Images Arizona March 2021

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WIND, WATER, EARTH Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Desert Botanical

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Garden

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Writer Joseph J. Airdo

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WILDLY EXTRAORDINARY Writer Joseph J. Airdo Opening photograph by Ondrej Prosicky, additional photography courtesy of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center

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GREEN LUSH Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography by James Green

38 SECOND NATURE Writer Shannon Severson Photography by Bryan Black

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HEALTHIER TERIYAKI BEEF BOWLS Writer and photographer Kyndra Kelly

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march 2021

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PUBLISHER Shelly Spence

MANAGING EDITOR Joseph J. Airdo

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Meaghan Mitchell

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joseph J. Airdo Amanda Christmann Kyndra Kelly Shannon Severson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bryan Black Brandon Dunham Kyndra Kelly Loralei Lazurek Carl Schultz

ADVERTISING SALES Cooper Langston 480-544-8721 cooper@imagesaz.com

Images Arizona P.O. Box 1416 Carefree, AZ. 85377 623-341-8221 imagesarizona.com Submission of news for community section should be in to shelly@imagesaz.com by the 5th of the month prior to publication.

I

I absolutely love this time of the year. It is tremendously difficult to determine exactly which season is my favorite as our state is so stunningly beautiful all year-round. Spring is particularly special, though. The weather has finally warmed up enough to enjoy early morning walks but not yet heated up to a point that prevents afternoon picnics or dinners on the patio.

And when it comes to our heavenly desert community, the more time spent outside the better. Just take a look at this month’s photo essay featuring some of the most astonishing views of the gorgeous greenery in our own backyard. Photographer James Green perfectly captures why so many of us love living here. The magnificence of our natural landscapes is nothing short of breathtaking.

It also fuels the creativity of not only our local artists but also those in other parts of the country. Our native plants supplied floral artists Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz of Waterlily Pond Studio in San Fransisco with an abundance of inspiration for their series of three large-scale living sculptures at Desert Botanical Garden. The story behind that inspiration and their imaginatively resourceful process is featured in this month’s issue.

There are also plenty of other examples in this month’s issue of how beauty blossoms across Arizona this time of the year — be it in the aesthetic of our natural environment, the creativity of our artists, the ingenuity of our business owners, the generosity of our nonprofit organizations or the kindness of our neighbors.

Images Arizona is published by ImagesAZ Inc. Copyright © 2020 by ImagesAZ, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission is prohibited.

The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited material.

Local First A R I Z O NA 6

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With this month’s issue of Images Arizona, I invite you to take a step outside and witness how our community comes to life like none other on the planet. Take a deep breath of fresh air and let spring’s splendor fill you with joy, optimism and enthusiasm.

Cheers!

Shelly Spence Publisher, Images Arizona magazine shelly@imagesaz.com 623-341-8221

7212 E. Ho Hum Rd. #7 | Carefree, AZ 85377 | For appointments 480.575.8080 march 2021

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden

D

Desert Botanical Garden visitors last month were able to quite literally walk through a beautiful storm of all things Arizona. They could wander around or even directly underneath a cloud of incredible plant materials — including cholla skeletons, yucca stocks, tree branches tumbleweeds and tropical bromeliad and heliconia.

It was a remarkable sight to behold, creatively capturing the chaotic intensity of the haboobs that occasionally engulf our state. However, just as quickly as the violent and oppressive dust storms blow through town, the artistic representation has taken its final bow.

Fortunately, the installation was only the first in a series of three large-scale living sculptures set to debut this spring at Desert Botanical Garden that draw inspiration from the natural events that occur in Arizona. The Wind, Water, Earth exhibition features the work of wife-and-husband duo Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz — artists who imaginatively create installations that combine the emotion of flowers with fascinating structures of industrial materials.

“We are in a very narrow niche of installation art,” Lisitsa explains. “We use a medium of organic materials — not necessarily only flowers per se but branches and cactus and whatever other natural material is available to us — and combine it with the modern cultural form.”

SITE-SPECIFIC INSPIRATION

Originally trained as an engineer, Lisitsa founded her boutique San Fransisco studio Waterlily Pond in 2001. She began her floral career by studying Japanese Ikebana floral design. She has since become a celebrated floral artist on the international design scene.

Meanwhile, Schultz serves as the studio’s technical lead, using his degree in architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and experience as a practicing furniture designer to deliver a deep sense of structural design to every project the team tackles.

Lisitsa and Schultz have been commissioned by modern art museums, cathedrals, public spaces and cultural organizations all around the world to create large-scale floral art, with suspended installations up to 2,000 pounds in weight.

“These installations are quite challenging because we work in a very large scale,” Lisitsa says. “We also have to come up with the sculptural forms as well as provide the water source if it involves fresh flowers and plants. That makes our job quite a bit more challenging than most.”

Schultz adds that the size and weight of their installations also pose challenges in their construction, transportation and reconstruction.

“Our pieces need to quite literally fit through the front door so we usually create them almost entirely in our studio in San Francisco then have to take them apart, put them in the truck, bring them [to their destination] and put them back together again,” he explains. “There are a lot of challenging aspects to it.”

Despite the challenges, the artists love what they do — especially because it affords them the opportunity to visit various places on the planet, gain site-specific inspiration and source organic materials that are unique to that location.

march 2021

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Desert Botanical Garden’s Wind, Water, Earth exhibition features the work of wife-and-husband duo Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz — artists who imaginatively create installations that combine the emotion of flowers with fascinating structures of industrial materials.

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Lisitsa says interpreting a location into a floral sculpture is her favorite part of the process.

“The combination of the engineering aspect and the selection of beautiful flowers and plants is what makes it interesting for us,” she notes. “We also enjoy working together. We have been working together for more than 15 years now so we feel fortunate that we are able to do this creative work and use both our talents.”

NATURAL EVENTS

Gaining inspiration from Arizona’s natural events and sourcing organic materials from Desert Botanical Garden was a particular pleasure for the floral artists. After all, our deserts are beautifully distinct and diverse.

No longer on display, the first installation in the couple’s Desert Botanical Garden exhibition — the 16-foot-high and 8-foot-wide Wind — was a visual triumph. Lisitsa and Schultz were inspired by Arizona’s tumultuous dust storms that pick up various objects in their path and toss them across the desert landscape.

“We were really interested in using material found in the desert so we collected creosote branches, palo verde branches, tumbleweeds, dry agaves, cactuses, yucca and other treasures and transformed them,” Lisitsa says. “We literally restored them, painted them gold and incorporated them into our piece.”

The second installation in the exhibition is on display through March 22 in Desert Botanical Garden’s Berlin Agave Yucca Forest. Titled Water, the landscape intervention spans 100 feet, mapping the path of seasonal flooding through the site with 8,000 colored wooden dowels and 1,500 red flowering blooms, from petunias and geraniums to tropical flowers, oriented to flow and spill around rocks and plants. march 2021

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Floral artists Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz love what they do — especially because it affords them the opportunity to visit various places on the planet, gain site-specific inspiration and source organic materials that are unique to that location.

Floral artists Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz have been commissioned by modern art museums, cathedrals, public spaces and cultural organizations all around the world to create large-scale floral art, with suspended installations up to 2,000 pounds in weight.

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i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m m ar c h 2 02 1

“

We were really interested in using material found in the desert so we collected creosote branches, palo verde branches, tumbleweeds, dry agaves, cactuses, yucca and other treasures and transformed them.

