Images Arizona: Grayhawk July 2016 Issue

Handmade

PATRICK GIBBONS

DC Ranch

Scottsdale

ECRWSS Local Postal Customer

Grayhawk

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CONTENTS PUBLISHER Shelly Spence

EDITOR/CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jenn Korducki Krenn

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Donna Kublin Amanda Christmann Tom Scanlon Monica Longenbaker Rebecca Zaner Stephanie Maher Palenque Paula Theotocatos Lauren Strait Peni Long Shannon Severson Nigel Spence Suzanne Wright Lara Piu Grace Hill

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bryan Black Loralei Lazurek Keri Meyers Mike Harvey Karen Hamilton Monica Longenbaker Brandon Tigrett

ART DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT Jennifer Satterlee

Images Arizona P.O. Box 1416 Carefree, AZ. 85377 623-341-8221 // imagesaz.com Submission of news for Community News section should be in to shelly@imagesaz.com by the 10th of the month prior to publication.

Images Arizona is published by ImagesAZ Inc. Copyright © 2016 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.

Patrick Gibbons Handmade Writer Lara Piu Photographer Bryan Black P. 52

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Local First A R I Z O NA

Consign With Us Our consignment team continually uncovers estates and collectibles that attract a strong and regular following.

This one-of-a-kind sword, to be auctioned July 28, 2016, is one of our special finds that will bring out the best bidders worldwide representing over 60 countries.

J. Levine’s top tier bidders ensure that when you consign with us we provide both an active audience and a convenient turnkey solution for a single item or an entire estate.

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WELCOME

S

Summer is here and with it comes the hot, hot, hot temperatures. As I write this month’s editorial, we have been advised of an excessive heat warning reaching anywhere from 115 to 120 degrees over the weekend. It goes without saying that if anyone needs to find me and my family, we’ll be in a pool or under misters somewhere — I hope our readers can say the same!

Though Arizona summer is often seen as the equivalent of winter everywhere else — a time to hibernate indoors, albeit next to the air conditioning

An Ode to Whiskey P. 58

instead of a warm fire — there is still plenty of activity to look forward to across the Valley this time of year. From summer camps to summer concerts, ArtWalks to Freedom Fests, there is no shortage of ways for kids and adults to stay cool (and busy) in the shade.

Whether you’re sticking around through monsoon season or have already booked your getaway to cooler climes, we hope you enjoy every ounce of

Paper Dresses: Annie Lopez P. 26

sunshine in the sizzling months ahead. After all, the days only get shorter from here!

Cheers!

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

Bow, Barn and Brush: Alex Bauwens

Chilled Corn Chowder

P. 58

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LOCAL ARTIST

Black Ribbon collection: a collaborative sculpture with Michael Anderson.

Sculpting Space: Elizabeth Rosensteel

Writer Shannon Severson

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R

Elizabeth Rosensteel

R

esourcefulness and reinvention is in Elizabeth Rosensteel’s DNA. Her interior design firm, Rosensteel Design Studio, is the culmination

of many years — and careers — that have molded who she is today: an artist, furniture designer, sculptor, art director, inventor. Even further back, Rosensteel recalls stories of her maternal grandfather, an artist and organic gardener (before sustainability was a “thing”), and her industrious grandmother, who supported the family by weaving, making lace and working as a furrier — anything to keep her family afloat on the sparse income of an artist.

This combination of hard work and creative talent lives on in Rosensteel, but did draw concern from her mother, who feared her daughter would encounter the same hardships she had as a girl.

“I don’t think my grandparents even had running water until 1972,” says Rosensteel. “My mother said to me as I was growing up, ‘If you go into any form of the arts, I’m going to break both your arms and legs.’ It was serious. And now, I sing with the Phoenix Symphony and own a design studio, so I guess I didn’t listen too well, but I love what I do. My parents finally came around.”

After studying visual communications in her native Boston and then at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Rosensteel and her husband, Barry, moved to the Valley in 1978, seeking a change of scenery and a dose of adventure — she’d never been west of the Mississippi. What brought the Rosensteels to their Gerry Jones-designed Carefree home, where they have lived since 2013 (having previously lived in Paradise Valley), is a story full of twists, turns, hard work and, of course, reinvention.

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DESIGNING 10

When she arrived in Phoenix as

doing, but didn’t have a format

on a one-night event,” says

a freelance artist, Rosensteel

or a way to implement it,” says

Rosensteel. “We would spend nine

landed a position with Broadway

Rosensteel. “I was designing closet

months designing and building it,

Department Stores as a store

systems for children when I was a

bringing in the set on huge trucks

planner and connected with a

kid, but my parents thought it was

for a one-night event, and we’d

mentor who encouraged her

just silly stuff.”

tear it down the next day. That

to take on bigger challenges.

mentality has helped me in my

Learning on the spot, she pored

Next on her journey was corporate

business. In the corporate staging

over blueprints, essentially

staging and set design. Rosensteel

world, you’ve got to be ready,

teaching herself architectural

recalls designing and building

come hell or high water. You can’t

skills and drafting. Broadway

massive, yet intricate environments

miss a deadline. Those doors open

paid for architecture classes at

for product fairs (such as Mattel’s

and everyone has to think it’s

Arizona State University as long

Toy Fair in both New York City

the best thing in the world. It was

as she maintained a B average

and Germany), product launches

great preparation for what I do

or higher, and she was soon

and spectacular one-night affairs.

now.”

overseeing store remodels and

For one such event, she and her

large-scale design projects.

team recreated New Orleans’

It was time for another reinvention

French Quarter in great detail. It

— and this one was a far cry from

From graphic designer to interior

was an exciting, hard-charging time

the build-quickly-and-tear-down-

architect — her first reinvention.

in her career.

faster staging job. She launched

“It was one of those things that in

“That was in the day when

learned that operating both the

my upbringing, I’d constantly been

companies would spend $3 million

business and design sides wasn’t

her own design firm, but soon

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

her forte, and she sought other opportunities. In 1995, Rosensteel became the first elected female principal and director of the interior environmental design department at Taliesin Architects in Scottsdale.

There, her follow-through, deadline-oriented background melded with her talent for interior design and architecture served her well, and propelled her to the next stage in her career.

“I was very honored to work with some of the world’s most incredible minds,” says Rosensteel. “I had the

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chance to learn by doing, even getting the chance to build the walls of one of the buildings there in the original manner of Taliesin. It was a wonderful time, but, like anything, I had to leave to preserve my own abilities to continue to grow.”

Another reinvention. This one brought her back to owning her own firm again. Rosensteel took

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everything she had learned about how to run a business (and how not to) and founded Elizabeth A. Rosensteel Design Studio in November of 1999. The concepts of site-specific, organic design continue to influence her work today.

“Owning your own business is like going on a job interview every single day of your life,” says Rosensteel. “I got smarter about it. Every decade, you go through a process of learning who you are. There are certain jobs I won’t take because I know who I am and what I’m happy doing.”

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Just as Wright designed furniture and accents for specific spaces, Rosensteel’s talent for sculpting a space led to designing furniture for each of her projects — pieces that are both beautiful and functional for the environments she creates. She considers both the interior and exterior elements of a home, as well as the personalities and needs of her clients. Nothing is cookie-cutter.

“I love the process,” says Rosensteel. “I love the whole idea of pulling together all these things and showing a client something they’ve never thought of. That’s why you hire a professional. My industry

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changes every six months and I love

piece is individually commissioned and

phenomenal jobs … these other lives.

being able to create and show people

no two ribbons are alike.

