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Jim Elling, Wendy Raisanen and Karla Elling are proud of the “Interwoven” exhibit at the gallery inside Scottsdale Civic Center Library. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

‘Interwoven’ celebrates Arizona's flora, fauna

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

As artists were forced to stay home during the pandemic, members of the Telaraña Fiber Arts Guild wondered how they would keep the creative spirit alive.

Then came a challenge that kept them engaged and encouraged them to celebrate the flora and fauna of the state.

“The guild challenge proposed by member Maureen McCarthy healthily directed our collective focus toward the beauty around us in Arizona,” said guild member and artist Karla Elling.

“Art pieces in this show not only illuminate places– a slot canyon near Page, the Grand Canyon, Mogollon Rim, Monument Valley, the Superstitions, and Red Mountain-they also include a small desert fox in a Mesa neighborhood, urban images and flowers.”

The challenge tasked artists with duplicating images of Arizona’s plants, canyons, lakes and skies to inspire their creations while using their chosen fiber art techniques and the artists didn’t disappoint.

The works caught the eye of Scottsdale Public Art’s curator of collections and exhibitions Wendy Raisanen, who had an idea of how to display the works in an exhibition.

“When Scottsdale Public Art’s Wendy Raisanen named the Telaraña Inspiration Challenge ‘Interwoven,’ she drew attention to an idea, ‘we are all interwoven,’” Elling said.

Raisanen had no idea how timely the opening would be as it came during a time when the world began to emerge

Sonoran Desert Chorale of Mesa is back in full swing post-pandemic and have con-

certs planned. (Courtesy of Sonoran Desert Chorale)

Sonoran Desert Chorale celebrates companionship

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Progress Contributor

While weathering a seemingly endless pandemic, many people became more appreciative of the value of companionship.

The Sonoran Desert Chorale takes it a step further with a concert on the themes of companionship and journeys.

“You Come, Too,” is the title of the Mesa-based chorale’s next performances on Saturday, April 30, at First United Methodist Church in Mesa and on Sunday, May ,1 at La Casa De Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale.

“I just feel like I wanted to celebrate this notion of valuing companionship, of valuing that journey, of valuing important people and ideas that sojourn with us,” said Dr. Carric Smolnik, artistic director.

The chorus will sing three pieces by Andrew Maxfield, a Utah-based contemporary composer; Whatever Is Foreseen in Joy,The Door, andA Gracious Sabbath Stood Here.The composer, who will be in attendance, will comment on the songs and share his musical vision on them.

Other songs include O Whistle and I’ll Come To Ye, I’ll Ay Call In By Yon Town, andMy Love’s in Germany– a trio of Scottish folk songs; Shaun Kirchner’s I’ll Be On My Way; Felix Mendelssohn’sFor God Commanded Angels to Watch Over You; a traditional American folk hymn – The Promised Land; Aaron Copeland’sZion’s Walls, and songs of finding the way home in Stephen Paulus’ The Road Home and Marta Keen’sHomeward Bound.

The concert’s title, You Come, Too, is from a poem called The Pasture by Rob-

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from the pandemic.

“I was impressed with the quality of work. I was just a great fit and also because of the relation to the pandemic that we’ve all been going through it was very timely,” Raisanen said. “I think it was a little over a year ago that we found out about it and so we didn’t know what was going to be happening right now,” Raisanen continued. “So, although life right now is very unpredictable, we’re happy that this wound up being as timely as it is.” Raisanen was also shocked by the variety of mediums that the artists worked within.

“The artwork sometimes is a sort of a direct translation of a photograph but then oftentimes it’s just like a feeling using the basic colors or the softness of the feeling of saying spring or something,” it’s amazing how a two-dimensional piece of woven material has so much depth on them and that the artists that are involved in them can put that depth the work to where it almost looks like a painting.”.

One work that stood out to Raisanen was a set of lamps crafted by Elling and her husband Jim. Jim crafted the armature and Karla created the shade out of paper that she made from prickly pear cactus skeletons dipped in agave pulp.

“You can make paper out of anything that is cellulose that isn’t polyester or wool,” Elling said.

Elling also believes that this exhibition displays the growing field of woven arts in addition to being timely. “The fiber arts and weaving are becoming more renowned in the contemporary art field. And, you know, there are all varieties of artists who use this medium to express themselves,” she said.

