Frontdoors - August 2017

AUGUST 2017 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 8

FALL ARTS & CULTURE PREVIEW NEALE PERL Q&A | TOP UPCOMING EXHIBITS | PEOPLE TO WATCH AUGUST 2017

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PUBLISHER Andrea Tyler Evans EDITOR Mike Saucier CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cheyenne Brumlow CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jamie Killin SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER Tyler Butler ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lynne Wellish CMP

On the Cover PHOTOGRAPHY Phoenix Symphony

BEAUTY PARTNER - MAKE-UP The Sparkle Bar BEAUTY PARTNER - HAIR STYLING Julia Mendez

GENERAL INFORMATION & PRESS RELEASES info@frontdoorsmedia.com 3104 E. Camelback Road #967 | Phoenix, AZ 85016 480-622-4522 | frontdoorsmedia.com 2 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM

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TABLE OF CONTENTS {august 2017, volume 15, issue 8}

10 EDITOR’S NOTE......................... 05 Mike the Sauce NEXT DOORS............................. 06 Sky Harbor Airport COVER STORY........................... 10 Phoenix Symphony FALL ARTS & CULTURE.............. 18 Preview and Directory KITCHEN DOORS....................... 60 Where We Ate This Month OFFICE DOORS.......................... 62 Dr. Aaron Blocher-Rubin GIVING IN STYLE....................... 64 Fashion in the Philanthropy Lane HEAR HERE................................ 68 News, Updates & Events CHARITY SPOTLIGHT................ 72 Valley Youth Theatre BOOKMARKED........................... 76 Who’s Reading What this Month A SECOND ACT.......................... 78 with Judy Pearson OPEN DOORS.. ........................... 80 Herberger and the Arts

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EDITOR’S NOTE {on the job}

Welcome to our Fall Arts & Culture preview!

In this special edition we dedicate most of the magazine’s space to the one thing that serves as a steady reminder of the richness and diversity of our existence – the arts.

The arts also tie us to our human aspirations.

Whatever dreams and desires (and fears) we have, collectively or as individuals, are reflected back at us in our theatres, museums, gardens, galleries and performance arts spaces. I know the power of the arts firsthand, having been moved in my younger days by the plays of Arthur Miller and today as a ASU Gammage season-ticket holder. The theatre, the museum or the concert hall – pick your happy place. This is where we go to understand what it means to be human.

It’s also where we go to spend money. Going to a show is more than just going to a show.

It’s eating dinner and having drinks before the performance. It’s shopping at stores nearby the venue or at the shop within it. It may involve dessert or a nightcap. It will more than likely mean paying for parking.

In Phoenix alone, total 2015 spending by the nonprofit arts and culture industry totaled $401,780,785, according to a new national study by Americans for the Arts, supporting 12,815 full-time jobs and generating $19.5 million in local revenue. That’s big business.

In fact, the Department of Commerce estimates that nonprofit and for-profit arts in the U.S. is a $704 billion industry, accounting for 4.1% of gross domestic product. That’s bigger than industries such as tourism and construction.

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The Americans for the Arts study shows about a third of attendees live outside the area in which the arts event took place.

Event-related spending among outside-thearea attendees is more than twice that of their local counterparts (nonlocal: $39.96 vs. local: $17.42). That means the arts attract visitors who spend money while maintaining a vibrant following close to home. All of it helps neighborhood businesses.

But their titanic economic impact cannot measure up to the effect the arts have on our souls. They’re what help us make sense of the past. They affirm our thirst for something more in this life.

We live in some extraordinarily interesting and, if we’re being honest, divisive, times.

But during wars both political and actual, the arts will always be there to bring us together through the stories created by artists and then told on the big screen, on stage, in a painting or in a song.

Strip all that away­– the plays from the theatres, the songs from the chorales, the paintings from the galleries, the sculptures from the museums, the books, the poetry – and we’re living in a world gone dark, disdainful of grace and beauty. The arts are our lights.

Mike Saucier Mike Saucier EDITOR

@mikethesauce

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NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}

SKY HARBOR IS JUST PLANE GREAT —

AND ABOUT TO BECOME EVEN BETTER Tom Evans | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR I spent most of the month of June traveling (#humblebrag). And as a result, I got to do the Pepsi Challenge between seven different airports around the country in a very condensed amount of time.

And my friends, I am here today to tell you — we have one of the sweetest airports you’ll find anywhere in the country. Or world, for that matter. In an age where travel has gone from enviable to excruciating, Sky Harbor International Airport is a place that takes the stress out of modern travel and replaces it with a refreshing, enjoyable airport environment.

