Images Arizona July 2021

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Desert Mountain

Carefree

July 2021

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Cave Creek

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S SA AN ND DE ER RS SO ON N L L II N NC CO OL LN N

July 2021

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Interior Design Services, Home Furnishings & Fine Art Gallery

Clockwise: “Quail Family,” Trevor Swanson, painting on patina metal, 20” x 30” “My Rabbit Buddies” Amy Lay, mixed media on canvas, 36” x 24” “Raccoons” Bryce Pettit, bronze Ceramic wall plaques Myron Whitaker, ceramics, 8” x 8”

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INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES, HOME FURNISHINGS & FINE ART GALLERY 36889 N. Tom Darlington Dr. Suite B1, Carefree | 480-595-0171 | suebickerdyke.com Allied ASID Closed June 4–8 and June 30–July 5 June Hours: Mon. thru Sat. 9am–4pm July Hours: Tue. thru Sat. 1pm–4pm and by appointment July 2021

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GROUNDBREAKING GARMENTS Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Writer Joseph J. Airdo

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GREAT GRAINS Writer Shannon Severson // Photography Courtesy of Mediterra Bakehouse

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UNBRIDLED LIBERATION Writer Joseph J. Airdo

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Photography by Ann von Pentz

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VIRTUOSIC VISIONS Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Scottsdale Arts

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FETA AND OLIVE PULL-APART CHEESY GARLIC BREAD Writer and photographer Kyndra Kelly

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July 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

W

When my friends in other parts of the country see Arizona’s summer weather forecasts on national news programs, they often ask me how I handle the heat.

It is a fair question. After all, the temperatures on our thermometers exceeded 110 degrees a record 53 times last year. Moreover, we did not drop below 90 degrees for a record 28-night stretch.

I will admit that it is hot. And that heat comes with inherent dangers of which we must all be aware. Whether it is getting your outdoor workout in at the crack of dawn, carrying plenty of drinking water at all times or taking special care not to touch the metal part of your car’s seatbelt, preparation and precautions must be integrated into each and every one of our lives this time of the year.

But our summer heat also offers us abundant opportunities to gather with our family, friends and neighbors. There are few feelings as wonderful in the world as relaxing in a pool with a big umbrella overhead, an ice-cold beverage in your hand and conversation-making company by your side. Better yet, backyard cookouts can extend late into the evening, ensuring many memories are made that will last a lifetime.

There really is no place I would rather live than right here, among the many talented, friendly and generous people who make up our incredible community.

Our summer heat is not a disadvantage; it is just another one of our many benefits — an excuse to spend even more time together with those people who bring laughter, joy and meaning to our lives.

shelly@imagesaz.com by the 5th of the month prior to publication.

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.

So when my friends in other parts of the country ask me how I handle the heat, I respond, “Surrounded by some of the most truly exceptional individuals I have ever met.”

Cheers!

Local First A R I Z O NA 10

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

July 2021

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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

CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY + ART

The Nanis collection is classically timeless and stunningly fashionable.

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

By appointment Sun. and Mon. 480.575.8080

GraceReneeGallery.com 12

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J E W E L R Y

NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS Dancing in the Rain 18-karat gold with diamonds July 2021

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum

A

As Arizona’s temperatures begin to hit their 2021 peak, you have undoubtedly already reached for that swimsuit and taken a dip in a pool, lake or creek. If you are a woman, the chances of that swimsuit being a bikini may be somewhat high. But what is now common fashion was once considered scandalous.

The history of the swimsuit dates back to the 18th century. Prior to that, swimming was a mostly private activity — like bathing — so women did not have much of a need for any attire. The first swimsuits, known as bathing costumes or gowns, featured sleeves and were cut large as to float away from the body and obscure curves. Prioritizing coverage over practicality, they were most commonly made of wool but also occasionally came in canvas and flannel.

In the mid-1800s, bloomer swimsuits featured full skirts and wide legs that cinched — controversial in and of themselves due to their resemblance to pants, which were only worn by men at the time. Later bloomer swimsuits were cut higher on the leg and featured lighter fabric.

As sports gained popularity, early 20th-century swimmer Annette Kellerman debuted a one-piece, form-fitting suit that would increase her speed — and was arrested for wearing it. The design was eventually accepted and embellished with slimmer straps, ruffles and other fashionable elements.

Then, in 1946, Louis Réard designed a new swimsuit that he believed would be just as shocking as nuclear tests that had just occurred on the Bikini Atoll islands.

Named after the islands, the bikini — made of stretchy nylon and latex — featured a daringly skimpy twopiece design with bright colors and high-cut shorts.

Scandal eventually made way to acceptance and finally popularity. The bikini is now widely available

and worn in a variety of revealing styles that may have shocked even Réard.

It is also just one groundbreaking garment among many featured in Phoenix Art Museum’s Fashion’s Subversives exhibition, which runs through Nov. 28. Spanning the 19th century through today, the exhibition showcases almost 40 examples of garments and accessories that broke from culturally accepted norms and forever changed popular fashion and the fashion industry.

“These designers thumbed their noses at the idea of conforming to traditional standards of popular fashion and were uninterested in anticipating the newest trends,” says Helen Jean, Phoenix Art Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design. “Instead, they sought to create something entirely new, something that people had never seen before, and this exhibition celebrates those moments of going against the grain in big and small ways to challenge long-held views of propriety, beauty and taste.”

SUBVERTING STYLES

Jean curated Fashion’s Subversive’s ensembles and accessories into five sections based on the subversive ideals they embody. The aforementioned bikini is featured in the Subverting Morality and Decency section.

In addition to the evolution of the swimsuit, the section looks at shortening hemlines in the 1920s, the rise of mini-skirts in the 1960s and the history of the slip dress — an underwear-as-outerwear design that, although popularized in the 1990s, began way back in the late 1700s.

Subverting Morality and Decency is only the tip of the iceberg though. Another one of Fashion’s Subversive’s sections is Subverting Gendered Dress.

July 2021

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Diane von Fürstenberg, Leopard print jumpsuit, c. 1977. Printed cotton knit. Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Kelly Ellman.

Jean Paul Gaultier, Bodysuit, spring/summer 1980. Neoprene and metal.

Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Museum purchase of the Emphatics Archive with funds provided by: Barbara Anderson, Milena and Tony Astorga, Jacquie Dorrance, Ellman Foundation, Michael and Heather Greenbaum, Diane and Bruce Halle, Nancy R. Hanley, Ellen and Howard Katz and Miriam Sukhman.

Gianni Versace, Dress, 1994.

Rayon, acetate, silk, metal and rhinestones. Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Kelly Ellman.

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“In this section, we look specifically at men's suits as women have appropriated them into their wardrobe,” Jean says. “One of the most significant examples is Yves Saint Laurent’s 1967 smoking suit — the first tuxedo suit designed and engineered for a woman's body. It is incredibly sleek in the way that it fits and hangs on the body but it carries all those notes of authority, power and success that we associate with the men's suit.”

The smoking suit upset the balance of gendered dress and was therefore considered controversial at the time of its introduction.

Similarly, the advent of costume jewelry and Coco Chanel’s little black dress — both featured in the Subverting the Status Quo section — undermined the socioeconomic hierarchy of the industry by making versatile, stylish and expensive-looking clothing and accessories affordable for the masses in the 1920s.

“Up until that point, black garments were considered mourning dress,” Jean explains. “Introducing black as a chic and fashionable color in a silhouette and style allowed women of all economic statuses to look and feel sophisticated. And that was very upsetting to the fashion industry.”

Meanwhile, the Subverting the Social Order section features various accessories and garments that have been part of the fuel for change — such as the sash that women wore during the suffrage movement in the early 1900s and the pink hat that women wore during the 2017 Women’s March.

Finally, the Subverting Reality section of the exhibition features designers and movements that changed the shape of or created outlandish silhouettes that do not even follow the human form — such as the missile bra.

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Giorgio di Sant'Angelo, Surplice Black Bodice with Multi-colored Ties, Longsleeves, Wide Panel of Blue at Waist, 1968. Lycra. Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Gift of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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“The missile bra was this really bizarre fad or trend that lasted for a while in the 1950s and 1960s,” Jean explains.

“It created this incredibly pointed, very artificial shape to the woman's breasts. The human body does not do that naturally. That is just not how gravity works.”

