Calendar
ABOUT TOWN
Favorites of the month from the area’s abundant offerings in art and entertainment
15 CINDERELLA
NAU’s Ardrey Memorial Auditorium, 4 p.m. From the innovative State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara comes a retelling in music and dance of the timeless tale of triumph over oppression. The troupe brings the fairytale to life with unexpected twists and turns that will please youngsters and ballet enthusiasts. Tickets are $10.50-$40.50. Call (928) 523-5661. ticketing.nau.edu
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EARTH DAY
Bushmaster Park, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sustainable living is the focus of the Flagstaff Earth Day celebration. Visit vendors and workshops, and enjoy entertainment by Sambatuque and Tha ‘Yoties. A volunteer community cleanup precedes the event. Free admission. www.flagstaff.az.gov/1439/Earth-Day
25 IMARHAN
Coconino Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. The name means “the ones I care about,” and the music reflects the group’s Taureg culture as well as their multi-generational background. From southern Algeria, the band draws on traditional music, pan-African rhythms and ballads as well as modern pop and rock. Tickets are $18-$20. flagartscouncil.org
ONGOING RECYCLED ART SHOW
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MASTERFUL MUSIC
NAU’s Ardrey Memorial Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale of Flagstaff unite for a presentation of two famous classics—Brahms’ Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) conducted by Edith Copley and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 conducted by Charles Latshaw. Tickets are $15.75-$69.75. Call (928) 523-5661. www.flagstaffsymphony.org
Arts Connection Gallery, Flagstaff Mall Artworks made of recycled and used materials are featured in this 16th annual exhibit hosted by the City of Flagstaff and the Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff through April 30. The gallery is located in the Flagstaff Mall near JCPenny and is open noon-7 p.m., Monday through Saturday; noon-6 p.m., Sunday. www.flagstaff-arts.org april18 namlm.com
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IN THEIR OWN WORDS ‘Welcome! We are the Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau.’ How the Museum of Northern Arizona remade a key gallery By Nancy Wiechec
When the area’s leading museum sought to remake one of its main standing exhibits, it went straight to those with firsthand knowledge of the subject—the native people of the Colorado Plateau. Fresh in approach and presentation, the new Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona is a space made up of artifacts and art, languages and voices. The first major revamp of the exhibit in nearly 40 years was put together with the help of 42 tribal people from Zuni, Acoma, Southern Ute, Southern Paiute, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, Yavapai, Dilzhe´e Apache and Diné (Navajo) communities. Narratives in the displays are told in first person, from their points of view. Robert Breunig, who curated the museum’s previous ethnology exhibit, returned to oversee the new installation. This time around, he saw himself more as a conduit than a curator. “The best part of this whole project for me was just getting together and talking with the 8
Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
people of the various tribes. I was moved by how much sharing went on,” he said. “I was simply the conduit through which they told their own stories.” It’s an approach museums are turning to more and more these days. Having community members tell their stories conveys deeper meaning. Breunig, who served as the museum’s president and chief executive officer from 2003 to 2015 and before that as curator, spent countless hours in dozens of meetings with tribal members uncovering the essence of indigenous stories that span a millennium and more. They perused cultural artifacts from the museum’s extensive collections to select items for public display. “We physically laid out numerous items and went through them and talked about each one. It was a back-and-forth conversation,” Breunig said. Those conversations formed the foundation for the anthropologist and the museum to find out how the native tribes see themselves and how they see the world. They were asked, "What do
Walpi Woman Skateboard
you want people to know about you?” And, the overwhelming response was, “We want people to know we are still here, that we have not disappeared.” Tribal members also expressed the desire for people to understand their connection to the land, where they came from, their values, family life and the historical trauma of Native American life. Some of the consultants brought museum expertise to the project, including Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss of the Havasupai, Susan Sekaquaptewa of the Hopi and Jim Enote of the Zuni. Watahomigie-Corliss, a Havasupai Tribal Council member who has studied arts and cultural management as well as anthropology, called the process collaborative and empowering, and sees the new exhibit having a positive impact on the region. “Traditionally, the museum model is to catalog history over time and to put natives in a perspective of dying cultures—communities that are past tense and no longer thriving. … [This] exhibit underlines the fact that we are very much here, now.” Watahomigie-Corliss said visitors will delight in what they can learn from the exhibit, like the native origins of “Coconino,” a word that names a county, a national forest and establishments in northern Arizona. Ultimately, she hopes museum visitors walk away with one key