They’ve left that part of their lives and

you can have really well-designed and defined spaces.”

they’ve reinvented themselves. Most This new venture with Anderson,

of us need to be constantly mentally

who is essentially her neighbor, is

challenged by something. People really

This functional beauty is embodied

just one example of why Rosensteel

appreciate good design and quality,

in all of her projects, and is newly

loves Carefree; her away-from-it-

but they’re done proving anything to

evidenced in her new Black Ribbon

all community has brought her

their neighbors.”

collection, a collaboration with sculptor

friendships with neighbors of all ages

Michael Anderson. What began as the

who share barbecues and a love

Rosensteel is currently working on

need to create a table to complement

of their environment. The beauty

close to 40 projects and continues

an unusually long sofa became a

of the landscape is both solace

to envision new creative avenues and

drawing, which led to Rosensteel’s

and inspiration, and she has taken

solutions, many focused around how

decision that powder-coated steel

to posting a sunset photo on her

communities can be more connected

would be the best material for the

Facebook page almost every night.

and how the elderly can continue to

job. Her client had a difficult time

12

live in their own homes for as long

envisioning the finished product,

“I feel like, no matter what I’ve

as possible. It’s safe to say she won’t

and that’s when Rosensteel’s fellow

gone through, I get to a certain

soon relinquish her penchant for

Carefree resident, Anderson, came to

place on Tom Darlington and it’s

reinvention.

mind. He helped create a “maquette,”

like ‘Brigadoon’ — the stresses and

a small-scale model of the piece. A

concerns of the day fall away,” says

602-522-0989

partnership was born, and the pair

Rosensteel. “It’s a very interesting

rosensteeldesign.com

has gone on to conceive a full line of

place. There are fascinating people

tables, consoles and hardware. Each

who come out here and have had

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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COMMUNITY arts // announcements // culture Writer Grace Hill

JULY 3

CAVE CREEK FREEDOM TREASURE FEST Artist and vendor booths will showcase an eclectic collection of boutique apparel, jewelry and accessories, repurposed home decor, original art, Native American crafts, holidaythemed goods and gourmet packaged edibles. The event will coincide with Cave Creek’s Annual Fireworks Extravaganza.

Throughout the show, Roadhouse will serve adult beverages and a full menu of classic American fare. There will also be live music and entertainment featuring local bands. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Roadhouse, 6900 E. Cave Creek Rd., 480-488-3300, magicbirdfestivals.com.

JULY 7

SCOTTSDALE’S INTERNATIONAL ARTWALK In celebration of the many fine artworks represented in Scottsdale galleries from artists and images around the world, ArtWalk will host a series of small presentations and lectures on a variety of topics from a global perspective.

Located in the galleries along Main Street and Marshall Way in downtown Scottsdale, come enjoy film, music and guest speakers.

To cool off on the ArtWalk line, cool treats will be served, from Asian shaved ice to Italian gelato.

Free. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Scottsdale Gallery Association, 480-421-1818, scottsdalegalleries.com

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*Cave Creek Freedom Treasure Fest featuring Mercy & Grace Designs. pictured IMA GDebbie E S A Z . CLebsock, O M J ULY 2 0 1 6 with some of her one-of-a-kind handbags.

JULY 8-AUG. 7

DESERT STAGES THEATRE PRESENTS INTO THE WOODS Will a baker and his wife break a witch’s spell so they can finally start a family, or will fairytale characters get in the way? Find out in Desert Stages’ production of “Into the Woods.” See website for prices and show times.

Desert Stages Theatre, 4720 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-483-1664, desertstages.org.

JULY 9, 10

MIM’S 5TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF FRANCE Experience French culture and music through live musical performances, hands-on activities and a French-inspired menu at Café Allegro. Activities and performances are included with paid museum admission. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., 480-478-6000, mim.org.

JULY 23

LUNCH AND LEARN AT SANCTUARY ON CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN Sanctuary’s award-winning culinary series returns for its 15th season with a new lineup featuring some of the country’s top chefs and culinary experts. This interactive event features an informative discussion from Chef Allen Susser, a James Beard awardwinning chef who is famous for his New World cuisine culinary style. Attendees will be given interactive cooking demonstrations, Q-and-A opportunities, take-home recipes and behind-the-scenes insights. $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, 5700 E. McDonald Dr., 480-948-2100, sanctuaryoncamelback.com.

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JULY 1-SEPT. 5 ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER EXHIBIT: THE WORLD OF GIANT INSECTS Get ready to creep and crawl with giant insects at the Arizona Science Center.

Each animated, gigantic insect has its own unique sequence of movement and sound, made possible with the latest robotic technology. See website for prices and times.

Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St., azscience.org.

JULY 11-16, 18-30 CAMP RISING STAR

JULY 23

DESERT FOOTHILLS FAMILY YMCA COMMUNITY EVENT Come learn more about membership benefits and backto-school programs at the Desert Foothills Family YMCA. This open house will include demonstrations, a nutrition education station, face painting, crafts, a rock wall, healthy snacks and more! On July 23 only, those who become members of the YMCA will have their joining fee waived. Free. 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Desert Foothills Family YMCA, 34250 N. 60th St., 480-596-9622, valleyymca.org/desert-foothills.

Starlight Community Theater’s 2016 Camp Rising Star has two more summer sessions for youth wanting to explore theater. Session 2, held July 11-16, is for teens ages 1318, while Session 3, held July 18-30, is for youth and teens ages 7-18. Check website for details. Starlight Community Theater, 1611 W. Whispering Wind Dr., 623-252-6815, starlightcommunitytheater.com.

JULY 17

ENGLISH ROSE TEA ROOM’S 2ND ANNUAL TEDDY BEAR TEA Bears — the stuffed variety — and friends are invited to tea and treats at English Rose Tea Room’s second annual Teddy Bear Tea in Carefree. Adults, $25; children, $15; bears, free (if properly attired). Call for reservations. English Rose Tea Room, 201 Easy St., Ste. 103, 480-488-4812, carefreetea.com.

Youth Scene

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JULY 25-29, AUG. 1-5

SUPERHEROES OF THE BIBLE SUMMER CAMP Children entering grades 1-6 will explore superheroes of the Bible with acting, singing, comic book art and much more! Sign up for one or both weeks. $60 per week. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Desert Mission United Methodist Church, 7373 N. Dixileta Dr., 480-595-1814, desertmissionumc.org.

JULY 30, 31, AUG. 1, 6, 7, 8

NVSO’S YOUTH ORCHESTRA MEMBER AUDITIONS Come audition to join the 2016-17 season of North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Orchestra. Advanced string players are encouraged to audition if they can attend weekly rehearsals and commit to the necessary practice. 623-980-4628, northvalleysymphony.org.

*NVSO Youth Orchestra pictured.

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COMMUNITY ANNOUCEMENTS

HIDDEN IN THE HILLS CHOOSES COVER ARTIST Scottsdale artist Linda Korstad’s “Wishing and Hoping” was selected as the featured art piece for the 20th Annual Hidden in the Hills artist directory cover. Korstad is a mixed media sculptor who loves working with clay and found objects to create pieces that are whimsical and quirky. For more information, visit sonoranartsleague.org.

NOTRE DAME PREP ANNOUNCES INTERIM PRINCIPAL Notre Dame Preparatory assistant principal Jerry Zander has been named interim principal of NDP for the 2016-17 school year. The search for a permanent principal will begin next fall. Beginning July 1, current NDP principal Jim Gmelich will serve as the school’s first president. Bishop Thomas Olmsted modified the future leadership structure at the school to include both a president and a principal. For more information, visit ndpsaints.org.