REVOLUTIONARILY REVEALING

In 1964, designer Rudi Gernreich — who is at the center of Phoenix Art Museum’s Fearless Fashion, a special exhibition that is complimentary to Fashion’s Subversives — brought the swimsuit full circle with the introduction of the monokini. Covering up only slightly more than the birthday suits women wore when swimming prior to the 18th century, the revolutionarily revealing topless swimsuit consisted of only a brief, close-fitting bottom and two straps.

Although today’s swimsuits are at least a bit more modest than that, it exists as proof that history is rich with examples of designers who bucked tradition and used their craft to challenge societal norms that limited self-expression.

“Fashion is important in life,” Jean says. “It is how we, of course, protect ourselves but it is also how we indicate who we are, where we are, what we are doing, where we are going and how we are feeling. Fashion is a pretty big expression of ourselves in the world and it relates to so many things.”

Jean adds that fashion collections in art museums are being taken more seriously now than ever before, with patrons eager to see, explore and consider the conversations surrounding it. She encourages Phoenix Art Museum patrons to always read the labels that accompany each item as they uncover many fascinating facts.

“One of the many delightful parts of this job is discovering these amazing little moments that have occurred in our artistic history and sharing those with the public,” Jean says.

“Fashion’s Subversives looks at those designers and garments that broke the rules in big ways but also in small, subtle ways.

“Fashion is intended to cause controversy, to create a stir, to ignite conversation and to bring people together to consider things outside of what is normal to them. Fashion can change our opinions, challenge our beliefs and be a catalyst for change and for expanding our minds. Fashion is a way that we communicate and we have so much valuable information to share between our cultures and between each other.” phxart.org

EXPERIENCE

Fashion's Subversives June 5–Nov. 28 | Phoenix Art Museum 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix | $23 | 602-257-1880 | phxart.org

July 2021

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COMMUNITY

2021 JULY

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

Through Sept. 13 VISIONS ‘21

The Center Space gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will host an exhibition featuring the artwork of local high school students who participate in Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation’s Visions program. The multi-visit, invitational visual arts program has been provided to metro Phoenix area teens for 22 years. Through the appreciation and creation of art, Visions aims to cultivate the development of teen social and mental wellbeing while enhancing social connections, opening dialogue and promoting tolerance and confidence. Free.

See website for hours. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale. scottsdaleartslearning.org

Through July 8

SUMMER INTENSIVE BALLET PROGRAM

Led by Phoenix-based actress Kristen

See website for price and times.

Drathman, the program will provide

Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W.

an engaging and creative experience

Paradise Lane, Peoria. 623-776-8400;

during which youth will learn about

azbroadway.org

Ballet Theatre of Phoenix will host a

the process of putting on a musical

five-week program designed for ballet

production — auditioning, stage

students interested in an immersive

blocking, character analysis and

dance experience. Students will

the focus required to memorize

participate in a daily study of ballet

lines, songs and choreography. Each

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S SPIDER WEB

and movement including stretch,

session will conclude with a socially

Desert Stages Theatre will produce a

turns and pointe classes, conditioning,

distanced performance for families.

comedic mystery about a diplomat's

health and wellness and contemporary

$225+. 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday–

spouse who finds her normally

dance. $35+. See website for times.

Friday. Chandler Center for the Arts,

entertaining and unflappable self

Ballet Theatre of Phoenix, 6201 N.

250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. 480-

smack dab in the middle of a drawing-

Seventh St., Phoenix. 602-957-3364;

782-2680; chandlercenter.org

room murder. Desperate to dispose

ballettheatreofphx.org

Through July 9 CAMP KIDS

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Through July 11

of the body, she enlists the help of her

Through July 11

GILLIGAN’S ISLAND

guests. Hilarity ensues when they are interrupted by the arrival of a wry detective. $25. See website for times.

Arizona Broadway Theatre will

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at

Chandler Center for the Arts will

present a hilarious musical with

Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback

offer a series of in-person summer

classic moments from the beloved

Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480-483-

camp sessions for youth aged 7–14.

television program “Gilligan’s Island.”

1664; desertstages.org

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Through July 18

DADDY LONG LEGS

Through July 30

Phoenix Theatre Company will produce a

DYNAMIC MOTION DANCE ACADEMY CAMPS

heartwarming musical about a witty young

Dynamic Motion Dance Academy will host a

woman and her mysterious benefactor. See

series of four summer camp sessions for youth

website for price and times. Phoenix Theatre

aged 3–18 — Princess Minis, Summer Dance,

Company, 1825 N. Central Ave, Phoenix.

Splish Splash Minis and Rockette Workshop.

602-254-2151; phoenixtheatre.com

See website for price and times. Dynamic Motion Dance Academy, 4111 W. Innovative

Through July 30

DESERT FOOTHILLS THEATER CAMPS

Dr., Phoenix. 623-587-9063; dmdaaz.com

Through Aug. 14

Desert Foothills Theater will host a series

TAKE A HIKE

of summer camp sessions for youth aged

Vision Gallery and The Gallery at the

5–14, each centered around a certain show

Chandler Center for the Arts will feature the

or theme and culminating in a performance

work of 30 artists whose photos, prints and

opportunity. Professional artist instructors

paintings provide insight into the wonder

will carefully select activities that build

and joy of hiking the many waterways, parks,

musicianship skills, acting fundamentals and

trails, forests and canyons of Arizona. Free.

dance techniques while providing a safe,

See website for hours. Vision Gallery, 10 E.

supportive environment free of criticism and

Chicago St., Chandler. The Gallery at the

full of engagement, creative inspiration and

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona

encouragement to try new things. Audition

Ave., Chandler. visiongallery.org

practice, theater etiquette, acting games and arts and crafts round out the daily curriculum. $250–$495. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Friday.

The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Scottsdale. 480-488-1981; dftheater.org

Through Aug. 22

DIEDRICK BRACKENS: ARK OF BULRUSHES Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Through July 30

DESERT STAGES THEATER CAMPS

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

Desert Stages Theatre will host a series

allegories of emancipation by intertwining

of summer camp sessions during which

symbology from the Underground Railroad

youth aged 5–12 will receive hands-on

and the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt,

theatrical experience in a non-competitive,

offering a meditation on liberation, the

fun environment. Each session will cover all

climate crisis and the power of craft. $10;

aspects of a musical production — including

youth, student and senior discounts available.

auditions, staging and choreography — and

Wednesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Scottsdale

conclude with a live performance for parents.

Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second

$425. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Friday. Desert

St., Scottsdale. 480-874-4666; smoca.org

Stages Theatre at Scottsdale Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480-483-1664; desertstages.org

July 2021

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Through nov. 28

FASHION’S SUBVERSIVES Phoenix Art Museum will host an exhibition that spans the 19th century through today and features work by designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Geoffrey Beene, Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, Balenciaga, Rudi Gernreich and Paco Rabanne. The exhibition will showcase nearly 40 examples of garments and accessories — from the humble denim jean to the scandalous bikini — that broke from culturally accepted norms and forever changed popular fashion and the fashion industry. $23; youth, student and senior discounts available. Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-2571880; phxart.org

Through Aug. 22

DIVISION OF LABOR: WOMEN SHIFTING A TRANSNATIONAL GAZE

Through Jan. 30

Photo by Claire A. Warden

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary

AND IT’S BUILT ON THE SACRED

VOICE-OVER: ZINEB SEDIRA

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary

Art presents an exhibition of the

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary

Art will host a full-room installation

personal and political work of artist

Art has invited local artists M. Jenea

by local artist Jacob A. Meders Taking

Zineb Sedira, who creates work with

Sanchez and Gabriela Muñoz to guest

found objects and painting traditional

expansive themes around memory,

co-curate an exhibition that begins

markings of Indigenous people

migration and the archive. Posing

with a selection of nearly 20 works

on them, Meders reconsiders how

important questions on the relation

chosen through the unifying context

meaning can be layered and reclaimed

between history and aesthetics, trauma

of labor and the gaze. Additionally,

in these commodities. By layering

and form, the artist has established

the two artists are collaborating with

imagery and significance in these found

herself as a significant voice in a global

Ammi Robles and the DouglaPrieta

objects, the artist raises questions

contemporary art world conversation.

Trabaja collective to create new works

about whether what is considered holy

$10; youth, student and senior

following a historical continuum

can also be considered sacred and how

discounts available. Wednesday–

through a collaborative process

easily expendable the sacred can be.

Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Scottsdale

foundational to their artistic practice.

$10; youth, student, senior and veteran

Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374

$10; youth, student and senior

discounts available. See website

E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-874-

discounts available. Wednesday–

for hours. Scottsdale Museum of

4666; smoca.org

Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Scottsdale

Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St.,

Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374

Scottsdale. 480-874-4666; smoca.org

E. Second St., Scottsdale. 480-8744666; smoca.org

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Through Oct. 17

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July 2

PATRIOTIC PERFORMANCE Dynamic Motion Dance Academy is organizing a no-cut dance opportunity for youth, culminating in a Fourth of July showcase. Rehearsals for youth aged 4–18 will be held June 28–July 1. Two in-person tickets will be provided to each participant. The show will also be streamed free to local assisted living facilities and veterans. See website for price and time. Dynamic Motion Dance Academy, 4111 W. Innovative Dr., Phoenix. 623-587-9063; dmdaaz.com

July 3

CREEKWEST SUMMERFEST The town of Cave Creek will host a free, family event to benefit Rural Metro Fire. Attendees may enjoy shaved ice, a bounce house, drive-in movies and a full bar with drink specials at Big Earl’s Greasy Eats. Meanwhile, Local Johnny’s will offer a water slide bounce house, live music and two full bars with drink specials. Finally, Bryan’s Barbeque will host a character

OUTDOOR LIVING AT ITS FINEST

HIGH END, LOW-VOLTAGE, OUTDOOR LIGHTING

lunch and live music while pinball games and food trucks will be on tap at The Eddy. Free. 3–9 p.m. See website for schedule and location information. 480-488-9129; frontiertownaz.com

July 5

CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER Hospice of the West facilitators will lead a gathering of

LIGHTING, IRRIGATION, LANDSCAPE

caregivers. Free. 10 a.m. RSVP. Desert Foothills Library, 38443

www.lettherebelightllc.com (480)575-3204 info@lettherebelightllc.com Licensed | Bonded | Insured

N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek. 480-488-2286; dfla.org

July 7

DEATH CAFÉ Aspiring to help people make the most of their finite lives, Desert Foothills Library will host a gathering to talk about death and dying. Free. 12:30 p.m. RSVP. Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek. 480-4882286; dfla.org

July 8

LEE PERREIRA CONCERT Musical Instrument Museum will welcome singer-songwriter and guitarist Lee Perreira for a concert of classic blues riffs with a soulfully textured vocal style. $33.50+. 7 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. 480-4786000; mim.org

July 2021

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July 10 and 11

EXPERIENCE FRANCE Musical Instrument Museum will celebrate French culture with live musical performances, curator talks and other family-friendly activities. $20; youth discounts available. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. 480-4786000; mim.org

July 8 and 27

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB

July 11

part soul. $33.50+. 7 p.m. Musical

Desert Foothills Library will host a

CRYSTAL BOWL HEALING CONCERT FOR A CAUSE

book club featuring Maya Angelou’s

The Space Healing Center and Local

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

Jonny’s will present a sound healing

Free. 10 a.m. RSVP. Desert Foothills

concert during which attendees

HEALING PATHWAY

Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road,

will take part in various meditative

Hospice of the West facilitators

Cave Creek. 480-488-2286; dfla.org

practices that ensure a relaxing

will lead a gathering that will guide

and rejuvenating afternoon. The

individuals through their personal

healing experience aims to induce a

process of grief. Free. 9:30 a.m. RSVP.

meditative state with crystal bowls,

Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N.

gongs and other instruments. $25.

Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek. 480-

4–6 p.m. Local Jonny’s, 6033 E. Cave

488-2286; dfla.org

July 10

ZAZU WEST CONCERT Musical Instrument Museum will

Creek Road, Cave Creek. 602-492-

welcome Arizona’s premier jazz

6643; thespaceaz.com

ensemble ZAZU West for a concert of gypsy jazz music. $28.50+. 7 p.m.

Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. 480-4786000; mim.org

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New Orleans, part juke-joint and

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July 11

A.J. CROCE CONCERT

Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. 480-478-6000; mim.org

July 12 and 26

July 13

GET LIT BOOK CLUB Desert Foothills Library will host a happy hour book club at a local restaurant featuring Emily Levesque’s

Musical Instrument Museum will

“The Last Stargazers.” Free. 5 p.m.

welcome piano player and vocal stylist

RSVP. See website for location. 480-

A.J. Croce for a concert that is part

488-2286; dfla.org

July 13–17

SUMMER STRINGS CAMP North Valley Symphony Orchestra will host a summer camp for young musicians who may be interested in joining one of the nonprofit performing arts organization’s youth ensembles. Participants will meet and work with youth ensemble directors as well as have fun playing music with their fellow students. $150. See website for schedule.

Shiloh Community Church, 19021 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. northvalleysymphony.org

July 15

LITERARY SALON Desert Foothills Library will host an informal discussion of books, film and theater, with this month’s focus being race relations. Free. 10 a.m. RSVP. Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek. 480-488-2286; dfla.org

July 16 and 17

SINGERSONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND Musical Instrument Museum will welcome singer-songwriters Ashley E. Norton, Krystal Baker and Sydney Sprague for a concert in which they will harmonize and showcase their individual styles. $28.50+. 7 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd.

Phoenix. 480-478-6000; mim.org

July 16–Aug. 8

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Arizona Broadway Theatre will present its production of the Broadway smash musical that has devoured the hearts of theatergoers for more than 30 years. See website for price and times. Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria. 623-7768400; azbroadway.org July 2021

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ARIZONA MUSICFEST AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS Arizona Musicfest has selected cellist Leo Kubota of Tempe and pianist Sharon Hui of Mesa as first-year recipients of its college scholarship, earning up to $10,000 for their undergraduate studies in music. The pair were chosen from an exciting and talented group of applicants for their artistic excellence, musical and academic achievement, dedication to their craft and involvement in their communities. Kubota will attend Yale University while Hui will begin her studies at The University of Colorado — Boulder. azmusicfest.org

July 19–23

MUSICAL THEATRE OF ANTHEM SUMMER MINIS Musical Theatre of Anthem will host a minis class during which

a concert of classic rock, Motown

times. The Phoenix Theatre Company,

and modern-day pop hits reimagined

1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-

through passionate vocals, tight

254-2151; phoenixtheatre.com

instrumentals and a vibrant stage show.

Limited in-person seating is available

July 22

in addition to a livestream broadcast.

Free. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Center for the

technique, dance skills, showmanship

GOLD PALETTE ARTWALK

and basic theater terminology. Skills

The Scottsdale Gallery Association will

will culminate in a performance for

host a Gold Palette ArtWalk with the

friends and family. $100. 3–5 p.m.

participation of member art studios

Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N.

and galleries throughout the Scottsdale

41st Drive, Anthem. 623-336-6001;

Arts District — which resides along

musicaltheatreofanthem.org

Main Street from Scottsdale Road to

ANTHONY MAZZELLA: LEGENDS OF GUITAR

Goldwater Boulevard and north of

Musical Instrument Museum will

Indian School Road on Marshall Way

welcome world-renowned recording

to Fifth Avenue. Free. 6:30–9:00 p.m.

artist and concert guitarist Anthony

scottsdalegalleries.com

Mazzella for a concert of music

students aged 3–5 will focus on vocal

July 21–Aug. 22

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES The Phoenix Theatre Company will present its production of a musical

Arts, 250. N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. chandlercenter.org/summer2021

July 23

composed with a fusion of world

July 23

influences — including acoustic fingerstyle, classical, flamenco, jazz,

employees deliver a toe-tapping

NOTES FROM NEPTUNE CONCERT

evening of country-western songs on

Chandler Center for the Arts will

Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd.

guitar, piano, bass and even kitchen

welcome Notes from Neptune for

Phoenix. 480-478-6000; mim.org

in which filling station and diner

26

utensils. See website for price and

i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m Jul y 2 02 1

funk, R&B, Celtic and rock and roll. $22.50. 7 p.m. Musical Instrument

July 23–Aug. 8 FOOTLOOSE

Starlight Community Theater will present its production of the hit musical “Footloose.” See website for price and times. Starlight Community Theater, 1611 W. Whispering Wind Dr., Suite 9, Phoenix. starlightcommunitytheater.com

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July 25

ARTS AT THE ROCKS: VITALY SEREBRIAKOV Arts at the Rocks will kick off its fourth season with a concert featuring classical pianist and recording artist Vitaly Serebriakov, who will perform a wide range of classical compositions.