Natasha Lisitsa

EXPERIENCE

Schultz says Water is different from Wind — a freestanding sculpture — in the sense that it is built directly into the landscape.

“Our thought was to take inspiration from the fact that the garden itself is a natural wash through Desert Botanical Garden where floodwaters run so to speak,” he explains. “Taking modern colorful materials and building them directly on the landscape and cascading through rocks and around agaves in a sense simulates the flow of water but with a much different texture and color.

“It is bright yellow and incorporates red flowers. These are two colors that you hardly see at all in the landscape of the garden, which is mostly soil and sagey green colors. It is a very graphic insertion into the landscape.

You cannot see the whole thing at the same time so it is a bit of an experience to walk alongside it and see it from many different perspectives with the pathways around it.”

The exhibition will culminate April 3–25 with Earth, an installation in Desert Bontanical Garden’s Dorrance Hall that is inspired by the sandstone strata of Arizona canyons. The immersive, room-height, three-dimensional structure will be composed of 25 wood layers of strata cut away to reveal an open archway that visitors can enter. Ten thousand fresh flowers — including roses, orchids and succulents — will line the layers in a palette of desert colors.

materials for each of the three installations that comprise the exhibition.

“There are not many floral artists out there who have access to this type of material and put a piece together of this scale so we feel really lucky about that,” he adds.

Lisitsa agrees, noting she hopes Wind, Water, Earth encourages people to view the organic materials they may see on a daily basis either in their garden or outside their home in a new way. She also appreciates the new challenge the exhibition offered.

“This is the first time that we have done an outdoor exhibition that lasts for a whole month,” she explains. “We have done a lot of things at indoor locations so this took the challenge to a whole other level. We had to make sure that these pieces could endure the elements for a long time and would not fly away with the wind.”

She says creating three intricate installations in the same geographical location that are each uniquely interesting and utilize a different approach was also a new challenge for the duo. Ultimately, she feels good about the various aspects that each installation is going to show Desert Botanical Garden’s visitors.

And Schultz innumerable.

notes

those

aspects

are

“Earth is going to be a real tour de force of fresh flowers,” Schultz says. “We are going to reinterpret the desert landscapes of buttes and canyons with this large sculptural form that, 12 feet tall and 16 feet wide, will be sort of like an archway in the sandstone somewhere in the canyonlands.”

“These installations are kind of crazy and require a lot of creativity to execute,” he says. “It is not like we just do one thing.

Some artists hone in on one technique or material and do it over and over to great success. But we are always open to new ideas and new materials and different ways of putting things together.”

CREATIVE EXECUTION

dbg.org

Schultz says he was excited to work with Desert Botanical Garden and have its team help him and his wife source so many unique

Wind, Water, Earth Through April 25 | 8 a.m.–8 p.m. | Desert Botanical Garden | 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix | See website for prices march 2021 imagesar iz ona .c om 480-941-1225 | dbg.org

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G O L D

H A N D M A D E

I T A L I A N

F I N E

J E W E L R Y

CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY + ART

Nanis Italian Jewelry traveling trunk will be at Grace Renee Gallery for the month of March.

The Nanis collection is classically timeless and stunningly fashionable.

Grace Renee Gallery 7212 E. Ho Hum Rd. # 7 | Carefree, AZ 85377 Hours Tue.–Wed. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Thur.–Sat.10 a.m.–7 p.m.

By appointment Sun. and Mon. 480.575.8080 16

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GraceReneeGallery.com

NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS Dancing in the Rain 18-karat gold with diamonds

march 2021

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COMMUNITY

2021 MARCH

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

Through March 18

SHERRY BLANCHARD STUART SOLO EXHIBITION In conjunction with the Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine, Scottsdale artist Sherry Blanchard is being featured via a solo exhibition. Known for the richness of color that illuminates her work in both traditional and representational styles, the artist loves the American West as its history and tradition inspires and informs much of her work. Free. Mayo Clinic, Building 3 — Second Floor Hall, 5777 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. sherryblanchardstuart.com

Through March 7

Keep in mind

JABARI DREAMS OF FREEDOM

when Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced across the silver screen to classic Gershwin hits. The toe-tapping

Chandler Center for the Arts will

production will feature favorite tunes

digitally offer the acclaimed Chicago

such as “I’ve Got Rhythm,” “A Foggy

Children's Theatre production “Jabari

Day,” “Let’s Call The Whole Thing

Dreams of Freedom” to local schools

Off” and “S’Wonderful,” coupled

and home school children as part of its

with musical mashups and more.

Connecting Kids Theatre Kids Program.

See website for price and times.

the most up-to-date information

Using history, rap, freedom songs and

Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W.

at press time, some events may be

humor, the play explores what it means

Paradise Lane, Peoria. 623-776-8400;

to have courage in a world where Black

azbroadway.org

Although Images Arizona magazine has made every effort to publish

canceled or rescheduled to comply with social distancing measures and

children are not safe. $10+. 480-7822680; chandlercenter.org

other factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Please use the contact information provided to confirm dated details.

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transport audiences back to the days

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Through March 21

CRAZY FOR GERSHWIN

Through March 28

ARIZONA FINE ART EXPO Organizers will transform North

Arizona Broadway Theatre fan-

Scottsdale into Arizona’s premier

favorite Kurtis Overby will perform

venue for collecting fine art during

a musical spectacular that will

the 10-week Arizona Fine Art Expo.

The event will feature 124 patron-friendly artist studios in a 44,000 square-foot space,

March 1

where guests have a rare chance to meet the

CHRIS CHAT

artists, see them in action and learn about

Famed composer Ola Gjeilo will join the

their journey, inspiration and techniques.

Phoenix Choral’s artistic director Chris

$10 season passes; senior, military and youth

Gabbitas for a discussion of his works,

discounts available. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. 26540

including “The Spheres.” Composer Cecilia

N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 480-837-

McDowall will also join the conversation

7163; arizonafineartexpo.com

from London to discuss her atmospheric

Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Water Treatment

Replace your A/C with the highest rated

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Through Aug. 22

DIEDRICK BRACKENS: ARK OF BULRUSHES Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art debuts an exhibition with new works by artist Diedrick Brackens that incorporate textiles with ideas of agency to advance change. In this series of works, Brackens forms visual allegories of emancipation by intertwining symbology from the Underground Railroad and the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, offering a meditation on liberation, the climate crisis and the power of craft. $10; youth, student and senior discounts available. Wednesday– Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-874-4666; smoca.org

Through Aug. 22

DIVISION OF LABOR: WOMEN SHIFTING A TRANSNATIONAL GAZE Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has invited local artists M. Jenea Sanchez and Gabriela Muñoz to guest co-curate an exhibition that begins with a selection of nearly 20 works chosen through the unifying context of labor and the gaze. Additionally, the two artists are collaborating with Ammi Robles and the DouglaPrieta Trabaja collective to create new works following a historical continuum through a collaborative process foundational to their artistic practice. $10; youth, student and senior discounts available. Wednesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St.,

“Three Latin Motets.” Free. 6 p.m. phoenixchorale.org

March 1

WILDLIFE WISDOM The Holland Center will welcome Southwest

dealer in the nation for only

79/month*

$

Wildlife Conservation Center’s education director Robyn Moul for a Desert Awareness Committee presentation that features live animals. Free. 6:30 p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N 60th St, Scottsdale. 480-488-1090; hollandcenter.org

March 2

ANTHROBITES: CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

or

The Holland Center will welcome anthropologist Jan Downey for a virtual discussion about cultural appropriation and how it differs from cultural appreciation. $20. 10 a.m. RSVP. hollandcenter.org

Schedule for your A/C Safety Inspection for

79

March 2

$

REALISTIC WATERCOLORS WORKSHOP The Holland Center will welcome artist Larry Charles who will use travel as his theme as he teaches five techniques for capturing landscapes in fleeting sunlight, quicksketch plein air pictures, lifelike characters, watercolor postcards and landscape perspectives. $200. 9 a.m.–Noon. RSVP. The Holland Center, 34250 N 60th St, Scottsdale.

