Frontdoors Magazine August/September 2021

Community, Philanthropy & Lifestyle Joseph Specter Arizona Opera

Donna Valdes iX co

Suzanne Wilson The Phoenix Symphony

Samantha Turner Ballet Arizona

Gerd Wuestemann Scottsdale Arts

Ken Schutz Desert Botanical Garden

THE

BIG RETURN

The Valley’s arts and culture community is banking on the return of in-person events A Frontdoors Media Publication | Home of The Red Book

AUG/SEPT 2021

frontdoorsmedia.com

TO E T H IN G TO N T H E AT R E! 2021-22 SEASON

Call GCU Arena box office at 6 0 2- 6 3 9-89 7 9 for tickets

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940

By John Bishop

| Sept. 3 – 5 and 10 – 12

Radium Girls

By D. W. Gregory

| Oct. 8 – 10 and 15 – 17

Addams Family

Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Music and Lyrics by Andres Lippa Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams | Nov. 19 – 21 and 26 – 28

Winter Dance Concert: Emerge Dec. 10 – 12

The Lady’s Not for Burning

By Christopher Fry

| Feb. 11 – 13 and 18 – 20

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

| April 1 – 3 and 8 – 10

Spring Dance Concert: Testimony April 22 – 24

Call today to book your seats!

Grand Canyon University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.. ©2021 Grand Canyon University 21COF0147

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Magazine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karen Werner PUBLISHER Andrea Tyler Evans ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Lisa Pagel RED BOOK MANAGING EDITOR Perrine Adams CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Tom Evans CREATIVE DIRECTOR Neill Fox GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lesley Kitts CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Julie Coleman Shoshana Leon Judy Pearson Catie Richman McKenna Wesley FRONTDOORS TV HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Carey Peña SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lisa Grannis Lindsay Green Robyn Lambert Michelle Schneider Deidra Viberg

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BACK ROW Donna Valdes, Samantha Turner, Joseph Specter & Suzanne Wilson FRONT ROW Gerd Wuestemann, Ken Schutz PHOTO Scott Foust LOCATION Valley Youth Theatre MAKEUP Oscar Salgado, The Sparkle Bar SPECIAL THANKS Bobb Cooper, Tiffany Owen & Matt Brown, Valley Youth Theatre

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TABLE OF CONTENTS { aug/sept 2021, volume 19, issue 5 }

09 WHAT YOU’RE SAYING Reader feedback

10 EDITOR’S NOTE The Buzz of Reinvention

12 1 0 QUESTIONS Oonagh Boppart, arts supporter and philanthropist

15 CHEERS TO THE CHAIRS A preview of the Valley’s premier philanthropic events

17 BOOKMARKED Anthony J. Wallace, journalist and podcast producer for Hear Arizona

18 COMMUNITY VOICE The Creative Economy

23 A 2

ACT Allan Naplan and Arizona Musicfest are igniting minds with music ND

29 KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE Luxe Living

36 STYLE UNLOCKED David M. Roche shares stories behind his awe-inspiring art

52 ORGANIZATIONS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE + Arizona

Commission on the Arts Musicfest + Arizona Opera + Ballet Arizona + Desert Botanical Garden + Greater Phoenix Leadership, Inc. + Hear Arizona + Heard Museum + Lowell Observatory + Lux Undergraduate Creative Review + Museum of Northern Arizona + Rising Youth Theatre + Scottsdale Arts + SOUNDS Academy + The Phoenix Symphony + Xico Arte y Cultura + Arizona

43 FROM THE ROAD Off to Flagstaff!

48 NONPROFIT PRO TIP Stephanie Small

52 COVER STORY The Big Return

62 NEXT DOORS Creating Art. Improving Lives.

66 OFFICE DOORS Julio-César Sauceda, producing artistic collaborator at Rising Youth Theatre

69 CHARITY SPOTLIGHT SOUNDS Academy

73 KITCHEN DOORS Let’s Eat!

82 LAST LOOK Up, up and away!

WHAT YOU’RE SAYING { reader feedback }

“

Rock-star coverage.

— TRISHA ANTHONY

”

I was very inspired by the creative ways people gave back during the pandemic.

We truly have superheroes among us in Arizona!

— AMY WALTERS

“

What a treat to meet Billie Jo Herberger (featured in the May/June 2021 issue).

She really is effervescent!

— HOLLY ROSE

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EDITOR’S NOTE { on the job }

THE BUZZ

OF REINVENTION

t

he Valley’s arts and culture community is buzzing, and it’s exciting. After more than a year of closed venues, canceled performances and endless pivots,

arts groups are looking optimistically to the new season ahead.

I think we can all agree that, as a community,

we missed the arts. The pandemic taught us how life-enhancing going to a museum, seeing a

Piper Trust recently awarded more than $2 million to 26 local performing arts organizations to help with their reemergence after the disruption of the pandemic.

show or connecting with nature can be. A source of comfort, beauty and inspiration during this unprecedented time, the arts will also be critical to the Valley’s economic and psychological recovery from the pandemic.

That’s why Frontdoors has partnered with Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust on this special issue to highlight the artists, arts organizations and arts workers who will help us to imagine and create a more vibrant future for us all.

Piper Trust recently awarded more than $2 million to 26 local performing arts organizations to help with their reemergence after the disruption of the pandemic.

Trust founder Virginia Galvin Piper believed arts and culture are key to community health and vitality, so the Trust felt compelled to help arts and culture organizations begin to reimagine their futures beyond COVID-19.

“We are focused on frequent conversations with our nonprofit partners to hear how their organizations, staffs and the clients they serve are doing as we move into more encouraging times,” said Mary Jane Rynd, president and CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.

“Our Trustees remain on the pulse of how the pandemic is specifically affecting the various

What if we could all play a role in helping the arts sector rebuild by going to a performance or exhibition? This issue highlights lots of opportunities for doing that. In our cover story, arts leaders share the big events they’re betting will bring audiences back. And throughout the issue, you’ll find philanthropists, journalists, executives and arts workers extolling the value and importance of art.

But it’s not just cultural value at play — Arizona’s arts organizations add significant value to our economy. As Greater Phoenix Leadership president and CEO Neil Giuliano writes in his editorial on page 18, by providing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic impact every year, Arizona’s arts and culture organizations are an essential part of our growing economy and create countless opportunities for life-enhancing experiences and educational growth.

So, as the new arts season is kicking off, we invite you to support local arts and culture organizations and feel the buzz of reinvention, along with the hope and excitement of being together again.

sectors within the nonprofit community and what we all need to do as we rebuild and reestablish.”

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FRONTDOORS MEDIA

Karen Werner | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ARTS

&

Healing…unifying…life-changing… critical for community health and vitality.

CULTURE

Enriching Health, Well-Being, and Opportunity for the People of Maricopa County.

pipertrust.org

© 2021 Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

10 QUESTIONS { fascinating people }

1

Where did you move to Arizona from, and when?

I moved to Arizona in 1974 from Massachusetts. I am originally from London and came to America on the Queen Mary.

2

Do you have a background in the arts?

I have a degree in music and come from an artsy family.

There was always music, lots of opera, lots of drama, and lots of art on the walls.

3

What was the first arts/culture organization you supported in the Valley?

I’m not entirely sure of this, but I suspect it was The Phoenix Symphony. It was a long time ago!

4

You facilitate discussion groups for people who work in the arts and culture sector. What do you hope to achieve?

The idea came back in 2003 when I noticed the Desert Botanical Garden was opening the Butterfly Pavilion while the Opera was presenting “Madama Butterfly.” I thought this was an excellent opportunity for cross-organization marketing, but nothing like this happened. In May of that year, I invited the then-CEOs of the largest arts organizations in Phoenix to lunch. I said to them, “I am Mrs. Average American, and I see no collaboration within the arts/culture.” We had a very interesting discussion, and they decided they’d like to meet again the following month. Right there and then, they made the only rule we have ever had — only CEOs at this meeting. We have been meeting monthly since and are now 18 years old.

The success of the CEO group led to the creation of similar monthly meetings for development directors, education directors and marketing directors. What I want to achieve —

Photo by Tina Celle

and what I believe we are achieving — is the collaboration that happens when people trust each other. In 2008, when the

OONAGH BOPPART

Arts supporter and philanthropist

economy went south, sharing and helping one another meant that we did not lose one organization. I think this is quite an achievement.

5

Have any notable collaborations come out of it?

Yes. The Ballet performs in the Desert Botanical Garden every spring. The Southwest Shakespeare Company and the Opera have also performed in the Garden. I think much of the collaboration goes on behind the scenes. For example, Phoenix Theatre Company built an outdoor stage during the pandemic and both the Phoenix Chamber Music Society and Childsplay used it.

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“ What I want to achieve — and what I believe we are achieving — is the collaboration that happens when people trust each other.”

6

You convene people in leadership, marketing and more. Name qualities every arts leader should possess.

A love of the arts, obviously. In any leadership, you need to know your subject and be able to think outside the box.

We are living in a changing world, and the arts are essential

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH AT 6:00PM.

to our everyday life. Therefore, all our leaders need to be nimble, willing to share — and willing to listen.

7

Looking back, what did you miss most or come to understand about the value of the arts when our venues were shuttered last year?

I missed the in-person value of the arts. However, our local arts organizations have all done outstanding work in the virtual realm. They did not just offer performances but also games, competitions and educational experiences.

8

Why are the arts so crucial for Arizona as we move forward?

The arts/culture organizations in Arizona are essential, not just for the economy but for the value of life. Whether it’s the Ballet, the Symphony, the Zoo, the Science Center or Phoenix Chamber Music Society, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Arizona’s arts and culture.

9

On a positive note, what do you look forward to attending every season?

I truly love chamber music, the Ballet, and being at the Desert Botanical Garden. I also really enjoy the museums statewide.

Is there a small or under-the-radar arts

10 organization you wish more people knew about?

I think Stray Cat Theatre does an amazing job, but I’m not sure how many people know about them.

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CHEERS to the Chairs!