Not only that, but Sky Harbor is about to take it up another notch, thanks to investment in some key expansions and renovations that should take it into the future nicely.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is to provide world-class customer service to every person every day,” said Greg Roybal, public information officer for the airport.

“We pride ourselves on being ‘America’s Friendliest Airport,’ and in order to maintain that high level of service, we constantly look for improvements that will make Sky Harbor more efficient and more accessible.”

This is not something to take for granted.

It’s somewhat rare in this day and age to see a significant investment in an airport that’s in the middle of the city. When you think of some of the massive airports that have been the subject of major growth the past couple of decades — O’Hare, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta come to mind — most are located in the suburbs. Sky Harbor’s presence in the middle of town may have its drawbacks, but for the most part, the convenience is a nice feature.

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And, let’s face it. Airports are massive public buildings with extraordinary traffic, and as such, they wear quickly. They require investment and reinvestment by their very nature and mission. Sky Harbor handles 120,000 passengers per day.

That added up to a total of 43 million passengers in 2016.

But the most recent amount of investment in Terminal 4 — including the addition of an impressive cadre of locally based restaurants and retailers — has made the three-decade-old terminal one of the best facilities in the country. Along with the dining options, the open concourses, (relatively) efficient security areas and (somewhat) quick baggage service set Terminal 4 apart.

Terminal 3 is in the midst of getting the same treatment. It’s already been the subject of improvements to the ticket counters and security checkpoints, as well as a museum AUGUST 2017

gallery. The South Concourse is being completely redone with 15 new gates, and the North Concourse is getting the Terminal 4 food and beverage treatment.

Lest you think Terminal 4 is missing out, Sky Harbor’s international facilities are being upgraded to process more passengers and smooth the immigration process. These improvements are critical in achieving the one goal that has eluded the airport’s powers that be over the years — securing a significant number of overseas routes. Another eight-gate concourse is being added to the terminal’s southwest portion. And the retail revamp that started a few years back will continue with a second phase over the next two years that will add another 16 new stores.

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this year that turned into an additional British Airways flight at the peak of summer travel season and new international service to Frankfurt, Germany on Condor beginning in May 2018,” Roybal said.

Finally, if you’ve not done so already, do yourself a favor and hit the Sky Train sometime. It’s slick. You can access it easily via light rail or choose to get dropped off there directly, giving you a chance to enjoy a free ride with some exceptional views.

Heck, take the kids — they’ll eat it up. It too is being expanded, with plans to finish the run from 44th Street all the way through the three existing terminals and parking areas to the new(ish) rental car center by the year 2022.

There’s obvious economic benefits to all this. While Sky Harbor is of course a publicly owned facility, it’s also a revenue generator, allowing all this growth and improvement to take place without pulling from other public programs. Sky Harbor is the largest economic driver in the state, with an estimated economic

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impact of $38 billion each year. Its growth and convenience makes Phoenix a more desirable travel destination (read: tourism dollars) and easier business destination (read: economic development and job growth), which creates…more economic impact and helps fund some of those aforementioned public programs.

But forget about all that. It’s the beginning of August, so chances are you’re either on your way back from summer vacation or

came back recently. I’m sure you took in all of Sky Harbor’s amenities on your last big trip. And if not, and you’re looking for an excuse to travel, you can always say you want to compare airports.

Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

@tevans927

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Photo Credit: Phoenix Symphony

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COVER STORY {by mike saucier}

Phoenix was once edging toward the day the music died.

Just seven years ago, Phoenix Symphony was a week away from bankruptcy, spending more than it could take in. The musicians had taken a 19 percent pay cut (and had been promised a restoration payment, or snapback, the following summer). Meantime, Jim Ward, a former president of LucasArts where he was responsible for the business growth of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises, had just finished an unsuccessful AUGUST 2017

campaign to represent Arizona’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Ward was called in the Symphony to, as he said, “kick the tires" for a couple days to get a feel for what was going on there.

Those two days turned into six years for Ward. The tires long ago kicked, the Symphony’s president and CEO restored a cherished Phoenix institution from the inside out.

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COVER STORY CONTINUED

“There was no grand expectation or objective coming in,” Ward said. “When I came into this organization it was a week away from bankruptcy. So the immediate objective was survival. The immediate objective was to keep music alive in this community not only for the aesthetic value of it but to help bolster a cultural economy that can attract and retain the kinds of businesses that we need for economic development.”

The climb back would be steep. The organization had to be right-sized. Ward began the process with the musicians, who, he said are the “real heroes of this story.” They had already taken a significant pay cut, the largest of any American orchestra up until that time.