480-488-1090; hollandcenter.org

Call or Text

480.478.3384 to Schedule your Appointment!

Scottsdale. 480-874-4666; smoca.org

*On approved credit, please call for details. march 2021

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March 6

ROOM FOR TWO Physical comediennes The Ladies bring their newest pop-up drive-in show to a downtown Tempe parking garage. With the help of the parking garage attendant, The Ladies will create a zany, interactive and completely mesmerizing comedic experience for audiences enjoying the show from the comfort of their own cars. $49.99. 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. wearetheladies.net

March 4

CAREFREE ART WALK

look at some of the oddest art and

ancient and modern cultures, with

most expensive art in the world. $5.

a concert of ethereal choral pieces

10 a.m. RSVP. hollandcenter.org

inspired by the beauty of the night

Stroll, shop, dine and enjoy an evening celebrating the arts in downtown Carefree while helping to support local businesses and local creativity — which makes our Arizona culture a better place to live, work and visit. Begin at any

March 5 and 6

OH SOLO WAINWRIGHT: AN EVENING WITH RUFUS

feature highlights from the Phoenix Chorale’s Cosmos performances last year with the exquisite works of composers Johannes Brahms, Ola Gjeilo, Felix Mendelssohn, Morten

Vocalist, songwriter and composer

Lauridsen and more. Free. 7 p.m.

gallery, then continue on to other

Rufus Wainwright will perform

phoenixchorale.org

participating galleries. Enjoy a diverse

a concert of songs from his self-

display of artistic styles and mediums,

titled debut album “Poses” and his

meet the artists, enjoy refreshments

second album “Want One.” $55+.

and engage in conversation about art

8 p.m. Friday; 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

and architecture. Free. 4–8 p.m. See

Saturday. Scottsdale Center for the

MOSAIC STEPPING STONES

website for participating galleries.

Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second

The Holland Center will welcome

visitcarefree.com

St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587;

local artist, art educator and museum

scottsdaleperformingarts.org

educator Tamsin Wolff for a webinar

March 5

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sky. The virtual broadcast will

about mosaics in museums, public

March 6

ART, COFFEE AND CONVERSATION

COSMOS CONCERT

The Holland Center will welcome

The Phoenix Chorale will take

Nicolette Bonnstetter for a virtual

audiences on a journey through

i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m m ar c h 2 02 1

March 6

spaces and street art locally and around the world. $20. 10 a.m.

RSVP. hollandcenter.org

March 7 MOMIX

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will welcome MOMIX, a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty for more than 40 years, MOMIX has been celebrated for its ability to conjure up a world of surrealistic images, using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body. $29+. 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587; scottsdaleperformingarts.org

March 8

SUMMERIZE YOUR HOME WEBINAR The Holland Center will present a webinar about how to properly prepare water leaks, air conditioners and watering systems for the

Right coverage.

Right price.

Right here in town.

upcoming summer season. $10. 2 p.m. RSVP. hollandcenter.org

March 8–26

CAMP DREAMTREE SPRING BREAK EXPERIENCE Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation and Scottsdale Public Art will present a virtual art camp for kids filled with adventurous activities. Participants will travel to a parallel universe with their

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DreamScout Kit full of art supplies, various online components, augmented reality interaction and a live jamboree with Fireweather Studio — the founding artists of the original “Camp Dreamtree” art installation and experience. $15. scottsdaleartslearning.org

March 9

CPR TRAINING Utilizing the American Safety and Health Institute curriculum and certified instructors, Daisy Mountain Fire and Medical will present a CPR class that will require students to demonstrate proficiency on mannequins while on the floor and complete a short written test. Satisfactory completion of the course entitles participants to a certificate valid for two years from date of completion. $25. 6–10 p.m. RSVP. Daisy Mountain Fire Station 143, 35050 S. Old Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City. 623-465-7400 ext. 202; paul.schickel@dmfd.org

March 9

MONEY QUESTIONS FOR WOMEN

Now with two locations in Scottsdale!

Jeremy Mueller Ins Agency Inc. Jeremy R Mueller, Agent 23341 N Pima Rd Suite D139 Located in AJ’s Shopping Center Pinnacle Peak and Pima Scottsdale, AZ 85255 480-515-5223 www.jeremymueller.com

18511 N Scottsdale Rd Ste 203 Located off Chauncey and Scottsdale above Starbucks Scottsdale, AZ 85255 602-388-8382 www.northscottsdaleinsurance.com

The Holland Center will welcome financial advisor Lisa Upper for a virtual presentation of a process that women can use to identify financial goals and set a strategy. Subjects that will be discussed include systematic investing, employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRAs. $10. Noon. RSVP. hollandcenter.org

State Bloom

State Farm Bloomington IL

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March 7

ARIAS WITH VIOLIN AND ORGAN Soprano Ingela Onstad and baritone Michael Hix will sing a selection of arias from cantatas and masses during a virtual concert. The vocalists will be joined by Arizona Bach Festival’s longtime concertmaster and violinist extraordinaire Stephen Redfield and organist Maxine Thévenot — the organist at the Cathedral of St. John in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the concert is filmed. The concert will begin with a brief and informative talk by Dr. Craig Westendorf and culminate with a discussion with the artists. $60. 3 p.m. arizonabachfestival.org

March 13

GOLDEN REEF STAMP MILL DEMONSTRATION

Chandler's Vision Gallery will host

Arizona’s only fully operational

a class during which artist and

The Space Healing Center and Local

ten-stamp ore crushing mill will run

scientist Courtney Currier will teach

Jonny’s will present a sound healing

several outdoor demonstrations at

youth aged 6–16 to make scientific

concert during which attendees

Cave Creek Museum. Watch history

observations from nature using

will take part in various meditative

come alive as the ten 1,000-pound

watercolors in an inspiration journal.

practices that ensure a relaxing

stamps slam down in synchronized

Currier will also lead students in

and rejuvenating afternoon. The

precision and hear the pounding

gathering observations for Phoenix

healing experience aims to induce a

echo against the desert foothills —

EcoFlora — a project researching

meditative state with crystal bowls,

just as it did more than 140 years

urban biodiversity. The workshop,

gongs and other instruments. $25.

ago. Also on exhibit outdoors on

which will be offered virtually

4–6 p.m. Local Jonny’s, 6033 E. Cave

the museum campus are various

on Zoom, is designed to inspire

Creek Road, Cave Creek. 602-492-

pieces of equipment from the early

children's creativity and give students

6643; thespaceaz.com

mining days of Arizona and many

the opportunity to develop important

agricultural tools used at local

avenues for self-expression. Free. 10

farms and ranches. See website for

a.m. and 1 p.m. RSVP. visiongallery.