A preview of the Valley’s premier philanthropic events and who’s leading these important efforts

VYTal Affair-athon

Benefitting Valley Youth Theatre CHAIR: Risa Kostis EVENT DATE: August 21, 2021 DETAILS: vytlive.com

Evening on the Diamond

Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation HONORING: Mike Kennedy EVENT DATE: September 2, 2021 DETAILS: mlb.com/dbacks/community/foundation

Wine, Women & Shoes

Benefitting Fresh Start Women’s Foundation CHAIRS: Rayme Lofgren & Carina Lukas EVENT DATE: September 18, 2021 DETAILS: freshstartwomen.org

Night of Hope

Benefitting Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels CHAIRS: Elizabeth Lucas & Allie Brooks EVENT DATE: September 18, 2021 DETAILS: amandahope.org/gala

Crozier Gala Goes to Monte Carlo

Benefitting Catholic Community Foundation CHAIR: Justine Hurry EVENT DATE: September 25, 2021 DETAILS: ccfphx.org/montecarlo

unMASKed — A New Way to Speakeasy

Benefitting MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age Kids) CHAIR: Andre Wadsworth, Jack Miller & Kimberly Cabral EVENT DATE: October 9, 2021 DETAILS: maskmatters.org/product-category/events

FRONTDOORS MEDIA

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AUG/SEPT 2021

BOOKMARKED { what are you reading? }

ANTHONY J. WALLACE Journalist and podcast producer for State of the Arts Arizona, a Hear Arizona podcast series supported by Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

RECOMMENDS:

“Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon” by Michael Ghiglieri and Thomas Myers

H I S TA K E

“There is no book I have bought or gifted or talked about or read more than ‘Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.’ On its face, the book’s premise is perhaps disturbing or unappealing. It’s filled with the accounts of ‘all known deaths’ in the Grand Canyon. There are falls, drownings, air accidents, murder, rockslides and more.

“In my own fully biased opinion, the Grand Canyon is the most beautiful place on Earth, and I’ve always been so proud of the fact that it’s in our state. This book has only enhanced the mystique of the place in my mind — and increased my respect for it.

“Not every story ends in death, and there are some unbelievable ones — from the legendarily mysterious disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde to the plane crash responsible for the formation of the FAA to the complex controversy over who killed John Wesley Powell’s defecting explorers — Mormon settlers or Shivwits Indians? This book is the best; you can open it to any page, any chapter, and be instantly absorbed. You will learn about the tantalizing history of the West through the prism of the best Wonder of the World, and you’ll be armed with a bunch of new stories that will capture any dinner table or happy hour.”

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AUG/SEPT 2021

COMMUNITY VOICE { issues that matter }

Meow Wolf

THE CREATIVE ECONOMY Resilient communities invest in art

t

By Neil Giuliano, president and CEO of Greater Phoenix Leadership, Inc.

he arts are “the soul” of a community. And it’s true: The most

in the economy and lifestyle of Arizona.

As we have seen across multiple sectors,

vibrant, attractive and resilient

the COVID-19 pandemic has had quite an

communities invest in art assets

impact; the bottom fell out of the consumer

to inspire and intrigue the intellect

market for in-person arts, culture and

and hearts of their citizens and

entertainment activities like never before.

visitors. Greater Phoenix Leadership, Inc. (GPL)

Equal status to the pre-COVID market, and

believes in this intrinsic value of robust arts and

certainly market-share among the many

culture investments.

outstanding arts and culture organizations,

What is also true is that the arts and culture

genres and programs offered within the sector,

sector offers much more to our community than

is a work in progress as we navigate a new

intrinsic value, more than the strengthening

normal within society for at least a while longer.

of our heart and soul as a region. The sector

And yet, there are strong efforts underway

contributes thousands of jobs, payroll and

and a solid foundation to rebuild upon that

supply chain needs that are embedded deeply

offer hope.

Musical Instrument Museum

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FRONTDOORS MEDIA

Before the pandemic, five local music venues routinely hosted a seating capacity of more than 15,000 for performances. Similarly, Greater Phoenix holds more than 10 music festivals in a typical year. The Valley is also home to the world’s largest musical instrument museum — the aptly titled Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). Recently, GRAMMY-winning American folk singer and Arizona native Dom Flemons performed at

Crescent Ballroom

MIM. The arts and music scene have been cultural fixtures in most cities. Yelp and

according to Phoenix.org. A local favorite, Heard

Vivid Seats recognized the Crescent Ballroom

Museum, holds the largest kachina doll collection

in downtown Phoenix as one of the Top 50

in the nation. While several projects have been

small music venues in the U.S.

scheduled for Roosevelt Row Arts District, the future

With roughly 320 venues of all varieties and

may become even more imaginative since Meow

sizes, our region is the epicenter for theaters,

Wolf announced its plans to bring a permanent

galleries and museums in Arizona. These points

exhibit to our region.

of pride attract visitors from both near and far and

We also know that our arts and cultural

promote our dynamic arts and culture scene to

amenities play an increasingly valuable role in

locals as well.

economic development and business attraction

Tourism remains integral to the Greater Phoenix

and retention. As the fastest-growing county in the

economy — including learning about and celebrating

country for several years now, we must ensure the

the rich traditions of Native Americans. “Arizona has

arts and culture sector stays strong. Arts and culture

22 federally recognized tribes, with almost 44,000

employment in Arizona will rebound as our overall

indigenous people living in the Phoenix area,”

economy does and is one of the leading indicators

Musical Instrument Museum

FRONTDOORS MEDIA

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AUG/SEPT 2021

COMMUNITY VOICE { issues that matter }

Phoenix Art Museum Photo credit: Airi Katsuta

Nearly 10,000 squares, created by people all over the country, are on display at the Phoenix Art Museum in Ann Morton’s “The Violet Protest.”

when companies choose to locate to the Valley.

And, according to data on the Arts Vibrancy Map provided by Southern Methodist University, 80 percent of employees in the arts possess a bachelor’s degree or higher, increasing the overall educational attainment

Together, we can and should do more to embed the arts in community development further and grow this vital economic sector.

of Arizonans.

Artistic expression creates opportunities for more equity through shared experiences. When addressing

one of high “social impact” for the community, not a

equity for communities of color, representation does

collection of “nonprofits.” Why? Because the profit of

matter and often imitates real life. How wonderful to

the work being done by Arizonans and visiting artists

see ASU create the Sidney Portier Film School that

is of great value; it is not “nonprofit” at all.

pays tribute to a trailblazer for the artistic expression of

Our Greater Phoenix arts and culture ecosystem is rebuilding, rethinking and will thrive once again.

Black creatives.

Like other area residents, GPL members are

Together, we can and should do more to embed the

returning to arts and culture offerings by experiencing

arts in community development further and grow

the cultural phenomenon “Hamilton” at ASU Gammage

this vital economic sector. Our shared commitment

and visiting Phoenix resident Ann Morton’s “Violet

and vision to improving our quality of life for a more

Protest” exhibit at Phoenix Art Museum.

prosperous Arizona cannot occur without tending to

At GPL, we refer to the arts and culture sector as

AUG/SEPT 2021

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FRONTDOORS MEDIA

our hearts and souls.

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Valley Youth Theatre is Back on Stage!!

BECOME A 2021-2022 SEASON MEMBER AND SAVE!

Final online event of the year!

Honoring

Corporate VYTALITY Award Recipient CAPITAL GROUP

THE MUSICAL

Book and Lyrics by

Joe Troiano

Individual VYTALITY Award Recipient BILL LAVIDGE

Music Composed and Arranged by

Jeffrey Zahn

Saturday, August 21, 2021 | 10am–6pm

October 1 – 31, 2021

A Phoenix Family Tradition for Over 25 Years!

Book, music and lyrics

by James W. Rodgers Inspired by A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh

By Blanche Marvin

February 4 – 20, 2022

December 3 – 23, 2021

We’re All In This Together!

Book and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler

April 1 – 24, 2022

Music by Zina Goldrich

Book by DAVID SIMPATICO Songs by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil; Ray Cham, Greg Cham and Andrew Seeley; Randy Petersen and Kevin Quinn; Andy Dodd and Adam Watts; Bryan Louiselle; David N. Lawrence and Faye Greenberg; Jamie Houston Music Adapted, Arranged and Produced by BRYAN LOUISELLE Based on a Disney Channel Original Movie Written by PETER BARSOCCHINI

June 10 – 26, 2022

at the Herberger Theater Center

AGES 3–18

September 25th – November 18th, 2021 To learn more: www.vyt.com/education

VYT.com N. First Street, 85004 Theatre: 525Theatre: N. First525 Street, Phoenix, AZPhoenix, 85004 •AZ602.253.8188

A 2ND ACT { helping is healing }

After an initial career as an opera singer, Allan Naplan transitioned to arts management. He joined Arizona Musicfest in 2013.

SINGING

With Joy Judy Pearson I Contributing Writer

Allan Naplan and Arizona Musicfest are igniting minds with music

A s a young man, he played the trumpet. This wasn’t a surprise since Allan Naplan’s mother was a music teacher who started taking him to performances at a very young age. “And then I found an even more powerful instrument,” Naplan said. “My own voice.”

He pursued advanced degrees in voice performance and music education. Immediately after graduation, Naplan was one of the lucky few who find themselves on stage singing opera. It was a dream come true ... sort of. The thrill of performing with an opera company comes with the monotony of being on the road. (Think pack, travel, hotel, repeat.)

In 1999, after seven years of opera singing, Naplan’s second act began.

Step one was 13 years in arts management. He held key positions with the Houston Grand Opera (assistant artistic administrator), Pittsburgh Opera (director of artistic administration), Madison Opera (general director) and Minnesota Opera (president and general director).

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AUG/SEPT 2021

A 2ND ACT { helping is healing } Then, in 2013, Arizona became the recipient of Naplan’s talents when he joined Arizona Musicfest as the executive

Presenting top artists of classical, chamber, jazz, Broadway, country, blues, opera, bluegrass and pop, Arizona Musicfest enriches the community.

and producing director. That’s when his second act truly blossomed, as it has for the organization. Founded in 2001, the nonprofit was created to bring the joy of music to all ages, and that theme is prominent in everything they do. There has been dramatic growth under Naplan’s guiding hand in all three of its mission pillars.