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PROMUSICA ARIZONA SUPPORTERS RAISE $20,000 ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra supporters topped their goal of raising $20,000 in 20 days with more than $21,000 in total donations for the 20/20 Perfect Vision Campaign. The support makes it possible for ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra to continue to bring beautiful music to the community. This fall, ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra will begin its 14th season, consisting of an eclectic mix of music and multi-sensory experiences that promise to engage and entertain audiences. For more information on PMAZ and the 2016-17 season, visit pmaz.org.

THE ORCHARD PHX COMPLETES SECOND PHASE The Orchard PHX, a new restaurant and retail complex in central Phoenix, now has all of its pieces in place with the opening of Luci’s at the Orchard and Splurge. Luci’s is a healthy marketplace selling sandwiches, coffee, juice, bread and ready-to-go items, with a dogfriendly patio and full bar. Call-in orders may be picked up at the drive-thru.

Retail items such as gifts and kitchen gadgets are also sold. At Splurge, look for gelato topped with your choice of 18 ingredients. Gelato pops, gelatoinfused drinks, sorbet and candy are also available. The new venues join Pomelo, a full-service restaurant at The Orchard PHX. For more information, visit facebook.com/theorchardphx.

WINK 24 OPENS IN BILTMORE FASHION PARK Wink 24, a new Mexican- and Italianinspired restaurant located in the Biltmore Fashion Park, is now open for business.

FRANK SCHUBERT’S CLIENT APPRECIATION NIGHT

The menu features wood-fired pizzas, paninis, fresh salads, charcuterie, cheeses, premium wines, craft beer, unique cocktails and more. Though the menu is heavily influenced by Italian cuisine and

On May 6, Allstate agent Frank

co-owner Ruggero Borletti, fellow co-owner

Schubert held his ninth annual

draws inspiration from her Mexican roots,

Client Appreciation Night at the Movies. More than 500 clients of Schubert Insurance and Financial Services enjoyed the event, which took place at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre. Those in attendance were treated to a viewing of a high-demand, new release movie. Schubert organizes this

and Ruggero's wife, Fernanda Borletti, as well. For more information, call 602954-5278 or visit wink24.net.

NOTRE DAME PREP SOPHOMORE WINS BEST HIGH SCHOOL VOCALIST AWARD Congratulations to Notre Dame Preparatory sophomore Anna Sera, who earned the Best High School Vocalist Award on May 21 at the Arizona State University Gammage High School Musical Theater Awards. Sera won the award for her role as Sandra Bloom in NDP’s production of “Big Fish.” For more information, visit ndpsaints.org.

event each year because he is passionate about building relationships. He believes in personally thanking his clients and developing relationships that transcend the workplace.

NOTRE DAME PREP ANNOUNCES NEW CROSS-COUNTRY COACH Congratulations to Lisa Rawlings, theology teacher and current Notre Dame Preparatory assistant cross-country coach, on being named head coach of NDP’s country-country team for the 2016-17

This is why Frank Schubert is

season. Rawlings is a veteran cross-

recognized as a trusted adviser

her previous Catholic high school, St.

country coach, heading up the team at

throughout the community.

John Paul II High School in Huntsville,

For more information, visit

2015. She is also a seasoned distance

facebook.com/schubertins.

Alabama, prior to coming to NDP in runner, having completed 17 marathons in 17 states. For more information, visit ndpsaints.org.

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JULY 15

RASCAL FLATTS AT AK-CHIN PAVILION With seven platinum albums to their credit (five of which are multi-platinum), Rascal Flatts have sent 12 singles to the top of Billboard’s country chart, from 2002’s “These Days” to 2012’s “Banjo.” The Rhythm & Roots Tour also features an opening set by Kelsea Ballerini. $30.75-$60.50. 7:30 p.m. AkChin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., 602-254-7200, ak-chinpavilion.com.

JULY 19

GOO GOO DOLLS AT COMERICA THEATRE the premier ‘90s contemporary

DIXIE CHICKS AT AK-CHIN PAVILION

pop/rock acts. The Goo Goo

The multi-platinum, Grammy-

Dolls recently released a new

winning country music

album, “Boxes,” the band’s

superstars with hit songs like

first album as a duo featuring

“Landslide” and “Wide Open

Johnny Rzeznik and Robby

Spaces” are making their big

Takac, following the departure

return after being relatively

of drummer Mike Malinin.

out of the public spotlight for

$48.50-$89.50. 7 p.m. Comerica

several years. $42-$146. 7 p.m.

Theatre, 400 W. Washington St.,

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd

602-379-2800,

Ave., 602-254-7200,

comericatheatre.com.

ak-chinpavilion.com.

Relive the sounds from one of

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JULY 17

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

JULY 23

PHILLIP PHILLIPS AT COMERICA THEATRE “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips co-headlines in this national tour alongside Matt Nathanson, whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. $39.50-$49.50. 7 p.m. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., 602-379-2800, comericatheatre.com.

JULY 28

MARTINA MCBRIDE AT CELEBRITY THEATRE Powerhouse country music singer-songwriter-producer Martina McBride is on the road in support of her 13th studio album, “Reckless.” Seating at this historic venue is in the round. $60-95. 8 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.

HOT

Summer Nights JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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FIELD OF

BIG DREAMS

MIRACLE LEAGUE OF ARIZONA

B

Writer Shannon Severson Photographer Lacy Kruger

Baseball is the ultimate American game. The national

typical peers. Enter the Miracle League of Arizona (MLAZ)

pastime, mom and apple pie all rolled into one glorious

in North Scottsdale and their motto: “Every child deserves

notion that blends the seemingly incongruous images of

the chance to play baseball.�

perfectly manicured fields and empty dirt lots, and calls to mind the skilled, sinewy power hitters wielding Louisville

MLAZ offers children, teens and adults with disabilities or

Sluggers in palatial stadiums in almost equal measure to

special needs the opportunity to experience the joy of

dusty little kids swinging sticks on neighborhood streets.

playing baseball in either a non-competitive or competitive

In essence, it’s a game that can be enjoyed and played

format, removing barriers and providing one-on-one

by just about anyone.

assistance, often hands-on, by a crew of community ambassador buddies. The turf is rubberized and the

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But for children with disabilities, there are barriers in the

bases are flat for easy maneuverability by those who use

traditional version of baseball that prevent them from

wheelchairs or other devices to get around, or struggle

playing and enjoying the Grand Old Game with their

with an uneven gait.

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

“The Miracle League stadium is the only stadium in the world that is totally accessible to athletes with disabilities,” says MLAZ board president Al Maag.

“Our new field and seating, restrooms and playground — everything has been thoughtfully planned out to accommodate our athletes and families.”

The brainchild of Dan Haren Sr. whose son, Danny Haren, played for the Arizona Diamondbacks; baseball legend Harmon Killebrew; Lee Klein; thenboard president Frank Udvare and his brother, Gene, the organization received an initial grant of $380,000 from the team in 2008 and secured land via a donated lease from the Scottsdale Unified School District. An initial major capital campaign raised $1.83 million for the construction of the state-of-the art facility, which also boasts flat dugout areas, a scoreboard and sound system.