times. Cave Creek Museum, 6140 E.

org/vision-kids

2764; cavecreekmuseum.org

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VISION KIDS: PAINTING NATURE

March 14

CRYSTAL BOWL HEALING CONCERT FOR A CAUSE

Skyline Drive, Cave Creek. 480-488-

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March 13

March 14

LUNCH AND LEARN: RISOTTO WITH MIXED MUSHROOMS Marcellino Ristorante will host a cooking class during which chef Marcellino Verzino will teach participants to cook a creamy risotto with a sauté of mixed mushrooms. After the class, guests will enjoy a delectable lunch of the chef’s dish, a fresh organic salad and Marcellino’s delicious biscotti. $50. 1 p.m. RSVP. Marcellino Ristorante, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale. 480990-9500; marcellinoristorante.com

March 15

ADERO CANYON HIKE Desert Awareness Committee will host a hike with amazing views of Four Peaks Wilderness, the Superstition Mountains and Verde

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River Basin. 8 a.m. Free. Adero Canyon Trailhead, 14800 N. Eagle Ridge Drive, Fountain Hills. hollandcenter.org

March 16

ARIZONA: BEFORE STATEHOOD

WaltDanley.com | ChristiesRealEstate.com

The Holland Center will welcome Jim Sherbert for a lecture on a myriad of interesting information about our state. The talk will include a brief history of how it was settled and why people settled here, before it actually became a state in 1912. $10. 5 p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N 60th St, Scottsdale. 480-4881090; hollandcenter.org

March 19–27

FEFU AND HER FRIENDS B3 Theater will livestream its production of “Fefu and Her Friends,” a play about a group of eight female do-gooders who are meeting to plan a fundraising event for education. At once the model of innocent wholeness between female friends and the blackest night a woman has had to endure the viewing order of the four scenes in the middle act will be determined by chance thereby creating a unique show each night. $10+. See website for times. b3theater.com

March 20

GIL SHAHAM CONCERT Violinist Gil Shaham will perform a concert of classical duets with Japanese pianist Akira Eguchi. In-person and livestream ticketing options available. $39+. 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-4998587; scottsdaleperformingarts.org

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March 27

THE EVERLY BROTHERS EXPERIENCE Celebrate the pivotal music and legendary history of The Everly Brothers with a concert that, part of Arizona Musicfest’s outdoor concert series, pays tribute to the band’s iconic sound and reminds us of the important role that Don and Phil Everly played in pioneering the rock ‘n’ roll movement. $30+. 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Musicfest Performance Pavilion at Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale. 480-422-8449; azmusicfest.org

March 20

shared humanity and strength of

aid class that will require students

purpose. In-person and livestream

to demonstrate proficiency of skills

ticketing options available. $27+.

and complete a short written test.

2 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the

Satisfactory completion of the course

Chandler's Vision Gallery will host a

Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second

entitles participants to a certificate

class during which Delia Ibañez will

St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587;

valid for two years from date of

teach youth aged 6–16 to use playful

scottsdaleperformingarts.org

completion. $25. 6–10 p.m. RSVP.

VISION KIDS: SEND AND RECEIVE

movement, writing and mixedmedia collage to explore ideas of community connection and exchange.

Daisy Mountain Fire Station 143,

March 22

virtually on Zoom, is designed to

ARIZONA WATER WEBINAR

inspire children's creativity and give

The Holland Center will present a

students the opportunity to develop

webinar about Arizona’s water. $10.

important avenues for self-expression.

6:30 p.m. hollandcenter.org

The workshop, which will be offered

Free. 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. RSVP. visiongallery.org/vision-kids

March 21

MUSICANOVA ORCHESTRA CONCERT

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35050 S. Old Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City. 623-465-7400 ext. 202; paul.schickel@dmfd.org

March 26–April 18 BEEHIVE

Arizona Broadway Theatre will

March 23

FIRST AID TRAINING

travel back in time to the 1960s — when girl groups and doo-wop met female empowerment in a groovy musical that tells the story of this

Utilizing the American Safety and

impactful decade through the lens of

Health Institute curriculum and

six women. The soundtrack includes

MusicaNova Orchestra will perform

certified instructors, Daisy Mountain

songs by groundbreaking female

an uplifting concert of renewal,

Fire and Medical will present a first

artists including Aretha Franklin,

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Tina Turner and Janis Joplin and timeless hits including “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Son of a Preacher Man” and “You Don’t Own Me.” See website for price and times. Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria. 623-776-8400; azbroadway.org

March 28

STABAT MATER: REFLECTIONS ON HOLY WEEK MusicaNova Orchestra’s music director Warren Cohen will creatively mix selections from two settings of the 13th-century Christian hymn to Mary: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s celebrated 1736 version and J.S. Bach’s modifications from a dozen years later. Free; donations accepted. 2 p.m. Scottsdale Presbyterian Church, 3421 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. musicanovaaz.org

April 3

BROADWAY PERSPECTIVES CONCERT Four Broadway artists of color will celebrate their identity through their art by recreating their most memorable musical performances and honoring the icons that came before them. $28+. 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587; scottsdaleperformingarts.org

Learn with us!

April 5

A TASTE OF THE DESERT SEMINAR Desert Awareness Committee will present a seminar that will teach attendees how to collect and prepare their own foods in the desert. Free. 6:30 p.m. The Holland Center, 34250 N 60th St, Scottsdale. 480-488-1090; hollandcenter.org

PERFORMING ARTS SPANISH PRE-K-6

2021

Enrollment NOW OPEN

April 6

SCHUBERT: THE SOULFUL AND THE SUBLIME Pianist Jeffrey Siegel will explore Schubert through a concert of beautiful melodies, life and death struggle, serenity and irresistible charm. $25+. 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587; scottsdaleperformingarts.org

Black Mountain Elementary School

CAVE CREEK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT is inspiring excellence in young minds. Explore our five A+ elementary schools – each with its own signature curriculum.

Or, consider The Cave Creek Academy of Excellence, a fully online K-12 school offering exceptional online education.

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Desert Willow Elementary School SPANISH IMMERSION INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SPANISH PRE-K-6

Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

llment Now Open 2021 Enro

Registration online at: www.ccusd93.org/Page/8080

CHINESE IMMERSION HORSEMANSHIP CHINESE PRE-K-6

Lone Mountain Elementary School 480.575.2000 www.CCUSD93.org march 2021

STEM PROGRAM CHINESE PRE-K-6

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April 10

ARIZONA SAGE ART MARKET The Holland Center will host its 6th annual event during which attendees will be able to purchase works of art from a variety of mediums — including painting, jewelry, glass art and more. Thirty juried artists will participate in the event, which shares proceeds with the Holland Center — a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing arts, education and community in the area. Free. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Scottsdale.

480-488-1090; azfcf.org

April 6

WRITE A MEMOIR TO REMEMBER The Holland Center will welcome guest Patricia L. Brooks for a virtual presentation that will help participants capture the essence of their untold story and produce a memoir. $20. 10 a.m. RSVP. hollandcenter.org

April 9

CONRAD TAO CONCERT

Ballet Theatre of Phoenix is offering sit or stand ballet classes to senior citizens across the community via Zoom. Created in partnership with

as well as program management while working on special events and projects. anthemareachamber.org

Phoenix Art Museum has extended its

movement. Free. Noon Fridays.