First, Musicfest’s beloved concert series provides Arizona music lovers with a veritable who’s who of performers from a wide realm of genres. Michael Bolton, Rosanne Cash, Chris Botti, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Manhattan Transfer, The Ten Tenors, The Count Basie Orchestra, Steep Canyon Rangers and many more have illuminated its stage. Naplan has grown the concert series from just 14 events performed in January and February to 30, spanning seven months from November to May.

Each year, Arizona Musicfest education and youth programs reach more than 6,000 children.

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FRONTDOORS MEDIA

“I am so proud of what we’re doing with young musicians. But this isn’t teaching violin. They can’t just play in their instructor’s studio. They need experience if they’re going to perform on a stage. We provide them with the opportunities to compete, to receive feedback and to win prize money.”

Group drumming sessions allow the public to make music for joy, community and to let go of stress.

“We are fortunate to be in the unique position of earning

Finally, Arizona Musicfest has expanded its “joy of music”

60 percent of our annual budget, rather than relying solely

philosophy to lifelong learning opportunities. Older program

on donations and grants for operating funds,” Naplan said.

participants can enroll in Senior Strummers and Health

Its second mission pillar is music education, from Kindermusik for little ones to music education in area schools

Rhythms — drumming sessions that align with heartbeats.

Allan Naplan has another critical skill: composing. This

to being a destination for elite young classical musicians

side gig has garnered sales of more than a million copies

from late junior high through high school. Musicfest holds

worldwide. It’s a crucial element as he programs all of the

six Young Musician Competitions a year, featuring the best

Musicfest concerts from a composing position. He speaks

among them in the concert series. It’s truly the future of

the language, and that matters in the final production.

classical music being developed right here in Arizona. Plus,

When asked what makes his heart soar, Naplan said

the scholarship program has contributed more than $110,000

it’s the mere thought of the impact music can have on a

to Arizona students pursuing college music degrees.

child, especially when introduced at a young age. It opens

“I am so proud of what we’re doing with young musicians.

But this isn’t teaching violin,” Naplan said. “They can’t just play in their instructor’s studio. They need experience if

their minds to empathy and other cultures. Their minds are positively ignited by music.

That philosophy has come home as Naplan’s son is

they’re going to perform on a stage. We provide them with

now playing the clarinet. Naplan sometimes dusts off his

the opportunities to compete, to receive feedback and to

trumpet and the two play duets in the living room.

win prize money.”

To learn more, go to AZMusicfest.org.

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AUG/SEPT 2021

a world of ART awaits you in SCOTTSDALE

scottsdale center for the performing arts scottsdale museum of contemporary art scottsdale public art scottsdale arts learning & innovation

ScottsdaleArts.org

Ballet Arizona celebrates its return to the main stage with a world premiere, iconic partnerships, a company premiere and classic favorites!

2021-2022 SEASON Contemporary Moves

Romeo & Juliet

October 29 – 31 & November 5 – 7, 2021

With The Phoenix Symphony

Juan Gabriel

February 10 – 13, 2022

May 5 – 8, 2022

The Nutcracker With The Phoenix Symphony

All Balanchine March 24 – 27, 2022

December 10 – 24, 2021 Sponsored in part by Pivotal Foundation F. Francis & Dionne Najafi

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW! balletaz.org | 602.381.1096

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Ballet Arizona dancers Arianni Martin, Nayon Iovino, Alejandro Mendez and Helio Lima. Photo by Tim Fuller.

World Premiere

Produced by Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance.

An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden May 17 – June 2, 2022

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AUG/SEPT 2021

KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { luxe living }

GO WITH

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THE FLOW

Mirth cotton Mykonos top, $156 Local Nomad, Phoenix localnomadshop.com

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Sheer palm print Liv Wrap cover-up, $250 (designed for women 5’9” and taller) Liv Tall livtall.com

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AUG/SEPT 2021

KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { luxe living }

Tiare Hawaii Hollie rayon maxi dress, $108 Heidi Boutique, Scottsdale heidiboutique.com

Sheer dot two-piece Flutter Dress, $295 (designed for women 5’9” and taller) Liv Tall livtall.com

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Coquette large scarf, proprietary anti-aging and antimicrobial infused fabric, $49 CoQau coqau.com

Brock Collection high-waisted, wide-leg Tea Pant, $840 Stephanie’s Scottsdale shopstephanies.com

Ampersand As Apostrophe half tote, $462 Amy Atelier, Scottsdale shopamyatelier.com

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AUG/SEPT 2021

One Exhibit, Two Experiences | OPENS DEC. 3, 2021| ON SALE OCT. 4 Dale Chihuly, Summer Sun, 2010, Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona © 2021 Chihuly Studio. All Rights Reserved.

KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { style unlocked }

From Zuni fetishes to a Matisse, David M. Roche shares stories behind his awe-inspiring art

THE COLLECTION OF A LIFETIME Catie Richman I Contributing Writer Marion Rhoades I Photographer

D

avid M. Roche, director and CEO of the Heard Museum, has been guided by his love for American Indian art since he was a boy growing up in Kenilworth, a suburb

of Chicago. When he was 8, his parents took a trip to the Southwest and brought back Zuni fetishes and Hopi kachinas.

He was hooked.

“I had never seen anything like it, and it sparked my imagination. It opened up the world to me and made me aware of other points of view, cultures and histories,” Roche said. “I was fascinated by American Indian art, history and culture. And now I’m the director of the Heard Museum, which is the largest private museum for American Indian art. Unbeknownst to my parents, they were opening up a gateway that’s been an inspiration to me for my entire life.”

As a boy, Roche would mow the lawn, shovel snow and stash

4

birthday money to save up to buy Zuni fetishes from the Indian Tree Gallery in downtown Chicago, run by legendary dealer Marti Hopkins Struever. “It was a first of its kind because she was presenting American Indian art as classic art in a white-wall gallery space. It didn’t have the feel of a trading post. Marti treated me very well,” Roche said.

One Saturday, when he was 9 or 10, with money burning a hole in his pocket, Roche hopped on a train into the city by himself to visit Indian Tree Gallery. “I was that desperate to see what she had and to buy a fetish. When I walked into the gallery, she asked, ‘Do

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2

3

Recently, Roche and his dog Sancho [image 1] — named after Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s sidekick — moved into a 1930s adobe house in the historic Willo District [image 2], just walking distance from the Heard.

“Part of the joy of collecting for me is mixing things up and figuring out how they relate to each other,” Roche said. “In the living room, you have an Allan Houser sculpture. You have 1

a Burkina Faso mask, which is sculptural. It’s not made as a work of art but has many of the same qualities. There is an Indonesian shadow puppet of a tiger made of a painted hide that would have been used in performance. Put that together with a print ‘La Pêche’ by Raoul Dufy [image 3], who was

your parents know you are here?’ Which, of course they did not. It was not a safe thing for a kid to be doing, but I was that determined,” Roche said.

Roche considers himself fortunate to have always had a

working at the same time as Matisse.”

Just adjacent, in the master bedroom, hangs the Matisse, “Nadia. Masque Souriant,” which Roche received as a gift [image 4]. “Matisse was known for his sense of color and

calling. “It’s always been a North Star for me,” he said. “Loving

layering patterns. Later in life, his challenge was to be as

American Indian art has created adventures, one more after

expressive in black and white as he had been in color in the

the other. I’ve never felt I’ve had to wander or stray.”

earlier part of his career. It’s all about the essence — using just

Roche has amassed more than 600 works in his private

enough to create an image and leaving just enough space so

collection. Over the years, he has procured pieces from

people could see themselves in it at the same time,” Roche

galleries and auctions, commissioned works and purchased

said. “This particular image is repeated over and over in other

mementos from trips. He inherited pieces from family, and

works of art. What is neat about this piece is it’s the first artist

received others as gifts.

proof of this very iconic image.”

“Generally speaking, I live with things that I love.

Nestled on bookshelves amid family photos and books

Something has to be aesthetically pleasing to me. Almost

sit African and Navajo folk carvings, Mexican ceramics, and

everything I have is a particular marking of a journey or

a “singing mother” by the matriarch of Pueblo pottery Helen

experience I had. I like to have positive associations with

Cordero. This exemplifies Roche’s ability to combine pieces

everything I live with,” Roche said.

from different cultures, a theme that runs through his collection.

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KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { style unlocked }

For a young boy growing up in Chicago, seeing art from deep in the Southwest created excitement. “It’s like your first love; you never forget it,” Roche said.

5

A standout in Roche’s collection is a Yokuts Indian stew basket [image 5]. Yokuts were known for making a mush

came in the next day to find the basket sitting on his desk.

“What I learned from my tenure at Sotheby’s is that great

out of acorns. “They couldn’t put fire under the basket, so

collectors, like Bunny Mellon, have no judgments about who

they would heat up stones and lower them in and that would

made the piece. They look at the piece itself. They look at the

create the heat source,” Roche said. Beyond his love of

intrinsic value, beauty and connection they feel to the piece.

baskets, what drew Roche to this piece was who owned it

When you went to Bunny Mellon’s house, you would see an

before him — Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, the leading socialite,

incredible Rothko painting next to a Yokuts basket next to

philanthropist, collector, style maven and Jackie O’s

a piece of 18th century American furniture. She was always

best friend.

looking for something special and beautiful. It didn’t matter to

“She was an extraordinary art collector and very, very

her who made it,” Roche said. “For me, that’s something that

knowledgeable on many, many subjects. Her real passion

speaks to that kind of passion, vision and courage that not a

was gardening. She created the White House Rose Garden,”

lot of collectors have, but all the great ones do.”

Roche said.

Roche does not consider himself a great collector. Still,

Sotheby’s, where Roche worked for 19 years as their specialist for American Indian art, was fortunate to sell her collection. “Thousands and thousands of lots and everything

his passion for the pieces, like the greats, is exhibited in the care and refinement with which he displays the collection in his home.

“I daydream. I think about how a Dufy is going to look next

sold. Everyone wanted to be a part of that auction and

to an Allan Houser sculpture, or how that Yokuts basket is

wanted a piece of Bunny Mellon’s legacy. She had one piece

going to look next to that Nantucket shorebird carving, next to

of American Indian art. It was a Yokuts basket, and I wanted it

the Curtis photographs. Sometimes it looks as good in person

in the worst way,” Roche said.

as in my imagination and sometimes it doesn’t. I have a short

But as an employee of Sotheby’s, he couldn’t bid in the auction — employees have to leave an absentee bid to avoid impropriety. “I was outbid quite a bit on this basket. I was so

attention span, so I like to change things a lot. But mostly, it’s just sitting and looking,” he said.