awareness: respect for the information presented and for that which has been excluded. “In native culture, information is earned and taught at a specific age and within specific circumstances. Such knowledge is taught by elders and is not given freely to all. … I would hope that people would have respect for the information that is shared and an understanding that some knowledge is sacred and kept for the tribe.” This is not an easy notion for non-native people to grasp, Watahomigie-Corliss readily admits, “especially in a society where knowledge is everything and for everyone.” Among the communities featured in the exhibit are two of the smallest present-day tribal populations in the U.S.—the Southern Paiute and Southern Ute, with around 300 members each—and the largest, the Diné, with more than 300,000 members. While American Indians and Alaska Natives comprise about 1.3 percent of the total U.S. population, native people make up a much greater portion of the residents of the Colorado Plateau. In three northern Arizona counties—Coconino, Navajo and Apache— native people are 28, 46 and 75 percent of the population respectively. The 342 objects in the new exhibit range from the practical, like a woven parching tray used by the Havasupai to dry corn and other foods, to the complex and decorative designs of Acoma pottery. There are also objects that visitors are
welcome to touch and feel, such as a collection of sheep bones that a Hopi woman would use as dolls to explain Hopi social structure to children. Video introductions from tribal members, multimedia presentations showing tribal activities from the early 1800s through today, and contemporary pieces, like a skateboard decorated by Hopi artist Mavasta Honyouti, portray a people who honor and celebrate their traditions in the modern world. The space was executed by design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates, which has worked on some of the world’s most renowned museums, including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. The firm molded the Native Peoples space to showcase the rich and distinctive heritage of each community, while exploring shared themes, like food and ceremony, that transcend tribal lands. “In putting together this gallery, we wanted to demonstrate a level of complexity and sophistication.” Breunig said. “But most importantly, we wanted to have this exhibit be the tribes telling their own stories in their own voices.” Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau will open to members of native communities Saturday, April 14. The public opening is Sunday, April 15. The museum, 101 N. Fort Valley Rd. in Flagstaff, is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. april18 namlm.com
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Images are courtesy of the Museum of Northern Arizona
Painted wood skate deck by artist Mavasta Honyouti, Hopi, Village of Hotevilla; 2017 This piece emphasizes the contemporary nature of native art, combining popular culture with traditional Hopi imagery.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS Excerpts from the exhibit
We represent different nations and have diverse origins, territories, languages, customs and histories. Yet we all share the Colorado Plateau landscape, many of the same values, and the challenges of living in this modern world.
Zuni Bear Carving
Bear with honey; Ronnie Laahty, Zuni; circa 2006
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
Acoma Pot Frances Torivio, Acoma, 1960s
Master potter Frances Torivio specialized in painting parrots, rainbows and flowers in multiple colors using diverse clay paint colors from Acoma lands.
Pueblo of Acoma Acoma oral history ref lects on a time far beyond our imagination, a time of creation and emergence onto this world. We have always known of a special place called Haak’u, our spiritual homeland prepared for our eternal settlement. Our ancestors built Haak’u over 1,000 years ago, atop a steep-sided mesa in what is now northwestern New Mexico. Also known as Sky City, our old village is the social and spiritual center of our Acoma world. We are one of seven pueblos that speak a Keresan-family language. Our kinship system is organized into clans.
Zuni We are the A:Shiwi, also known as the Zuni. We live beside the Zuni River in what is now northwestern New Mexico, on lands straddling the border of Arizona and New Mexico. Our Zuni language is unrelated to any known language. After our emergence from the Grand Canyon, we began a centuries-long migration. We traveled up and down the rivers and streams and the canyons and plateaus of this region, leaving evidence of our presence in ancient villages. Our journey led us up the Colorado and the Little Colorado rivers and then to the Zuni River, an umbilical cord to our emergence place and our ancestors.
