Reality hit quickly, as did 9/11, and we decided to choose our own reality, stop living out of a suitcase and start our own business. Thus began the creation of Arizona Broadway Theatre.
3. Not only are you a co-founder and executive producer at ABT, you also perform in and direct shows. How do you decide which shows to direct and which roles might be a good fit for you? As a director, I look for shows I can sink my teeth into. After several years producing shows at ABT, I finally felt I could step aside briefly and sit in the director’s chair. My first show at ABT was “Cabaret.” Having lived in Germany, I was excited to uncover the dimensions in this story. With performing, and I suppose in life, I started with the young leading roles like Raoul in “Phantom.” As the years passed, I began to transition to meatier roles like Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables.” Up next will be Billy Flynn in “Chicago.” I had the thrill of playing Captain Hook a few years back when my boys, also in the show, were 8 and 10. That was an experience I never would have given up for anything.
4. How do you juggle your leadership role at ABT with time with family? I like to call it work/life integration rather than any sort of balance. Fortunately, the kids understand Mom and Dad’s business and participate often in shows as well as in ABT’s performance troupe. We love what we do, so bringing our business home isn’t always a bad thing. It’s just part of who we are.
5. What’s your favorite aspect of being ABT’s executive producer? I love turning black and white into color. While I do spend significant time in the operational management of the company, it’s also my
responsibility to have the vision to plan for the future security of the company. It’s the endless pursuit of taking advantage of every opportunity that fuels me.
6. How many people work on the behind-the-scenes production before a show is seen by the public? At any given time, we have about 100 people working in some aspect of the theater — from the front-of-house staff and ushers, culinary staff and servers, to administration and theater technicians. Theater producing needs a lot of skilled and talented individuals. There’s no amount of automation that can replace real humans.
7. How do you think arts have grown in the Valley since ABT’s opening in 2005? We’ve learned a lot about what matters to the community since starting the theater. Unfortunately, shortly after we opened, we had to watch several companies shutter their doors while facing the wrath of the recession. If anyone said they were immune, they’re lying. In one year, we lost a significant amount of money, had to reduce hours, labor and all nonessential spending, appeal for assistance from creditors and wait it out. The thing that kept us alive was the absolute necessity to make sure the quality of programming would never suffer. Fortunately, patrons stood by us and rallied. We recovered stronger and the patrons that made it through with us are our lifeblood and key ambassadors. I’m optimistic for the future of arts in the Valley — in particular, the concept that not all quality art must be imported. Believe it or not, there are some great companies creating incredible art just down the street from where you live.
Kiel Klaphake as Jean Valjean in ABT’s 2015 production of “Les Misérables.” AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 9
10 QUESTIONS CONTINUED
8. What advice would you give an aspiring actor who, like you, might want to become a producer? When I graduated high school, I joined the service and enrolled in college. Although I studied music, theater, business management, finance and read just about everything I could find on the industry, I would never have been prepared to launch ABT if not for vision and courage. Some call this leadership; I think of it as tenacity. There were about 1,000 roadblocks in the development of ABT. But you have to make the world you want to live in. If you don’t, who will?
9. What show in ABT’s upcoming season are you most excited about? It’s a thrill each year to announce another season. Season 15 is no different. One show I’m particularly excited to produce is “Chicago.” It’s a title our patrons have asked for over and over again, so finally being able to bring it to our stage brings a thrill. Of course, there are other really great titles. Last year Cass and I had the privilege of taking turns traveling the country with our younger son as he performed in the national tour of “Elf.” What a great way to spend the holidays! And of course, “Sweeney Todd.” Last year we produced it for the Herberger Theater Center to fantastic reviews. Bringing the show to ABT was a move no one thought we would do. How can you produce a show at a dinner theater where the leads conceive a plan to slit the throats of wayward Londoners and serve them to the community in tasty meat pies? I dare you to give the show a try. It’s some of the best theater out there and rarely produced.
10. What do you hope someone feels after seeing a show at ABT? When people arrive in the right frame of mind and go along with us on the journey, we did our job. You may be uncomfortable, you may laugh, you may storm out absolutely ticked off. It’s all good. The alternative is that you stay home, surround yourself with the comfortable and miss out. To learn more, visit azbroadway.org.
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BOOKMARKED {what are you reading}
LIKE READING? J O I N O L I V I A’ S B O O K C LU B ! Welcome to a new season of Bookmarked! Over the summer, we were excited to see a new book club pop up that’s open for the community to participate in. Started by “Good Morning Arizona” anchor Olivia Fierro in partnership with Changing Hands Bookstore, Olivia’s Book Club is a virtual club that anyone can join. Here’s the scoop!
“Good Morning Arizona” anchor Olivia Fierro wants to connect the Valley through books.
W H Y S TA R T A B O O K C LU B ?
H OW D O W E P I C K T H E B O O K S ?
I’ve always had a passion for reading, since I was a little girl. To escape, to learn, to emote and now to connect. Off and on I’ve been a part of or hosted book clubs, and I adore turning a solitary practice into a group experience. When you’re in the room with other people who’ve read the same book, you immediately have a connection, a pretty special shared experience. Even when — as so often is the case — you have disagreeing opinions on the book, talking and sharing it is fun. Bringing about a book club for Arizona’s Family that would include colleagues, friends and our viewers just makes sense. At “Good Morning Arizona,” we try to think of ways we can think about our friends at home and make their lives better. Encouraging reading and helping connect people who enjoy it is one way to do that. We share recommendations, favorite books, encouragement to make the time, along with one book we read every other month. That gives avid readers time to enjoy their own selections and slower readers time to finish. The chats are small “meetups,” usually at Changing Hands in Phoenix, and shared live on Facebook so members at home can participate.
I have made the selections, trying to provide a diverse experience with books from different genres. And I’ve fielded excellent recommendations from the book buyer for Changing Hands. We started with Liane Moriarty’s “Nine Perfect Strangers” because I’ve read all of her books and many people are enthusiastic about her writing after HBO’s fabulous version of “Big Little Lies.” Her writing style — short chapters, multiple narrators — usually hooks you in quickly. Next, we read “Enemies in Love,” by Alexis Clark. It is a work of nonfiction from a journalist about an interracial marriage between an African-American nurse and Nazi solder in WWII. They met at a POW camp in Arizona(!), which is a bit of history I had never heard about and thought our native residents would enjoy. We followed that with Elena Ferrante’s “My Brilliant Friend,” because it is such a highly acclaimed work of fiction, translated from Italian. The focus is on a very complex relationship with two best friends who some today would call “frenemies,” growing up in Naples.
W H AT ’ S YO U R C U R R E N T P I C K ? “Stay Up With Hugo Best,” by Erin Somers Many of our members were ready for a quicker, light summer read and this seems a great choice. We’ll discuss Aug. 29, and then announce our next choice (likely a thriller, since we haven’t devoured one yet).
Find out more about Olivia’s Book Club by visiting azfamily.com. AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 13
OFFICE DOORS {valley changemakers}
A DAY WITH KEN SCHUTZ Executive director of Desert Botanical Garden As told to | Karen Werner
7:00 a.m. >> RISE AND SHINE “In our family, I take dog duty in the morning and my partner Craig and I split cooking pretty evenly. I’m a later worker; I usually work from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.”