Roche often contemplates how to create movement and

depressed. You say to yourself, ‘I should’ve bid more,’ all that

interest by rotating pieces from his collection. He creates new

kind of regret,” Roche said. But two months after the sale,

conversations based on the interactions of the histories the

Roche got a call from a colleague at Sotheby’s saying the

diverse works carry. “Above all else, these things have a story

person who bought the basket defaulted on the payment.

that is meaningful to me and in some way makes me happy,”

“Do you want to buy it at the bid you left?” they asked. Roche

Roche said.

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STORIES BEHIND THE PIECES

HOPI POLYCHROME JAR BY DEXTRA QUOTSKUYVA In an alcove sits a grouping of Pueblo pottery, the middle piece by one of the finest 20th-century Hopi potters, Dextra Quotskuyva. “There are certain artists I have pursued; Dextra is one of them,” Roche said.

Roche drove to meet her when he was in his 20s. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I started asking around, which led me to her home. I knocked on her door and she couldn’t be more gracious. I was a total stranger to her.

She invited me in. A Chicago Bulls game was on — she’s a big fan. She was making a pot — this pot — and explained to me the meaning behind it. She had piki bread, a traditional Hopi dish, that she gave me. It was magical, an incredible visit. I feel it was meant to be. That pot always brings me back to that day,” he said.

ACOMA POLYCHROME WATER JAR One of Roche’s most beloved pieces is a late 19th century painted Acoma water jar. He first saw it in an ad in American Indian Art Magazine and, even though he was just out of college and couldn’t afford it, took a chance and called the dealer. “She was very nice, commended me for my good taste and agreed to give me terms to buy it,” Roche said. It took three years of putting money aside to buy the jar, which Roche continues to love today. “I rotate everything, but this is always out. What you see in that jar is a series of abstract feather patterns. It’s in wonderful condition, 130 to 140 years old,” Roche said.

KARL APPEL, “CHEVEL” This Dutch mid-century modern piece was given to Roche by his parents. “Growing up, my parents had this very groovy TV room. It was all black and white and this was the only color,” Roche said. “I’m indebted to my parents for instilling an appreciation of artistic traditions but also encouraging me to pursue my artistic interests and passions. It was a wonderful way for them to bond, travel and visit new places. They took a trip to Arizona that got me hooked.

I’m indebted to them for instilling those values in me.”

ADVICE FOR COLLECTORS One part of what makes collecting so interesting to

With that said, Roche offers some practical suggestions:

Roche is how people express themselves with what they

• Avoid trends and focus on what is classic and timeless.

collect — how their imagination manifests itself in the

• F rom a caretaking standpoint, it’s important to be mindful of light, temperature and humidity. “You want to take good care of the things you collect,” Roche said.

presentation, the combinations of things they put together.

“I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of collectors’ homes because of what I do. Sometimes it’s the installation of the collection in the home that is more interesting than the individual pieces,” Roche said.

•D on’t buy something unless you intend on showing it.

“These things have energy,” he said. “They need to be seen and are meant to be appreciated.”

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2 0 21/2 2 S E A S O N

CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS

The Copper Queen Film* OCT 2021

El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering)

DEC 3, 4, & 5, 2021 HERBERGER THEATER CENTER

OF BRINGING YOU

CLOSER A Little Night Music MAR 4, 5, & 6, 2022

Carmen JAN 28, 29, & 30, 2022

SYMPHONY HALL

Così fan tutte APR 8, 9, & 10, 2022 SYMPHONY HALL

SYMPHONY HALL

MCDOUGALL RED SERIES * The Copper Queen Film is a digital presentation and not part of our in-theater ticket packages.

MAIN STAGE SERIES

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! azopera.org | 602.266.7464

Arizona Musicfest THE STARS RETURN TO MUSICFEST! 2021-22 Concert Season — Performances in N. Scottsdale

ABBA 11/ 1

LeANN RIMES

BRIA SKONBERG

CHRIS MANN 1/ 7

JOHN LLOYD YOUNG 1/ 10

BERNADETTE PETERS 1/28

SERGIO MENDES

STEVE TYRELL

KENNY G

SARAH CHANG

BEETHOVEN’s 9th PAUL ANKA 3/ 14 — ODE TO JOY! 2/27 ANKA SINGS SINATRA

THE CONCERT

2/ 19

11/ 13

2/22

PINK MARTINI 3/22 50 YEARS OF ROCK & ROLL 3/28 WITH CHINA FORBES

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11/ 15

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CELEBRATES THE TONY BENNETT SONGBOOK

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• AZMUSICFEST.ORG

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KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { from the road }

OFF TO FLAGSTAFF! A road trip full of fun

The Museum of Northern Arizona frequently features music and dance performances, and all of the artists share stories and teach about their cultures.

Lisa Pagel I Contributing Writer

W

e desert-dwellers appreciate an occasional break from the heat. And Flagstaff, a favorite Valley escape, has

earned a reputation as an emerging art and culture destination. Try these attractions the next time you travel to the cool pines.

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA Nestled at the base of the towering San Francisco Peaks, the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is a one-of-a-kind institution dedicated to inspiring an appreciation for the region’s unique geology, history and indigenous cultures. As you walk through its galleries or participate in its educational programs, you become keenly aware of the robust geological and cultural diversity of the Colorado Plateau.

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KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { from the road }

The award-winning museum store at MNA offers an array of authentic Native American artwork, jewelry and more.

MNA was founded in 1928 by a group of Flagstaff citizens to protect and preserve the rich natural and cultural heritage of northern Arizona. Through the years, the museum has evolved into a regional center of learning with educational programs, publications and research projects that serve thousands of people each year. As a visitor, you can see limited-engagement exhibitions, take part in hands-on classes and participate in workshops, festivals and camps.

One of the exhibitions currently on view is Liberating Landscape: Women Artists in Northern Arizona, 1900–1940.

This special exhibition running through December 2021 highlights the drawings, paintings, pottery and photography By collecting, studying, interpreting and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage, MNA strives to inspire love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau.

of six pioneering women who lived in the region and became leaders in their respective fields.

MNA is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

To learn more, go to musnaz.org or call 928.774.5213.

For more than 125 years, Lowell Observatory has connected people to the universe through education, exploration and discovery.

LOWELL OBSERVATORY Explore our Solar System at the northern Arizona treasure,

Summer camps are scheduled in June and July, and

the Lowell Observatory. Founded in 1894 by astronomer

preschool camps are available all year. Kids have a chance

Percival Lowell, Lowell consists of several telescopes located

to get hands-on learning about science, technology,

in three sites in the Flagstaff area, including the Lowell

engineering and math through a variety of activities that

Discovery Telescope, the fifth-largest in the contiguous

include games, experiments, art, music and more.

United States. Its mirror was ground and polished into its

Lowell Observatory is an escape to outer space that

parabolic shape at the Optical Fabrication & Engineering

you can enjoy just two hours from Phoenix. To learn more,

Facility at the University of Arizona College

go to lowell.edu or call 928.774.3358.

of Optical Sciences.

continued...

It was at Lowell that Pluto, the distant dwarf planet, was discovered in 1930. Later, the rings of Uranus were first seen in 1977; then, the atmosphere of Pluto and two of its rings were identified. Our astronauts studied the surface of the moon at Lowell before their space flights, and Lowell astronomers continue today to research the solar system and related astrophysical phenomena.

Visitors can observe the solar system through multiple telescopes, enjoy several guided tours and visit three major exhibit areas: The Rotunda Museum, The Putnam Collection Center and the Giovale Open Deck Observatory, a plaza with six telescopes. Reservations are currently required.

In 2012, Lowell began offering camps for children.

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KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE { from the road }

CREATIVE SPIRITS Discover your inner artist — no training required! If you’re looking for a fun experience for a family gathering, birthday party or long-awaited reunion of friends, consider reserving a painting workshop at Creative Spirits.

Currently offering in-studio sessions, virtual opportunities and experiences at Mother Road Downtown Brewery, Creative Spirits can tailor the experience to your liking. The most popular events are public sessions facilitated by local artists using acrylic on canvas. If you’re interested in a memorable experience for a group larger than three, you can book a private session and select the art for your experience from more than 150 designs.

(The adult experiences in-studio can be BYOB.)

Get creative, enjoy the company of friends and socialize! Offering paint and craft classes, Creative Spirits is set up to be a fun and relaxing time out.

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Creative Spirits posts group classes on its website on the 15th of the month for the following month. Open Studio sessions offer a unique option for participants who want to do their own thing with no instructor.

Kids can enjoy painting at a children’s session one Saturday a month or at a private session booked in advance.

Each summer, children can enroll in Creative Kids Summer camps in June and July.

To learn more, go to creativespiritsaz.com or call 928.600.9291.

FALL 2021 CONCERT SERIES

Tickets and lineup at MIM.org Upcoming Concerts Karla Bonoff September 9 & 10 The Skatalites September 23 An Evening with Chris Botti October 14 & 15 The Manhattan Transfer November 4 & 5

Paul Thorn

Nick Waterhouse November 11 Paul Thorn Band November 20 And many more!

Concert Series sponsored by

480.478.6000 | 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ

NONPROFIT PRO TIP

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President and Chief Synergist of Synergy Partners Consultants and certified Lifecycles Capacity Consultant SynergyPartnersConsulting.com

“ Not a good fit?

Align your expectations with the organization’s lifecycle!”

Have you ever joined a board and were frustrated that your great ideas were never implemented? Or maybe gave a large gift and hoped to see big things happen that didn’t? The challenge is Lifecycle fit. Understanding whether the organization is in start-up, growth, maturity or even in decline will help you align your expectations in a way that will truly help the organization and satisfy your need to do good.

To learn more, visit nonprofitlifecycles.org.

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TOGETHER AGAIN! 3 M USICAL S , 3 PL AYS 3 M USICAL S , 3 PL AYS

JOIN US . TICK E T S O N S ALE N OW. JOIN US . TICK E T S O N S ALE N OW.