Continued grants from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority and Thunderbirds Charities followed in 2013, allowing the addition of picnic areas, an adaptive playground, barbecues and the first and only Miracle League batting cage facility in the country for athletes to hone their skills before games. Families are never charged a fee to play; support comes from community fundraisers to help cover the annual operating costs, and the board is always looking to expand.

“We want to make the Miracle League in Scottsdale the best experience for special needs families,” says Maag. “We want more athletes, more volunteers and always more donors and corporations who want to associate their brand with our significant and vital activities for special needs kids. Many want to help because they have an affected family member or good friend, or they wish that a loved one could have played ball in the past, so they get involved now to help this next generation be able to play. We hope for more Miracle Leagues to pop up across Phoenix and would like to help mentor, advise and be a model for other fields throughout the United States.”

Executive Director Cassandra Switalski oversees the program that has grown to nearly 200 athletes on 10 teams, ranging in ages from 4 to adult. There is a personal connection for Switalski, as her two brothers with special needs have been playing on the MLAZ field since day one.

“I played sports all through high school and college and my family was always there supporting me,” says Switalski. “Now, I get to turn the tables and support my brothers and their friends, cheering them on. That is what it’s all

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about.”

It’s that family support that brought Doña and Nick Engelmeier to MLAZ. Their 10-year-old son, Adrian, was diagnosed with autism at age 3, just a few years

Referred for a reason.

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LEFT TO RIGHT: JACKSON ENSMINGER AND ADRIAN ENGELMEIER before his older brother, Danny, was diagnosed with, and

now his favorite position is catcher because, he says, “You

eventually passed away from, acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

don’t have to stand around the whole time.”

“I was completely blindsided by Adrian’s autism diagnosis,”

“Choosing Miracle League for baseball was a huge

says Doña. “He was non-verbal, had no emotional

step,” says Engelmeier. “When he first transitioned to the

recognition and had so many needs, appointments and

competitive league, he was the smallest and youngest, but

services. I had to learn to be his advocate, but I see that

the older kids accepted him right away. It has made such a

Adrian prepared me for his brother’s illness. My boys helped

difference in his self-esteem. When your child has something

me learn how to take care of them.”

he loves so much, you make the time and dedicate to it.”

Years of early intervention therapies in their native Minnesota

And it’s not just Adrian on the field. His older sister, Domini,

helped him make huge strides, and today he is a child who

takes time out of her busy jiu-jitsu training schedule to be

loves to chat everyone up and make jokes. When the family,

a buddy to Adrian and the kids on his team. The family

who lives in Gilbert, heard about MLAZ from family friends

makes the trek to Scottsdale an average of three times per

who also had a son with autism, they decided that despite

week and feels fortunate to get to know the other MLAZ

the distance and having no baseball experience, it was

families.

something Adrian should try. He took to it immediately and

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“Adrian has a teammate who is partially blind, but bats it out of the park,” says Doña. “He has it figured out!”

Four-year-old Jackson Ensminger was born with myelomeningocele spina bifida, which affects the nervous system, bones, muscles and organs. He uses a wheelchair to get around, as he has no movement in his lower extremities. His parents, Amy and Ryan, first heard about MLAZ from their physical therapist.

“I was enthralled when I heard about it,” says Amy. “I was so impressed when we met Cassandra, the coaches and staff. They are so great with him. Jackson is outgoing and silly and can be shy about new things, but he has really opened up and progressed. He loves playing baseball.”

In fact, when Jackson first began, the loud crowd noises were distressing, so the game announcer would ask the crowd to cheer only by waving their hands, not clapping or yelling. After a few weeks, he became so comfortable that he now enjoys the cheers and clapping. Jackson opts to use a special standing wheelchair that allows him to be secured in a brace so he can be upright in the batter’s box. The smooth field surface allows him to freely hit, catch and throw the ball — which he says is his favorite part.

Since children with his condition can be prone to obesity, Jackson’s family is grateful for a physically active outlet, and overcoming the challenge of trying baseball has now prompted him to try equine therapy. Amy believes that taking a chance on baseball has opened up Jackson’s world to trying and doing more than he ever would have before. His world has expanded through the power of his adventurous spirit … and a little help from the game of baseball.

It’s stories like these that keep Maag coming back to the stadium week after week.

“Prior to Miracle League, I had no real experience with people who have special needs, and I’ve come to a whole different realization of the world,” says Maag. “I go to at least one game every Saturday and I always leave with a smile and a good feeling about life. If our kids can show that they can overcome obstacles, so can anyone.” mlaz.org

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Paper Dresses Annie Lopez

Writer Donna Kublin Photography Loralei Lazurek

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Over the pa O

ver the past several decades, nationally exhibited artist Annie Lopez has consistently created new bodies of work exploring a variety of subjects.

Through it, she presents a dialogue about race, stereotypes, the local art world, relationships and family, all done with a combination of frankness and humor.

A fourth-generation Phoenix resident, Lopez was recently honored with the 2016 Governor’s Arts Award for individual artist. Her work has been exhibited at museums across the country, including “Paper!” at the Phoenix Art Museum; “American Voices” at the Smithsonian Institution; “The Show” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe; “In Celebration: A Century of Arizona Women Artists,” which traveled throughout Arizona; and, most recently, “Cyanotypes: Photography’s Blue Period” at the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts. Two of her pieces are currently on exhibit at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been given solo exhibits at the Phoenix Art Museum, University of Arizona, Arizona State University and MARS Artspace.

Part of the Phoenix art scene since 1982, Lopez at first struggled to gain recognition for her fine art photography. Establishment decision-makers referred to her work as “too Chicano,” deciding that entirely based on her name, while Hispanic decision-makers told her it was “not Chicano enough.” Neither group saw her as who she was and what she is today: an amazing visual storyteller that defies any category.

Instead of taking their comments as obstacles, though, Lopez began poking fun at them in her work. In her “Hispanic” series, which she started in the mid-1980s and continues today, she selected images and comments from all the differing voices: those telling her that she wasn’t Mexican enough, such as her mother saying “You’ll never get a man to marry you if you don’t learn to make tortillas;” Latina magazines telling her how to look and dress; and negative comments based upon assumptions about her heritage, her skin color and her name.

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For Lopez, art is very personal. Creating art from her experience, she crafts visual stories that are unique and tells them with a powerful combination of straight-forwardness and humor, which makes her personal experience universal — something relatable to everyone.

She does this by using family photographs, vintage found photos, personal letters and short stories. The images and the statements she makes through her art continue to evolve from her early photographic work.

As Lopez grew as an artist and storyteller, she sought other means and materials that would push her work beyond traditional bounds. In a workshop she attended in the late 1980s, she was introduced to cyanotype processes and how it could be used in her photography.

Invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842, cyanotypes are photographs with a distinctive Prussian blue tonality produced by treating paper with an iron-salt solution. The treated paper can be developed using only the sun, which made cyanotypes a favored technique among amateur photographers through the turn of the 20th century. Contemporary artists have recently revived the process, manipulating the medium to varied expressive effects.

Lopez loved it. She felt she could capture more of what she intended with this medium rather than just black and white film.

Her cyanotype series titled, “Almost Real History of Art in Phoenix� was purchased by the Phoenix Art Museum. As a truth teller, some of the text does not reflect well on past decisions of the museum, such as asking local artists to contribute art for fundraisers so the museum could buy art from people living elsewhere.

Nevertheless, it is part of their permanent collection.

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In 2012, Lopez received the Contemporary Forum Mid-Career Artist Award, which recognizes sustained excellence and commitment, and she was asked to create a series of works to display at the Phoenix Art Museum.