9:30 a.m. >> TO THE GARDEN GATE “Walking from the parking lot through the Garden to my office, I think how lucky I am to work here. DBG is beautiful, and has a calming effect. I know where to watch for birds in the trees, so I take stock on my way in and always see something interesting.”
10 a.m. >> PLANT FOR TOMORROW “The seasonality of the Garden means that in the 14 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
hottest period it may look like we’re hibernating in air-conditioning, but we’re in planning mode. In the summer we do budgeting, marketing and installation plans, and then we shift into installation and testing in September. Come October, everything kicks into high gear and turns into less thinking and planning and more into operations, motivation and mid-course corrections. But in the summer, we are imagining.”
11:00 a.m. >> DIGGING IN “My typical day is a mix of internal and external. Internally, it’s operating and staff issues, the budget, focusing on the nuts and bolts. Externally, even though our trustees are very involved in running the Garden, they’re not physically here. So I think of relationships with the board members
as part of the external as well as keeping the executive committee informed during the summer. Fundraising, donor, staff and volunteer meetings — basically, lots of meetings.”
12:30 p.m. >> THE GARDEN OF EATING “Unless I have a meeting, I eat at my desk. I’ll run to the Patio Cafe and grab a drink and a sandwich. I like the Santa Fe, and the turkey and chicken are good too. It’s a great time to read email and save the ones to respond to. I don’t go out often for lunch for the notion of having a drink and placing an order and having it prepared — instead of 20 minutes, it turns into an hour and a quarter.”
1:00 p.m. >> CROSS-POLLINATION “Our senior management team has 12 people. I directly supervise half of them and the director of operations supervises the other half. Every Monday we have a weekly meeting and every fourth Monday is a longer strategic meeting. The weeklies are to touch base and see how everybody is doing. The fourth ones take a deep dive into various topics.”
3:00 p.m. >> SOWING SEEDS “My training as an undergrad was as a biology major, but I student-taught first grade and was certified as an elementary teacher. I grew up in Baltimore and actually wanted to teach first grade, but because I had a science degree I was assigned to middle school and taught biology and earth science. Even though I’m not in the classroom anymore, I still try to think like an educator. I love to watch cognition and the learning process take place. So I’ll take my badge off and sit on a bench and do informal market research. Staff and volunteers recognize me so I’m not totally anonymous, but I love to watch our guests and see what’s working. I get good insights and can see how special programs are playing with our audience.”
4:30 p.m. >> LEARN, NURTURE, GROW “We’ve learned a lot, coming off of blockbuster years. We’ve had two Chihulys, a Jun Kaneko and
This green snail, “Fabiana,” is indicative of the plastic pieces that will appear in “Wild Rising by Cracking Art.”
‘Electric Desert.’ They set a new normal, and then your baseline resets. Every year we have an art exhibit. It won’t be a blockbuster this year but we have a fun, quirky exhibit coming called ‘Wild Rising by Cracking Art.’ On the surface it’s whimsical, but underneath it’s quite profound. It’s a group of artists out of Milan that work in recyclable plastic. They’ve created molds and make a lot of animals out of brightly colored plastics — we’ll have almost a thousand. They bring these animals to a location and stage an invasion. There are so many, you can’t help but stop and think, ‘What are they doing and what does it mean?’ The more subtle context is that plastic is so ubiquitous and deeply woven into our everyday lives. But while you’re here, you can take a selfie, and your kids will like seeing the penguins they designed for us among the prickly pear and barrel cactus. Each part of the invasion has a story about how the colors are chosen and what the animals symbolize. For people who stop, read and contemplate, it will provoke deeper thoughts about plastic in the modern world.”
7:00 p.m. >> SMELL THE FLOWERS “Between board meetings and social events, sometimes the line between work life and personal life blurs and I’ll leave the Garden very late. But in the summer, that’s generally not the case. Craig and I live in a historic district and still have the postage-stamp lawn. But out front, we’ve done mass plantings of prickly pear and we inherited some aloe veras that line the sidewalk into AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 15
OFFICE DOORS CONTINUED
the house. We put native trees in — took out orange trees and put in palo verde trees. Eight months out of the year I like to grow desert marigolds with blackfoot daisies that spill over like wildflowers. That’s our desert landscape.”
Two photos from the thousands Ken Schutz has taken on African safaris.
8:30 p.m. >> DREAMING OF AFRICA “I love nature and travel. My favorite place is East Africa. This year, I’ll be taking my 16th trip to East Africa — my last group photo safari to Kenya. We’ll go to four different parks, the highlight being the Maasai Mara, which is their version of the Serengeti. Then we’ll go to Rwanda and hike to see the mountain gorillas. As I mentioned, my first job was teaching science in Baltimore. I did that for two years and then got transferred to the zoo as the teacher in residence. Everybody in senior management had to lead at least one safari a year for members. I started then and more or less have gone every other year since. I have tens of thousands of photos on my hard drive and probably won’t get to it for years, but some day I’d like to get it down to my top 25. I’ll be in the air on my 65th birthday, which is Aug. 26.” To learn more about Desert Botanical Garden, go to dbg.org.
16 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
CAREY’S CORNER {carey peña reports}
ESCAPING ROCK BOTTOM Newscaster Brandon Lee uses the power of his voice to help others overcome addiction
Carey Peña | Contributing Writer
It was nearly 5 p.m. and the news was in full swing. I was the main evening anchor at the time and that’s when I first met Brandon Lee. He was in Phoenix to interview for a job at KTVK and management brought him into the studio to observe our newscast. He was friendly and well put-together. Little did I know that beneath that smile and the impeccable suit he was hiding so many secrets. Lee got the job and he and I later became coanchors. We also became very good friends. Still, I had no idea about the demons that had followed him since childhood. Slowly, as time went on, he began to share with me that he was a recovered alcoholic. 18 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
“People who are on TV have immense pressure by the companies they work for to portray that they have some perfect life,” Lee said. “I challenge that way of thinking. Because we don’t relate to perfection. We relate to one another when we open up and share our trauma and our scars.”
COMING CLEAN To begin truly healing, Lee decided it was time to share his story. All of it. Not only was he an alcoholic, Lee also dealt with drug addiction and sexual abuse. He writes about all of this in his new memoir, “Mascara Boy. Bullied, Assaulted & Near Death: Surviving Trauma & Addiction” and we talked about it on my podcast.
In 2018 Lee left his job at KTVK — a station where he was very well liked and had a lucrative contract. He felt so strongly that he needed to tell his story, he parted ways with the station on friendly terms, packed his house and moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles. He rolled the dice. Returning to LA without another job in news lined up was a risk he was willing to take. Lee grew up in an upper-class home in Orange County. From the outside, some might say he had a perfect life. He’s the only boy of three siblings. He was very athletic, especially excelling
at soccer. He also loved music. That’s when, Lee explained to me, the sexual abuse began. “Every mistake that I made, he assaulted me,” Lee said about his piano teacher. “And that abuse got worse and more graphic over time.” He also shared that he was assaulted by one of his youth soccer coaches, but was terrified to tell anyone. “I felt the shame, I felt guilty, I felt like I had done something. I felt dirty,” he said. By the age of 15, Brandon Lee was living a dangerous double life. He explained in frank detail how he would go
Lee and Carey Peña (top left and left) were co-anchors at KTVK, and remain friends today.