ATC.ORG // 833-ATC-SE 833-ATC-SEAT AT ATC.ORG ATC AT THE HERBERGER THEATER CENTER 222 E. MONROE ST. PHOENIX ATC AT THE HERBERGER THEATER CENTER 222 E. MONROE ST. PHOENIX

S E A S O N SS EP OA NSS OO RN : SI.P MICHAEL O N S O R :& I.BETH MICHAEL & KASSER BETH KASSER

Donate for love.

Donate for change.

Donate for smiles.

Make a donation to Gabriel’s Angels and not only will you be able to help provide pet therapy services to Arizona’s future, but you can claim the tax credit on your 2021 individual income tax return.

Donate up to $400 (single) and $800 (joint/ married) in any dollar amount and help inspire confidence, compassion, and best behaviors in at-risk youth through pet therapy.

Visit our website to find out more and how you can help us make a difference. www. ga b r i e l s a n ge l s . org/ta x # p e ts he l p i n gki d s

free admission | @asuartmuseum asuartmuseum.asu.edu | 480-965-2787

We’re starting the new season with a roaring good time that you will not want to miss!

Beginning Tuesday, September 14, join us for a full week of festivities.

Open Houses | Mural Art Talk Luncheon | Behind the Curtain Exhibit Broadway Bingo Happy Hour | Bubbles & Brews Happy Hour | And so much more!

For more information and tickets, visit azbroadway.org

Arizona Broadway Theatre (ABT) produces, locally, not-to-be-missed musical theatre performances with national and local performers and casts.

ARIZONA OPERA

COVER COVERSTORY STORY

{{by by karen } karenwerner werner}

SCOTTSDALE ARTS

BIG RETURN THE

THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY Photo by Scott Mitchell Leen © 2021 Chihuly Studio

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XICO

The Valley’s arts and culture community is banking on the return of in-person events

BALLET ARIZONA

DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN

t

he path back for arts and culture in the Valley winds through a 140-acre garden in Papago Park, down Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row, through venues downtown, through the Civic Center in Scottsdale, and on around the entire metro area.

As the pandemic loosens its grip, theaters, orchestras, opera companies and art galleries are rehearsing, hoping and optimistically holding their breath.

For cultural and financial reasons, the arts and culture sector is banking on a robust return of in-person events.

Here, leaders from local arts and culture organizations explain what they learned during the closure, how it changed their organizations, and the big things they’re betting will bring audiences back.

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BALLET ARIZONA

I

“

could never have imagined a year ago that today we would feel as positive about our future as we do,” said Samantha Turner, executive director

of Ballet Arizona. This time last year, the organization was operating from what Turner calls “the COVID pit of despair,” creating dire budgets and staring at worst-case scenarios. Not anymore.

After a deft transition to digital offerings early in the pandemic — Ballet Arizona presented archival performances online, jumped into video conferencing for students to continue their training and connected patrons with dancers via book clubs and live conversations — the company was thrilled that support from community members like Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance as well as the Flinn Foundation and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, along with federal, state and city recovery funds, helped replace the more than $3.5 million in ticket revenue that vanished with the pandemic.

“We made it through, kept the dancers and staff together, and the community not only told us how much we mattered to them, but they showed us with their stalwart support,” Turner said.

This season, the company is excited to present “Juan Gabriel,” a world-premiere work from Ballet Arizona artistic director Ib Andersen. Inspired by a concert performance by the legendary Mexican singer, composer and musician, the work will feature costumes by renowned Mexico City designer Carla Fernández.

Juan Gabriel, who died in 2016, was a veritable superstar, known for glittery outfits and passionate performances. “Ib is eager to capture that energy in this new ballet, which will feature parts of Juan Gabriel’s groundbreaking concert at the Palacio de Bellas Artes,” Turner said.

Looking ahead feels like a luxury after so much looking around. “It was without a doubt my most challenging year as executive director for the ballet,” Turner said, noting with pride that they never stopped delivering classical ballet experiences when the uplifting power of art was most needed.

“I learned that we are all stronger together and that when we come together, we can get through anything,” AUG/SEPT 2021

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Samantha Turner, executive director of Ballet Arizona

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Turner said.

L

Ken Schutz, Desert Botanical Garden executive director

ike most public gardens in the U.S., Desert Botanical Garden remained open throughout most of the pandemic, offering the community a safe place to

visit, exercise and connect with nature. “The healing nature of the Garden became foremost in people’s minds,” said Ken Schutz, Desert Botanical Garden’s executive director.

The leadership team used these skyrocketing community needs and the belief that they could serve as a rallying cry to keep the Garden open while maintaining health and safety for everyone. “Our mantra was, ‘Safety first, bottom line second,’ and that strategy paid off,” Schutz said. “We welcomed more than 200,000 guests and not one Garden staff member became seriously ill, nor was any staff member hospitalized due to COVID.” For Schutz, the last year underscored the vital connection between nature and people’s well-being.

That’s why he is delighted to share news of a blockbuster event guaranteed to get people outside. “Dale Chihuly will bring his art to the Valley for a third time this year, with an opening date in early December,” Schutz said. “We are cosponsoring the Chihuly exhibit with Taliesin West, and both venues will be chock-full of amazing glass installations.”

Schutz hopes the collaboration might serve as a model for other arts and culture organizations in the Valley as they bring their programs back. “The pandemic taught me patience, and how to live with uncertainty,” he said, noting that although the Garden remained open, the situation required unceasing (and exhausting) adaptation.

So it’s not surprising that Schutz is eager to put a tough year in the rearview mirror. “This fall is everyone’s chance to reconnect with their favorite arts and culture organizations and shake off that bad memory,” he said.

Photo by Scott Mitchell Leen © 2021 Chihuly Studio

DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN

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Joseph Specter, president and general director of Arizona Opera

Named for the hotel of the same name in Bisbee, the film — which was led by Arizona Opera’s first allfemale director/conductor/designer creative team — will be released on Arizona Opera’s Vimeo channel (ondemand.azopera.org) this October.

The opera tells the story of Julia Lowell, once an imprisoned sex worker whose ghost now reportedly

ARIZONA OPERA

D

haunts the hotel’s Room 315. “In addition to being a remarkable expression of Arizona-based storytelling through opera, the project also represents Arizona Opera’s resilience in adapting through the pandemic to not only make the project happen in spite of the hurdles, but to find a way to use the crisis to bring ‘The Copper Queen’ to potentially even greater numbers of viewers than possible in a conventional on-stage production,” Specter said.

uring the pandemic, Arizona Opera focused

Reaching new audiences is key to Arizona

on digital technology to serve opera fans and

Opera’s mission, whether through its K-12 education,

reach new audiences. “I love how our team

community engagement programs or training

rallied to find these new expressions of how opera could

opportunities for singers, pianists, directors and

connect with people when our traditional approach to

production personnel. “In every way that an opera

performances wasn’t possible,” said Joseph Specter,

company can invest its resources in contributing to

Arizona Opera’s president and general director.

the value of its community, Arizona Opera strives to

With the 2021/2022 season marking Arizona Opera’s 50 anniversary, each of its programs has been carefully th

do that,” Specter said.

But the pandemic taught the company that its

curated. But the release of “The Copper Queen”

contributions to addressing community needs can

signals how deeply the organization embraced a digital

come a bit quicker than they may have traditionally.

transformation. The opera, which is Arizona Opera’s

“We have learned that we can indeed react quickly

second world-premiere commission, was initially slated

when needed, build programs more quickly than

to open the 2020/21 season but was adapted to film in

we have in the past, and still deliver significant civic

response to the pandemic.

value in the process,” Specter said.

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XICO ARTE Y CULTURA

X

Mural Project, which garnered national attention.

This walk-by/drive-by rotating mural project elevates emerging LatinX and Indigenous artists by showcasing their stories on a shipping container in the Roosevelt Row Arts District, not far from Xico’s new home on First Avenue.

Xico moved in last December, and by May was

ico has had a presence in the Valley for more than 45 years, since its founding in the 70s as a platform for Chicano and Indigenous

artists during the Chicano art movement. “Our activities encourage LatinX and Indigenous artists to share their inspiration, stories and heritage, which facilitates a greater understanding of cultural value, identity and significance within the community,” said Donna Valdes, Xico’s executive director.

The pandemic was hard on the organization, especially when coupled with the racial and cultural tensions the country experienced over the past year.

“It pushed Xico to adopt new strategies to provide opportunities to showcase the arts and their importance and value in our community,” Valdes said.

Xico increased its social media presence and adapted workshops for a stuck-at-home crowd by

able to open its doors for a three-day grand-opening celebration to accompany its annual art auction. “We exhibited artwork produced by 25 local artists, held printmaking demonstrations and interactive activities to showcase our programs and new space,” Valdes said.

Opening soon is Xico’s expanded printmaking studio, which will let artists incorporate modern practices with traditional techniques. “Xico will be the first ‘public’ lithography studio in Phoenix, creating access for artists to practice this significant art form,” Valdes said. This fall, Xico will also open the Artisan Mercado, a pop-up market that will showcase rotating artisans.

“As a community, we need to support our local artists. By doing so, we are strengthening our local economy, improving our community and creating an environment for creatives to flourish,” Valdes said.

releasing DIY activities on YouTube. It also created a virtual exhibition space that showcases new exhibitions monthly and highlights artists’ studios with virtual tours.

Donna Valdes, executive director of Xico

In a time of social distance, Xico created safe ways to interact with art, such as walk-by exhibitions that could be viewed safely through their window. Xico also worked with Indige Design Collab and Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation to launch the Uncontained

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Diedrick Brackens: ark of bulrushe Project Space

SCOTTSDALE ARTS

W

ith new exhibits, timed entries and

Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza - Scottsdale, AZ - June 29, 2021

reimagined, distanced events, Scottsdale Arts racked up a string of successes during

the past year. But it’s the future that the arts umbrella organization — made up of Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art, Public Art, Learning & Innovation, Canal Convergence, and Arts Festival/ Events @ Civic Center — has its eyes squarely on.

“Scottsdale Arts exits the pandemic in exceptional financial shape and without ever laying off a single staff member,” said Gerd Wuestemann, Scottsdale Arts president and CEO. “We have been able to work hard and prepare our most star-studded, most diverse and most extensive season ever.”