Paiute We are the Nüwü (“people of the land”), traditionally a highly mobile hunting and gathering people. We moved over vast areas in seasonal patterns, led by our careful observations and intimate knowledge of the land. Diverse habitats in a range of elevations provided wide varieties of wild plant and animal foods for our families. Our Southern Paiute language is in the Uto-Aztecan family. We survived hard times and wonderful times, and we are still around. We don’t see bad experiences; we see learning experiences.
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Ute Horses transformed our Ute lives. Our tribal historians tell us we were among the first Native Americans to acquire horses, as early as the late 1500s. Having horses made it easier to hunt more buffalo and other large game, meet and mix with people from other bands and tribes, and defend our territory. We are still here. Today we are three Ute tribes: Ute Mountain, Southern Ute, and the Uintah and Ouray Ute. We are sovereign nations who speak dialects of our Ute language, a Uto-Aztecan family language. We live in the modern world and carry on our traditions.
Ute Beaded Saddlebag Cover (detail) Southern Ute, Mancos area; buckskin, glass beads, cotton cloth
Hopi We are one of the oldest living cultures of the Southwest, and we trace our history back more than 2,000 years. We are descendants of the Hisatsinom (“people of the ancient past”). Our Hopi language is in the Uto-Aztecan language family. We live in the high, arid mesas of northern Arizona. Each of our 12 villages affiliates with one of Hopi’s three mesas. Traditionally a kikmongwi (“village chief ”), a spiritual father, guided each village. Today a secular village council governs some villages, and a tribal council provides a central government. Our ancient traditional homeland, Hopitutskwa (“Hopiland”), covered much of the Colorado Plateau.
Hopi Corn Maiden Pendant with Hidden Gem
Sonwai (Verma Nequatewa), Hopi, Village of Hotvela; silver, turquoise, ebony, coral, lapis lazuli, sugilite, leather; circa 2009
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
Havasupai We Havasupai are the Havasuw’ Baaja’ (“people of the blue-green water”). This name refers to the color of the water in Havasu Creek, which runs through our Supai Village on its way to the Colorado River. Havasu Creek creates the famously beautiful waterfalls within Havasu Canyon—a side canyon in the western part of the Grand Canyon. Like our Hualapai and Yavapai neighbors, we speak in the Yuman language. Our Hopi neighbors know us as the “Cohonino” (Kòoninam in their language). And from these words came “Coconino,” as in Coconino Plateau. This plateau is our aboriginal territory, named for us, for we are its original inhabitants.
Havasupai Burden Basket
Willow and devil’s claw, Supai Village, before 1919
Hualapai Hualapai (Hwal’ bay, or “people of the tall pines”) is the name of one of our original 14 bands, the Mat-Hwal-Bey-Baja of the pine-covered Hualapai Mountains. Each band, 13 of which remain today, held its own territory and spoke a distinct dialect of our Yuman family language. We were a hunting and gathering and part-time agricultural people. With a deep spiritual connection to the land, we followed seasonally available resources in a variety of elevations and habitats from deserts to upland plateaus. Now we are one people, one nation, living both on and off our reservation—organized under the Hualapai Tribal Council.
Hualapai Basket
Twined storage basket, 20th century april18 namlm.com
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Diné (Navajo) We emerged on this earth from a place we call Hajíínéi, a place encircled by four sacred mountains. Our Diyin Dine’ é ancestors (the “Holy Ones”) once lived in a series of underworlds. In each of these their lives began happily, but in time, discord and disease forced them to enter the next world. The Diyin Dine’é entrusted to us the world we live in today—a world resplendent in light and beauty. Today we are the largest U.S. Native American tribe, in both land area and population. We have more than 300,000 tribal members and a reservation that is larger than the state of West Virginia. Our language is in the Athabascan family.