For years, two-time Emmy-winning journalist Brandon Lee led a double life. Sexually abused by his piano teacher and soccer coach, he sought solace in drugs and alcohol before getting sober. AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 19
CAREY'S CORNER CONTINUED
miracle workers, he went right back to using drugs (at that time he had a crack pipe in his car). Next time he ended up in a coma and on life support. The same team of miracle workers saved him — again. That was the turning point. That’s when he escaped rock bottom. “A nurse heard me crying and she came over and asked me if I still believed in God,” Lee said. “And I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ And she said, ‘That’s OK, because God still believes in you.’” The nurse suggested he attend an AA meeting at her church and Lee promised he would go. That was 10 years ago. He’s been sober ever since.
GOING PUBLIC Today, Lee’s mission is to give other addicts hope that they too can build a new life.
“score drugs and hook up with older men” on a nearly nightly basis. His parents, he said, were unaware of what was happening in their son’s life. Later, when he moved to New York to attend college at NYU, his addiction worsened. But Lee had become quite good at hiding the demons. He landed some impressive jobs in news at a very young age, rising through the ranks and eventually, in his late 20s, working in LA. This is where he hit rock bottom. “I lived the perfect double life,” Lee said. “Everyone saw me as this television reporter and anchor. No one knew that at 11 p.m., when the news got done, I would go in my car and do a dose of GHB — it’s the liquid date rape drug. It gives me 15 minutes to get to where I needed to go.” He nearly died twice in one week. Lee explained that he overdosed somewhere “in the slums.” Remarkably, after being rushed to the hospital and treated by a team of what he calls 20 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
Even though he’s been a newscaster and in the public eye for well over a decade, going public with his story caused some fear and anxiety. I spoke to him on the phone the evening before his book was released. I asked if he was ready and he told me it was time to live in his truth.
“There’s one thing I learned in recovery that I absolutely love ... What you think of me is none of my business. I have to stand and live in my truth.” The following day I posted about his new book and life story on social media and I could see immediately that by telling his story Brandon could help so many people come out of the darkness. My Facebook and Instagram pages flooded with comments. One of them read, “Cheers to your bravery and the power of your voice.” “The more success stories of addiction that we get out there, the more it will help people who are suffering in silence,” Lee said. “It takes work, a lot of rewiring of the brain, but it can be done.” Sitting across from him in my podcast studio, I felt
greenliving Yo u r co n s c i o u s l i fe
so much love for my friend. It’s incredible what has happened since we first met at the TV station. Lee’s book is now a bestseller in its category, and he is traveling the country doing public speaking. He is also the host of a popular podcast about addiction and recovery titled “Escaping Rock Bottom.”
A Z • M AG A Z I N E
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“I love the man I am today. And I love God’s path,” he told me.
The August issue is all about back-to-school
Lee’s path is still unfolding.
Check out sustainable back-to-school trends with articles including:
He’s had to let go of many former friends who did not fit into his new sober life. Along the way, he’s built healthier relationships. In his book, he talks a lot about this, including the complicated relationship he has with his family now that he has published his life story. He hopes he will be able to work in TV news again and that a news director will be willing to consider who he is as a whole person — scars and all. I asked if he regrets the things he’s done in his past. “As an adult,” he said, “we have to take responsibility for our actions, despite the trauma that happened.” He takes full responsibility for his life, and he is not ashamed. Nor is he worried what people say about him now that the real Brandon Lee — not the TV persona — is revealed. “There’s one thing I learned in recovery that I absolutely love,” he said. “What you think of me is none of my business. I have to stand and live in my truth.” To watch the interview, visit inspiredmedia360.com. More about Brandon’s book can be found at escapingrockbottom.com.
Carey Peña CONTRIBUTING WRITER
@CareyPenaTV
• Back-to-school shopping and recyling • Copper to keep you healthy • Kids changing the world
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COVER STORY {by karen werner}
RIDES AGAIN World-class artists bring Riders of the Purple Sage to stage and screen
T
his is a story of what happens, or rather, what can happen, when you combine the best of Arizona — a writer, a composer, a filmmaker, a painter and the arts and philanthropic communities — and it produces something monumental, something magically more than the sum of its already impressive parts.
Ed Mell, Kristin Atwell Ford and Craig Bohmler helped reimagine the beloved novel by the best-selling Western author of all time.
22 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
From the day that a washed-out hike led to one man’s discovery of a classic tale ripe for retelling, “Riders of the Purple Sage” has enjoyed a serendipitous journey to the Arizona stage. And now the opera — after its sold-out world premiere run by Arizona Opera in 2017 — will soon gallop back for both its hugely anticipated return and a film documenting its production. So saddle up, Arizona.
“NONE OF IT HAPPENED AS IT SHOULD,” said award-winning
composer Craig Bohmler, recalling the genesis of the production. In 2011, after a successful musical-theater spell in Branson, Missouri, he and his husband were spending a summer day in Payson, looking to recharge with a hike to Fossil Creek. “The heavens opened up,” he said, so they had to find an alternate destination: Zane Grey’s cabin. “I’m embarrassed to say I knew that Zane Grey had been famous for Arizona, but I didn’t really know why,” Bohmler said. That night he looked for Grey’s titles on his Kindle and settled on the one with the most evocative name: “Riders of the Purple Sage.” Thirty pages in, Bohmler knew it would be his next project. The book was melodramatic with heightened emotions, but resonated in a contemporary way. “The religious fundamentalism, the women’s rights, the gun issues — all of that was very prevalent in there and I thought, well this is an interesting story,” Bohmler said.
He stayed up all night reading the book and finished a treatment for an opera in just two weeks. Then he called his friend and frequent collaborator, Steven Mark Kohn, and asked him to get involved. “He said, ‘I don’t even like opera,’” Bohmler recalled. “But I said, ‘Read the book and give your hand to libretto writing.’” Set in the Utah Territory circa 1870, “Riders” is a story of strength and redemption and is perhaps the most popular Western novel of all time. It was written by Zane Grey, a former dentist who went on to shape and memorialize the myth of the Old West that has captivated people around the world for generations. “Riders” was Grey’s first commercial success, translated into 20 languages right after it was published in 1912, the year Arizona became a state. Filled with a strong-willed female rancher, a black-clad gunslinger, ranch hands, cattle AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 23
HOPING JUST TO LICENSE SOME OF MELL’S IMAGES FOR THE OPERA, BOHMLER AND ATWELL EXPLAINED HOW THEY FELT HIS SHIMMERING SKIES, TRANSLUCENT CLOUDS AND ARCHITECTURALLY INSPIRED BUTTES WOULD MAKE THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR THE STORY.
rustlers and themes that resonate today — women’s rights, religious fundamentalism, vigilante justice, the search for home — the novel has sold more than 2 million copies and been adapted to film five times, last in 1996.