February In 20addition, – August 22, 2021 Scottsdale Arts has taken on a visionary

construction project. The concept creates a walkable ark of bulrushes presents a new series

by Los Angeles-based artist D corridor galleries, art facilities, public art, museumsrepresentations. the artist’s first ofwoven sculptures and photographic and concert venues, studded with hotels, queer histories, Brackens has developed a restaurants process of combining the the artworks tellall timeless narratives emancipation and remedia and bars, in an easily walkableabout span. “We are very

Gerd Wuestemann, Scottsdale Arts president and CEO

excited about this design. It will transform our campus,”

Brackens’s deeply colored weavings pull imagery from 19th century f said. travelingWuestemann along the Underground Railroad—and star constellations th can hear the excitement when he talks. “There’s psyche forYou thousands of years. The central focus of Brackens’s artwo outdoor Intertwined stage on 75th with Street, which will play updynamic human implied ainnew absence. the patterns are to 2,200 in lawn seating.

Right the in front of Center for the positioning aligns the body within cosmic proportions of the unive Performing Arts, there will be an ingenious 360-degree

The sculptural basket in this exhibition take forms th stage which allowsboats us to play in four directions and different to ark is Brackens’s sculptural prototype of a boat that he hopes to flo 50 to 1,500 people,” he said. passengerConstruction to sit upright or lie down, the body and boat can float an starts this September and is set to is significant in legends of deliverance, including the biblical story of wrap in December 2022, in time for Super Bowl 2023 the infant Moses up the Nile River. Taking its name from this story, a Fan Zone events. the passing on of tradition, technique, and narrative. Brackens prac “We are planning to ramp up to 80 annual outdoor new definitions of what it means to live today. events over the first three years — from large and small

This is the inaugural exhibition for PROJECT initiative th festivals to community engagement, concerts,SPACE—an free practice.

Organized by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art an family shows, theater, dance — all under starry skies,” SupportWuestemann provided by The S. Rex and Joan Lewis Foundation and T said.

Images (left to right): (1) Installation view of Diedrick Brackens: ark of bulrushes at the Scottsdale Mus pigment print, 24 × 36 inches. Courtesy of the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, and Various

Dates are subject to change

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For more information about the exhibition, please contact Jen and chief curator of Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, ScottsdaleArts.org or call 480-874-4637. To learn about spons funding contact Denise Wisdom, corporate and foundation rel

communities. Musicians even organized impromptu performances outside of hospitals and vaccination sites to show their gratitude for frontline workers.

At the same time, the state’s largest performing arts organization discovered just how much gratitude the community has for it. “Thanks to our extraordinary friends, board of directors and all who stood by our side, as well as our highly anticipated award from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, we now see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Wilson said.

The upcoming season marks The Symphony’s 75th anniversary and Wilson looks forward to a spectacular celebration. “This season feels like a homecoming and will be less about what we are playing and more about the fact that we are performing and returning to live concerts surrounded by our community,” she said.

With its official season announcement coming Suzanne Wilson, president and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony

THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY

W

soon — “It’s worth the wait,” Wilson said — The Phoenix Symphony is looking forward to its orchestra performing as a whole once again. Excitement is in the air, not just for the orchestra, but for all of the collaboration, compassion and creativity that the challenges of the pandemic have brought about.

“Stay tuned — there’s so much more to come, not just from The Phoenix Symphony, but from all of the cultural organizations,” Wilson said. “I believe that as we continue to emerge from the pandemic, you’ll see an explosion in the arts and a celebration of what it truly means to be a community.”

hen Suzanne Wilson became president and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony in late January 2020, she could never have imagined what was about to

unfold seven weeks later. With 140 performance cancellations, Wilson and her team were forced to make heartbreaking decisions to ensure the survival of the historic institution.

“Looking back, I am struck by the warm and remarkable community who welcomed and supported me and helped steward this orchestra through a tumultuous time,” Wilson said.

During those difficult months, The Symphony’s commitment to being a catalyst for connection, wellness and hope was stronger than ever. It produced digital content to enrich students’ remote learning and entertain vulnerable

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CHECKING IN WITH...

KIESHA McFADDEN REFINANCING JUST GOT CHEAPER, AND IT’S A GREAT TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. /// On July 16, 2021, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced it was finally removing the Adverse Market Refinance Fee. The additional fee, which was introduced last year, raised either interest rates or closing costs on all conforming refinance loans. Removing the fee will make refinancing less costly for millions, with refinance rates or fees dropping as a direct result. And the good news is, those lower costs start now.

Refinancing your mortgage can provide a lot of advantages, from lower monthly payments to being able to take equity out of your home for major repairs or unexpected expenses. With interest rates currently averaging 2.80%, it’s a great time to reevaluate your home loan and see if a refi is the right option for you.

Ever since the pandemic hit and mortgage rates crashed, homeowners have flocked to mortgage lenders looking for a loan refinance. Applications for refis made up 67% of all home loan requests for the week ending July 23, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. In fact, refinance applications have made up at least 60% of all loan originations for more than a year.

While plenty of homeowners have already taken advantage of the opportunity provided by low interest rates, there are many more who stand to benefit from a mortgage refinance. As of late June, there were 12.2 million homeowners who can qualify for a meaningfully lower interest rate on their home loans and save an aggregate of $3.4 billion in monthly payments.

I’m also starting to see many people that were in the market to purchase a new home now take advantage of the rising equity in their current home to remodel or add pools. With the potential to save hundreds of dollars on your monthly payments, and pull equity out to turn your current home into your “Dream” home, it makes sense to at least check out your mortgage refinance options.

GIVING BACK — THE NIGHT OF HOPE GALA I know I’m not the only one who’s excited for the return of in-person events. We invite you to a glamorous old Hollywood evening to support Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels and bring hope to our childhood cancer warriors. The Night of Hope Gala will be held September 18, 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch.

For the 2nd year in a row, yours truly is hosting a fundraising team, FIGHT LIKE A KID. To donate or find more info for this event, please scan our QR code.

KIESHA MCFADDEN 480.252.9365 Kiesha@TolisMortgageUSA.com 16930 E. Palisades Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 NMLS #1467650

NMLS #198458

NEXT DOORS { ahead of the curve }

CREATING ART

IMPROVING LIVES

Creative aging programs help older adults engage and connect Tom Evans I Contributing Editor

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Y

outh is wasted on the young.

It’s a quip with a variety of origin stories.

Some have attributed it to George Bernard Shaw, some to Oscar Wilde. The gist of the

saying, of course, is the notion that the best and most productive years of one’s life are wasted on those who aren’t experienced enough to appreciate and maximize them.

There’s a dark truth in the flipside to that saying. It implies that you’re not capable of enjoying the things you did in your youth once you’re older.

It’s a bit of ageism, pure and simple. When you’re younger, there’s theoretically nothing you can’t do.

When you’re older, there’s plenty you can’t do. And when you’re elderly, being told what you can or cannot do can seem unfair.

But the fact of the matter is this — the more opportunities we provide for older adults to exercise their minds and bodies, the healthier they are. And in Arizona, there’s a concerted and organized effort to make this happen through the performing and visual arts.

It’s called “creative aging,” and it’s a nationwide effort to advance the relationship between creative expression and

healthy aging, regardless of where an individual is on the aging spectrum — fully healthy or near the end of life.

There’s tons of research on how older adults are happier and healthier when they are engaged in programs that boost their brainpower, physical activity and creativity.

Aren’t we all? But later in life, it’s essential. It can lead to longer lives, fewer doctor’s visits, improved cognitive function and much more.

I could turn this into a dissertation on the subject, but I won’t. I’d rather tell you about my conversations with three professionals who are making creative aging happen in real life.

“ Creative aging is a way of engaging older adults across the spectrum from wellness to end of life in meaningful experiences.”

It’s important first to mention that Arizona has one of the most sophisticated approaches toward creative aging in the country, thanks in no small part to a collaboration between the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. They started an organized initiative in 2015 to provide and fund programs to advance creative aging in the state.

Decades of research have found that older adults are healthier and happier when they participate in creative aging programs.

NEXT DOORS { ahead of the curve }

Creative aging is a national movement to advance understanding of the relationship between creative expression and healthy aging.

Melita Belgrave, an associate professor of music therapy in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University, is a music therapist with a focus on aging.

“Creative aging is a way of engaging older adults across the spectrum from wellness to end of life in meaningful experiences,” she said. “Sometimes they have themes like lifelong learning; sometimes it’s about social expression — there are all sorts of different goals. The thing we three have in common is that we use the arts to do those experiences.”

With music as her primary tool, Belgrave works with groups of older people to help them create in ways they might not have done at any point in their lives.

“There are so many benefits for the older adults

“You see participants building actual friendships and relationships with each other that extend outside the room,

cognitively, physically and with the emotional and social

but you also see through the decision-making and the agency

interactions they get,” she said. “Especially through doing

that may have been medically eroded over their lives as older

new art forms — your brain really likes new and novel

people,” she said. “Being in a creative space where they have

things. And there’s an identity that comes along with doing

a lot of agency that they build with other people, they can go

an art practice, which is why so many older adults engage

into other settings with more confidence.”

in programming. There’s nothing wrong with being an

Windt told the story of a couple that attended a program

audience member at a concert, but they actually want to

she taught at the Phoenix Art Museum. The couple had been

pick up an instrument and engage in ensembles.”

together for decades, but the husband was further along in

Tessa Windt, a visual artist working in creative aging,

his aging than the wife. During one session, the wife pulled

said the social interaction of the programs is vital to the

Windt aside and said, “One of the hardest things about this

well-being of participants — and in giving them a sense of

was that my husband was the leader in the marriage, and I

confidence and control.

have to do that now.”

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With the couple’s daughter visiting that day, they went to a drawing station during a class. The husband came up to his wife, put his hands over hers, and they started drawing together. Tears flowed down, well, everyone’s faces.

“It was so beautiful to see that he could be a leader in that creative practice, and she could rest into him a little bit,” Windt said.

Angelina Ramirez is a teaching artist who teaches flamenco for older adults. She said the engagement process is real and fundamental to its success.

