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Artist’s personal life inspires 2nd exhibit
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
The artist featured in a newly opened exhibition, titled “Beverly McInver: Full Circle,” at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art inspired the creation of a second exhibit that highlights the talents of people with intellectual and development disabilities.
Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation wanted to explore an aspect of McIver’s personal life: she is the caregiver for her older sister Renee, an adult with I/DD.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts partnered with the Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) and The Opportunity Tree to curate “What Makes Me Me,” an exhibition of poems, paintings, acrylics, collages and ceramics created by individuals with I/DD.
“It was a natural thing to do because at Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation, we promote what is going on at SMoCA,” said Laura Hales, curator of learning and innovation at Scottsdale Arts Learning and Innovation. “We saw this as an opportunity to shine a light on that aspect of Beverly McIver. In a sense, all of these artworks in the gallery are inspired by Renee.”
Members of STARS and The Opportunity Tree were broken into small groups and worked in three workshops.
“We worked with professional artists who led the workshops for this and they were all really wonderful at adapting the projects so that everybody in the room could do them well,” Hales said. “We had accessibility in mind because even within that group there were different levels of accessibility that needed to be addressed.” What came next fulfilled a need that oftentimes is glossed over for individuals with I/DD.
“It’s self-advocacy and it is a powerful communication,” Hales said. “During one of
People with intellectual and development disabilities created their own works of art that are on display at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts.
(David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)
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Mavrix marks 2nd year with specials, gratitude
BY KATY SPRINGER Progress Contributor
Everyone likes a good underdog story. And the story of Mavrix in Scottsdale certainly fits the bill.
The entertainment hub opened at the Pavilions at Talking Stick Shopping Center on March 7, 2020 and got off to a great start, posting high guest counts and earning top customer reviews.
But the venue was forced to close its doors just 10 days later amid COVID-19.
“It was an awful day,” said Scott Sanders, owner of Octane Entertainment, the company that owns and operates Mavrix and Octane Raceway next door. “Beyond the disappointment and financial devastation of shutting down a business we had worked so hard to build, we were forced to lay off many of our employees. That was the worst part.”
Two years later, Mavrix is hardly recognizable, its transformation from a shuttered building to a booming business complete.
Now, the company is planning a big celebration to mark its second anniversary: From Thursday, Feb. 24-March 4, Mavrix has a series of guest offers – such as $2 bowling, $2 laser tagand daily specials including $15 xs on Mondays and half-price arcade games on Wednesdays.
The anniversary is a milestone moment.
“We just have so much to be grateful for,” said Sanders.
the workshops, one woman who didn’t talk at all in the beginning was positively chatty toward the end of it as she became more comfortable and started enjoying herself. I could see that she had gained an increased sense of herself, which was the primary goal of the exhibition.”
The exhibition offers a look into the interests and hobbies of the creators.
“In the work, they communicate who they are as individuals,” Hales said. “They’re making their own decisions. They’re talking about themselves and what their interests and hobbies are.”
Not only did creating the artworks aid members of STARS and The Opportunity Tree in expressing themselves, one workshop helped the artists keep their memory sharp.
“In the poetry workshop, it was really interesting because it was customized for adults with I/DD and memory loss,” Hales said. “This is a growing issue because people who have I/DD are living longer and they have an over 50% higher chance of getting Alzheimer’s.”
“As the curator for this gallery, I always try to steer away from a student show where it looks like the same assignment,” Hales said. “I wanted a varied look to the gallery that kept the number of participants in each of the workshops small so we have better results for everybody.”
Hales could not have been happier with the results and the platform that the exhibition has given to a population that is often forgotten.
“There are three important things that this show tries to do,” she said. “It’s a platform for self-advocacy, it allows this population to express themselves and it allows people to get to know this community better. We all know younger folks who have I/DD but we don’t know the older folks because they live in group homes or with their parents and they’re a bit forgotten in society.”
Hales hopes that people experience Beverly McIver: Full Circle and “What Makes Me Me” together to gain a full understanding of I/DD and how art works as a form of self-advocacy.