ENTER KRISTIN ATWELL FORD,
Arizona Opera heard about Bohmler’s project and called to inquire about it. He went to their office and dropped off what he had — his treatment, a bit of the act one libretto and one recorded aria — with a self-effacing Post-It saying, “It’s not very much.”
“While he’s telling me this story, my vision fills with Ed Mell’s artwork. I can’t even say it was an idea; it was precognitive,” Atwell said. “Mell is my favorite living painter. I used to go to his shows and get the program to cut out and put up. That was where my Ed Mell collection started.”
“They called me back to have a meeting and I thought it would just be one-on-one, but it was the whole staff sitting around the table,” Bohmler said.
She gave Bohmler a copy of a book on Mell, “Beyond the Visible Terrain,” and Bohmler immediately saw it, too. This was the missing character in his show: the landscape that the characters are forged against.
He could almost hear the hoofbeats in the distance.
Internationally known, heavily collected, and the subject of books and articles in major art publications,
a documentary filmmaker and Arizona native who was fresh off her Emmy win for SRP’s film about Roosevelt Dam. Bohmler took her to dinner in 2012 and told her about his new project.
Ed Mell is a Phoenix native whose work portrays the strength and majesty of the American West. Although he’s best known for his paintings, Mell is also well regarded for his sculptures, such as Jack Knife, the perilously perched cowboy riding a bronco in Old Town Scottsdale. In other words, he’s an art world rock star. Now, Bohmler and Atwell were conspiring to bring their expanded vision to life. Atwell wrangled her Rolodex to get a meeting with Mell. Like starstruck teenagers, she and Bohmler headed for the Coronado District to Mell’s studio in a former grocery store he converted decades ago. “Craig and I went there like, ‘We get to meet Ed Mell!’” Atwell said. “Make no mistake. It’s like getting to work with the Beatles to work with Ed. It’s a big deal.” Hoping just to license some of Mell’s images for the opera, Bohmler and Atwell explained how they felt his shimmering skies, translucent clouds and architecturally inspired buttes would make the perfect backdrop for the story. “Who’s doing your hard sets?” he asked. “You know, I’ve always wanted to design for the stage.”
Happily, the fortuitous meeting was memorialized thanks to Atwell, who had decided that the making of this new opera would be the subject of her next documentary film. Since the time Bohmler told her about his project, it stuck in Atwell’s imagination. “How do you make an opera?” she asked. “Because it’s this huge, complex art form that encompasses all of these other disciplines.” Atwell’s full-length film, Riders of the Purple Sage: The Making of a Western Opera, follows Zane Grey’s experiences writing the novel and portrays how artists came together a century later to re-tell that classic story in a modern live performance using music, visual art and the human voice.
BOHMLER PROVIDED THE OPERATIC MUSIC, of course, a lush score
reminiscent of Hollywood Westerns. And in 2013, Mell came on board as scenic designer, an opportunity he welcomed with open arms. “Artists throughout history have designed stage settings for operas and plays, so I kind of figured this was one of those things that I should jump at,” he said. “I always thought I’d love to do a stamp and then the Arizona Centennial stamp just kind of fell in my lap. And my bronze in Scottsdale — AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 25
WHEN “RIDERS” RECEIVED ITS WORLD PREMIERE IN 2017 — THE FIRST EVER PRODUCED BY ARIZONA OPERA — IT BLAZED NEW TRAILS AND SHOWED HOW A CLASSIC GENRE COULD SUPPORT A FRESH ADAPTATION. Arizona Opera’s world-premiere production was built on the work of Ed Mell, who created hard sets and digital landscapes for the scenic design.
As Bohmler put it, “Without them, this would not have happened.”
those are things you want to do that sort of leave your mark after you’re gone.”
SOON THE TEAM WAS LOPING OFF, putting the pieces of the production together with a kind of Arizona dream team. After Mell signed on, Arizona Opera announced they would do the world premiere. Then, Atwell rustled Billie Jo and Judd Herberger to become executive producers. In addition to providing significant funding for the opera, they are supporting the film, which will premiere on Feb. 5, 2020 at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. “They were tremendously enthusiastic,” Atwell said. “Judd used to play at the old Zane Grey cabin in Payson and has very fond memories about Zane Grey and the way his stories live in his imagination.” 26 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
In 2015, the creative team visited sites in Arizona that inspired the story — Betatakin Canyon in Navajoland and Pipe Spring National Monument, the ranch that Grey modeled “Riders” heroine Jane Withersteen’s ranch on — trying to understand Grey’s artistic process. In doing so, Atwell gained a greater appreciation for the artists bringing “Riders” to the stage, along with some magnificent footage. “The way Zane Grey was influenced by the landscape is very much what I’ve seen in Ed’s work and in Craig’s work. You have these three major artists inspired by the same sunsets, dust and world-class scenery.” That scenery was brought vividly to stage by Mell. Known for his panoramic abstract landscapes, Mell’s work is colorful, hard-edged and angular, with a permanence as if carved in stone. It became his job to translate the West’s towering rock formations and breathtaking vistas for the stage. To do so, he created movable panels — some soaring 28 feet
high — and a series of digital sky paintings that were projected on a huge high-tech screen. “I was grateful that we could do something 28 feet high, which really is an immense scale. People look small next to it, which you do in the real landscape. To me, that was a great thing, because I’ve dealt with those forms for 40 years,” Mell said. The icing on the cake, according to Mell, was when Arizona Opera brought in a new lighting designer, Greg Hirsch. They had planned to do rear projection, which takes up a lot of the stage and is washed out by ambient light, but late in the game decided to use a 30-by-60 foot LED screen. The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust funded this state-of-the-art video wall to the tune of $425,000 so the iconic tale of “Riders of the Purple Sage” could be told properly, amid jaw-dropping mountains, vistas, canyons and sunsets. “It changed the show,” Mell said. When “Riders” received its world premiere in 2017 — the first ever produced by Arizona Opera — it blazed new trails and showed how a classic genre could support a fresh adaptation. Not only was it a huge critical success, it was a great commercial success, outselling even the stalwart, “Carmen.” “The opportunity to combine Zane Grey’s visceral storytelling about the American West with the power of opera was incredibly unique and exciting,” said Joseph Specter, president and general director of Arizona Opera. “The cinematic music and words of Craig Bohmler and Steven Mark Kohn, the direction of Fenlon Lamb and the stunning scenery made possible by Ed Mell
created such an impact on the communities that Arizona Opera serves. We are deeply proud as a company to have played a role in bringing this work to life, and grateful for the chance to bring it back to Arizona in the season to come.”