“We could give them crayons or put on music and tell them to move, but this is an actual process, and we get to go through that journey with them at so many levels,” she said. Emotional, physical — they’re working their brain, they’re working their body, they’re working their movement.”

Ramirez said it’s a reminder that no matter how old you are, there’s a place for joy. In fact, youth isn’t wasted on the young.

“You can do anything for the first time, no matter how old you are,” she said.

PHOTO CREDITS: Page 62: Arts in Mind. Project by Tessa Windt, commissioned by the Mesa Arts Center, 2019.

Page 63, upper right: Artwork by Leo and Jan Dressel. Image courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum, photo by Airi Katsuta. Project by Tessa Windt, commissioned by Phoenix Art Museum, 2019.

Page 63, lower left: Image courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum, photo by Airi Katsuta. Project by Tessa Windt, commissioned by Phoenix Art Museum, 2016.

Page 63, lower right: Image courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum, photo by Airi Katsuta. Project by Tessa Windt, commissioned by Phoenix Art Museum, 2018.

Page 64: Project by Tessa Windt, photos by Alonso Parra, courtesy of TimeSlips and Arizona Commission on the Arts, 2017.

Page 65: Artwork by Al Varga. Crisscross. Project by Tessa Windt, commissioned by the Mesa Arts Center, 2018.

OFFICE DOORS { valley changemakers }

A DAY WITH

Julio-César Sauceda

Producing artistic collaborator at Rising Youth Theatre Julie Coleman I Contributing Writer

8 A.M. >> A HUMAN PRODUCTION

focus in collaborating with the school. It’s about digging into theater, learning about the theater process, theater-making

I have two dogs, Bubulubu and Si-Si, so I take care of them

and story building. It can also use theater tools to engage in

in the morning. Following that, the theater staff has a quick,

issues we’re having in schools, such as emotional development.

20-minute meeting designed as a check-in. During COVID,

We give them empathy-building and self-reflection tools to

it was difficult to maintain our focus on transparency and

facilitate conversation around these subjects.

inclusivity among our multigenerational staff and stay connected.

We’re pushing for things that have weight to them.

So we brainstormed ways to connect and say, “Hey, I’m working

Children are experiencing what we experience, and they

on this. I’d like some collaboration.” It’s an opportunity to

process it differently. I think theater offers them a way to

check in without it being long and drawn out. From there,

communicate and says, “I’m not alone. I’m a part of this

we determine whether we need a larger meeting.

community, and this is how I heal.”

Our team’s philosophy and approach are not common. The leadership staff makes collective decisions built on accountability

12:15 P.M. >> YOUTH IN THE LEADING ROLE

and focused on transparency. We assume the best intentions

Our school programming is based on centering young

by all our staff, which gives us the ability to move forward while

people’s voices and the issues affecting them in schools.

learning. We mess up. We are human. We focus on dismantling

It’s a different approach to doing teaching artists’ work or

the idea of constant perfectionism because we want to get to a

theater in schools. Much of this work typically focuses on

place where we invite people to be with us instead of requiring

valuable skills such as acting, directing and creating theater.

them to be here. Many of us come from communities where we

But when we’re thinking about inclusivity, access and

do something based on human trust. It’s a collective intention

representation, you enter with those lenses. You start from

we’ve agreed on, so now we’re all going to do our part to move

wherever people are, and that is where we build from.

forward. It is a challenge and takes a lot of time and patience.

It’s attractive to schools and has worked well for us.

10 A.M. >> EDITING THE SCRIPT

the capacity to work elsewhere. Some of our other productions

We dedicate a one- to two-hour block of time every other day

and community programs exist throughout the state.

to department-specific meetings. If we’re collaborating with a

There was a magical moment one day last year before the

school through an on-site residency, we determine which artists

pandemic, where programs launched simultaneously in

will work on it, the plan for developing the curriculum and the

Phoenix, Douglas and Flagstaff with our artists all over the

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Right now, we mainly work in Maricopa County but have

Right: Performers rehearsed “Face to Face” for a June 2020 production that was ultimately produced virtually in January 2021.

Below: A moment from “Bodies Are Magic,” a play about body liberation performed in a former Kmart space in May 2019.

Photos courtesy of Rising Youth Theatre

ridership and how those interactions have been shaped during this time. We are moving forward and offering a sense of optimism as things start to feel like there is traction again. state. One of the founding features of our organization is

5:30 P.M. >> A DAY’S CURTAIN CALL

not being confined to a traditional space. It’s about picking

I go home, unwind and connect with my family. I am currently

a location that holds an energy of some sort that enhances

a student at ASU working toward my master’s of fine arts, so

the performance.

I’m writing a lot right now because summer is the primary time

1:30 P.M. >> THE SHOW MUST GO ON

where I can write for fun. A facet of Rising Youth Theatre is centering on the human connections we have, whether family,

We usually have some form of production meeting or

friends or communities. This year has been challenging, and

rehearsal with our young people, either in-person or online.

our community was hit hard. It has shaped how we’re going

While we prefer to meet in person, we try to meet our

to move forward, and I say that because I think there’s a very

community where they’re at, once again centering the

human part of moving forward we are focusing on. Just being

most vulnerable and those with the least access. As an

able to have that unwinding time is essential.

organization, we are incredibly proud that we are even able to create work right now.

To learn more, go to risingyouththeatre.org.

We’re finishing a collaboration with Glendale Community College called the Glendale Film Project and also have “Light Rail Plays,” which is our most publicized production.

This year, we are taking a different approach to the live performances on a platform or train that we’ve done in the past. Unfortunately, that approach didn’t feel safe to our community yet. Instead, we landed on doing a first-ofits-kind film production in collaboration with Valley Metro and the City of Tempe. We are leaning into film by using filmmaking practices in storytelling, as opposed to using theater. The film focuses on five characters who are not just surviving but thriving in a pandemic and looks at the light-rail

Filming on an empty Valley Metro train car for the 2021 production of “The Light Rail Plays.”

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The Valley’s Home of...

Magazine

FrontdoorsMedia.com

Photography for Life 602.677.3985 | MarionRhoadesPhotography.com

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT { giving back }

MUSIC SPEAKS SOUNDS Academy is expanding equity and access to music education

By Karen Werner

ORIGIN: SOUNDS Academy began in September 2014 with

ORGANIZATION

10 students and one teacher at Buchanan Music in Mesa. The

SOUNDS Academy

students worked hard and used the community as their stage,

LEADERSHIP

Theatre and various festivals in Phoenix. As time went by,

Founder & CEO | Kirk Johnson

performing at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the Orpheum more students signed up and got involved. Today, SOUNDS

Board Chair | Ian Fischer

Academy is a growing nonprofit that teaches, mentors and

ANNUAL BUDGET

school and SOLO programs. It exposes an additional 4,000

$440,000

provides musical experiences to 300 underserved youth in its students to live performances through its Musical Access Program and Instrument “Petting Zoos.”

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CHARITY SPOTLIGHT { giving back }

SOUNDS Academy students receive individual lessons, group classes and perform on the violin, viola, cello, guitar and piano. Instruments are provided to anyone who can’t afford one.

KNOWN FOR: Believing the ZIP code a child lives in should never dictate their access to music education, SOUNDS Academy is known for creating music education opportunities in areas where children seldom get access because of availability and affordability. The organization has given more than 35,000 lessons and classes to students in Arizona and strives to teach character values through music education.

CHALLENGES DURING COVID-19: Like many education organizations, SOUNDS Academy had to adapt its classes to a virtual platform. The organization continued teaching students virtually and also showcased online concerts so the public could see how students continued to grow.

During this time, SOUNDS Academy learned a few things about itself. It discovered students were displaying character values more than they ever imagined, using lessons learned from SOUNDS Academy in other aspects of their school and life. (One middle-school student even used their leadership and creativity to start a business.)

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The organization has given more than 35,000 lessons and classes to students in Arizona and strives to teach character values through music education.

“We learned we were addressing the socialemotional needs of students that needed it the most.

Parents would tell us that their children would practice, write songs and perform to cope with the chaos of the world,” said Kirk Johnson, SOUNDS Academy founder and CEO. “Parents also told us that the consistency of our programming and the practice routine helped their children find a sense of normalcy.”

MOST SURPRISING THINGS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Its growth and diversity.

When SOUNDS Academy started in 2014, it began with just a handful of students. In early 2020, it served 4,300 students a year, 80 percent of whom are from minority ethnic populations.

WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SEASON: SOUNDS Academy can’t wait to see students again and perform for the public.

“We’re going to be adding a location and building a piano lab for students to learn in Phoenix. We just had a big community service day to paint and refurbish the space. Now we are designing it and moving in furniture and instruments so it will be ready for the new school year,” Johnson said.

To learn more, go to soundsacademy.org.

“ The greatest impact that we have made is in creating a pathway for students to go to college,” said SOUNDS Academy CEO Kirk Johnson (above). “One hundred percent of the students who graduate from our SOLO Program now attend a college or university.”

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KITCHEN DOORS { let’s eat } Photos courtesy of Match Market and Bar

Match is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The menu includes sandwiches, bowls, salads and various pizzas, from classics like Margherita to the vegan Buddha’s Delight. Match also offers a fun spin on classic cocktails and an extensive whiskey and tequila program, as well as beer and wine.

Local suppliers are featured prominently in the restaurant and market, including Chula Seafood, Noble Bread, Cutino Sauce Co., Keep Nature Wild, Lauro Cactus Water and M+A Naturals.

“Our belief is that in order for our market to be a part of the community, we have to support the community as well. The best way to do that is to support local suppliers by introducing their brands,” Genung said.

FOUND:RE offers several events to bring the community together, including wine tastings, theme dinners and the passport series highlighting food, cocktails and entertainment from different regions, from the Hamptons to South Africa to Peru.

As part of FOUND:RE’s schedule of rotating exhibitions,

Shoshana Leon | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“XSCAPE: Landscapes, Cityscapes and Mindscapes,” featuring the work of more than 60 Arizona artists, runs through Nov. 14.

MATCH MARKET AND BAR Find food, art and local love at Phoenix’s FOUND:RE hotel Located near Roosevelt Row, Phoenix Art Museum and downtown galleries, the FOUND:RE Phoenix hotel opened in 2016. Art is an integral element of its design, from the guest rooms and public spaces to the restaurant and market.