PhxArt Field Trip for Kids program,

seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org

which reduces admission to $5 for all visitors younger than 18, offering

The Anthem Area Chamber of

Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second

Commerce this winter welcomed

St., Scottsdale. 480-499-8587;

Ryann Bader to its staff as member

scottsdaleperformingarts.org

and visitor services director. Bader

i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m m ar c h 2 02 1

assist visitors to the chamber office

balance and strength through

8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the

music. In-person and livestream

chamber business members and

older adults to develop flexibility,

the classes are specially designed for

ticketing options available. $29+.

will present a concert of classical

will provide direct support to

MUSEUM EXTENDS DISCOUNT PROGRAM

Jewish Family and Children's Service,

CHAMBER WELCOMES MEMBER AND VISITOR SERVICES DIRECTOR

Pianist and composer Conrad Tao

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BALLET THEATER OFFERS CLASSES FOR SENIORS

an affordable way for working families who have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to visit the museum. Made possible by a gift from Judy and Bill Goldberg, the program will run through June 30. Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-257-1880; phxart.org

MUSICAL THEATRE OF ANTHEM HOSTS ACTING CLASSES Musical Theatre of Anthem is hosting weekly acting classes for youth aged 7–14. $10 per class or $75 for 10 classes. 5:45–6:45 p.m. Tuesdays.

Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N. 41st Drive, Anthem. 623-336-6001; musicaltheatreofanthem.org

PHOENIX CHORALE NAMES INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Phoenix Chorale’s board of directors has appointed Mary Deissler to serve as the performing arts organization’s interim executive director.

Deissler will lead the Phoenix Chorale throughout the interim period as the board conducts its search for a new executive director to take the helm and work with artistic director Christopher Gabbitas. phoenixchorale.org

REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL SURPASSES MILESTONE Andrew Bloom — CEO, senior partner and co-founder of BVO Luxury Group at Keller Williams Arizona Realty — has surpassed a historic milestone of $1 billion in closed Multiple Listing Service residential real estate deals. An industry veteran of 26 years, Bloom has become the fourth real estate professional in Arizona history to surpass this distinguished mark. His $1 billion in sales volume comprises 1,815 total homes sold, 1,635 homes sold in Scottsdale, 760 luxury homes sold and 194 homes sold over $1 million. bvoluxury.com

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m Opening m ar c hphotograph 2 02 1

by Ondrej Prosicky, additional photography courtesy of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center

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Last year was undoubtedly one for the record books.

Among the many things that made 2020 a year that will live in infamy is a pandemic that resulted in stayat-home orders across the country. With indoor dining and movie theaters closed, more people hit the hiking trails. Others stayed inside, playing it safe in the wake of Arizona’s record-breaking 53 days of 110-degree heat.

That unprecedented weather and the increased observational opportunities for nature may have led to another record — one that saw more animals coming into the caring hands of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center’s staff and volunteers than ever before.

cautions that we must never automatically assume that a baby has been lost or abandoned just because its parents are not around.

“When people notice that there are babies in their backyard, we recommend that they leave them alone and just keep an eye on things,” she explains. “I always say that mother bobcats do not hire babysitters. They leave their babies either tucked under a porch or under a bush while they go off and do their hunting. Those baby bobcats will stay put until their mother comes back. If they are quiet and not making any noise, then they are fine.”

“Last year, we had a record number of 196 babies come into our hands,” says Robin Wilson, Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center’s events and volunteer coordinator.

“It is really hard to know why it was a record year. The speculation is that it could have been anything from the extreme heat to the fact that so many people were home noticing nature.”

It is when the babies are crying incessantly that Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center’s staff and volunteers may need to intervene. In cases when they are unable to reunite a baby with its mother, the nonprofit organization has developed special precautions like wearing masks, refraining from talking and utilizing sound machines to ensure that the animal does not become habituated to humans.

Whatever the reason, our state’s native wildlife were fortunate that Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center was here, up to the challenge of rescuing and rehabilitating them.

After all, the ultimate goal is to be able to safely release an animal back into nature. Between 70% and 80% of the animals that come to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center are released.

“Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center was founded in 1994 by Linda Searles,” Wilson says. “She started with one lone coyote pup that a farmer found while plowing his field.”

Last year, raccoons were the most common baby that Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center rescued with a total of 49 coming into its North Scottsdale facility.

Raccoons were closely followed by coyotes at 40, skunks at 36 and bobcats at 35.

Discovering that there was no rescue/rehabilitation facility in all of Arizona, Searles started the nonprofit organization that now — more than 25 years later — rescues, rehabilitates and releases between 100 and 300 animals each year. It also currently serves as a sanctuary to 100–150 animals that are unable to be released due to either human habituation or injury.

MOTHER BOBCATS DO NOT HIRE BABYSITTERS

Animals most commonly come to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center as babies that have been lost or abandoned for one reason or another. However, Wilson

“We take in a lot of javelinas as well,” says Wilson, noting that while most mammals have a birth season that starts around March and goes into September, javelinas’ birth season is year-round.

Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center also rescues mountain lions, bears, foxes and Mexican gray wolves — the last of which is an endangered species for which it serves as a sanctuary through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. However, that list is only a sample of the types of animals the nonprofit organization rescues and rehabilitates.

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“We had a baby coatimundi a hiker found in Tucson that had obviously fallen off a cliff or something,” Wilson says. “That will end up being a sanctuary animal because coatis need a family and we do not have any way to teach it how to be a wild coatimundi without it having a wild family.”

Wilson adds that each situation is as unique as the animal itself and Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center has developed processes to rehabilitate each one. Some of its sanctuary animals that are unable to be released due to injury actually serve as foster parents, facilitating other animals’ eventual release. But, as in the case with the coatimundi, that is not always possible.

Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center takes in animals from all around Arizona and works closely with Arizona Game and Fish. In fact, the nonprofit is the only organization that is allowed to house and create new families for javelinas — an animal that must be a part of a herd (or squadron).

“So when we get single javelina babies come in, we help them create a new family,” Wilson says. “Arizona Game and Fish will then come to pick them up when they are the right age and release them into the wild for us.”

WHY ARE YOU IN THE BOBCAT’S BACKYARD?

Of course, babies are not the only animals that come into the hands of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center’s staff and volunteers. The nonprofit organization also rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured animals such as those that have consumed rodent poisoning, been hit by a car or come into contact with cacti.

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“

[Humans] keep building further out into the desert and taking up more and more land. As the urban sprawl has extended further out into the desert, there has been more need for us because the human-animal conflict continues.

Robin Wilson

“We have a fully functioning animal hospital here,” Wilson explains. “We bring them in, evaluate them and provide them with any medical treatment they may need. We then see them through their rehabilitation and release them as soon as possible.”

Although Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center only rescues and rehabilitates mammals, it has policies in place to ensure that no creature is ever turned away.

Volunteers of the nonprofit organization’s 24/7 emergency hotline ensure that every creature receives the help it needs, referring out to other agencies — such as Fallen Feathers, Liberty Wildlife, Phoenix Herpetological Society and Wild at Heart — when they receive calls about birds, squirrels, bats, rabbits, reptiles and other members of the wildlife population that are not typically handled at the North Scottsdale facility.

However, it is important to note that Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center does not move perfectly healthy adult animals for residents.

“If the animal is just hanging out in your backyard, you just need to wait for it to leave,” Wilson says. “We get phone calls all the time from people asking, ‘Why is there a bobcat in my backyard?’ I like to ask them, ‘Why are you in the bobcat’s backyard?’