BUT BEFORE THE OPERA CANTERS BACK over the horizon, Atwell’s film will inform how these artists, influenced by this landscape, translated this story into fine art and literature and music — and how it all came together. “At a very intimate level, I’m fascinated by how artists create,” Atwell said. “What I learned from Craig and Ed more than anything is that they have an amazing work ethic. To get to follow all of these different artists’ processes and see how these pieces come together in a type of collaboration that I think is rare these days — where everyone’s working toward the same goal to make this incredibly huge piece of art — it’s been the greatest honor and biggest challenge of my life.” It’s been eight years since Boemler’s Fossil Creek hike got jumped by a summer rainstorm, but the wild terrain he’s trekked since then has been even more remarkable than the landscape he missed out on that day. Every detour and side trail he found along the journey has led to heroes to guide and to aid. Just like in Western movies. “There were so many things that could have gone wrong,” Bohmler said. “But the right person always showed up at the right time.” To learn more about “Riders of the Purple Sage,” go to azopera.org/performances/riders-purple-sage. To learn more about Riders of the Purple Sage: The Making of a Western Opera, visit ridersoperafilm.com.
Zane Grey during filming of the original movie adaptation of “Riders of the Purple Sage” in 1918.
AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 27
NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}
AT THE VALLEY’S MOST VENERABLE MUSEUM, IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT’S NEW The Heard marries rich history with the here and now Tom Evans | Contributing Editor
When my mom and I moved to Arizona (in year I don’t want to mention; think big hair, neon and wanting your MTV), one of the first things we did was visit the Heard Museum. That’s because the Heard, even back in the New Wave era, was up there with the Grand Canyon as one of the state’s major must-sees. If it seems like the Heard has been here forever, that’s because it basically has. The museum is celebrating its 90th anniversary this upcoming year as the preeminent collection of Native American art, culture and history. But as the Heard hits this milestone, the conversation isn’t about its history — it’s about its future. First, some context, courtesy of the Heard’s director and CEO, David Roche. This will make a lot of sense when you think about it, but museums are having to change. In this era of instant entertainment, when you can see any image in the world in your hand within seconds, museums are having to adapt to become more interactive, inviting and interesting. For the Heard and for many cultural institutions, this reality intersected with the economic 28 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
downturn of the late 2000s. Not only did people have less money to give and spend, there was the rise of smartphones and tablets. As a result, museums had to figure out new ways to stay in the public consciousness and ingrain themselves in their communities. So the Heard’s leadership decided the museum’s entire mission would have to change. It was going to have to be about more than just celebrating Native American art. “We are and continue to be all of the things people love about the Heard Museum. There’s nothing like the Heard anywhere else in the world, which I think makes us very special,” Roche said. “When I got here about 3½ years ago, we worked on a new strategic plan and direction for the museum that emphasizes advancing American Indian art, but also looking at the intersection of American Indian art with broader artistic and cultural themes.” That’s why over the past few years, after opening a new 7,000-square-foot Grand Gallery, the Heard has been more ambitious about its shows and exhibitions. The big ones so far have been the
If you haven’t been to the Heard in a while, it’s time to visit again.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition in 2017 and “Yua: Henri Matisse and the Inner Arctic Spirit” in late 2018 and early 2019. Both exhibitions called upon non-Native American artists who are widely known, and intertwined their work with the Native American theme. And both shattered attendance records for the museum. “It’s unexpected to find these shows at the Heard Museum, but I mean that in the best possible way,” Roche said. “People are figuring out that there’s a lot going on at the Heard and some of it is different, and it’s giving people a reason to come back.” Roche said that people may have thought the Heard was “sleepy” around the time he came on board, but today, the museum’s membership is at a 10-year high. In the past year, the museum opened 10 new exhibitions and produced more than 150 programs. “It’s really part of a larger conversation with museums in the 21st century — it’s a whole new ballgame,” he said. “There’s a clear mandate that
UPCOMING HEARD MUSEUM EXHIBITS Still Life No. 3: Raven Chacon | Opened July 5 Chacon is a contemporary artist who works with sound installations, timed light and text. Through the Lens of Barry Goldwater Opening Sept. 20 The exhibition features prints from Arizona Sen. Barry M. Goldwater’s color slide collection, which was donated to the Heard Museum by his son Michael Goldwater in 1993. David Hockney’s Yosemite and Masters of California Basketry | Opening Oct. 28 The exhibition combines Native American basket work in the Yosemite Valley with a celebrated artist of contemporary times. Maria Hupfield: Nine Years Towards the Sun Opening Dec. 6 This solo exhibition of Canadian/Anishinaabek artist Maria Hupfield will feature more than 40 works by the conceptual performance artist.
AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 29
Photo by Jillian Rivera Photography
As director and CEO of the Heard Museum, David Roche looks for great stories that need to be told.
museums need to be more than just custodians of art history and culture. They need to be part of the community, and the community needs to be able to see themselves in museums.” The approach is purposefully multigenerational as well. The museum has started a project called “It’s Your Turn,” where every exhibition in the Grand Gallery is accompanied by a program for children to help them understand the art in front of them. At the other end of the spectrum, the museum has received funding to explore creative initiatives for seniors. “We want to be a reflection of the entire community — kids, adults, families, the whole gamut,” Roche said. The 90th anniversary celebration will include an exhibit by the well-known painter David Hockney and his work around Yosemite Valley, paired with indigenous basket weavers from the region — who, despite working a century before Hockney, drew their inspiration from the same natural environment. But it’s not just programming that’s being refreshed. The museum received a $1 million grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to update its courtyard and improve the lobby to improve the overall visitor experience, a project being done over the hot summer months with 30 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
the goal of opening the Heard even further to Valley residents and visitors. “I like to point out that the Heard is literally in the heart of Phoenix, and I like to think we function like a heart — we breathe life and vitality and passion into the community.” The Heard is not being reinvented, but its innovation in presenting programming plays well into the increased energy toward the arts that’s already being generated in the Valley. “I think culturally Phoenix is truly coming alive,” Roche said. “We have a real benefit — we’re not New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Chicago — we’re a young city and we have all this energy. The timing is actually great if you are in the museum world. There aren’t any real expectations that are attached to museums in Phoenix, and we can write our own script for the 21st century.” To learn more, visit heard.org.
Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
@TEvans927
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STYLE UNLOCKED {living fashionably}
spirit
OF
STYLE A Glimpse Behind the Jeweled Curtain into the Life of Patsy Lowry Catie Richman | Contributing Writer
Artist Pasty “Skyline” Lowry is larger than life. She is rich in character, color, creativity and spirit. Stepping into her studio is almost a departure from reality and into a fanciful realm filled with dazzling color, imagination and a touch of whimsy. The studio, which she has occupied for more than 40 years, tells the fascinating story of this third-generation Arizonan whose personality is as bright and bold as her art. Lowry’s creativity seems to know no bounds. From acrylic paintings of landscapes, spirits and flowers to bronze sculptures, lithographs, hand-painted silks and crushed velvets to upholstered chairs — there is seemingly no medium she isn’t open to. “I do everything except realism,” she said. “My interest is in finding something beautiful and making it more beautiful in an unexpected and original manner,” Lowry said. “When I create 32 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
something, I have to find the spirit of what I am working on and make it come alive. And make it magical, spiritual and profound. That doesn’t mean it has to be heavy-duty — spirituality and creativity can be soft, gentle, fluid, strong, emotional, disturbing, upsetting, extravagant, divine, everything — the full catastrophe.” A key part of Lowry’s philosophy is that everything must have two sides — like a purse or a chair. Lowry delights in the element of surprise and making sure both sides are differently but equally interesting. She tries to find things that have a past, then garnishes them with earrings, jewels, necklaces, flowers, sequins — transforming the mundane with a play on texture and sparkling color.