Free. 4 p.m. Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N. Tom Darlington Road, Scottsdale. 480-488-3384; deserthills.org

July 30–Aug. 8

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Desert Stages Theatre will present its production of “A Chorus Line.” See website price for times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale.

480-483-1664; desertstages.org

July 31

STORM LARGE: MAKE IT HOME Chandler Center for the Arts will virtually broadcast a documentary concert film that showcases musician, actor, and author Storm Large’s story of hope, love and loss during the pandemic. Part road movie, part intimate concert experience, the powerhouse vocalist will document her journey across the United States with dynamic covers and her striking original songs while opening up about the relationships and artistic challenges that sparked her cross-country voyage. $20+.

7 p.m. chandlercenter.org

July 2021

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SAM FOX DEVELOPS INTERNATIONALLY INSPIRED HOTEL Restaurant innovator Sam Fox has announced his foray into the luxury hospitality industry with the development of an internationally inspired hotel.

Where Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley converge, The Global Ambassador will combine a refined and elevated hospitality experience that is created through a global lens and locally connected.

Opening 2023, the 141-room hotel will be oriented around its plaza courtyard with a sprawling lawn accented with lush, verdant landscaping and inviting seating that encourages guests to relax and unwind.

Amenities will include a wellness center, an ultra-luxe spa and a member’s club. globalambassadorhotel.com

July 31 and Aug. 1 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, JR. AUDITIONS

Desert Foothills Theater will audition potential cast members for its upcoming production of “High School Musical, Jr.” Youth performers age 8+ are welcome to audition.

See website for times. The Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Scottsdale.

480-488-1981; dftheater.org

Aug. 6

KIM WESTON QUARTET CONCERT Chandler Center for the Arts will welcome vocalist, songwriter and bandleader Kim Weston, who puts a seductive swaying spin on beloved standards. Limited in-person seating is available in addition to a livestream broadcast. Free. 7:30 p.m. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250. N. Arizona

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i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m Jul y 2 02 1

Ave., Chandler. chandlercenter.org/

architecture, science, engineering, art

summer2021

and photography camps. Combining

DESERT FOOTHILLS LIBRARY EXPANDS HOURS

academic relevance with Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed principles of organic architecture and solutionsbased design, Camp Taliesin West

In response to the growing percentage

will feature a variation of hands-on

of vaccinated people and the decline

projects and lessons that encourage

of COVD-19 cases in Maricopa

campers to think critically, creatively

County, Desert Foothills Library

and sustainably. Both virtual and in-

has expanded its hours of operation

person options are available. $100+;

to better serve the community. The

scholarships available for qualifying

library is now open from 9 a.m.–5

individuals. See website for dates and

p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and

schedule. Taliesin West, 12621 N.

Fridays; 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesdays

Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale.

and Thursdays; and 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

franklloydwright.org/camp

Saturdays. Desert Foothills Library, 38443 N. Schoolhouse Road, Cave Creek. 480-488-2286; dfla.org

FOUNDATION LAUNCHES CAMP TALIESIN WEST

KIWANIS AWARDS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS Kiwanis Club of Carefree last month presented $249,000 in scholarships and merit awards to

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

23 deserving seniors representing

this summer will host a series of youth

four area high schools. The

Tankless awards were made possible through the

Director of the Museum of Arts and

collective efforts of volunteers and staff

Design in New York. In his time at Phoenix

at Kiwanis Marketplace in Cave Creek.

Art Museum, Rodgers spearheaded the

kiwaniscarefree.org

reinstallation of the museum’s Art of the

LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER SPONSORS GOLF PRO

chief financial and operating officer, and the institution will immediately

resident Nishtha Madan’s journey to

begin a national search for its next Sybil

succeed in the world of golf. Madan will

Harrington Director and CEO. phxart.org

events. The 23-year-old hopes to play

SCOTTSDALE ARTS ACCEPTS GRANT APPLICATIONS

on the LPGA in 2022 and is attending

Scottsdale Arts is accepting applications

qualifying school in August to make that a

for its Community Arts Grant Program,

reality. kendrickwm.com

which provides funding to nonprofit arts

MUSEUM ACCEPTS ARTISTS’ GRANTS SUBMISSIONS

and cultural organizations in Scottsdale and throughout the Valley for projects that serve the Scottsdale community. Applicants may submit grant requests for activities

Phoenix Art Museum has opened its annual

that will take place between July 1, 2021,

call for submissions for the institution’s

and June 30, 2022. An all-volunteer

Sally and Richard Lehmann Emerging Artist

committee of arts, community and business

Awards artists’ grants program. Replacing

leaders will review the applications and

the former Contemporary Forum Artists’

make recommendations for funding to

Grants, the newly branded and juried

the Scottsdale Arts Board of Trustees.

grant program provides recognition and

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 9.

financial support for emerging, professional,

scottsdalearts.org

Arizona-based artists. Submissions will be

Museum. Each of up to three recipients,

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS MUSICIANS

who will be announced Sept. 30, will

North Valley Symphony Orchestra is

receive a $1,500 grant and the opportunity

auditioning musicians for its upcoming

to participate in a group exhibition at

concert season. The nonprofit performing

Phoenix Art Museum in spring 2022. bit.ly/

arts organization will accept video

lehmannawardsopencall

auditions for its adult orchestra through

accepted through July 15. Proceeds from $10 submission fees will support education programs and exhibitions at Phoenix Art

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM SEEKS NEW DIRECTOR

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Management will sponsor Scottsdale

in addition to appearing at private client

Starting at:

the expansion of its galleries dedicated

will assume the role of interim director

on tour by wearing the business’s logo

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Americas and Europe galleries as well as

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29

Mediterra Bakehouse founder Nick Ambeliotis’ handcrafted, artisanal breads are made from grain that is grown and milled here in Arizona using traditional methods that preserve the nutritional integrity of his high-quality ingredients.

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Writer Shannon Severson

Writer Shannon Severson // Photography Courtesy of Mediterra Bakehouse

A

Amber waves of grain aren’t generally associated with our desert state, but Mediterra Bakehouse founder Nick Ambeliotis is changing that. His handcrafted, artisanal breads are made from grain that is grown and milled here in Arizona using traditional methods that preserve the nutritional integrity of his high-quality ingredients.

“People want to know what they’re eating today,” Ambeliotis says. “We watch every aspect of what we are doing, starting with the wheat berry. We know where everything comes from.”

While he may not have been formally trained at a culinary school, Ambeliotis came by his knowledge of ingredients and methods through family relationships and years of working with international food suppliers.

“I always loved baking,” he says. “My parents baked at home. My grandmother lived with us and she baked every week. I would hang around and learn from her.”

After college, Ambeliotis joined the family business — a grocery store owned by his father. Years before there was any such thing as a “foodie,” he was seeking out

unusual ingredients from around the world that would set their store apart.

“It became something like a Whole Foods in the early 80s, long before there was a Whole Foods,” he explains. “At the time, there were baking seminars offered by culinary stores on the weekends. I went to every class and within two or three years, I was teaching them. I had developed my own starter and was baking out of a supermarket.”

When his family sold the grocery business, Ambeliotis went to work for a small importing company. His business travels throughout Europe were full of discoveries: the best cheeses, pasta, olives, olive oil and charcuterie.

In Paris, Ambeliotis went to the boulangeries and patisseries, knowing it was in his blood to bake. He tasted bread made in the French tradition using levain — a sourdough-type starter — instead of commercial yeast and this became the basis for his future as a baker.

He now uses six different starters and 20 different bread recipes to bake 7,500 loaves, baguettes, rolls, boules and batards each day.

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TEN POUNDS OF STARTER AND A DREAM

When Ambeliotis left the import business to pursue baking, he decided to remain in Pittsburgh — his old sales territory.

He began with 10 pounds of sourdough starter from famed Parisian baker Gerard Mulot, along with quite a bit of equipment from Paris.

In 2002, Ambeliotis opened the doors of Mediterra Bakehouse in Pittsburgh — where it continues to thrive alongside two acclaimed Mediterra Café locations.

“People told me I was crazy,” he says. “At the time, there were no artisan bakeries. We were doing levain and sprouted grain breads and it was a learning curve for me and my customers.