Yavapai-Apache We are the Yavapai-Apache Nation. We are two separate peoples, the Yumanspeaking Yavapai and the Athabaskanspeaking Dilzhe’e Apache. Traditionally our tribes moved seasonally, in closelyrelated family groups, across a vast region of central Arizona. We hunted game, gathered wild foods and practiced smallscale farming. Our territories overlapped, Yavapai mostly west of the Verde River and Apache mostly to the east of it. We shared natural resources, traded with each other and sometimes intermarried. Thus, although our languages and cultures differed, the U.S. government viewed us as being the same people and placed us on one reservation. Today we are a united people, living in our traditional Verde Valley homelands.
Navajo Serape
Mixture of raveled, handspun and commercial wool yarns; circa 1870-1880 14
Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
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there are many reasons to hire a caterer for an event. For personal or professional gatherings, the benefits of leaving the prep to experts are as numerous as the guests. And the bottom line: Caterers work hard to produce an effortless event so hosts and guests can simply enjoy it. The first step is hiring the right caterer, so pick up the promotional cards of creative crews at successful parties. Food is the overall factor, and the type of gathering determines the method and measure. If it’s a boxed lunch, a couple of options work well. For a cocktail a party, plan on 10 to 15 appetizers per person. A sit-down dinner requires more staffing, but people eat less than at buffets, where lines develop and stations require constant attention. Defining a party timeline keeps it lively and curbs costs. Consider a cocktail party with staffed stations for building tacos or beef sliders to circulate guests. Cut bar bills by showcasing a specialty drink and use one glass for all beverages to reduce rentals. Skip the filet mignon and focus on trends, like ethnic stews or braised meats. In the end, a capable caterer can make your event unique, memorable and affordable. Bigfoot BBQ earned a reliable reputation with Kim Duncan of Kim Duncan Designs for a fresh take and no boundaries approach to catering. Despite their legendary smoked meat, “We had the courage and confidence to branch out,” said J. Carnes, who partnered with Bigfoot in 2008, and now, concentrates on catering.
A mac ‘n cheese bar, baked potato bar and calabacitas enchiladas offered unexpected options at a wedding reception for a vegetarian family. The rustic joint in the basement of Old Town Shops celebrated 15 years in 2017 and finds its strength in a partnership that also includes Colby Ramsey, kitchen operations manager, and John Van Landingham, the business guru. In a setting of reclaimed barn wood, checked tablecloths and down-home charm, Bigfoot has f lourished. With South Carolina and Kansas style barbecue backgrounds, diners have it all—rubbed, sauced, pulled or sliced. Catering called Bigfoot for its first gig. And that spring reception for W.L. Gore recently came full circle in their 40th Anniversary party feeding 1,200 people. The partners haven’t shied away from any opportunity. “Our philosophy is to say ‘yes’ first and find the way to bring about an excellent product,” said Ramsey. “We push the limits and dazzle guests.” Catering for the Armed Forces involved rigorous inspections for food handling beyond industry standards, and Bigfoot is proud to have earned the trust to feed service personnel. So what are the catering possibilities? Bigfoot offers plenty. Caprese skewers spear grape tomatoes, mozzarella chunks and basil leaves drizzled with balsamic reduction for a handheld salad. A spectacular raw bar displays lobster tails, tiger shrimps, oysters and mussels as briny big bites on ice with a trio of sauces for pizazz. april18 namlm.com
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Saturday, May 5th 10am to 4pm PRESCOTT HISTORIC
HOME TOUR 2018
Tickets $17 available at reception tent at Smoki Museum • 147 N. Arizona Ave. and in advance for $15 at the museum and Klein Properties • 130 Grove Ave. Online tickets available at smokimuseum.org/2018-historic-home-tour