It seemed a somewhat daunting task for her since the exhibit space was the very large lobby with few walls and called for 3-D, sculptural forms, rather than her framed artwork. She didn’t know what she was going to do.

At the same time in her life, she was emotionally absorbed with helping her father in his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. It was difficult for her, but it inspired the creation of a work titled, “Remnants of Long Term Memory” about her father’s Alzheimer’s, which is covered in his handwriting. The project also inspired new medium used in a unique way.

“I’m always exploring what to print on,” said Lopez, who had begun to print her cyanotypes on paper used to wrap tamales. “My family made tamales every Christmas, so that came to mind as a possibility.” Having success with it, she thought there had to be another purpose that she could use them for.

“I wanted to sew my troubles into a dress,” she said, “but that required the right material, and the qualities of the tamale paper were perfect for the application.”

Combining her skills at photography, storytelling, cyanotypes, sewing (she has made her own clothes since she was 8 years old), Lopez made her first dresses using tamale paper. The created dresses transformed photographs into sculptural forms and were perfect for the lobby space.

The show featured 14 paper dresses created from old patterns, with each dress connecting to moments in her life. For example, one dress titled, “C Student,” is about receiving a C on JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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her first grade report card in art, and includes

The pieced together images on tamale paper

images of her actual report card. “Fire Took

form the fabric from which the dress pattern is

What Was Left of Us� is about an arson fire that

cut. Once imagined, each image takes about 20

destroyed her family’s business a year after her

minutes to print and each dress takes 20 to

father died. The dress is covered in fire reports

40 sheets of tamale paper. As she designs the

from the investigation (or lack thereof, according

dress, the prints are crafted, arranged, added to

to Lopez) by the Phoenix Fire Department.

and recreated as needed to tell her story.

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

Writer Grace Hill

Lopez continues creating dresses using her personal stories, and she honors her family in her “Storybook” series.

“Another story, another dress,” she said.

“The artwork I am drawn to are ones in which the artist includes something personal, something I can connect with.” Her advice for up-and-coming artists: “I encourage everybody to speak their minds, because it’s healthy, and it helps put more meaning into their artwork if they’re saying what they’re doing rather than oh, this is a pretty picture. It adds more weight to their work.”

For 17 years, Lopez was an artist member with the nationally recognized Chicano arts organization MARS (Movimiento Artistico del Rio Salado), which had a big influence on her work and the recognition of Hispanic art in Phoenix. Through their efforts, art

by Latino artists has become an important part of the culture of the Valley. It was at MARS that she met her husband of 30 years, artist Jeff Falk, the first non-Hispanic man to join the group.

Daniel Buckley, director, author and 2014 Governor’s Arts Awards honoree, says in a video statement about Lopez: “Annie tells deeply moving, important stories with humor that humanizes the entire experience and makes it relatable to anyone. That is what makes her art so powerful. That’s a gift.” facebook.com/annielopezartist JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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Writer Peni Long Photography Brandon Tigrett

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Dog is my copilot

W

With a magnanimous mission and a memorable name, Dog Is My Copilot (DIMC) has saved thousands of animals’ lives, flying abandoned pets to new furever homes across the country.

Combining their talents and a shared passion for helping the helpless and bringing hope and happiness to animals and families, DIMC co-founders Judy Zimet and Peter Rork have created a process to identify and retrieve unwanted animals in one part of the country and fly them to other states with a greater demand for adoptable pets.

It’s a job that requires dedication, coordination and, of course, funding, but it’s one that has resulted in saving more than 4,000 animals since June 2012 — a number that is amazing in itself, but even more meaningful when compared to the estimated 10,000 animals euthanized daily across the United States because no one in their home area wants them.

For Zimet and Rork, it’s all about making a bigger dent against that number.

“By understanding the markets and orchestrating the right connections, we can find and fly adoptable passengers to new, welcoming cities and towns,” Zimet says.

“Sometimes, it all happens within hours of scheduled euthanasia.”

In her “real job,” Zimet is a real estate and contract attorney based in Scottsdale as well as a real estate agent, but she is also a longtime supporter of animal welfare groups and uses her skills to serve as DIMC’s ground control, media coordinator and organizer. Rork lives in Wyoming and is retired from the medical field. He is now DIMC’s pilot and navigator.

“He just wanted to fly planes and be with dogs,” Zimet says. Longtime friends who are both widowed, Zimet and Rork now use their considerable skills working with each other across state lines in a unique business model that finds, relocates and saves animals.

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Zimet’s job begins with finding the nonprofits and

“There is no ‘typical’ flight,” says Zimet. “I create

shelters who have an overabundance of adoptable

flights based on needs from both the origination and

pets within the flight range of the group’s two

destination shelters, flight costs and pilot time. I work

planes, a Cessna 206 Stationair and a Cessna 208B

the information like a puzzle in order to save the

Grand Caravan. From there, the process involves

most animals with the most economic fuel cost, the

ensuring that animals have been screened by

most humane hours for the pilot and the needs of

medical personnel and have medical certificates, and

the many animal rescue groups who contact me.”

arranging transportation to a designated airport for loading in crates suitable for flying.

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DIMC transports anywhere from 40 to 150 animals

on one flight, which costs about $2,000. Considering fuel,

to the home base of the animals needing new homes to

hangar costs and insurance, it generally costs about $75

an airport closest to their destination. The planes have

per animal. But Zimet says it makes sense — and cents.

the ability to fly into not only commercial airports, but also onto small local airstrips. This way, animals coming

“Flying an animal to safety has to be less expensive, or

from or going to rural areas have a greater opportunity

equal to, the cost of housing that same animal in an

to reach a new home because DIMC can access smaller

overcrowded shelter and then euthanizing the animal,”

local airstrips.

she explains. “The animals we fly are adopted faster because they are placed in areas where those animals

As an example of the strategy and complexity of flight

are in high demand. Therefore, the shelters expend fewer

planning, the Scottsdale flight depicted in the photos in

resources to care for these animals and euthanasia

this article originated two days prior in Montana, where

costs are eliminated.”

DIMC houses its airplanes. The flight went from Montana to Roswell, New Mexico, where the pilot stayed overnight. The

Some areas of the country have an abundance of large

next morning, 95 animals were boarded and flown from

dogs, for example, but adopters want small ones; other

Roswell to Denver, where half deplaned, and then on to a

areas have the reverse situation, so it’s a matter of

Salt Lake City suburb where the remaining deplaned. The

matching the two.

pilot then flew to Scottsdale for an overnight stay.

The DIMC routes cover 11 states in the Rocky Mountain

The following morning, Phoenix HALO Animal Rescue

and Pacific regions. From her Scottsdale home office,

brought 40 dogs to board the plane, which then flew to

Zimet organizes the flight plan from an airport closest

Casa Grande, where Pinal County Animal Control added JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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14 more dogs. The 54 animals were then flown to

From logistics and planning in Arizona and flights

Boise, Idaho, and were met by All Valley Animal

originating in Montana, Zimet and Rork continue to

Care Center and Idaho Humane Society personnel.

find, fly and save animals from being euthanized in

From Boise, the pilot flew to Merced, California,

a seemingly endless cycle. They have even higher

where he spent the night. The next morning, a

goals this year because one of the two planes

record 127 cats and dogs climbed on board and

recently purchased is a bigger model. With it, Zimet

were flown to Scappoose, Oregon and Everett,

says, “We expect to increase the number of animals

Washington.

transported from 1,000 to 3,000 per year — 2,000 more animals a year finding new furever homes with

“This trip is not really unique,” Zimet notes. “We

happy families.”

plan each trip carefully around meeting the demand on both ends of each segment. Volunteers meet

So Zimet will be even busier locating, planning,

and greet, and our furry cargo is off to find new

arranging and communicating — filling a need that

families, sometimes within hours of being deplaned.

many of us had no idea even existed.