“This has raised some awareness about this community along with Beverly McIver herself,” she said. “When people go into SMoCA to see the exhibition and they see the paintings that relate to Beverly and Renee’s relationship, they’ll have some more interest and understanding while looking at those.”
The “What Makes Me Me” exhibition will remain on display at the Center for the Performing Arts through May 4; an opening reception will be held at the center on Tuesday Feb. 22, at 11 a.m.
“Beverly McInver: Full Circle” will remain at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art until Sept. 4.
Artist Beverly McIver's work is on display at Scottsdale Museum for Contemporary
Art. (Special to the Progress)
Reception
What: Opening reception for “What Makes Me Me.” When: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. Where: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St. Cost: Free. Tickets: scottsdaleartslearning.org
MAVRIX ���� page 29
Mavrix, which was closed for nine weeks during the shutdown, reopened on May 22, 2020.
With 50,000 square feet that includes 22 bowling lanes, 95 arcade games, laser tag, billiards tables and a scratch kitchen, The Trophy Room Grill, can accommodate for 150 guests. But for months, the guest counts were nowhere close.
“It was a ghost town,” said JP Mullan, chief operating officer of Mavrix. “In keeping with local guidelines, we had planned to reduce our occupancy to 50%. It turned out that wasn’t necessary, as we never got close to being half-full.”
The next several months were challenging. Mullan and his staff, much reduced from the 150-person team that opened Mavrix, fought hard to drum up business.
“We had this incredible entertainment center that we were dying to show off,” said Mullan. “We knew that once people experienced Mavrix, word would spread like wildfire. We could see it and we were committed to making it happen.”
Despite Mavrix’s rough start, Mullan and his team worked every angle to build the business, never letting up on their marketing efforts to get people through the door – and honing their operations to ensure a positive guest experience.
“We were so meticulous in our hiring and training,” said Mullan. “We wanted to provide Ritz-Carlton-level guest service. We also continued to invest in our facilities and in excellent food and beverage.”
They also worked diligently to increase safety and sanitization to ensure guests felt good about spending time there.
“This meant transforming every single customer contact point to be as safe as possible while still giving people a temporary escape from the challenges of COVID,” said Sanders.
By early 2021, Mavrix had started its COVID-19 recovery, growing revenue from January to July by more than 54% and continuing its run by earning “Best Sports Bar” and “Best Entertainment Center” accolades. Mavrix had made a name for itself, not only for its bowling and games, but also as a top spot for corporate teambuilders, parties and sporting events.
“We were so busy on Super Bowl Sunday and throughout Spring Training and March Madness,” Mullan said. “We have dozens of 4K televisions broadcasting the games throughout our facility, but we also have a 5,000 square-foot patio with a huge Jumbotron. The weather was perfect, and the patio was a great option for guests who wanted to enjoy a party atmosphere while taking precautions for COVID.”
Today, Mavrix is achieving the benchmarks established pre-pandemic. These include metrics for volume and revenue, but also hiring, menu expansion and facility upgrades.
“We hired a top-notch general manager, Dallas Henderson, and an extremely talented chef, Scott Nelson,” said Mullan. “We’re about to unveil a new menu with made-from-scratch entrees like chimichurri ribeye and Baja chicken pasta. We’re finally achieving that dream.”
The secret to Mavrix’s success? Beyond the staff’s efforts to deliver a quality guest experience, they have prioritized community giving from the very beginning – even when times were tough.
This has included fundraisers, toy and food drives, silent auction donations and an ongoing effort to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Indeed, Mavrix’s anniversary event will include a fundraising component for the organization.
“I have a personal connection to the MS Society and have always dreamed of being able to make a difference for the organization,” said Sanders. “The work they do is so important and desperately needed.”
In addition, the venue just installed 15 new arcade games, part of a strategic plan to keep the guest experience fresh and up to date.
Said Mullan, “Since we’re locally owned and operated, we have complete autonomy to make investments like these to make Mavrix the best.”