“When you’re at FOUND:RE Phoenix, you have the

“Our mission is to create a sense of community and wonder,” Genung said. “We’ll do everything we can to help each guest experience some version of those feelings every day.”

Learn more at matchphx.com.

“ OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND WONDER.”

opportunity to discover amazing art, brilliant food and a community of locals and visitors,” said Christopher Genung, the hotel’s general manager.

Match Market and Bar offers a gelato and coffee bar, onsite dining and a shop featuring goods from local businesses. “We decided to change our restaurant concept after COVID hit from a fine-dining experience to a casual neighborhood eatery, offering fresh food, local provisions and handcrafted cocktails in a modern atmosphere. We offer grab-and-go items, curbside pickup and sit-down dining,” Genung said.

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LIVE VIRTUAL HYBRID Find out what the Valley’s top charities and corporate meeting planners already know — Latest Craze Productions produces extraordinary in-person, livestream and hybrid events. Ask us how we will guide you through each process towards your event’s success.

Flawless Execution.

Highest Quality.

Best Value in Audio Visual Production.

LatestCrazeProductions.com | 480.626.5231 AUG/SEPT 2021

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Photos courtesy of the Arizona Taco Festival

THE RETURN OF FOOD FESTIVALS From tacos to pizza, foodies are ready for fun David Tyda, the owner of PHX Fest, is well known as a Phoenix food festival guru with more than 10 years of experience bringing together chefs, suppliers and lovers of tacos, pizza, French fries and donuts for events that celebrate food and community.

Tyda’s business drastically changed when the pandemic hit. He became an advocate for the industry, as organizers of large live events like food festivals were some of the hardest hit. As COVID statistics improve and restrictions are lifting, festivals are coming back and people are excited to return to live events.

Formerly owned by Tyda’s company, the Arizona Taco Festival is scheduled to return to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in October. “We’re very excited about the return of the Arizona Taco Festival and so is the public.

We’ve sold more tickets than ever before this far out.

We are very hopeful that we will have the biggest turnout in festival history,” said Kerry Dunne, principal of R Entertainment, producer of the Arizona Taco Festival.

“The Arizona Taco Festival is a food festival disguised as a party with restaurants, food trucks and chefs

“More than ever, people are recognizing

assembled at one location for guests

the value of the communal experience, and festivals are gearing up for their best year ever,” said Tyda, whose last food festival was in November 2019.

Tyda is planning a two-day pizza and donut event in November 2021 in downtown Phoenix and other festivals in 2022, including the Gilbert Pizza Festival and the French Fry Festival.

Tyda is also opening Barcoa, a tequila and mezcal bar in downtown Phoenix with Ryan Oberholtzer of Provecho, a Mexican restaurant at The Churchill. “The bar will have a garage door for taco trucks, which will keep me

“ MORE THAN EVER, PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF THE COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE, AND FESTIVALS ARE GEARING UP FOR THEIR BEST YEAR EVER.”

connected to the taco community,” Tyda said. “It allows me to expand into another area of Mexican cuisine and work with local businesses.”

to discover, purchase and savor a wide variety of tacos,” said Dunne. In addition to food from 70 taco makers, the Arizona Taco Festival features a Chihuahua beauty pageant, hot chili pepper eating contest, music, tequila tastings and more.

Tyda and Dunne plan to have multiple safety measures in place at upcoming festivals and are excited about the future.

“The events industry is going to make a huge comeback,” Dunne said. “People are ready to party and the Arizona Taco Festival is one of the largest parties in town.”

For a calendar of culinary events and festivals, visit foodiefosho.com.

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KITCHEN DOORS { let’s eat }

THE ART OF THE COCKTAIL Cocktail bars offer creative libations in cool settings For a speakeasy vibe, visit The White Rabbit in Gilbert.

“We’re a modern take on a Prohibition-inspired cocktail bar. We want our space to feel sexy and hip, but before anything else, inviting,” said Fernando Zelaya, director of marketing and guest relations.

The White Rabbit’s evolving menu features cocktails with unique flavors and aesthetics. Black Ribbons of Coal gets its pitch-black color from activated charcoal and a foamy top from egg white. Made with Mezcal Naran and Crème de Violette, Ghost on the Sea features an enchanting blue hue and is garnished with three drops of saffron oil floating on top.

“Presentation is important because it shows how much thought we put into creating our cocktails,” Zelaya said. “We want to inspire our guests to explore new flavors, whether they’re well versed in the world of craft cocktails or a first-time participant in the experience.”

Another place to get beautiful cocktails made with quality ingredients is Blue Clover Distillery’s tasting room in Old Town Scottsdale. In 2017, Weston Holm and Duane and Scott Koch opened Blue Clover Distillery, offering handcrafted artisanal gin and vodka. “Growing up on a farm, I saw the difference that fresh ingredients made, and I knew that if I was ever going to get into spirits, it would be through a farm-to-bottle process with ingredients from top-quality farms,” Holm said.

In Blue Clover Distillery’s tasting room, guests can sample spirit flights and enjoy creative cocktails.

“One of the most eye-catching cocktails is the Lucky Lady made with Blue Clover gin, Crème de Violette, elderflower and citrus,” Holm said. “It’s our top-selling cocktail because it has an interesting flavor profile and the vibrant violet-blue color always steals the show.”

Photo courtesy of Lindsey Hahn

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“WE WANT TO INSPIRE OUR GUESTS TO EXPLORE NEW FLAVORS, WHETHER THEY’RE WELL VERSED IN THE WORLD OF CRAFT COCKTAILS OR A FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANT IN THE EXPERIENCE.”

Photo courtesy of 36 Below

Photo courtesy of Fernando Zelaya

In recent months, a few new cocktail bars opened in Phoenix, including 36 Below, a fully immersive underground cocktail lounge designed to transport guests to a new locale each season through the use of wall-to-wall video screens and audiovisual effects.

The menu features inventive cocktails, including Utopia with bourbon and toasted marshmallow, and Garden of Gypsies with butterfly pea flower-infused gin and mushroom reduction.

“We wanted to create a completely unique concept that allows guests to escape reality and indulge their senses,” said Josh Katz, one of the owners.

continued...

Photo courtesy of Say When

Another new cocktail bar is Don Woods’ Say When, a rooftop lounge at the Rise Uptown Hotel in Phoenix. Say When is helmed by Ross Simon of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour and Little Rituals.

“The cocktail menu is centered around spritzes and highballs,” Simon said. “All were retro-era inspired to fit the space and the vibe perfectly, but they’re also highly enjoyable and approachable cocktails

T

paired with amazing cityscape views.”

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res 4 Teachers Receives 2020 Eide Bailly Resourcefullness A

due to the pandemic, both teachers AND studen Teachers was awarded $10,000 from the experiencing a greater need than ever for school ual Eide Bailly Resourcefullness Awards, which nonprofit organizations for their creative and Treasures 4 initiatives Teachersacross Receives 2020 Eide Resourcefullness With Bailly distancing guidelines in place,Award students are revenue generating four states share their supplies in the AND classroom; and many s Colorado, North Dakota. due to the pandemic, both teachers students are TreasuresMinnesota 4 Teachers wasand awarded $10,000 from the eighth annual Eide Bailly Resourcefullness Awards, which experiencing a greater need than ever for school supplies.learnin who are required to participate in virtual recognized nonprofit organizations for their creative and Teachers receives donations from the themselves without the basic supplies they need t sustainable revenue generating initiatives across four states With distancing guidelines in place, students are unable to engaged. to create an affordable sourceand of supplies for — Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota North Dakota. share their supplies in the classroom; and many students who are required to participate in virtual learning find ost of whom teach in low-income schools and Treasures 4 Teachers receives donations from the themselves without the basic supplies they need to remain d communities.

Want to know how you can help? community to create an affordable source of supplies for engaged.

• Donate. teachers, most of whom teach in low-income schools and underserved communities. of reusable items to Want to knowa how you can help? Drive.

• Host School Supply Teachers uses donations • Donate. purposing for4 Teachers creative, in the Thank a Teacher.

Treasures useshands-on donations oflessons reusable items to •• Host a School Supply Drive.

As a result changing environments Volunteer. promoteof repurposing forclassroom creative, hands-on lessons in the •• Thank a Teacher. classroom. As a result of changing classroom environments

•

Volunteer.

Call 480.751.1122 or visitortreasures4teachers.org today see you can help.

Call 480.751.1122 visit treasures4teachers.org today to seeto how youhow can help.

YOUR DONATION HELPS!

LAST LOOK

AUG/SEPT 2021

| 82 |

FRONTDOORS MEDIA

READY FOR

TAKEOFF! Lux Undergraduate Creative Review is

Hagerman describes the image as

an annual publication supported by ASU’s

“a study in slowing down, observing

Barrett, the Honors College. Its mission is to

a single moment, and recognizing

celebrate the talent of ASU creatives and

the extraordinary beauty and significance

share their ideas with a broader audience.

in that isolated and ordinary moment.”

Among the pieces in the 2020-2021 issue

To see the entire issue of Lux, go to

is this optimistic image by recent ASU grad

luxcreativereview.wixsite.com/lucr.

Rachel Hagerman. Taken in Mesa, the shot captures a breezy takeoff in front of the

As Frontdoors Magazine zooms

Superstition Mountains. “‘Summer Days’ beautifully captures the feeling of an idyllic summer afternoon,” said Lux’s editor-in-chief, Rachael Kha, who is also a recent ASU graduate. “As a native Arizonan, I appreciate that it breathes life into the idea of Arizona summers, beyond

into a new season, we invite you to share your own moment of significance so that we, as a community, can take flight. Simply send your pictures of iconic Valley moments to publisher@ frontdoorsmedia.com.

the sweltering heat and blistering sun.”

UP,

UP AND

AWAY!

Home has never been more important As our lives reopen to the people and things we hold most dear, the lessons learned over the past year resonate more deeply than ever.

The trials presented and overcome have reaffirmed the importance of family, community, and our eternal commitment to building a collective future.

Since 1977, Walt Danley has embodied these principles, putting into practice the patience and professionalism required to build a brighter future for you and yours. Tomorrow is here. Let us help you make the most of it.

480.991.2050 | www.WaltDanley.com