After all, they were here first.”

And that is an educational point that has not only been key to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center’s mission but has become more significant over the past 25-plus years of the nonprofit organization's existence. “[Humans] keep building further out into the desert and taking up more and more land,” Wilson explains. “As the urban sprawl has extended further out into the desert, there has

been more need for us because the humananimal conflict continues.”

That is why Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center has so many educational opportunities available for the community to discover the need for these majestic animals and how to best coexist with them. In addition to preregistered, paid, public tours of its North Scottsdale facility, the nonprofit organization offers outreach programs to schools, festivals and other agencies.

It also hosts numerous events throughout the year, such as wild yoga, wild enrichment parties, full moon tours and baby showers — all in an effort to educate and engage the community while facilitating the continued rescue and rehabilitation of our state’s unique wildlife population.

With the need greater than ever before and likely to continue to increase over the next 25 years, Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center is hoping to strengthen and expand its ability to rescue and rehabilitate animals with a move within the next 10 years to McDowell Mountain Regional Park, where the nonprofit organization has entered an agreement to occupy 100 acres of land — quite a step up from its current 10 acres.

However, that move is dependent on the post-pandemic economy.

If one thing is for certain, though, it is that all of Arizona — from the many fascinating fourlegged creatures to the two-legged people who love them — is grateful to Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center for ensuring that our state remains one of the most wildly extraordinary places on the planet. southwestwildlife.org

EXPERIENCE

Walk with Wildlife Tour See website for days and times | Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center | 27026 N. 156th St., Scottsdale | $25; discounts available for youth march 2021 imagesar iz ona .c om 480-471-9109 | southwestwildlife.org 31

It was late March or early April and, as we were driving along, we were stunned by the lushness of the desert. We were shocked.

We did not know that there was so much greenery in the Sonoran Desert. We were so excited as we drove along and saw all of the cacti, palo verde and everything else.

James Green

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography by James Green

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Try to accurately describe our astonishing Arizona terrain to someone who has never visited much less spent four full seasons in our great state and you will likely be met with some obstacles. Of course, we are well aware of its colorful charisma, but outsiders often believe our geography is limited to a banal brown.

However, the hues and tones represented in the Sonoran Desert are far more vast — especially in the spring, when our landscape lights up like no other place on the planet.

The most comely of all its colors is arguably green, which is present in everything from our stunning saguaro cactuses to our pulchritudinous palo verde trees.

A strong symbol of tranquility, luck and health, green is the quintessential color of nature and the natural world. Arizona’s spring scenery is most certainly alive with depictions of nature that elicit emotions of envy and jealousy (feelings that are also associated with the

color green) in those who reside in other regions that may not experience our emerald environment.

Describing our desert landscape as “lush,” James Green has enjoyed capturing Arizona’s attractive vistas on camera since he arrived in Anthem nearly seven years ago. Upon first glance, the gorgeous green that glosses across the photographer’s expansive artwork is by far the most identifiable and resonant. But a closer examination reveals just how rich our state’s topography is with every color God created.

By showcasing Green’s awe-inspiring work — much of which was captured right here in the North Valley and all of which illustrates the lush greenery that exists in our state — it is our hope that Images Arizona’s March photo essay evokes in you all of the advantageous associations of the color green. May this spring bring you total tranquility, lots of luck and harmonious health.

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DESTINY IN THE DESERT Prior to moving to Arizona nearly seven years ago, landscape photographer James Green and his wife Jean lived in Colorado and had a second home in Las Vegas where their granddaughters resided. When the girls moved to Arizona with their families, the couple was quick to follow them.

“We got to Wickenburg and started heading toward northern Phoenix on Arizona State Route 74,” says Green, noting that he had visited the Valley before for work but his travels were contained to the urban areas.

“It was late March or early April and, as we were driving along, we were stunned by the lushness of the desert.

“We were shocked. We did not know that there was so much greenery in the Sonoran Desert. We were so excited as we drove along and saw all of the cacti, palo verde and everything else. We were so happy. The Mojave Desert around Las Vegas is bare. We thought that we were just moving from one bare desert area to another. But this desert is lush.”

Having dabbled in photography throughout his entire life, Green’s hobby took on a new significance and strength once he arrived in Arizona. It encouraged him to explore the art form further than ever before.

Over the past several years, Green has photographed Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and the Pacific Northwest — and he has plans to visit and capture the beauty of many more geographic regions in the future. But Arizona will always be his favorite place to photograph.

“The variety of cacti here in the Sonoran Desert is pretty amazing,” Green says. “The saguaros alone are so dramatic, so iconic. I love Arizona. It is one of the most unique places in the world.” imagesarizona.com 34jpgreen11@gmail.com

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My friends tell me that I have a unique eye and that I see things differently than most people.

That may or may not be true but I just really love everything about photography and the outdoors. I try to keep my photos as close to ‘the way that God made it’ as I possibly can.

James Green

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The variety of cacti here in the Sonoran Desert is pretty amazing. The saguaros alone are so dramatic, so iconic. I love Arizona. It is one of the most unique places in the world.

James Green

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ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER James Green has always loved everything about the outdoors.

Having been born and lived in Ohio for his first 26 years of life, he savored the opportunity to move to Colorado where he spent a great deal hiking the many amazing mountain ranges.

It was only natural that he would eventually pick up a camera to capture their magnificence.

After all, he had discovered photography earlier in life when he was serving as part of the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam.

“I am sad to say that, like a lot of people’s baseball card collections, somehow all of those shots that I took in Vietnam are gone now,” he says.

For several years, Green enjoyed exploring Colorado’s spectacular scenery through his camera lens. Then he and his wife Jean moved to Arizona where, awestruck, he became much more serious about the art form.

Green has never had any formal training and instead studies the work of other landscape photographers. He is committed to learning their techniques while maintaining his own personal vision.

“My friends tell me that I have a unique eye and that I see things differently than most people,” Green explains. “That may or may not be true but I just really love everything about photography and the outdoors. I try to keep my photos as close to ‘the way that God made it’ as I possibly can.”

The 75-year-old Anthem resident’s work can be viewed and purchased at Sedona Artist Market, 2081 W. State Route 89A, No. 11, Sedona.

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Artist Amy Lay's paintings are on display at Sue Bickerdyke Interiors, Art Gallery and Home Furnishings in Carefree.

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Writer Shannon Severson Photography by Bryan Black

“

Since animals don’t really have a recognizable voice, I think it’s critical to give them one in my paintings; to make them the star, even if it’s a gesture or a look in their eye.

Amy Lay

A

A jackrabbit perks up its long ears at some unseen sound; a family of quail perches amidst the brilliant fruits of a prickly pear cactus; a trio of wild horses looks up from grazing amidst tall grass.

These depictions of wildlife are the work of artist Amy Lay, whose paintings are on display at Sue Bickerdyke Interiors, Art Gallery and Home Furnishings in Carefree.

“I was first introduced to Amy’s work in Jackson Hole,” says Sue Bickerdyke, who owns the professional interior design studio and home furnishing boutique that specializes in fabrics, color and comfort. “I was immediately drawn to her work and contacted Bryce Pettit, another artist who displays at my gallery. Amy and I had an immediate connection and people really love her paintings. Her work reflects the natural surroundings we are so fortunate to have in this area.”