Photos by Jillian Rivera Photography
“I want my art to be larger than life,” Lowry said. “I want people to respond to me in extravagant, magical, outrageous, wonderful, exciting, joyous ways.”
“Where do I find my supplies? Everywhere. If you are open to whatever it is you are looking for, it is there,” Lowry said. “You just have to see it and then you have to be wealthy enough to buy it.” Sometimes, she will have things for years before they speak to her, like a skirt from Guatemala she bought decades before transforming it into one of her signature styles. Lowry is celebrated for an ornate style that is undeniably her own. She has always been stylish, but growing up as a tennis player in Phoenix, she never wore anything but shorts or her Xavier College Prep uniform. It was during time in Spain, exploring the fashion houses in Madrid, that Lowry began to break free from the uniform and fully embrace her personal style. “I love being able to express a new feeling, a new look, a new style, something that makes me happy, something that makes me feel sophisticated or that I didn’t think I would ever have the nerve to wear,” Lowry said. “The thing that goes along with that is everywhere I go people say, ‘Oh, I love that color on you.’ People
respond to creativity and beautiful things.” But it’s not simply putting on a new dress; the clothing and design are just a part. Lowry’s designs take on a new life and a new way of expression for the person wearing them, unique to that person’s spirit. “Fashion is the art of magical connection between the designer and the wearer,” Lowry said. “When you buy something by an artist, the first thing you have to do is relate to it. Your response, because of your past and who you are, is going to be different from that of I, the designer, because you come from a totally different place. The piece, the fashion, the art is complete when you combine the two ingredients — the fashion designer and the person wearing it.” Lowry believes every piece she creates contains her spirit, which is manifested by her life experience, giving it strength and meaning for her audience to connect to. “The richer my life, the richer my art, the richer my response,” said Lowry. “The mystery is how the AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 33
STYLE UNLOCKED CONTINUED
spirit of the artist translates to the piece. I don’t only want to be a great artist; my goal is to be a great person because that spirit or energy is translated to each piece. An artist has to do what is necessary for him or her to be strong and sensitive and meaningful.” Talent is only the beginning for Lowry — hard work and diligence are also required. She swims for an hour every day in the dark to help find her balance and strengthen her discipline. She also reads veraciously and meditates. Lowry is always learning, so she can be both educated and interesting. She honors what comes her way and doesn’t take things for granted.
In that quest, Lowry is following her own yellow brick road, sharing her vibrant spirit with the community. “I seek new ways to express what is new in my world,” Lowry said. “The possibilities of expression are endless.”
“I am not interested in knowing what I am going to create. I am interested in creating something I never would have thought of. That takes risk,” Lowry said. “It sounds easy but it isn’t, because you’re always pushing forward. I always want to be better, more original.”
Catie Richman CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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A 2ND ACT {survivors giving back}
A GUY WITH A GUITAR Amped Up for Good
Judy Pearson | Contributing Writer
Stuart Epstein calls himself just a guy with a guitar. For most of his life, he had dreams of playing music. Those dreams became a reality decades later, as he and a group of like-minded musicians launched a band. But then life intervened and the band broke up, leaving a disappointing hole in Epstein’s life. What he didn’t realize at the time was that the band was just the warm-up act for what was to follow. The “guy with a guitar” randomly started playing for people with dementia at a senior care facility. Then one day, a nurse asked if he’d consider playing for kids too. She introduced him to folks at Scottsdale’s Redfield Elementary School, and he began playing for their special-needs students. That’s when the magic happened. “I’m not a music therapist,” Epstein quickly pointed out. “But there are so many studies that show how
therapeutic music is. Do you know it’s the only stimulus that reaches every portion of the brain? When you hum, you’re using your voice; when you tap your foot, you’re using muscles; remembering lyrics or where you were when you heard a song uses your memory. It’s amazing!” And so is the growth of the organization. Epstein and his super-supportive wife, Janet, launched Six Strings Acoustic and one school quickly became a number of schools. Nearly three years ago, they received their nonprofit status, and are now fundraising and applying for grants. Janet handles the business portion of things, while Stuart, in his words, “gets to do the fun part,” performing his one-hour, one-man shows five days a week, two and three times a day. The fundraising Six Strings Acoustic is doing will give them the opportunity to grow even more. Their goal is to bring in more AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 37
Through Six Strings Acoustic, Stuart Epstein is bringing consistent live music performances for special-needs children to Arizona’s public and private schools.
musicians and travel to more locations around the Valley. Epstein’s young audiences are made up of all levels of disability: high school, middle school and elementary students who are in wheelchairs, nonverbal or autistic kids and more. He’s played at their homecoming and graduation parties. And when school’s out, he even plays music for kids in their homes.
I figured music was music, even if the kids weren’t familiar with it. One day, I was playing ‘Yellow Submarine’ and a little girl sitting at my feet began signing. I don’t know sign language and asked the teacher what she was saying. It was the sign for yellow!” he chuckled. “It was the first time she ever communicated with me. My next visit, she wanted to sit on my lap while I played. Now I’ve expanded my repertoire to include kids’ songs and more modern music.”
“When I first started performing for kids, I had no idea what to expect,” Epstein said. “I played stuff I knew: Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, the Beatles.
Including Lady Gaga. One of Epstein’s young fans, Jocelyn, was born missing a part of her brain. But that didn’t dim her appreciation for good
38 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
A 2ND ACT CONTINUED
music. One day, she asked him to play “Shallow,” Gaga’s Oscar-winning song from the most recent version of “A Star Is Born.” Epstein didn’t know it, but learned it. The next time he visited Jocelyn’s school, she belted it out with him. And then she sang it in front of the entire school at an assembly. In fact, Epstein encourages his young audiences to get involved in whatever ways they want. He lets them sing at the mic or strum the guitar. The organization’s mission — as well as Epstein’s — is to bring live music into the lives of people who can’t get out to hear it. Six Strings Acoustic has “roadies” at the schools too. “Kids from other classes come in to help me set up and break down,” Epstein said. “It gives them a chance to experience the good feeling of helping others.” Epstein still makes room in his schedule for the seniors who were the original beneficiaries of his talents. “For six months, a guy in his mid-90s would be in a recliner in front of me. He was
always wrapped up in a blanket, and never spoke or opened his eyes. I figured he was sleeping,” Epstein said. “One day I said, ‘This next song is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.’ Suddenly the sleeping guy pops up and says, ‘That’s in Cleveland and that’s where I’m from!’ He had been listening all along!” Clearly, the tunes that flow from Stuart’s fingers have tremendous healing power. He may be just a “guy with a guitar,” but to dozens of people who would never otherwise hear live music, he’s the Pied Piper of pure joy. To learn more, visit sixstringsacoustic.org.
Judy Pearson CONTRIBUTING WRITER
info@A2ndAct.org
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
THE PAW REPORT {PetSmart Charities}
NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 13 - 15
ADOPT IF YOU CAN...