We grew slowly and began selling at Whole Foods regionally.

Now, we are up and down the whole east coast, New Jersey to Georgia and Alabama and in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and the Carolinas.”

There was no influx of capital or private equity; Mediterra was family-funded. Ambeliotis grew his dream one customer and one glowing review at a time.

Family is still the heart of the business. Ambeliotis’ four children are his business partners while his daughter-in-law operates the pastry business in Pittsburgh and his nephew, Constantine “Dino” Koulouris, is his partner and bakery operator at Mediterra Bakehouse’s Coolidge facility.

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“

I literally just started baking bread. I didn’t know anyone at all in Arizona. I started knocking on doors and it has really blossomed into an amazing business and it continues to grow.

Nick Ambeliotis

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So how did Mediterra — and Ambeliotis — migrate West? It was a bit of divine intervention that began with a 2011 trip to visit a Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence.

“When I got off the plane, I immediately fell in love with Arizona,” Ambeliotis explains.

“Driving through the desert was very surreal. When I arrived at the monastery and spoke with the abbot, he said I should open a bakery in Phoenix. I said, ‘Why? I already own one in Pittsburgh’ and he said, ‘Because you love Arizona.’”

One year later, Ambeliotis was making it happen. He bought a building in Coolidge and retrofitted it to mimic the baking processes in Pittsburgh, even installing water systems to make the water the same and a machine that creates a humid environment in the bakery. He commutes to the bakery from his home in Phoenix every day that he’s not making sales calls in the Valley.

“I literally just started baking bread,” Ambeliotis says. “I didn’t know anyone at all in Arizona. I started knocking on doors and it has really blossomed into an amazing business and it continues to grow.”

GRAIN BY GRAIN

Mediterra Bakehouse’s success isn’t magic. It’s diligent quality control, right down to the source.

“I was driving to work every day and would see field after field of alfalfa and cotton,” Ambeliotis says. “I met a farmer and said, ‘When you get tired of selling cotton for 8 cents a pound, you can grow heritage grain for me for 35 cents a pound. It took about 18 months of study and planting, but we harvested our first crop in 2013.”

Mediterra has 100 acres of grain, including organic heritage Red Fife, White Sonoran, heritage Durum Blue Beard and purple barley. It is specially milled on a stone mill imported from Austria. When they use flour from other sources, it is organic, non-GMO, unbleached and unbromated.

“We mill and bake often on the same day,” Ambeliotis says. “My whole goal was to be able to make our bread cross every socio-economic class. We are growing, milling, baking and selling a loaf for $5. We can do this because we control the entire process.”

While Ambeliotis hopes to someday open a brick-andmortar retail outlet in the Phoenix area, his bread can be found across Arizona at AJ’s Fine Foods, Whole Foods, Luci’s Healthy Marketplace, La Grand Orange and Divine Bakery in Cave Creek as well as local farmers markets.

Customer favorites include chocolate cherry bread made with French chocolate and Michigan dried cherries, cranberry pecan bread, San Francisco-style sourdough, whole wheat heritage grain, marble rye and sunny flax — a Keto diet-friendly variety. It’s all done the slow way without any shortcuts and Ambeliotis takes pride in that fact.

“Nothing comes easy,” he says. “It’s been a great ride and we’re still on it. People leave us great comments every day. They love that we grow our own grain, that the bread is slow-fermented and that we do everything by hand. They can taste it in the bread and they love it.” mediterrabakehouse.com

July 2021

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Ann von Pentz

H

Horses have long been universal symbols of freedom without restraint.

Way back in the days of the Wild West, riding a horse made a person feel as though they could free themselves from their own bindings.

Therefore, it is only natural that horses are also linked as symbols of travel, movement, power, grace, nobility and desire.

There are no other horses in the entire world that better reflect freedom than the Salt River herd. Having existed along the Salt River and Salt River Valley for as long as anyone can remember — even well before the Tonto National Forest was created in 1902 — these horses provide hikers, tubers and other nature enthusiasts a glimpse at not only Arizona’s serene beauty but also what it must feel like to know truly unbridled liberation.

Photographer Ann von Pentz first encountered the Salt River horses soon after she arrived in Arizona a little more than five years ago.

They quickly became a central focus of her work. She believes that the mustangs — descendants of Spanish Iberian horses brought to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 16th century — represent the absolute best of the Wild West.

“Like the American bison, these horses were subject to mass extermination starting around 1850, as ranchers and farmers complained they were competing with livestock for land and food,” von Pentz says. “Despite attempts of roundups and extermination, the Salt River herd has eluded capture, hiding in the desert and among the trees.”

Of course, just as the horses have eluded capture, they are very wellknown to elude the camera lens as well. Therefore it is with the utmost quiet caution that von Pentz tracks them. And the moment she finds the herd is as magical as it is exhilarating.

“I might hear a crack of a branch, a rustle in the trees and I stop,” von Pentz explains. “I may have a sighting. I hide and they hide, both not wanting to acknowledge the existence of the other. Quietly I begin my work, photographing the beauty of this moment.

“Wearing two cameras — a 500mm prime lens and a 70-200mm — I make split-second decisions depending on distance, motion, light and composition. Ever so quickly I am ready as adrenaline begins rushing through me. I know any sudden movements could lose this opportunity forever.”

In honor of July Fourth — our country’s ubiquitous celebration of freedom — Images Arizona is sharing with its readers some of von Pentz’s majestic photography of these wild horses with the hope that you, too, can witness their imperial independence.

July 2021

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What would the cowboy — one of the quintessential icons of the American West — have been without these horses?

The cowboy and the Wild West, like the wild mustang, symbolize freedom, adventure and stamina.

Ann von Pentz

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My images explore the complex nature of these horses, wild and free yet burdened by constraints to their habitat. I photograph to evoke an emotional response from the viewer that corresponds not only with the current circumstances of these horses but also remembering their historical significance.

Ann von Pentz

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With camera in hand, I escape into the Tonto National Forest, embarking on daylong solitary hikes, always finding wildlife, but very occasionally finding a band of wild mustangs. To find and photograph them is a magical experience.

Ann von Pentz

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Based in both Montana and Arizona, Ann von Pentz’s love for photography has not only led her to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places on earth but also provided her with a unique way to witness them.

“I am passionate about photography as it allows me a tool through which I am able to explore my world, moving outside of traditional art forms, inherently becoming part of the experience I photograph,” von Pentz explains. “Through my images, I seek to cultivate or spark a sensation of heightened awareness deep within that is both visceral and magical.”

Von Pentz’s style is frequently described as ethereal and creative. She is known for finding hidden beauty in often overlooked subjects and scenes. Reflected in her images is her ability to connect with her subject’s character, humor, mood and life force.

Von Pentz is usually found hiking trails or forging her own, in pursuit of the unknown.

Her love for exploration and adventure is apparent in her work as she aspires to combine her sense of the world and her creativity into each image she captures with her camera.

“Once home, I receive the confirmation of my experience and the everlasting joy of my adventure as I scroll through my images,” von Pentz says. “I choose my favorite moments easily. I am careful in post-processing my images to preserve the authenticity of these sacred moments. I want you to witness not only what I saw but how I saw it.

I want my subject to be the focus of your attention, just like it was mine.” annvonpentz.com

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The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona hosted its first All Arabian Horse Show in February of 1954 at Arizona Biltmore, leaving locals who had previously only read about the gorgeous creatures completely awestruck. Photo Courtesy of the Scottsdale Historical Society / Scottsdale Public Library

A

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

Anywhere you look around Arizona, horses play a very important role. They are a cowboy’s best friend, an outdoor enthusiast’s favorite form of transportation and an entire population’s primary symbol of simpler times.

Horses have become synonymous with our state’s Western hertiage. This is especially true in our Desert Foothills communities, where these majestic creatures have been helping to create, shape, maintain and vitalize our lives for the past 140 years.

Their significance to our state’s history is vast, as horses have provided essential contributions to both the labor that built the communities in which we now live and the recreational activities that define the unique culture that people travel here from all over the world to experience.

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Arizona simply would not be Arizona without horses.

THE REAL WORKHORSES

Much of our state’s history begins with William John Murphy — a businessman, contractor and land developer who, in 1880, moved with his family to what was then known as the Arizona Territory. Initially contracted by railroad companies for grading and roadwork services, Murphy later joined three builders with whom he landed a $500,000 contract to build the 40-mile-long Arizona Canal from Granite Reef to New River.