Lay’s style defies narrow definition. It is contemporary and colorful with an impressionistic feel, each one brimming with movement and vitality. She begins by sketching with graphite and often charcoal on white canvas, applies a wash of thinned oil paint and then thickens those layers here and there. It gives her paintings a uniquely translucent quality.

“I get a lot of questions about my process because it’s uncommon,” Lay says. “I really

think the white canvas is important; it’s like the use of light I learned in watercolor. In traditional oils, it’s a big, heavy layering process. You begin by removing light and then add it back. I like to use the white of the canvas and give it a thin wash; it gives a brighter look.”

This process and her free-flowing style harness the viewer’s attention. Lay’s depictions of wildlife feel immediate, like a moment captured, but on the brink of action.

She prefers not to work with reference material like photographs, instead drawing from her own memories, which are plentiful.

SURROUNDED BY WILDLIFE

Lay has spent her life on her family’s historic homestead in remote Northeast Oregon, amidst the wide-open spaces replete with mountains, lakes, rivers and plains — and, of course, animals.

“I had a unique situation growing up,” she recalls. “I was surrounded by wildlife. Living far from town gave me a focus and intimacy with nature that inspired my creativity. As a child, I learned to occupy my time with animals and it gave me the background to paint wildlife.

“It also instilled in me a sense of the importance of conservation and the need to highlight nature in my work. Since animals don’t really have a recognizable voice, I think it’s critical to give them one in my paintings; to make them the star, even if it’s a gesture or a look in their eye.” march 2021

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She observes that the propensity for drawing animals is really an age-old practice; it comes naturally to humans. In ancient caves and primitive homes, there are always drawings of animals. Lay says that animals are symbolic of everything.

They normalize us and connect us — to our surroundings and to each other.

Her earliest childhood memories include lots of drawing and painting and she always preferred animals as her subjects.

“I would draw on any blank corner of paper I could find,” she recalls. “My parents tell me that I told them I would be an artist when I was 5 years old and I remember declaring that to my teachers all throughout elementary and high school. It was always my great love and the skill I felt most comfortable with.”

Lay credits her family and teachers for encouraging her to develop her talents. Right out of high school, she pursued an art degree at Eastern Oregon University. She says some of the most impactful lessons she learned were the ability to take critiques and what she learned about watercolor painting from a specific professor.

“I still use the same format and simple color palette that he showed me years ago,” she says. “I think my colors are part of my signature style.”

ENCHANTING SCENERY

It’s remarkable that Lay began using oils fairly recently. Before 2013, she used watercolors exclusively. She was motivated to start using oils and mixed medium for the flexibility and permanency, along with eliminating the need to put all her paintings under glass.

“I think the long time I spent with watercolor gave me confidence,” she says.

“It also allowed my work a looseness and freedom that translated easily to oils.

I hear all the time that watercolors are difficult and I guess my answer to that is to just let them go; let them do what they want. This spontaneous nature is what gives a painting life. It’s what I try to let happen in my work.”

Lay still lives on her family’s land in Oregon with her husband, Thomas — an Arizona native — and their three children. Since she began showing at Sue Bickerdyke Interiors, Art Gallery and Home Furnishings, she has enjoyed the chance to visit our state and be inspired to paint the wildlife here.

“We hike a lot,” Lay says. “It’s one of my favorite things to hike in the desert. I fell in love with it; the fragrance and the scenery … it’s enchanting.”

Bickerdyke says many of her patrons have homes in both the Carefree area and in the mountains. Lay has created paintings that reflect the wildlife and scenery of both these areas so the gallery’s clientele can have art that fits the surroundings of their homes.

EXPERIENCE

“Our clients are mobile and have homes in many different places,” Bickerdyke explains. “Amy has adapted her work for our areas. People really love it. We

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N E W A R T W O R K F R O M A M Y L AY

design our homes to fit how we live and so much of that involves the outdoors — the big skies and the wildlife around us. Amy’s paintings capture that beauty and lifestyle.”

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BRINGING PEOPLE JOY

Lay has been encouraged by the response to her paintings.

Throughout her life, painting has been a constant. When she began having children, she left a career with the forest service to raise her daughters and son when they were young, earning her teaching certificate in history so that her schedule would coordinate with theirs. After a long day of teaching and mothering, she would get the kids to bed and then went into her studio to paint late into the night.

“I thought to myself, ‘I am not giving up on this,” Lay recalls. “After 10 years, I decided I was going to paint professionally and the galleries I applied to took me on; I immediately started selling.”

It was 2010, the start of her full-time art career. She took her children to showings every weekend, putting in the work to make connections and establish herself with galleries across the West and even as far away as Vermont. Hearing people’s reactions is a rewarding feeling for doing what she knows she was born to do.

“I hear people say, ‘This is so different, it’s happy,” Lay explains.

“That’s a huge boost. I want to make people happy. I will always paint, no matter what, but it’s really nice to bring people joy with it. I’ve never painted just for myself. I paint for others. That is the joy and that’s how I communicate.” suebickerdyke.com

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Gabriela Muñoz and Christina You-sun Park’s “Silence will not protect US,” part of ArtFarm PHX’s Roadside Attraction exhibition. Photo by Charles Darr.

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo

Scottsdale has always prided itself on being an artists’ community. More specifically, the city has rejoiced in being a haven for local artists, creative minds who share the unique way they see the world around them with the rest of us thereby giving us a glimpse into perspectives that we may otherwise never consider or comprehend.

The city is usually teaming with talent on every street corner — from plays at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts to exhibitions at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and numerous public murals, sculptures and art galleries in between.

However, one year ago this month, everything came to a screeching halt. For many, life seemed to suddenly stand still. And what began as a temporary pause extended into a pandemic that forced every single one of us to alter our everyday routines — from the way we do business to the way we experience recreation.

Many people were able to pivot successfully. Others found it to be an impossible task given the plethora of unprecedented obstacles. Artists were among those who were hit the hardest.

As was the case around the world, all of those amazing opportunities available to artists in Scottsdale suddenly vanished overnight. Once a bustling city of imagination and individuality, the community and life itself became quiet and momentarily mundane.

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“

I think creative minds are the lifeblood of any thriving city and supporting local artists has long been part of our mission. When COVID-19 hit last spring ... it made sense to amplify the voices in our own community and try to keep people inspired through this challenging time.

Abbey Messmer

After the initial shock, though, Scottsdale Arts rose up to support the people who have collectively created the city’s unique culture.

“I think creative minds are the lifeblood of any thriving city and supporting local artists has long been part of our mission,” says Abbey Messmer, programming director at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. “When COVID-19 hit last spring ... it made sense to amplify the voices in our own community and try to keep people inspired through this challenging time.”

EXPLORING NEW AVENUES OF ENGAGEMENT

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has focused on providing flexibility, support and opportunities to artists whenever and wherever possible. Its offerings have included a Summer Stream series in which local artists performed on the city’s Virginia G. Piper Theater stage or offsite to a livestreamed audience as well as several pop-up parking lot performances — a first for the organization.

Messmer even collaborated with local jazz artist Beth Lederman to develop a socially distanced Jazz Longue series that included livestream ticketing options.

Lederman recalls the low morale that musicians felt during the first few months of the pandemic as they received daily cancelations of concerts, clubs, weddings and festivals.

“All of it just fell apart,” Lederman says.

“We were all so worried about the future.