Mother Road Expansion
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BY THE BOTTLE
Butler location on tap with classics and guest pours
t’s said that the keys to longterm success are measured growth, dedication to a vision and a quality product. Here in Flagstaff, there is no better example than Mother Road Brewing Company. Mother Road’s bestselling Tower Station India Pale Ale became an icon in the Arizona craft beer scene almost immediately after its release, and it made perfect sense that when the time came to can its beers, the unfiltered IPA was the brewery’s first choice. Owners Michael and Alissa Marquess opened the doors of Mother Road in an old laundromat off of South Mike’s Pike in 2011, a move that brought new life into a quiet corner of Flagstaff’s Southside. Now, less than a decade after opening, the brewery has outgrown its humble beginnings and has opened another location, a much larger production facility and tasting room off Butler Avenue. Like everything Mother Road does, the Butler brewery keeps an emphasis on a northern Arizona aesthetic, right down to the locally made bar top carved from a single pine tree that once grew behind Little America Hotel. The decor is vintage car culture with most of the memorabilia being supplied by Michael Marquess’ father
By Mike Williams
who owned an auto shop in Oregon. In the quaint lounge area are classic Ford and Chevy doors covered in quintessential Flagstaff business stickers. Next to the lounge, is a boardroom, complete with a seven-piece art set from late American artist William Dean Fausett. Across the room, staff pictures show the growth of the company since its inception, from a modest handful to now more than 20 people. The brewery and cannery is easily one of the most visually spectacular in the city. Each piece of polished stainless steel machinery was handmade by Forgeworks of Colorado. The mashton, liquor tanks, fermenters, kettles, serving tanks and everything else are all on proud display just beyond the bar so customers can actually sit, sip and see the making of the deliciousness they’re there to enjoy. The first brew from this facility, Mother Road’s Session IPA, should be reaching taps right around the time this magazine reaches readers. As with many breweries, Mother Road Butler will feature craft beers made on the premises as well as guest taps and collaborations. With the prestige that Mother Road has garnered since its inception, it’s no surprise that they remain a hot commodity for other breweries to work with.
On tap at time of press, the black lager crafted with Goldwater Brewing of Scottsdale, Arizona, stood out thanks to its roasted and toasted chocolate notes and hints of flowery coffee. In addition to the rotating taps and collaborations, Mother Road Butler runs the same line of mainstays as the original Mike’s Pike venue. Tower Station is ever present and always a solid choice. The fruity Mother Road Kolsch style ale, coming in at 4.3 percent ABV and 19 IBU, is a perfect session beer chock full of flavor for a sunny afternoon, while Lost Highway Double Black IPA packs more of a punch at 8 percent ABV and 100 IBU. Lost Highway has long been a
local favorite, not just because of its boldness, but also the history infused into its very name. Operations Manager Oliver Adams explains: “When interstate highways were being built, a lot of sections of historic roads, especially those on Route 66, were no longer frequented. They eventually fell off to the wayside and weren’t cared for, so there’s many parts of Route 66 that are literally lost. You can’t navigate them unless you’ve got four-wheel drive. At one point, that highway was one of the busiest in the U.S. So, we dedicated this to the road less traveled.” Mother Road's Butler Brewery is located at 1300 Butler Ave, Suite 200. april18 namlm.com
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THE ARTS
Community Canvas Transforming the way we think of walls By Gabriel Granillo
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
W
alls are structures
built to enclose or
divide, to separate this from that. To many, a wall is just a wall, but for Mural Mice
Universal artists R.E. Wall
and Margaret Dewar a wall is a canvas.