INSPIRE OTHERS IF YOU CAN’T! We’re leveraging social media to encourage people to attend their local events and adopt. For those that can’t adopt just yet, there is #PicMe — using the power of social media and influence to inspire others to help save lives.
Can’t adopt? You can still help pets in need: Attend a PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend Event at a PetSmart store near you. Take pics of adoptable pets (feel free to sneak in some snuggles while you’re at it!) Post the photos on your social media channels using #PicMe with information on the pet(s) and where they can be adopted.
Held four times per year, PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend invites future pet parents to help change a life through pet adoption. With adoption events at over 1,600 stores and partnerships with nearly 4,000 adoption partners, unconditional love is closer than you think. Since 1994, we’ve been able to help over 8.5 million pets find loving homes through our adoption programs. It’s support from pet-lovers like you that provides homeless pets the best chance to find the people they’ll call family. Help us keep the momentum going and join us to adopt your new best friend.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
PETSMART CHARITIES NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEKEND FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 Find a store near you at www.petsmartcharities.org/locator
@PetSmartCharities @PetSmartCharities @PetSmartChariTs
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT {giving back}
SHEMER ART CENTER Art Lives There
Ashley Ford | Assistant Publisher
THE STORY Hidden along the base of Camelback Mountain is the first home built in one of Phoenix’s best-known neighborhoods: Arcadia. In 1919, this home housed the foreman of a water company set to develop irrigation in the newly named neighborhood. Years later, in 1984, a successful real estate investor named Martha Shemer purchased the house and donated it back to the City of Phoenix with hopes of it being preserved and developed into a place where community residents could gather. Today the home stands as a statewide arts center and one of Phoenix’s “Points of Pride.” Though the city owns and maintains the house and land, the Shemer Art Center is completely community-funded.
Since its creation in 1984, exhibitions and events have taken place at Shemer, and that’s still what you can expect today. “We host classes, weekend workshops, summer camps and after-school art clubs,” said Shonna James, president and executive director of the Shemer Art Center. “We are inviting people to come to the center all the time to do a lot of different things and that is exactly what Martha Shemer would have wanted.”
THE CAUSE The Shemer Art Center offers up to seven fine-arts classes a day and weekend workshops year-round, available both to children and adults. Attendees can
AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 41
Artists of all ages find their muse at Shemer Art Center, a Mission-style house used for art education.
get creative with a variety of mediums, including paint, ceramics, embroidery and silk screen. All classes are instructed by professional artists, many who are actively working and showing in the community. “Art is so important to creative thinking, developing problem-solving skills and is proven to provide success in academics and increase graduation rates,” James said. “Art is everywhere, and a lot of people are really starting to realize that a lot of art is happening at the Shemer.” The Shemer Art Center prides itself on supporting and showcasing Arizona artists throughout the property. In addition to classes, workshops and 42 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
camps, the center features 10 rotating exhibitions per year. Four major fundraising events take place yearly including Furry Friends, a fine arts festival for both animal and arts lovers, and Art in the Garden, a garden-themed boutique followed by a tea party. Also located at the Shemer is a gift shop featuring unique, handmade gifts, all created by Arizona artists.
THE FUTURE The Shemer celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and planning is already in the works for the next 100 years. “In just the last three years we’ve really grown the number of classes we host,” James said. “Last year we offered over 200 classes, had 1,100 students and 3,500 visitors, and that number will continue to grow.”
James and her team at Shemer are also looking to grow their offerings throughout the community by partnering with local businesses, stores and boutiques for “giveback nights,” where guests can learn watercolor art and a portion of the sales will go back to charity. “Our neighborhood has been so supportive,” James said. “There are a lot of people who visited when they were young children and now, they come back and bring their kids. We are growing as a community organization and the community is getting more and more involved and engaged with the Shemer Art Center.”
Perhaps it’s time to see the art inside this neighborhood jewel. To learn more, visit shemerartcenter.org.
Ashley Ford ASSISTANT PUBLISHER ashley@frontdoorsmedia.com
KITCHEN DOORS {airport eating} Lisa Mullavey | Contributing Writer
DELUX BURGER EXPRESS Sky Harbor Airport was recently voted one of the top airports in the country by Skytrax World Airport Awards. One of the many reasons for the distinction is the food. Hungry travelers short on time but craving a gourmet bite can look no further than Delux Burger Express. The original restaurant on East Camelback Road in Phoenix is known for incredible burgers made from a special blend of Niman Ranch high-quality meat made exclusively for Delux. The Sky Harbor location features an abbreviated menu with burger, fries, shake and a few breakfast selections. The great thing about Delux Burger Express is that everything they serve is packed to go, making it easy to take along to your gate. My personal favorite is their Delux “Duo,” two all-natural mini burgers topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on mini toasted brioche buns and an order of French fries. With food that’s earned Delux more than 50 local and national awards since opening in 2004, be prepared to make fellow travelers jealous with this delicious grab-and-go.
MATT’S BIG BREAKFAST “Honest cooking. Scratch Ingredients.” That’s what you’ll find at Matt’s Big Breakfast, a popular local eatery opened by Matt Pool in 2004. When they first opened, MBB was in a small building in downtown Phoenix but today has grown to four locations, including their first franchised restaurant and the Sky Harbor International Airport locale. MBB prides itself on exceptional service and high-quality fresh ingredients. No stranger to accolades, MBB was recently recognized as the Best Restaurant in Phoenix by The Daily Meal, a website that also named MBB one of the Top 25 airport restaurants in the country in 2016. Guy Fieri, host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, even stopped by in 2009. In case you were wondering, one of his favorite dishes was the Chop and Chick: two eggs, home fries and toast served with a skillet-seared pork chop marinated in MBB’s house-made pesto. In the mood for lunch? Breakfast is served all day and MBB also has several lunch selections (served after 11 a.m.) such as an egg salad sandwich or cobb salad as well as a kids menu.
THE TAVERN BY MARK TARBELL Respected local chef and restaurateur Mark Tarbell studied extensively in Amsterdam and Paris before moving to Arizona. A member of the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame, he has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. In fact, he won Iron Chef America and hosted the PBS show Check, Please! Arizona. Locally, he opened his namesake Tarbell’s in 1994, followed by The Wine Store and The Tavern in 2014. January 2019 saw the addition of The Tavern at Sky Harbor. The Tavern describes itself as a “fine purveyor of American comfort food,” featuring items such as deviled eggs with whipped Dijon aioli mousse and a classic cheeseburger served in a sit-down restaurant with a bar, making it the perfect setting to kick off a vacation or finalize last-minute details. Standout items are their grilled cheese sandwich served with exceptional tomato bisque soup, a BLT voted best BLT in Phoenix by Phoenix New Times readers, and their heavenly house-made coconut cream pie. Get to the airport early; it will be worth it.