All Valley had an adoption event right after we landed and many were immediately adopted.”

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dogcopilot.org

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An

Ode to Whiskey Writer Amanda Christmann Photographer Brandon TIgrett

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L

Lance Carver leans back in his chair, happily worn from a good day’s work.

Pausing for a moment, he raises a tulip-shaped glass to his nose and takes a hearty whiff.

“The first thing is the scent,” he explains, then holds the amber liquid under his nose once again, taking a calm, deep breath.

“That first sniff clears your nostrils. It’s the second and third sniffs that give you some of the true flavors of a good whiskey.”

With that, he takes a small sip and rolls it around his tongue, then swallows and smiles.

Whiskey is a drink that has personality and distinction of its own. It defines its enthusiasts as much as they define it, and Carver seems to fit the image.

By day, the longtime Arizona resident can be found outdoors, hiking, biking and enjoying all that the desert foothills have to offer. As hard as he plays, he works even harder. By evening, he manages Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House, one of the busiest restaurants in the North Valley.

And by nighttime, he is ready for some downtime. He sits back, relaxes and appreciates the very best that a good glass of Irish whiskey has to offer.

“My favorites are ones that have more of a smoked flavor to them,” he says.

“I’m a pretty hearty eater, so I like smooth, smoky whiskeys.”

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On nights like these, with a cool breeze tempering

and gin are to the suit-clad business types,

the desert heat, he prefers them neat — straight

whiskey is to guys like Lance.

out of the bottle, poured into a glencairn to

42

release the subtle vanilla or caramel aromas.

“I’d say whiskey drinkers are hardworking, steak-

On hot days, he uses a solid cube of ice —

eating, down-to-earth Americans,” he says with

specifically “The Rock,” as they call the large,

a wry smile. “Me, I like mountain biking, taking

round, single cube at Cartwright’s, so that the

my truck out and going fishing. Whiskey suits my

bold flavor does not become watered down.

lifestyle.”

Though he has his style, don’t confuse Carver or

And the crowd who comes to Cartwright’s, where

his whiskey for the gentleman type. What cognac

whiskey has its own shelf and even its own page

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

on the liquor menu, seems to support that.

So who is the average whiskey drinker? According to Hospitality magazine, the average whiskey drinker today is 25-34 years old and male, a significant change from 2003 trends that showed whiskey drinkers were 65 years old and up.

There is also a growing number of women who have taken up the toddy.

In the United States, it is the Southeast, home of famed distilleries based in Kentucky and Tennessee, where whiskey is most popular, and sales of whiskey worldwide have been growing at a rate of about 5 percent annually in recent years, says the U.S. International Trade Commission.

For Carver, whose passion brewed as he grew up in the restaurant business, it’s not about statistics; rather, it’s about simple appreciation.

“Kicking back having a nice glass of whiskey at the end of the day is my style,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s an acquired taste.”

Slowly sipping a glass of Elijah Craig, he kicked off his shoes and explained a few things while making the wince at the end of his sip look like a deep drag from a smooth cigar.

“First off,” he says, a grin forming in his eyes, “there’s the issue of the ‘e.’” He went on to explain that JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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in Scotland, Canada and Japan, the liquor is spelled “whisky” — without the “–ey.” Here in the United States and in Ireland, where whiskey is said to have been invented so that the Irish wouldn’t take over the world, it is spelled with the “e” that we all know and love.

Whiskey is made from grain.

This is what distinguishes it from other distilled beverages.

Whiskey is simply distilled beer.

Like beer, grains are the source of the sugars necessary for fermentation.

The grain is steeped in hot water to release sugars, and the remaining sweet liquid, called “wort,” is brought to room temperature. Yeast is added to convert the sugars to alcohol in an anaerobic process, basically creating the foundation for beer.

The only difference is that beer brewers add hops to balance the sweetness and as a preservative, but whiskey flavors are balanced by aging them in oak barrels.

The types of grain used, the distillation method and the particular casks used to age the whiskey are what make each flavor of whiskey a little different.

“A solid whiskey is aged for at least three years,” Carver explains. “It is a requirement for Irish whiskeys to age at least three years, which is probably a big part of why they are my

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IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

Is the

latest thing

really the greatest thing?

Learn about the difference between fad diets and lifestyle changes.

There’s a reason they say “ask your doctor.”

Contact your HonorHealth doctor to answer your questions or call 623-580-5800 to find a doctor who can.

HonorHealth.com/healthyaz

JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

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IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

favorite. The smooth and bold, smoky flavors I like are fermented at least that long.”

Malt whiskey is made from malted barley, while grain whiskey is made from different types of grains, typically rye, corn or wheat. Grain whiskey (Maker’s Mark or Jack Daniels, for example) is enormously different from, say, Johnnie Walker Black, Yamazaki from Japan, Amrut from India or any malt whisky from Scotland. True whiskey aficionados insist that the word “scotch” is a better choice to refer to those brewed exclusively in Scotland.

(480)575-3204 www.lettherebelightllc.com

The nature of whiskey is that it is meant to be sipped in small quantities, not chugged by the glass like wine or beer. For people like Carver, whose days demand a respite as the sun goes down, it creates a perfect, contemplative buzz and comforting warmth up and down the gullet.

And for those, like Carver, whose discriminating taste is less about swagger and more about satisfaction and savoring the good, natural things in life, whiskey is just one element in taking each day one moment at a time and enjoying each moment to its fullest.

Like his whiskey, men like Carver will never go out of style. His quick wit and earthy charm go perfectly with his choice of bold at the end of the day. Whether you love whiskey or not, that’s a pairing that’s worth appreciating.

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Top left clockwise: Arianna Williams, Daniel Lopez, Eric Klich, Ally Lansdowne

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th Annual

Arizona Young

&

Artists’ Competition Writer Donna Kublin Apatrou Photography

F

Finals for the 17th annual Arizona Young Artists’ Competition (AYAC)

were held on April 2, and this year, Cave Creek and Phoenix residents were among the winners.

The AYAC showcases performing artists between ages 15-19 in the disciplines of acting, dance and voice. Through an open call and

audition process, 12 finalists were selected to compete at the Herberger Theater Center in hopes of obtaining the Judges’ Choice Award, for

which winners in each discipline receive a $1,000 scholarship to help

further their education in the arts; and the audience-selected People’s Choice Award, for which winners receive $100.

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And the winners by category are: Acting Judges’ Choice: Arianna Williams, 17, Phoenix, Mountain Pointe High School People’s Choice: Kelly Hajek, 19, Cave Creek, Scottsdale Community College Dance Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice: Michaela Horger, 17, Phoenix, Royal Dance Works Voice Judges’ Choice: Ally Lansdowne, 18, Phoenix, Arizona School for the Arts People’s Choice: Daniel Lopez, 19, Tucson, University of Arizona Additionally, through a partnership this year with the Herberger Theater Center, Arizona Broadway Theatre selected Surprise resident and dancer Eric Klich, 17, from the Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics, to receive a $1,500 scholarship and an offer to perform with their professional cast in a main stage production.