Where some see the wall of a public restroom in a Bushmaster Park, the Mice see a space on which to tell a story—a story of drug abuse, of homelessness, of community and of hope. Where some see a wall in a parking lot littered with empty milk crates and cigarette butts, the Mice see the vastness of the Grand Canyon and the dizzying depths of millions of years of crumbling earth. “When you start looking at walls in terms of canvases it’s incredible.” said Dewar. “There are so many places where you could lift everyone’s spirits if you splash a little art there.” Accepting the blankness of our environment is something that can be learned and ritualized. For Dewar and Wall, who have been working together since 2004, there’s something wrong with that lack of energy and dialogue, especially in environments where a community voice has gone unheard. “If we take these spaces that are neglected and transform them a little bit and put a bunch of energy in them it changes the way people behave,” said Dewar. “If we improve our environment, we can improve ourselves. An improved environment creates more cultivated people.” Mural Mice Universal, codirected by Dewar and Wall, is a collective of community muralists. They say anyone could become a mural mouse. Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans, elderly park residents, students at Summit High School and more have lent a brush to one of the more than 15 murals the Mice have created in northern Arizona. “By collaborating and bringing in younger artists and elders in the community and anybody who is interested into the process, you kind of get this unique piece of art that never would have come about had you done it by yourself,” said Wall. Dewar said they are driven to do community art because it “transforms the way people think about the environment they live in.” Take their Tuba City Public Library mural
"I am the Storm" at Summit High School
"Community Reflections" at Bushmaster Park
R.E. Wall and Margaret Dwear of Mural Mice Universal
in which they worked with Diné (Navajo) and Hopi natives. Spending weeks submerged in native culture, Wall and Dewar learned what story the Diné and Hopi wanted to tell, and it wasn’t their own. “They wanted something that got them away from their town, away from their story, they wanted to see beautiful oceans and tropical animals and panda bears and dragons even,”
said Wall. The library mural spills onto the ceiling with tropical trees and animals, two native children read above one book stand, and wild animals peer out into the ocean above another. “It was really amazing to the see the kind of devotion they have for art,” said Wall on working with children on murals. “It’s funny when you ask an adult if they want to help april18 namlm.com
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[with painting], they say, ‘No. I don’t want to mess it up.’ But when you ask a child, they don’t hesitate. They grab that brush and pretty much go for it.” The Bushmasters Park mural was the collective’s first foray into community art in a social environment like a park. The artists said they soon came to realize that although people use the park individually, they didn’t necessarily see the park as a group, as a community with a story. In places such as schools or library, there is already a community in place, a group of people who identify with each other in some way. With a park, that sense of community is not as readily apparent. When starting the project, the Mice built a lemonade stand and offered drinks in exchange for ideas about what to put on the
mural, handing out papers with questions like “What do you want to do before you die?” and “What is important to you?” The Mice wanted to know what a community dreamed about, what they aspired to be and do. Asking questions, building a
thorn in an instant if blown a little too hard. “We really feel that it’s not fulfilling enough to paint just a picture of people together. We want people to actually come together, especially children, especially schools,” said Wall. “It’s all about empowerment, listening to community, listening what they have to say, and if we think about it that way, public art is everybody’s business.” Having taken home the 2018 Viola Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts for their eight murals in the Flagstaff area, Dewar and Wall are keeping busy down south in Peoria, where they are working on a 500 square-foot mural for the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. A little different from working on a community mural, the theater mural will be the Mice’s own creation. “It’s funny, because we’ve been working with other people and their ideas for so long it’s kind of difficult to come up with our own,” said Dewar with a laugh. “But we’re trying some new stuff, experimenting with cubism and other things. I think right now we’re just interested in places without art.” “I feel like we’re working for a higher purpose,” added Wall. “We’re working to bring people together, to get to know each other, We’re working so that everybody becomes a little closer.” A wall can be more than a division or an end. A wall can be a story, a narrative of culture and community. A wall can be more than a wall, if we added just a little bit of color.