Raisanen also found it inspiring how dedicated the artists were to creating works that had an elegant appeal.

“To me, the corollary between the artist’s choice of a photograph and expressing that into a woven, felted, or fiber artwork of various kinds made it into a nice translation,” Raisanen said. “There’s this high skill amongst the people who created work and it’s wonderful to see this kind of technical and poetic expertise,”

Looking forward, Elling is excited to continue creating works alongside her counterparts at the Telaraña Fiber Arts Guild.

“This is a group that just can’t stop,” Elling said. “It’s an obsession with making things.”

Sharie Monsam of Mesa created this woven yarn piece, titled “The Desert After Rain

Showers.” (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

If you go

What: Interwoven When: the exhibition is on display until June 30. Where: Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Boulevard Cost: Free Info: visit ScottsdalePublicArt.org/ exhibitions for times and additional information.

ert Frost, and the choral will sing its arrangement by American composer Z. Randall Stroope.

Smolnik said he also loves the poem’s 1959 version by Randall Thompson, which he studied earlier.

“It illustrates how I feel about the people that are closest to me, that even if it’s a short activity, if it’s something trivial, I still both want and value their company,” he said. “I feel that often we talk about these greater causes, about doing things outside ourselves, but the reality of the matter is we, as individuals, have the power to affect those around us.”

Chorale member and Phoenix resident Brooke Stephens, assistant headmaster and music teacher at Chandler Preparatory Academy, finds the concert’s theme particularly poignant, when reflecting on the paucity of social interaction during the past two years.

“Choir is a community and we are doing it just as much for each other as to the audience. We love singing together and inviting each other to sing,” she said. “It’s partly that reminder that we get to journey together not only with other choir members, but we are inviting our audience, too.”

The Sonoran Desert Chorale was founded in 1994 by Jeff Harris, who directed the group for 25 years.

It is a sophisticated choral organization that presents musical compositions from cultures around the globe as well as pieces from the European and American music traditions. Concerts frequently include guest performances and collaborations with artists and organizations in the community.

Stephens, a music teacher and the assistant principle at a Chandler school, believes that anyone can sing in a choir. To become part of the Sonoran Desert Chorale, the ability to read sheet music is a necessity, but having a solo voice is not.

“Making music with others is such a fulfilling community activity,” she noted.

A chorale member for 16 years, Stephens finds it difficult sometimes to attend Thursday’s practice nights because of a busy schedule. But it’s always invigorating.

“Every time we get to Thursday, I am always wondering if I have enough energy to make it to choir,” she said. “But every time, I would find myself leaving choir with more energy than when I came in.”

Smolnik, who came on board toward the end of 2019, just when Covid-19 was about to spread, had to keep the members engaged without the possibility of meeting and singing together. It was a difficult and unusual challenge.

The regular rehearsal hours were maintained, but conducted online. The musical selections and instructions were uploaded in advance and breakout groups worked with leaders to sing them. Later, the singers had to practice and record audio and video on their own. During rehearsals, just one person could sing because of the lag in time.

Sometimes, experts presented online workshops.

“So, there was still that community because we could see each other on Zoom,” Stephens said.

“Even though we couldn’t sing together in the same way, through those workshops and through the teaching of the pieces that we were to record and submit to the virtual choir, I really did feel that that was my only social outlet during the entire year.”

“It’s been great to see the emotional journey of coming back to singing. I had tears streaming down my face for the entire first rehearsal. I could not believe how beautiful the music sounded together in the same room again,” Stephens said.

Smolnik said he felt “ecstatic and excited” at the first in-person rehearsal, but the mask concealed the emotions.

“The next rehearsal I basically started crying under my mask because it was such an emotional experience to be back with people that you view as your musical family and sharing your connection to the words and to the musical settings,” he said.

The chorale was able to present concerts last October (about nature’s beauty), December (celebratory classical Christmas songs) and February (the many facets of love).

“The director has tried to program the things that we can never take for granted again,” Stephens said. “Singing is one of those things We’ll always remember how lucky we are to get to sing side-byside, shoulder-to-shoulder.”

Details: sonorandesertchorale.org