We spoke with two of the awardees, including Cave Creek resident and People’s Choice Award winner in acting, Kelly Hajek. Each acting finalist performed two contrasting monologues, and Hajek performed Michaela Horger

selections from “Children of a Lesser God” and “Any Given Monday.”

A graduate of Cactus Shadows High School, where she was most known for performing on softball fields and volleyball courts, Hajek found her passion for theater just before entering Scottsdale Community College. She plans to get a Bachelor

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of Fine Arts, majoring in theater at the University of Arizona, where she will transfer in the fall.

While it is Hajek’s intention to have an acting career post-college, she also loves choreographing modern dance, having been a dancer for 13 years.

“One of the best moments in the entire AYAC happened while the finalists were doing their run-throughs,” said Hajek. “I was struck by how wonderful it was being with artists with such a high level of talent, with such passion for what they were doing.”

Judges’ Choice Award winner for vocal, Ally Lansdowne, performed “Say the Word” and “Love, Don’t Turn Away.” As a sophomore, Lansdowne transferred from Washington High School to enter Arizona School for the Arts. She will attend University of Arizona in the fall, majoring in theater.

Invited to perform at the 2016 Plated and Staged fundraising event for the Herberger in April, Lansdowne sang her two finalist selections much to the delight of the enthusiastic audience.

“It was such an honor to perform in front of such influential people who support the arts in Arizona,” she said. “When I hit the money note in ‘Say the Word,’ people actually clapped. That was a first for me, and it was so exciting to hear.

“Phoenix has given me the opportunity to grow as a performer, and the support for arts here sets it apart from other communities.”

The AYAC has helped keep arts alive and vital in Arizona. Since its inception, it has placed the spotlight on the acting, dance and vocal achievements of more than 1,500 Arizona students and awarded nearly $70,000 in scholarship monies to help further their goals toward a career in the

Kelly Hajek

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Handmade

PATRICK GIBBONS

Writer Lara Piu Photographer Bryan Black

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Whether it seems like yesterday or decades ago, in 2008 you were likely affected by the housing collapse and economic recession. For North Scottsdale resident Patrick Gibbons, it marked the end of a flourishing business and successful career in land development, but it was also a chance to shake things up.

“I thought, here’s an opportunity to do something different with my life,” Patrick recalls. “So I asked myself, ‘What would you do tomorrow if you could do anything?’”

The answer came quick and easy: golf. Patrick was not on track to be a professional golfer, but he had an appreciation for high-quality golf accessories, thanks to his grandfather. In fact, at the end of his life, Patrick asked his grandfather to leave him one thing: his golf bag.

“It was an old bag that he had for decades, but I liked that it was made in the U.S., and that it had a quality that had nothing to do with today’s disposable society,” he says.

Starting with putters, Patrick began handcrafting made-to-order leather putter grips from his DC Ranch garage. Then the requests for matching head covers came in and from there, his online store grew into what is now a line of 45 ball markers, cash covers and other golf and fashion apparel and accessories — including 18 types of golf, business and hand painted belts that come in a variety of high-quality leathers, stitches, colors, widths, lengths and other options. The belts, which emerged as his most popular item, are custom ordered and handmade in the United States by eight artisans. The putter grips are still crafted by Patrick.

“I don’t think that there’s a lot of quality products made in the U.S., and jobs are disappearing as a result,” adds Patrick, who tells us he strives to make the products last.

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It comes at a price, he’ll admit, but he explains that like his grandfather’s golf bag, he wants everything to have the quality of a golf heirloom.

“This is something that could be handed down or displayed on a shelf,” says Patrick. “Good leathers don’t wear out, they wear in. My items have a quality that you can’t find at a big box store.”

His grandfather’s bag is also a reminder of the lessons that came with it.

“We would go out to the course or jump the fence and play the same three holes on the course in his backyard in Bay City, Michigan,” Patrick reminisces. His grandfather would cut clubs down to kid sizes and cap the new ends off with duct tape.

“In golf, like in life, there are no teammates. If I play well, it’s me; if I don’t play well, it’s me.

I learned how to gauge when it is OK to go out on a limb, and when it is better to hold back. My grandfather’s golf lessons were really about life.”

When Patrick started his new business, this wisdom came into play.

“There was a lot of quitting and starting and quitting and starting in the beginning,” he says.

With time and personal growth, Patrick sunk his teeth into his new venture. Persistence and

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stubbornness, he advises, made the difference.

Today, every belt is stamped with his mantra, “Aut inveniam viam aut faciam,” which translates to, “I shall either find a way or make one.”

Patrick has a strong following to show for his hard work. There’s even a group of Patrick Gibbons Handmade addicts, customers who order belts weekly — often even before their last order has arrived. Some have their own mantra stamped on the inside.

“They enjoy seeing what they can come up with,” says Patrick. “They like to see what’s next.”

Although he won’t name names, his customers include hundreds of PGA, LPGA, Web.com, Symetra and Cactus Tour professionals.

“It is absolutely my vision coming true, being part of the golf community,” says Patrick. “Sometimes I am traveling to California to play a round of golf with a tournament organizer to brainstorm gifts for his next event, and some days I am in a PGA locker room taking an order from a golf player.”

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Patrick also enjoys seeing the hard work of

Gracious Gifts and, most recently, toward an

young golfers as they strive to emerge.

education for his best friend’s daughter, who lost her father in March. Now the original

“They’re being persistent and stubborn, and

vision expands further.

they’re not quitting,” he says. “Some shoot to the top, but the ones I relate to are the ones

“If someone told me that I was going to start a

that know what they want and they don’t give

high-end leather company in one of the worst

up. They’re finding a way.”

economies in our history, I would never have done it,” he says. “Now it’s all part of the vision:

In 2014, Patrick decided to help others by

to be around the game, play it and make a living

dedicating a percentage of sales to Helping

doing it.”

Hands, a charitable arm that has donated money to charities such as Hope Kids,

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patrickgibbonshandmade.com

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Alex Bauwens Bow, Barn and Brush Writer Shannon Severson Photographer Bryan Black

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T

There’s never been a time when art and horses haven’t been defining elements in the life of Alex Bauwens. An accomplished professional artist, the 27-year-old has found her true home in Arizona, a place where she can paint and pursue her passion for horses, mounted archery and competitive reining — and be part of a thriving community of creatives.

Bauwens is constantly on the move, yet nothing she does centers on immediate gratification. It’s antithetical to today’s fast-paced, wait-fornothing mentality. Each accomplishment has been carefully prepared for, studied, shaped and earned.

“I started riding and drawing when I was 3 or 4,” says Bauwens. “My mom is an artist and she rode horses. Riding was my reward. If I could sit at the barn and draw while she was riding, I would get to ride after she was finished.”

In fact, there wasn’t much young Alex wouldn’t do to get the chance to be on a horse. She pulled weeds, mucked stalls, awoke early every day to complete barn chores and, as a young adult, commuted for hours to train horses.

“It teaches work ethic,” says Bauwens. “I never slept in as a child. I was always up early taking care of the horses and did chores. Even getting the horse ready for a ride was left to me. … When you do the work and earn it, you appreciate it more. It also bonds you to the horse when you understand the work that goes into it.”

In her mother’s footsteps, Bauwens began competitive jumping and vaulting, then switched from thoroughbreds to quarter horses and competed across the country in all-around, English, Western pleasure and horsemanship.