It’s all about empowerment, listening to community, listening to what they have to say, and if we think about it that way, public art is everybody’s business. dialogue and sharing ideas created a world in which they and the community existed, a shared space for all to be inspired. The final piece, chosen by the community from a handful of drafts from Dewar and Wall, is a girl blowing bubbles through a rose bush with thick thorns. Each bubble is a theme, a delicate moment that could be ruptured by a
"Ever After" at Tuba City Public Library
"Mother Myth of Rout 66" in Flagstaff, A Z. Photo by Gabriel Granillo
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
MIND & BODY
R
MASSAGE
By Starla S. Collins
Understanding styles and therapies
emember when you would call your favorite massage therapist to make an appointment and the only questions asked and answered were about day and time? These days, scheduling an appointment is the easy part. The challenge is understanding and determining the myriad of options available. There is the style of massage to consider; from relaxing to reflexology, deep tissue to lymphatic, the choices seem ever-expanding. Then there’s the length of session. Is 30 minutes good or is longer necessary? Should one include hot stones or other additional therapies? What about a customized session with music, special lighting, table temperature and specific pressure? Mark Love, owner of Massage Envy in Flagstaff and Prescott, says that one of the best things about massage is that every session can be customized. “Massage therapy encompasses many different techniques, styles and personalized options, which can vary from appointment to appointment. In the winter, deep tissue for aching muscles from snow shoveling may be in order. After taking final exams, a relaxing massage is just what is needed to end the semester. Sometimes it is about bodywork and total body stretching to help reach sports and physical goals. “Few things allow us to individualize an experience for the moment like massage therapy does.” He also says that the numerous choices can be confusing, especially to those new to massage therapy, which is why it is good to ask questions when booking an appointment so you can be paired with the best therapist and therapies to address your needs. Here is a starting point with some common massage techniques and optional therapies and the potential benefits. april18 namlm.com 23 23
TECHNIQUES Swedish or relaxation: A gentle technique that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to target upper layers of the muscles to relax and energize. Deep massage: Targets the deep layers of the muscle by using deep, slow and smooth strokes to ease the tension that may be beyond the reach of a relaxation massage. Sports massage: Designed specifically for the very physically active, it combines several techniques to concentrate on the body areas related to a specific sport. Athletes often get massages to prepare for peak performance, to prevent and treat an injury or to reduce the buildup of lactic acid. Trigger-point or neuromuscular: Targets areas of tender muscle points and tight muscle fibers that can form after injuries or overuse.
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
Myofascial release: Applying gentle sustained pressure into the connective tissue that covers the muscles to help ease painful restrictions and restore range of motion. Craniosacral: Extremely light pressure is used to help stimulate the muscles and fluids within the cranium and around the spinal cord to help relieve stress and headaches. Reflexology: Uses pressure on the feet and hands with specific thumb, finger and hand techniques, based on a system of zones and reflex areas that mirrors an image of the body. Acupressure: Applying pressure to certain points on the body to relieve pain and promote health and well-being. Streto method stretch: The ancients believed in the idea of “where your mind goes, the body will follow,” that’s why the Streto Method starts at the head and neck and
works downward to stretch and lengthen tendons and facia throughout the body. Shiatsu: Combines gentle stretches with finger pressure on specific points to fix imbalances in the body’s energy flow. Thai: Perhaps the most invigorating type of massage as the therapist uses his or her own body to move your body into yoga-like stretches; usually done on the floor on a mat. ADDITIONAL THERAPIES Aromatherapy and essential oils: The best essential oils are 100 percent natural, highly concentrated plant essences that have restorative properties. Oils can be applied to the skin, diffused into the air or put on linens. Hot stone: Hot stones are applied to the body to bring warmth and pressure to various areas around the spine and to tight, sore or injured areas to release tension, soothe and jumpstart the healing process.
Happy Heart Call today for your Cardiac Consultation
928.226.6400 Mountain Heart welcomes Dr. David Leder, MD, FACC Dr. Leder specializes in complex coronary interventions and advanced vascular interventions.
Dr. Leder’s expertise and special interests include:
- General and Interventional Cardiology - Treatment of Critical Limb Ischemia - Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Symptomatic Venous Disease - Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair - Mesenteric and Renal Intervention
Dr. Leder recently worked for AMITA Health Medical Group Heart and Vascular in suburban Chicago. He completed his Fellowships at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Tufts University. Dr. Leder is Board Certified in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Vascular Medicine and Endovascular Intervention. He is also Board Certified in Nuclear Cardiology and RVPI-Registered Vascular Ultrasound Interpretation.