I really believe it is music and all of the arts that bring people together. These are the things that give us hope, delight us and help heal our aching hearts. How do you reconcile bringing people together when we need to stay physically distant?”

Therefore, the jazz artist was ecstatic when Messmer asked her to come up with some creative solutions that could be implemented at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

“I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to have a reason to work hard, to rehearse and practice and to feel like we could lift everyone’s spirits with the power of music — to get people moving and dancing and wrapped up in rhythm and harmony,” Lederman says. “As one of my favorite quotes says about why music is not a luxury but a necessity, ‘It is the persistent focus of our intelligence, aspiration and goodwill.’”

ACTIVATING TYPICALLY UNDERUTILIZED SPACES

Meanwhile, with Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art’s doors having to be closed throughout much of 2020, Scottsdale Arts saw the pause as an opportunity to connect with local artists to participate in projects that reach far beyond the museum’s walls.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art partnered with ArtFarm Phoenix to expand the footprint of the collective’s Roadside Attraction exhibition through which more than 50 artists around Arizona have exhibited work in storefront windows, in neighborhood yards, on the sides of buildings and a variety of other socially distanced locations. All works were viewable by car, by bike or on foot.

ArtFarm Phoenix organizer Patricia Sannit says the collective is committed to expanding opportunities for artists to exhibit their work and to create opportunities for art to be seen and experienced in every community across the Valley.

“By encouraging creative expression, thoughtful and positive discussion; promoting critical thinking; and examining the questions that shape and inspire Phoenix culture, ArtFarm envisions an art community that is thriving, visible and accessible to all, contributing to the larger community by brightening up cinder block walls; provoking dialogue; and providing moments of contemplation and opportunities for emotional connections,” Sannit explains.

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She adds that many artists are also art activists and feel strongly that supporting art during the difficult time of the pandemic could help to make the world a better place by creating dialogue, informing, inciting, healing and humoring.

“With institutional access to art shut down, we asked the artists we knew to put up their work in accessible locations and we would promote it,” Sannit says. “We had a huge, positive response. The community learned about and felt more connected to regional artists, able to view interesting and compelling works, outside of the four walls of a museum or gallery.”

Scottsdale Arts helped ArtFarm Phoenix reach a broader coalition of artists across the state and in the community while also facilitating complicated projects that local artists had envisioned and providing them with additional places to present their work.

Patricia Sannit’s “We the People” brick podium, part of ArtFarm PHX’s Roadside Attraction exhibition. Photo by Charles Darr.

Joe Willie Smith’s “Little Boy Blue,” part of Civic Center Public Library’s WEST: Arizona Artists of Color exhibition. Photo Courtesy of Scottsdale Arts.

CONTINUING KEY CONVERSATIONS

Most recently, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art invited local artists M. Jenea Sanchez and Gabriela Muñoz to guest co-curate the museum’s Division of Labor: Women Shifting a Transnational Gaze exhibition. The critical engagement, viewable through Aug. 22, is another first for the organization.

The exhibition begins with a selection of nearly 20 works chosen through the unifying context of labor and the gaze. Additionally, the two artists are collaborating with Ammi Robles — Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico — and the DouglaPrieta Trabaja collective — Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico — to create new works following a historical continuum through a collaborative process foundational to their artistic practice.

Of course, the internet has played a big role in maintaining opportunities for local artists to create and exhibit their work throughout the pandemic. Although Scottsdale Civic Center Library recently resumed exhibitions at its Civic Center Public Gallery, those exhibitions have had a much longer life — not to mention more farreaching exposure — thanks to Scottsdale Public Art making them available virtually on its website.

Exhibitions such as Artists’ Breakfast Club: 20 Years and WEST: Arizona Artists of Color enjoyed brief physical installations at Civic Center Public Gallery but will remain online through this spring.

WEST: Arizona Artists of Color co-curator Joe Willie Smith notes that the exhibition is significant because such opportunities — especially through established institutions — were historically not open to artists of color. The Phoenix artist adds that elements of that exclusion continue today.

Joe Willie Smith’s “Little Boy Blue,” part of Civic Center Public Library’s WEST: Arizona Artists of Color exhibition. Photo Courtesy of Scottsdale Arts.

Saskia Jordá’s “When there are nine” spray chalk stencil and Christopher Jagmin’s “Political Party” two-channel audio installation, part of ArtFarm PHX’s Roadside Attraction exhibition. Photo by Charles Darr.

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“There still is a void of opportunities for artists of color,” Smith says.

“The WEST show is really a wonderful opportunity.”

“

I really believe it is music and all of the arts that bring people together. These are the things that give us hope, delight us and help heal our aching hearts. How do you reconcile bringing people together when we need to stay physically distant?”

Beth Lederman

Maintaining such opportunities throughout the pandemic has been at the forefront of Scottsdale Arts’ mission to continue key conversations and propagate culture.

KEEPING LOCAL ARTISTS EMPLOYED

In addition to maintaining opportunities for local artists to create and exhibit their work throughout the pandemic, Scottsdale Arts has also been providing them with opportunities to generate income by teaching a variety of virtual programs — such as workshops that foster creativity in the community’s youth and older adults.

Prior to the pandemic, Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation

had been doing a lot of physical outreach, sending teaching artists into classrooms, bringing students and seniors to its campus for arts experiences and providing various workshops to the community. Many of those programs have since been transitioned online to still provide those services to the community.

Among the programs that Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation has made available online are Memory Lounge — which provides artistic experiences for adults with Alzheimer's and other dementia-related illnesses and their care partners — and Arizona Wolf Trap — which is designed to provide performing arts-oriented learning activities in early childhood. Teaching artists are paid for their participation in both programs.

Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation works with more than 50 teaching artists from a variety of disciplines each year. The organization’s director Natalie Marsh says that local artists’ passion for their practice, commitment to the community and love of sharing the arts with others is incredibly inspiring.

“While this year has presented a number of barriers, these artists tackled these challenges by quickly adapting to new technologies and embracing new ways of engaging with students and adults digitally,” Marsh says.

“Their adaptability, creativity and problem solving have pushed us in new directions and helped us accomplish more than we ever thought possible.

“Not only have we been able to keep creativity alive in our community, but we've also been able to decrease the negative effects of social isolation brought on by this extended quarantine to our community and keep artists employed during these challenging economic times.” scottsdalearts.org

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Healthier Teriyaki Beef Bowls My mom used to make teriyaki beef bowls for us growing up.

They were always one of my favorite dinners. This recipe is great because it has no refined sugar, is completely gluten-free, and has less sodium.

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 2 filet mignon (or other beef of your choice) 1 cup broccoli (or other vegetables of your choice) 1 cup coconut aminos 1/4 cup pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon dark balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 cup water Cooked rice

Directions: Place beef in freezer for 10–20 minutes, making it easier to slice.

In a small saucepan, combine the coconut aminos, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, ginger and garlic powder. Whisk until well-combined and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Combine cornstarch and water in a small measuring cup.

When the sauce mixture just begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture. Let lightly boil until thickened, stirring constantly.

Thinly slice beef into small strips. Heat olive oil in a skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add beef strips and cook until browned. Add vegetables and cook for 4 more minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of the sauce to the meat and vegetables and allow to caramelize until desired doneness is achieved.

Writer and Photographer Kyndra Kelly

kyndraclaire.com

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Serve over rice, pouring more of the sauce on the top.

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