44 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
Barrio Cafe Eager to learn more about the food business and cooking, the ambitious and hardworking Silvana Salcido Esparza moved to Arizona in 1996 to study at Scottsdale Culinary Institute. After graduating, Esparza honed her skills locally before traveling through Mexico under a scholarship program, learning all she could about traditional Mexican cuisine. Upon her return to Phoenix, she worked tirelessly until 2002, when she opened her first restaurant, Barrio Café, south of North 16th Street and Thomas Road. Fast-forward to 2019, Esparza has opened three additional Barrio restaurants, including the full-service location in Sky Harbor, which in 2015 was voted one of the top 35 airport restaurants in the world by The Daily Meal. Esparza’s menus are rich with regional Mexican
cuisine unlike any other found in the Valley. Order fresh seafood dishes such as the one with shrimp, scallops, crab with a shallot white wine cream sauce garnished with longaniza chorizo sausage, caramelized onion and roasted poblano pepper sauté or one of many featuring beef, chicken and pork prepared with ingredients such as hibiscus flower, a variety of peppers, nuts and fruits. During a recent lunch, my friend and I started with their guacamole, a torta made with Barrio Café’s signature marinated pork, and flavorful Tecate-battered shrimp tacos. I also recommend ordering their award-winning house-made agua de horchata or a margarita or cocktail from their bar that features a wide selection of tequila. With cuisine like this, a delayed flight is a lot less painful.
CHEERS TO THE CHAIRS {
Society of Chairs } Why do you support Phoenix Theatre Company? SANDY: There are only five other theaters in the United States that can claim 100 years of continuous operation — and no other in Arizona. The Phoenix Theatre Company has never closed its doors — not during World War I or II, not during the Great Depression or the recent recession. The Phoenix Theatre truly stands out for its persistence, determination and heart, and that’s something I am very proud to be part of.
Nan Howlett, Maja Langbein and Sandy Magruder Co-chairs of Centennial Applause! Gala benefiting Phoenix Theatre Company
phoenixtheatre.com
NAN: The history of the Phoenix Theatre is remarkable. It was founded by community leaders and philanthropists who shared a passion for the arts and understood the important role that arts play in communities. In fact, the Phoenix Theatre was the state’s first arts company, home to the USO during World War II, and the place where Steven Spielberg got his start — he premiered his first feature-length film at age 17 on our historic Mainstage. Through the years, the Theatre has launched the careers of countless performers. MAJA: My husband John and I are active with theater and arts and feel that the Phoenix Theatre Company exemplifies value, diversity, endless support and an overall good feeling. We don’t have many opportunities in life to celebrate the history of such an amazing organization, so being involved in the 100th anniversary of this incredible theater is beyond an honor.
Describe this year’s event. NAN: The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Centennial Applause! Gala on Saturday, Oct. 19, is going to be the party of the century! I’ve always loved attending this event, but this year is truly special as we celebrate the Theatre’s 100th anniversary with celebrity guests, a remarkable performance created by the Theatre’s own Michael Barnard that will celebrate a century of performing arts, Steven Spielberg and some other fun surprises. MAJA: And, later in the evening, there will be dancing to popular hits through the decades with performers and celebrities under the stars.
Favorite movie: NAN: My favorite movie is also my favorite book and one of the
best performances I’ve seen on stage: “Les Misérables.” Part of why I love it is because I lived in France for 17 years and deeply cherish France, and in particular Paris, where the book by Victor Hugo is based.
Thank you to our August 2019 Cheers to the Chairs Runner-Up: Shelley Sakala — Don’t be a Chump! Check for a Lump! Gala Chairwoman
Proudest accomplishment: SANDY: I am so proud of my daughters Kristine
Thompson and Shannon Barthelemy. They are amazing women who do so much for our community, but the most precious gifts are the six beautiful grandchildren they’ve given us. Kristine and Shannon are wonderful mothers and role models for their kids and work hard to do so much good for others. I am just so proud of them!
Fun fact about you: MAJA: Something that not many people know about
me is I am fluent in Polish. My mother grew up in Poland, and as I was growing up I would spend time in the summers there with my grandmother and family.
Frontdoors is proud to recognize those who volunteer their time, treasure and talents to support local organizations in a leadership role. To Nominate Your Event Chair, Co-Chairs, Honorary Chair or Board Chair, Contact publisher@frontdoorsmedia.com. 46 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | AUGUST 2019
The Valley’s Highest Quality, Most Reliable, Best Equipped Audio/ Visual Company is also the Best Value in Town Find out what dozens of the Valley’s top events and nonprofits already know — Latest Craze Production goes above and beyond to create an extraordinary AV experience for any occassion. And be sure to ask us about our incredible new LED walls that will make your visuals stand out like never before.
LatestCrazeProductions.com | 480.626.5231
OPEN DOORS {publisher’s page}
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS August in the Valley means kids go back to school. We find clever ways to avoid the heat each weekend and the Valley arts scene is ready to welcome us with new exhibits, beautiful performances and unique happenings. I’ve looked ahead at the Frontdoors Arts & Culture Calendar and several season previews as we prepared this special issue and put together my CAN’T-MISS list for the coming months. Let me know what you are looking forward to seeing this spring for a reader’s choice version of arts picks in my January column. Enjoy!
Andrea From the Frontdoors Arts & Culture Calendar:
AUG
27 SEPT 01
08
August 27 | Chris Isaak is stopping by Mesa Arts Center. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a wicked girl’s night out! mesaartscenter.com Chris Isaak is making his way to Mesa in August.
September 1 | I have an email in to my friends at Scottsdale Artists’ School to find a beginner painting class. This has been on my bucket list for a long time and I can’t wait to give it a try. scottsdaleartschool.org Sept. 8 – Oct. 13 | Parents and grandparents, take a weekend to read “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” by Kate DiCamillo to the kiddos and then treat them to Childsplay’s beloved production of the story at the Herberger Theater. childsplayaz.org
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OCT
15
31 NOV 01
03 13
Mid-October | In hopes that the weather blesses us with our first glimpse of cooler temps, a morning visit to the Phoenix Zoo will be in order. A lot of baby animals were born in late spring, so it will be prime time for their debuts. phoenixzoo.org Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 | The Phoenix Symphony will play the whimsical score from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas as you watch the movie live. This was a sell-out in 2018 so I’m thrilled we get another chance to do this. phoenixsymphony.org
Nov. 1 – April 30 | Squidsoup returns to SMoCA with Murmuration, a site-specific artwork that will use a networked data system to connect hundreds of lights and audio sources, creating a responsive data swarm. So cool! smoca.org Nov. 3 – March 15 | My teenage son has become quite the car guy so we can’t wait to check out Legends of Speed at the Phoenix Art Museum. This landmark exhibition will include an unprecedented collection of more than 20 legendary cars by Maserati, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo and Ford, among others. Vroom! phxart.org Nov. 13– Dec. 29 | I’m so excited for all of the amazing shows being produced for Phoenix Theatre’s 100th season. “The Sound of Music” will be the perfect family outing over the holidays. phoenixtheatre.com
Murmuration will provide a thrilling audiovisual experience. (artist rendering)
See some of the most successful and famous racecars of all time at Legends of Speed. Photos by Bill Pack / V-12 Enterprises.
Andrea Tyler Evans PUBLISHER
@AndreaTEvans AUGUST 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 49