2000 S. Thompson St. Flagstaff, AZ
www.mountainheartcares.com
OUTDOOR LIFE
SWEET SOLITUDE The calming landscape of Sycamore Canyon south Article and Photos By Larry Hendricks
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Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine
DISTINCTIVE SPACES
F
lagstaff is a beautiful place to live, and we are blessed to be able to enjoy four
seasons. Having an outdoor space that is beautiful and inviting during the summer and fall are a must. That said, there are challenges to creating a pleasant and comfortable outdoor living space in northern Arizona. There is wind, intense sun as well as cooler nighttime temperatures to consider. Here are some must-haves for great outdoor spaces.
1 shade At 7,000 feet the sun is more intense, and sitting on a patio or in the backyard in 70-degree weather can feel like 90. Include sun shades, a pergola or umbrellas in your outdoor living space. Because high winds often blow through Flagstaff and the surrounds, make certain that any covers and shades are securely set on the ground with heavy stands. Close up umbrellas and tuck them in a safe place when not in use.
2 Defined space I love having a lounge area with freestanding planters, sofa, chairs and a coffee table. An outdoor rug can tie the space together. Add bright, patterned and textured pillows as well. Make it fun and colorful! Outdoor space should be a continuation of interior space, not an afterthought.
3 Separate dining Who doesn't love dining outdoors? An outdoor rug, farm table with chairs, with an outdoor cooking space and bar make it a perfect environment to entertain family and friends. For elegant spreads, decorate your table like you would indoors with a table runner, napkins and dining ware. Florals, small cacti or greens and candles add special ambience. 30
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People are doing incredible things here. That said, the scene largely inhabits facilities that are older and desperately in need of upgrade. Flagstaff is woefully behind in terms of sufficient facilities for arts programs.
John Tannous Arts Council Director Tell us about yourself. I’m the executive director of the Flagstaff Arts Council, a position I’ve held for 11 years. I’m a father of two; my daughter Riley is a junior at Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy and my son is 22. I’ve lived in Arizona for the past 33 years. Originally, I’m from Morgantown, West Virginia. Do you recall your first introduction to art? When I lived in West Virginia, my elementary school class visited a glass studio. I remember being dazzled by the colors, shapes and intricate designs artists could create using fire. Are you an artist? I’m a writer. I have written essays, columns, poetry, and stories. I’m working on a never-ending
novel. I’ve taken a number of classes in figure drawing, acting and painting, but I don’t focus on those as my primary work. How long has the Flagstaff Arts Council been around? What are its objectives? The Arts Council was founded in 1999 by a group of local artists along with local governments, educational institutions and the chamber of commerce. Its mission is to promote, strengthen and advocate for arts, culture and science through programs at the Coconino Center for the Arts. It also serves as the local arts agency for Flagstaff artists and organizations. The council motto is: “Art, music, science and culture: it’s all better up here.” What does
science have to do with art and culture? And, why is it better in northern Arizona? There are thousands of arts councils throughout the country, and only a few that focus on both arts and science. Flagstaff is one of them because this is a community where the sciences are crucial to our identity and have so often been reflected in the arts. Many scientists here are also artists. As for why it’s better up here: Flagstaff has a high concentration of artists per capita because of the natural beauty all around us. This place is heaven for creative people. How do you see the art scene in northern Arizona? Vibrant, robust and full of creative, intelligent, visionary individuals and organizations.
The arts council just handed out its Viola Awards, the annual prizes in art, music, science and culture. What stood out among the awardees? The first thing that hits people who attend the Viola Awards for the first time is that there are so many people doing such powerful and important work in Flagstaff. I think the Todos Unidos exhibition at the Pioneer Museum makes a powerful statement about populations in a community’s history that are often overlooked. It was a joy to see Janelle Reasor take home a Community Impact award. She’s so selfless. Is there a piece of art that you can’t stop thinking about? There are so many! I often become obsessed with a work of art. I still remember a painting that mesmerized me in a museum in Tacoma, Washington, 15 years ago! Charmagne Coe’s paintings have such depth that I had to have one for myself. Also, Dark Sky Aerial’s performance of Opia still resonates with me a year and a half later. april18 namlm.com
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