Her childhood in Northbrook, Illinois always centered around the balance between riding and creating art. She became seriously involved in competitive reining through high school and into adulthood. During that

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59

time, she honed her artistic talent and would

with Vitruvian Fine Art Studio, under the tutelage

often sell her pencil drawings — and sometimes

of David Jamieson and Melinda Whitmore, changed

homemade horse treats — at her competitions. It

everything.

was early confirmation that her art had value and prompted her to pursue art as a career.

“I learned more in four weeks than I had in an entire year of art school,” says Bauwens. “It was a

When she was accepted at the American

lightbulb moment that something needed to change.

Academy of Art, her intention was to begin as an

What if I could design my own curriculum with

illustrator and then move into fine art, but after

them? What would that look like? It might put me

a summer internship as an illustrator, she found

ahead in terms of breaking into the fine art world.”

the technology that now dominates the industry wasn’t where her heart was. A four-week course

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IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

She worked with Jamieson and Whitmore to design

her own intensive study program. Over the

Soon, another opportunity arose to apprentice

course of the next three years, she spent more

with renowned painter Scott Tallman Powers, who

than 60 hours per week painstakingly perfecting

had also made the leap from illustrator to fine

her technique. Her first six months centered

artist. It began another three years of learning,

solely on painting balls, cubes and cylinders in

with a different approach and a lot of plein air

black and white grisaille.

painting. Powers remains one of her mentors and closest friends. Today, she uses the techniques

“We didn’t move on until we had perfected each

of both experiences to produce her own style.

form,” says Bauwens. “It’s basic, but they were perfectionists. Then we painted grisaille still lives

Bauwens works in pencil, charcoal and oil

and figures and then we added in color.”

paintings, creating both commissioned and original pieces of art. She often paints children JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

61

and explores the concepts of innocence and

worlds with animals and me,” says Bauwens. “As

darkness, city and country, drawing inspiration

a kid, you feel invincible, so in charge of your

from memories, film, literature, nature and time.

own destiny, but then you grow up. I’m inspired

Horses, of course, make frequent appearances

by the juxtaposition of how you thought life

in her work, as does cardboard, a material that

would be and how it really is now. What is the

appeals to children’s creativity but ultimately isn’t

same? And what is different?”

sturdy enough to withstand much pressure.

The walls of her studio are a collage of color “When I was a child, I created a lot of my own

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studies, sketches, abstract paintings and 3-D

figures that she paints from life. It’s an ongoing color journal where she records ideas and formulas for mixing certain color values of oil paints — including reminders of what doesn’t work.

“I start with a feeling at the beginning of each paining,” says Bauwens, “and I mostly go based on the feeling. As the painting JULY 2016 IM AGE S A Z.C OM

63

develops, so does the story. What I want is for my paintings to leave something up to the eye of the beholder. I don’t want to reveal all.

I want people to draw their own conclusions.”

Looking back to her years in Chicago, when she used to commute hours out of the city for precious time at the barn, horses have always been a necessary break from painting, allowing her to step away and return with new eyes.

“It’s a separate part of your brain to ride horses,” says Bauwens. “Now when I’m in the studio, I’m more focused, and it’s a better use of my time. When I’m only doing art, I think about it 24/7. When I am focusing on the archery or training horses, it gives me a break from the tunnel vision of painting. When your obsessive mind can’t get a break, it isn’t helpful.”

Horses are truly what brought her to Arizona — and mounted archery — in the first place.

In 2009, her trainers, Dan and Wendy Huss of Huss Performance Horses, moved their operation to Rio Verde. Bauwens visited four to six times per year to train and fell in love with the sport of mounted archery, as well as the area.

“Horseback archery is an adrenaline rush,” says Bauwens. “It’s so cathartic. If I’m frustrated, I can go do that and it’s a release. In Japan, it’s called ‘yabusame.’ It’s a spiritual activity. You’re taking a prayer from the sky and releasing it through your heart line. It’s a meditative act. It’s like painting. You get into a zone and must be Above: "The Secret Truth of the Universe"

absolutely present with both.”

and “The Unihibited” Treasuring her visits to Arizona each year, she

64

Right: "Downtown Harrison", "Between a Memory

knew her future would eventually bring her to

and a Dream" - Portrait of Olivia and "Captured"

the desert permanently.

IMA G E S A Z . C O M J ULY 2 0 1 6

“Since the first time I came to Arizona, I loved it,” says Bauwens. “I knew right away that I would live here someday. I was 20 years old.

It was strange because I’d come here to visit and then on the flight home, I’d start to feel homesick. I was in Chicago feeling homesick for a place I’d never lived.”

Her chance came in 2014 and she permanently moved her studio to Cave Creek’s Spanish Village. It was an easy transition after spending so much time here over the years. It’s close to the barn and she enjoys the community of fellow artists, show trainers, archery trainers and friends. She spends at least three days each week training at Hamilton Ranch in Rio Verde.

“I’m not really a city person,” says Bauwens.

“With art, I can live anywhere. There was no quiet in Chicago. Coming out to Cave Creek, it’s so quiet. I love the location and being able to look out at the mountains. I’ve met so many great, friendly people.”

One of those people is Eric Watson of Watson’s Hat Shop, who first made a cowboy hat for Bauwens and most recently designed a custom hat to accommodate her anchor point for archery. It’s been an example for Bauwens that she is in the right place with the right people: a community of artisans who are eager to collaborate and support one another.

“There are so many diverse art forms here,” says Bauwens. “With creative people, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. You’re expressing a story or connecting with something. Living a creative life means expressing yourself.” alexbauwens.com

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Corn on the cob makes an elegant summer starter in this recipe for Chilled Corn Chowder. Blending the kernels enhances the natural sweetness and creaminess of the corn, resulting in a silky smooth texture. Using yellow corn ensures its signature golden hue. Once chilled, the soup is dressed with crisp corn kernels, zucchini, fresh chives and a smattering of black pepper. Prepare the soup a day ahead of time and simply garnish right before serving.

Chilled Corn Chowder Writer and photographer Monica Longenbaker

Chilled Corn Chowder

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium

Refrigerate for at least four hours until

Yield: 6-8 servings

heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and red

completely chilled. Add more salt and

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

pepper flakes and stir until softened, about

pepper if necessary. Right before serving,

2-3 minutes. Add the corn, Yukon gold

top with garnish: corn kernels, zucchini,

potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper

chives, a light drizzle of olive oil and black

and continue to sauté for another 2-3

pepper.

1 cup onion, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

minutes.

Corn Stock

5 medium-size yellow corn on the cobs, shucked (about 5 cups)

Add the corn stock and bring to a boil.

5 corn cobs (kernels removed)

½ cup Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20

6 cups water

minutes. Remove the thyme and bay leaf

½ onion, chopped

and allow the mixture to cool to room

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

temperature.

1 bay leaf

and chopped 1 sprig thyme 1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

6 cups Corn Stock (see recipe) ½ cup half-and-half salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: 1 cup yellow corn kernels,

Transfer the soup to a blender (may need to do in batches), reserving about 1 cup of

Place the corn cobs, water, onion, black

the liquid. Blend the soup on high speed

peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme into

until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine

a large pot. Bring to a boil, then lower

sieve and discard the solids.

the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes,

lightly grilled or sautéed 1 cup zucchini, diced, lightly grilled or sautéed 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped olive oil for drizzling ground black pepper to taste

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covered.

Stir in the half-and-half. If the soup is too thick, add some of the reserved stock to

Carefully strain the stock through a fine

thin it out to desired consistency (note: the

sieve. Discard the solids and reserve the

soup will thicken upon cooling).

stock for the corn chowder.

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67

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