To say that the project was vitally important would be an understatement, as it would bring water to the very dry lands of Maricopa County and eventually lead to Scottsdale’s founding in 1951. Murphy and his team used horses to pull their digging and dredging equipment to complete the canal by 1885.

A few years later in 1888, U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott visited the Salt River Valley and, impressed with its potential, made a down payment on 640 acres of land to start a farming operation near the heart of what is now downtown Scottsdale. Scott, too, relied heavily on horses as he and his wife Helen provided settlers with tours of the town via horse-drawn carriage.

Scott also traveled by horse into downtown Phoenix to deliver crops to the Phoenix Herald newspaper and to attend sessions of the Arizona Territorial Legislature — to which he was eventually elected.

In 1909 — one year before his death — Scott commissioned Scottsdale's first resident artist Marjorie Thomas to paint a portrait of his beloved retired U.S. Army mule, Old Maud. That oil painting, which is now on permanent display in the Scottsdale Historical Museum, led Thomas to have a lifelong fascination with horses and mules as they became a favorite subject in her work.

Around the same time, George Cavalliere arrived in the Arizona Territory and began providing blacksmithing services for the horses that were being used to dredge and maintain the Arizona Canal. Originally mounted on skids and pulled along the canal bank by a team of horses, Cavalliere Blacksmith Shop later set anchor at Brown Avenue and Second Street — where it remains operational as an ornamental ironwork business today.

Speaking of Brown Avenue, the street’s namesake Edwin Orpheus (E.O.) Brown — who was responsible for much of North Scottsdale’s early development — heavily relied on horses to traverse the 44,000acre cattle ranch that he, his sons and his partners established in the 1910s.

Even as automobiles began appearing in the area at that time, horses remained residents’ primary form of transportation — especially because many of them were

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ranchers and much of Scottsdale’s side streets were still unpaved.

HORSEPLAY ENCOURAGED

Of course, horses were — and still are — used for much more than just work and travel. Their history is deeply rooted in Arizona’s recreational activities as well.

In 1888, U.S. Army Chaplain Winfield Scott started a farming operation near the heart of what is now downtown Scottsdale. Scott relied heavily on horses as he and his wife Helen provided settlers with tours of the town via horse-drawn carriage. Photo Courtesy of the Scottsdale Historical Society / Scottsdale Public Library

The fall of 1920 saw the rise of the Cavalry Reserve Officers Training Corps at University of Arizona.

Cavalry ROTC sponsored a number of recreational activities on the campus — including co-ed horseback riding clubs and a nationally recognized polo team. In 1924, University of Arizona’s polo team won the Western Collegiate Championship and traveled to the east coast to present President Calvin Coolidge with a cowboy hat.

Equestrian recreation continued to gain popularity and spread throughout the state over the next two decades.

In 1929, the manager of Phoenix’s then-new Westward Ho arranged for his guests to ride horses at Captain H.A. Mosse's riding academy and stable. This led to the creation of the Westward Ho Riding Club, later renamed the Valley Field Riding and Polo Club.

Horses were integral to the completion of the Arizona Canal project, which would bring water to the very dry lands of Maricopa County. Photo Courtesy of the Scottsdale Historical Society / Scottsdale Public Library

In 1951, the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce partnered with a local riding club to host the Sunshine Festival, which featured an entirely horsedrawn parade — a predecessor of Parada del Sol, an event that still today draws hundreds of horses and participants and thousands of spectators each year. Photo Courtesy of the Scottsdale Historical Society / Scottsdale Public Library

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George Cavalliere — shown here taking a horsedrawn carriage ride with his wife Mary Alice and their eldest daughter Alice — arrived in the Arizona Territory in 1909 and began providing blacksmithing services for the horses that were being used to dredge and maintain the Arizona Canal. Photo Courtesy of Scottsdale Public Library

Unfortunately, World War II diminished the number of polo players and clubs not just here in Arizona but across the entire country. University of Arizona’s polo team was preparing for a tournament on Dec. 7, 1941, when players learned that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Many men joined a newly mechanized army that no longer relied on horses and, by 1944, the university sold its 80 horses, effectively ending the sport’s existence on campus.

However, when one gate closes, another one opens. When Arizona State College (now known as Arizona

State University) took over the WWII aviation cadet training base in 1947, it also built a rodeo arena — a site that hosted a number of Intercollegiate Rodeo Association events, proving that equestrian recreation had not vanished but merely pivoted.

Also in 1947, a group of merchants led by Malcolm White — a man who, in 1951, became Scottsdale’s very first mayor — aspired to capitalize on the city’s potential as a tourism destination. White and the then-new Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce began referring to Scottsdale as “The West’s Most Western Town” and integrating elements of that image, such as hitching posts and horse troughs, throughout the area.

The Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce partnered with a local riding club in 1951 to host the Sunshine Festival, which featured an entirely horse-drawn parade — a predecessor of Parada del Sol, an event that still today draws hundreds of horses and participants and thousands of spectators each year. A rodeo was added to the festivities in 1956.

Meanwhile, several Arabian horse ranches had opened north of Scottsdale, creating a new industry that became extremely significant to the local economy. A small group of Arabian horse owners met in August of 1952 at the Westward Ho and founded the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona.

The association hosted its first All Arabian Horse Show in February of 1954 at Arizona Biltmore, leaving locals who had previously only read about the gorgeous creatures completely awestruck. In 1957, Anne McCormick of McCormick Ranch Arabians invited show participants to hold the event at her show ring on what is now the southwest corner of Shea Boulevard and Loop 101.

The All Arabian Horse Show — which is now endearingly referred to as the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show — later moved to a ranch at 60th Street and Bell Road before again moving to a then-new equestrian event facility.

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In the 1970s, the city of Scottsdale aspired to establish an equestrianoriented park in order to provide residents with a place to ride their horses. Desert Park opened on the north end of the Scottsdale Airport runway. However, less than 10 years later, the park — which had undergone a name change to Cholla Park — closed to accommodate a runway extension.

The city then entered a long-term agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to lease land north of the Central Arizona Canal and at the base of the McDowell Mountains for the development of a park.

Horseman’s Park opened in 1986 and initially featured an open-air arena, several smaller open arenas and stables.

The park underwent a name change to HorseWorld in 1988 before finally settling on WestWorld of Scottsdale in 1990. The facility now hosts more than 90 equestrian events each year — including the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, the Parada del Sol Rodeo and the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

From pulling digging and dredging equipment and providing Arizona’s earliest settlers with transportation to fortifying our lives with sportsmanship, recreation and beauty, horses throughout history have helped to establish a culture here in our state that is unlike anywhere else in the world.

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Same Place Foreign Face by Sofia Lacosta

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i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m Jul y 2 02 1

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography Courtesy of Scottsdale Arts

W

While studying the art on display in the Center Space Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts during Scottsdale Arts’ Visions ‘21 exhibition, one can clearly see the paramount proficiency with which each piece was created. Delicate details collide with shocking ingenuity, resulting in works that ignite thought and encourage conversation.

However, while these are unquestionably the works of seasoned artists, they exude a freshness that seems to indicate a form of forward-thinking. It is almost as though these pieces were created by artists from the future.

Perhaps that is because they were. On view through Sept. 13, Visions ‘21 features the work of advanced high school art students who participated in a multi-visit, invitational visual arts program that has been provided to metro Phoenix area teens for the past 22 years.

“Visions began in 1999 when the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art was originally founded,” says Brittany Arnold who, as teen and family coordinator for Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation, facilitates the program. “It connects advanced high school art students with contemporary art as well as local artists and the local art scene.”

Each school year, students from six high schools across Maricopa County attend monthly workshops conducted by professional artists, tour the University of Arizona School of Art and connect with exhibitions offered by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. This past school year's participating campuses included Coronado, Pinnacle Saguaro and Shadow Mountain high schools as well as New School for the Arts and Academics. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program pivoted to a virtual format, with workshops and tours all being conducted via Zoom.

“I sent out art kits that had all of the supplies the students needed and they made art in their own bedrooms and living rooms,” says Arnold, noting that it was not uncommon to see a cat waltz across the screen. “It was really great to see the students in their own personal settings because I feel like we were able to connect with them on an entirely different level.”