Ward had to ask them to forgive the “snapback” or restoration payment they had been promised.

somewhat askew. Basically it came down to misplaced aspirations to become the L.A. Philharmonic.

“There were three fatal flaws with that,” Ward said. “The first was it suggested to our musicians that they weren’t as good as the L.A. Philharmonic. Whether or not that’s correct, and it’s not, that’s no way to motivate a creative workforce. Secondly, the previous regime had gone out into our communities saying we want to be the L.A. Philharmonic and the problem is that it fell on deaf ears, because this community is about Phoenix and Arizona, not L.A. And finally, the organization began to spend like the L.A. Philharmonic, which is the financial mess that I inherited.”

The prevailing dialogue in the Valley, Ward said at the time, has nothing to do with the arts, let alone the Symphony.

“Their choice was to either walk and go on strike, which, frankly they had the right to do, or take a giant leap of faith on someone who would had never run a nonprofit, had never run a symphony, and who, in full disclosure, ran as a Republican and busted unions” at LucasArts, Ward said.

“The dialogue in this community is all about our inability to diversify our economic base to attract and retain the kinds of businesses that we need,” Ward said. For the Symphony to get traction and a seat at the table, he said, they would need to align their needs with the needs of the community.

The musicians did something that is considered rare in American unions today, Ward said, which “is they put the needs of the community before their own needs and they forgave that snapback in order to give me enough runway to turn around the symphony.”

“We have to be part of a solution,” he said.

With their sacrifice, the musicians, Ward said, kept music alive for the community.

Aside from the financial concerns of the Phoenix Symphony, the mission was

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So Ward and the Symphony’s Board of Directors worked with musicians to come up with a vision, which is intact today: To be Arizona’s largest arts leader in the revitalization of Arizona. That means doing its part to help solve the issues that the state has in terms of growth.

“Our mission,” Ward said, “became to leverage what’s unique to us, which is the joy of music, in three distinct ways: to

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Steven Spielberg, Jim Ward and composer John Williams at the Symphony

continue to feed the soul of the community aesthetically; to bolster a cultural economy because we know a cultural economy is critical to that economic growth; and to help educate the next generation the creative workforce so we have the human capital to drive that economic growth.”

has been able to take the earned revenue side of its model, subscriptions and single ticket sales, and grow them exponentially. They’ve been smart about how they market by creating programming that attracts a broader and diverse and younger audience.

That mission became the linchpin from which everything flowed, allowing the symphony to go into the community and rebuild tarnished relationships and basically turn it around, Ward said.

One smart move, for example, was bringing Harry Potter into Phoenix Symphony Hall.

Fast forward to today.

The Symphony, now celebrating its 70th year, recorded the highest attendance in its history last season, accompanied by the highest earned revenue sales in its history.

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“Obviously there’s magic in franchises and certainly in the franchises that I used to run, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones,’” Ward said. “I brought Steven [Spielberg] and John Williams here for a concert and we’ve been mining there (franchises) for many years, with audiences enjoying it. Clearly the world of Harry Potter is one of those,” he said. “We began by having one of our family shows a number of seasons ago — Harry Potter themed around Halloween.

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Tito Munoz, music director

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When you have someone come in who has a vision and can implement it, that’s great.

JIM WARD

And that was just a really fun show. That grew into a regular audience show, ‘Halloween at Hogwarts,’ and we had two to three years of sold-out performances.”

Warner Brothers made all eight of the Potter films available so now audiences can see the film while the Symphony is playing the live score underneath it.

Knowing the popularity of the Harry Potter series, Ward leapt at the chance to run the films and will continue to grow the audience of Potter enthusiasts.

Younger audiences have also responded enthusiastically to the Legends Series, where the Symphony performs the music of bands such as Led Zepplein, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones.

The turnaround of the Phoenix Symphony is even more surprising in light of a tough environment for the arts in Phoenix. The Symphony cannot count on government support and Phoenix does not have the corporate base that many cities across the country do in terms of Fortune 500 companies per capita. What carries the water for the arts, Ward said, are foundations and individual donors.

It also helps to have a music director, Tito Munoz, who is young and who has, Ward said, “that new energy and just being able to be smart about what we offer the community.”

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Munoz, 33, who previously served as Music Director of the Opera National de Lorraine and the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy in France, took the baton in Phoenix in 2014.

“When you have someone come in who has a vision and can implement it, that’s great,” Ward said. “And so Tito does a number of things for us. First of all you know he inspires our musicians, which is the most important thing and he makes, what we say, ‘the band as tight as it can be.’”

Ward said Munoz also shares his passion for community impact, particularly in education.

Also important, said Ward, is that Munoz is of a generation that understands and digests media in a much different way.