Despite the altered format, the end result remained the same — an exhibition that allows the students to showcase their work that reflects everything they learned over the course of the program.

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Free Bird by Tyler Crum Quilted Accumulations by Parker Orcutt Mother Nature and Father Time by Sara Rodriguez

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IMPACTFUL PERSPECTIVES

Visions ‘21 features an incredible collection of paintings, sculptures and multimedia artwork — the most visually striking of which is Coronado High School student Sarah Gallardo-Meza’s “Cellophane,” a life-sized human figure made out of old newspaper wrapped in plastic with flowers sprouting from its wrists and neck.

Gallardo-Meza says she aspired to create a piece that promotes body positivity and inner strength.

“When viewing this piece, I want the audience to have a sense of realization that no matter what they or someone else look like, they are beautiful and strong in their own unique way,” she explains. “The title, ‘Cellophane,’ is meant to symbolize the fragile and delicate state of an individual and is meant to be a reminder to take care and not harm or pollute one’s mind and body.”

Other pieces are far more subtle yet carry just as much meaning — such as “The Little Things in Life,” by New School for the Arts and Academics student Henry Dollak. The work features a series of eight photographs of knick-knacks, including a magnifying glass, an apple and an Altoids tin.

Dollak says that each of the objects has value to him and that the work as a whole encourages the viewer to let his or herself find joy in something — regardless of the complexity of it.

“Seeing that among the artists I got to work with this year was absolutely incredible, with one example being Rembrandt Quiballo,” Dollak explains. “The genuine fascination he had in the themes of his work reminded me of the pure joy something can give. Seeing people be happy about what they do is really encouraging.

Enjoying time spent creating the art you make is worth the whole experience.”

Arnold adds that of all the pieces included in Scottsdale Arts’ Visions ‘21 exhibition, “The Little Things in Life” is one that she has kept returning to for its timely significance.

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Solitaire by Gabi Calabretti

A spoonful of our environment by Hannah McEntarffer The Little Things in Life by Henry Dollak

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“It made me think back to the quarantine and the pandemic; of finding beauty, happiness and pleasure in the small things in life,” Arnold says. “I feel like that piece is a big takeaway from this past year. It is so simple yet so complex at the same time. It is very aesthetically appealing because [Dollak] frames each object very nicely and lights them very well. And he is showing that these simple things can bring anyone joy.”

SKILL AND VOICE AMPLIFICATION

Through the appreciation and creation of art, Scottsdale Arts’ Visions program aims to cultivate the development of teen social and mental wellbeing while enhancing social connections, opening dialogue and promoting tolerance and confidence.

“The goal of Visions is to expose students to the art world but, at the same time, also prepare them for life after high school,” Arnold explains. “We are really building those 21st-century skills as well and helping students build resiliency so that they can learn how to set goals, how to collaborate, how to communicate effectively and how to be social-changers in their communities.”

Noting that life lessons are inherently incorporated into workshops based on the content of the artwork, the background of the artist or the discussions that take place, Arnold adds that Visions students have gone on to pursue a variety of careers over the 22-year history of the program.

“We have had Visions students go on to become art teachers and industrial designers,” she says. “We have even had one go on to become a curator. There are some who pursue art careers while others may take a slightly different route, working in the sciences. Visions gives them wonderful exposure to alternative careers — artsrelated or not.”

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Cellophane by Sarah Gallardo-Meza The Broken Fire by Tatum McNeely

EXPERIENCE Visions ‘21

Through Sept. 13 | See website for hours | Center Space Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts | 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m Jul y 2 02 1 52Free | iscottsdaleartslearning.org/exhibition/visions-21

“

If you look at the students’ artist statements, the ability, knowledge and maturity have always been there. Visions just gives them a platform to amplify their voices and to show them that they really do have the capability to become professional artists.

Brittany Arnold

As for that initial impression that the pieces on display during Scottsdale Arts’ Visions ‘21 exhibition are the works of seasoned artists, Arnold says that is simply a testament to what youth are capable of.

“Visions takes the skills that are already there and amplifies them,” she explains. “We work with local teaching artists who instill their techniques and approaches to making contemporary art to which they may have typically not been exposed.

“If you look at the students’ artist statements, the ability, knowledge and maturity have always been there. Visions just gives them a platform to amplify their voices and to show them that they really do have the capability to become professional artists.” scottsdaleartslearning.org/exhibition/visions-21

July 2021

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Writer Shannon Severson Photography by Mariel Schmitt Photography

For furniture maker Todd Flaming, each piece of wood that enters his shop is full of potential— a puzzle piece designated to be honed and formed into something beautiful and functional.

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F

For furniture maker Todd Flaming, each piece of wood that enters his shop is full of potential— a puzzle piece designated to be honed and formed into something beautiful and functional.

“I feel like this is a partnership between me and a piece of wood and we are trying to see what it will become together,” Flaming says. “I change things as I go, moving pieces around. Every piece has a fingerprint. The next one will never be like this. Every piece is a journey I’ve taken with the wood.”

The Anthem resident’s professional background is in creative direction, brand strategy, graphic design and church ministry.

“With digital design and marketing, it’s abstract, ephemeral,” he says. “Woodworking is creating something with what feels like a very unclear deliverable as opposed to something that is endlessly duplicated. Even if I decided to built it twice, it’s never the same because I’m never going to get that same piece of wood again.”

In his original career, Flaming has spent many years formulating representations of other people’s ideas.

“I’m used to having conversations about people’s visions and then bringing it to life,” he explains.

“The clients I work with know they can find cheaper products, but they know there’s a difference. This isn’t furniture you put together yourself with a hex wrench. I’m never going to get where IKEA and Walmart are, but I don’t want to.”

Flaming is also a skilled musician and singer — the electric guitar being his instrument of choice. It took the work lull of the COVID-19 pandemic and the support of his family to finally pursue his self-taught hobby as a small business.

T-Flame Design focuses on custom and semi-custom furniture with mid-century modern flair, though Flaming insists that he doesn’t want to evoke any particular time period. Each piece is hand-built with extreme care and attention to detail. After all, a musician and graphic designer knows the importance of adjusting even the smallest elements.

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Furniture maker Todd Flaming primarily uses walnut, but has also built creations with white oak, hickory, ash, cherry and birch.

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KNOCK ON WOOD

The father of two first came to his craft through a bit of happenstance.

“Getting into furniture making was an organic process,” Flaming explains. “We had friends who were moving to California and into a smaller place. He had a shed with his dad’s tools and knew I liked doing stuff around the house, so he gave me the tools — a miter saw and a table saw. I downloaded plans for a coffee table off of the internet and made some modifications. I had no idea what I was doing.”

As time went on, he amassed quite the array of tools in his garage and was making items for his family. He wanted to do more, but space was at a premium. Three years ago, the family moved and intentionally bought a home with a third car garage that now serves as Flaming’s shop.

“My deal with my wife, Lisa, was that we would buy tools instead of furniture and I would build the furniture,” he says.

“I still have a very long to-do list. Making furniture for others has slowed it down a bit.”

Flaming primarily uses walnut, but has also built creations with white oak, hickory, ash, cherry and birch. Sourcing can be tough, so when he can get his hands on a nice piece of wood, he jumps at the chance. Demand for his pieces has been steadily growing.

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“I started posting photos on social media as just showing my hobby,” he says. “People would joke and say, ‘When are you open for business? I’ll pay money for it!’ Somewhere in 2020, I started to take it seriously. I made a bunch of furniture for an office where I was working — desks and work tables with integrated charging stations, a solid oak counter-height table that weighed several hundred pounds and had to be assembled in place.

“People started wanting me to build stuff and a few trends started picking up. My signature style is kind of mid-century modern; it’s functional, clean, geometric — something that looks simple from a distance but has a lot of little details and bevels that are more complicated.”

His first sale was a console table for his neighbor. It was also the launch of his Irene collection — a series that includes a coffee, a console and a side table in dark or light wood that make a splash as a coordinated set.

Irene isn’t named for a friend or family member as one might expect. Flaming is a fan of science-fiction movies and decided he’d like to create multiple lines over time, each named after characters he considers good but lesser-known in their genre.

With its more feminine profile, Irene is named for a character played by Uma Thurman in the 1997 movie “Gattaca.”

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HOLLYWOOD ENDING

Flaming envisions expanding his lines to create pieces and series that are accessible and appealing to a multitude of tastes.

With work booked several months out, he may also need to expand his space for the volume of orders he’s receiving.

“I also have a Cole line planned,” he reveals. “It’s named for Bruce Willis’ character in ’12 Monkeys.' It’s a beefier design.

I want my work to look relatively clean, not trendy or calling too much attention to itself.

“When you look closely, you’ll find a bevel on a leg or a radius that wasn’t necessary. I like to profile the bottom of a tabletop, varying the edges. I like to orient the grain of the wood just right. Sometimes you’re hiding it and sometimes you’re bringing it out for contrasting purposes. It just depends on the project.”

While the Irene line and potential upcoming Cole series are the signature of T-Flame Design, he’s still doing a lot of custom work for clients — from freestanding furniture to built-ins that give any home or office a more refined look.

It’s quality that doesn’t come cheap. But Flaming’s clients are looking for quality pieces to fine-tune their living or work spaces. Increasingly, living and work spaces are becoming one and the same. Flaming enjoys helping people customize rooms to fit their lifestyles, work habits, personal collections and hobbies.

“I have always been equal parts organized and creative,” he says. “I really like crafting a custom, one-off piece, but I also like iterating on a design and making it better and more streamlined.

I try to help clients balance form and function. If form takes over, you get something a little too expressive that can get weird.

If it’s too functional, then you lose the beauty and uniqueness of the piece. There’s an important balance to find.”

Flaming’s ideal future is filled with opportunities to design and build his own vision and make custom pieces his clients are proud to own, use and pass down through the generations.

“The bespoke details are one of the things I like most about what I am doing, “ he says. “I want to build something that people can give to their grandkids, and their grandkids will still want it because there’s a timeless quality to it.” tflamedesign.com

July 2021

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fo

C O V ID :

HOPE AND resiliency

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AMOROMA PRODUCTIONS AND THIRD PRODUCTIONS :“CLOSED FOR COVID: HOPE AND RESILIENCY” i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m Jul y 2 02 1 j KELLIE MENDOZA. kSEAN OLIVER g DANIEL MENDOZA

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography Courtesy of Amoroma Productions

I

It is no secret that 2020 was one of the most challenging years of all time for small businesses. However, as inspirational author Doe Zantamata once wrote, “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never ever be dimmed.”

Over the past year, Arizona’s business owners have proven the legitimacy of Zantamata’s quote, as they overcame the odds and survived the COVID-19 pandemic through determination, ingenuity and resiliency.

Their stories serve as not only personal testaments to their insurmountable strength but also messages of hope to the local community — and beyond.

Kellie Mendoza is producer and production manager of Amoroma Productions, a full-service video production company that creates video content for small businesses and organizations, commercial content for websites and event videography.

“When the world shut down in March of last year, that affected our business as well,” Mendoza says. “Everything that we were working on also came to a halt.”

Just as every other business owner in Arizona — and around the world, for that matter — was struggling to navigate the unprecedented pandemic, Mendoza and her Amoroma Productions team were also trying to determine how to proceed.

“One of our company goals last year was to create a documentary,” Mendoza says. “It was originally going to be on the wine industry here in Arizona.”

Of course, the pandemic put a kink in Amoroma Productions’ plans. But, when one door closes, another one opens — potentially to a pasture with much more prominent possibilities.

“We had heard so many sad stories about what businesses were going through and their struggles to make it through those first few months of the pandemic,” Mendoza says. “But we also heard stories of resiliency. We really enjoyed hearing that there were so many business owners in Arizona who, just for lack of a better way of putting it, would not let COVID beat them. They were determined to keep their businesses open.”

As a direct result of seeing so many resilient business owners throughout Arizona rise to the occasion, Amoroma Productions pivoted their plans into something it began referring to as The Silver Linings Project.

“The Silver Linings Project was about telling the story of those Arizona business owners and how they shifted their business structure in order to remain resilient and keep their businesses open,” Mendoza explains.

Armed with the belief that documentaries provide information about relevant topics and inspire viewers to take action, Mendoza — alongside director of photography Daniel Mendoza and director Sean Oliver — set out to make a short film that would shine a spotlight on the many business owners with incredible stories to tell and, at the same time, contribute to rebuilding the state’s local economy.

“The participants were selected by a multitude of different avenues,” Mendoza says. “We had personal and business relationships with some of them. We also put out a press release to the community in which we got 50 submissions back from various businesses and organizations with a desire to be a part of it.”

From those submissions, the Amoroma Productions team met internally in May to determine which ones to incorporate into the documentary. When all was said and done, they had interviewed a total of 32 businesses and organizations from throughout the state of Arizona — from Flagstaff to Phoenix to Tucson and everywhere in between.

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Raymond Decandia (True North)

Craig Randich (Bentley Gallery)

Deileta and Tanatsa Kamhunga (Elev8ed Cre8ion)

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“We wrapped filming in November,” says Mendoza, noting that, although the project was originally conceived as a 15-minute short film, the end result was a 75-minute full-length feature.

Amoroma Productions finished editing the documentary this past spring, unveiled its official title — “Closed for COVID: Hope and Resiliency” — and promptly began submitting it to film festivals nationwide.

The first to respond was the Phoenix Film Festival, which granted the documentary a screening on its schedule.

Set for Aug. 12–22 at Harkins Scottsdale 101, the Phoenix Film Festival will serve as the world premiere of “Closed for COVID: Hope and Resiliency.” Mendoza, her entire Amoroma Productions team and the many Arizona business owners featured in the film are eager for audiences to see their stories unfold on the big screen during the Aug. 21 screening.

“We ultimately want to have the widest audience possible for all of the business owners and organizations that are part of the film,” says Mendoza, adding that she expects to hear back from additional film festivals this fall. “After the film festival route, we might take it to video-ondemand, streaming platforms or television [networks].”

The documentary itself is only one half of Amoroma Productions’ Silver Lining Project, though. The other half, fueled by the production company's desire to give back to the community, involved giving marketable video content to the businesses that participated in “Closed for COVID: Hope and Resiliency.”

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“I always knew that it was important to shop local,” Mendoza says. “But after doing this documentary and speaking to so many different business owners, I see that supporting small businesses is now more important than ever. They are essentially supporting our economy in the state of Arizona.”

According to a report commissioned last winter by the Arizona Small Business Association, small businesses in Arizona — those with 500 or fewer employees — produce $191.4 billion in annual economic activity.

Additionally, they employ about 1.6 million of Arizona’s 2.9 million workers, account for 99.4% of all businesses in the state and create $71.3 billion in annual wages and income.

“The documentary is very much geared toward the community and what it is like to be a business in the state of Arizona, including how these businesses were affected by the pandemic and how they were able to continue on,” says Mendoza, noting that she believes open-mindedness and recognizing the need early on to shift business systems were key to the businesses’ survival.

“I think about the sense of community that the state of Arizona has. We are such a diverse community. We are such a giving community. We are such a resilient community. It has been extremely uplifting to be on this journey with all of these businesses and to be able to create this documentary project on their behalf.” amoromaproductions.com/closed-for-covid

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Aug. 12–22 | See website for schedule | Harkins Scottsdale 101 | 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Suite 1059, Phoenix i m a g e s afor rizo na.com Jul y 2 02 1 prices | phoenixfilmfestival.com 64See website

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Feta and Olive Pull-Apart Cheesy Garlic Bread Who does not love a pull-apart bread? This appetizer is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Plus, it is super simple to throw together in a pinch. Serve it up at your next gathering and watch your guests quickly devour it. Nary a crumb will remain.

Serves: 6–8

Ingredients: 8 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 loaf French bread 2 bags shredded mozzarella cheese 1 jar olive tapenade 1 block feta cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, melt butter. Add olive oil, garlic and parsley then mix and set aside.

Using a sharp bread knife, slice the loaf of French bread in a criss-cross pattern, making sure not to cut all the way through the bottom. Place the loaf on a sheet pan covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Stuff the contents of one bag of shredded mozzarella cheese in between the slices of the bread. Repeat with the olive tapenade and the feta cheese.

Sprinkle the contents of the other bag of mozzarella cheese on top of the bread then drizzle butter and garlic mixture over the top.

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Bake for 15–20 minutes. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 15–20 minutes. For some extra crisp, set the oven to broil briefly before serving.

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