“As we proceed our business plan of what we call Symphony 2.0, which is nothing less than creating a 21st century orchestra that’s sustainable, he is critical in helping us understand how to do that, particularly to a younger generation,” Ward said.

“He’s done an amazing job. We’ve begun to program young American composers.

There’s great talent in this country. They produce fresh ink in terms of great compositions that just don’t get played because they’re young and new. Tito knows a lot of them personally.”

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Ward spent over a decade working with legendary film director George Lucas in a private-sector creative environment so the idea of running the nonprofit Phoenix Symphony represented a new turn in his career.

“This is primarily an entertainment business in a different form,” he said. “I love working in a creative environment and I’m working with 66 professional, Julliard-trained musicians who are phenomenal. So that transition wasn’t really hard. Naiveté is always a good thing because I just know how to run things, which is to run it like a business and so that’s the approach that we’ve taken here right now.”

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Ward believes in artistic vibrancy. He said he wants people to experience an emotional impact at the Symphony, even if it is negative.

“We want them to experience the craftsmanship of an art that has been performed for hundreds of years,” he said. “But we want to deliver it maybe in a new way that stimulates them to think in different ways. There are a number of different kinds of experiences one can have but at the end of the day we want an emotional and engaged impact. And we also want an interactive one. We don’t want it just to be passive.”

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Fall Arts & Culture PREVIEW AND DIRECTORY

Frontdoors Media is putting a spotlight on the incredible arts organizations that call the Valley home this August in our Fall Arts & Culture Preview. We believe the arts have the rare ability to benefit the Valley because they attract creative people, bind communities and benefit the economy. We are proud to spread the message about the amazing shows, exhibits and classes planned for the 2017-18 season.

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Most Anticipated Exhibits Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A TRIBUTE TO JAMES GALANOS Phoenix Art Museum | August 19 - January 7

This exhibit, which pays homage to the late American designer James Galanos, will feature gowns created by his high-profile clients, such as Sybil Harrington, Kitty Carlyle Hart, Nancy Reagan, Ann Bonefory Taylor and Marie Vanderbilt Whitney. The exhibition’s pieces span five decades of his designs, as well as never before seen photographs from Galanos’ personal archives.

________________________________ ALEXANDER CALDER: AN OUTBURST OF COLOR Phoenix Art Museum | September 9 - April 1

This exhibit features the spontaneous and lively lithographs created by 20th century American artist Alexander Calder. Though known as the sculptor who created the mobile, his lithographs prove to carry the same feeling of creativity and movement.

________________________________ MARKING THE INFINITE: CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS FROM ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art September 23 - January 21

are revered matriarchs and celebrated artists in their communities. The exhibit tells the story of the sisterhood between the artists, addresses personal issues and contemporary themes and reflects on ancient cultural traditions.

________________________________ SHELLA PEPE: HOT MESS FORMALISM Phoenix Art Museum | October 14 - January 28

This exhibit will be the first mid-career survey on the work of sculptor, Sheila Pepe. Pepe has created large-scale installations and sculptures made from domestic and industrial fibrous materials for over 20 years, often incorporating feminist themes into her work.

________________________________ REPOSITIONING PAOLO SOLERI: THE CITY IS NATURE Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art October 14 - January 28

Paolo Soleri is an Italian architect best known for his work as the creator of Arosanti.

This 4,500-square-foot exhibit will be the first and only retrospective exhibition of Soleri’s work since his death in in 2013. This exhibition will also be SMoCA’s third and final exhibition exploring the Soleri’s art, architecture and philosophy.

This exhibit features the art of nine Australian women born between the 1920s and 1970s who

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Shella Pepe: Hot Mess Formalism Photo Credit: Phoenix Art Museum

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NEALE PERL, SCOTTSDALE ARTS CEO Neal Perl

Neale Perl is president and CEO of Scottsdale Arts, which manages three of the city’s cultural assets: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Scottsdale Public Art. He took over as CEO exactly three years ago this month. Perl has more than 25 years of experience in arts administration and presentation. He’s also an accomplished musician, having earned his bachelor of music in cello performance from The Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University and his Master of Music from Temple University. Frontdoors caught up with him recently to ask how things are going in the Scottsdale arts world.

FRONTDOORS: You’ve been the CEO for Scottsdale Arts for three years now. How are you liking the Valley so far, what has surprised you in this role and what has surprised you about the arts scene in the Valley?

community. We have Broadway, jazz, classical, dance, world music, film, and amazing festivals.

With some 1,000 events a year in Scottsdale and Phoenix, we attract over 400,000 people.

It is almost impossible for one person to know everything we do. So it’s a very exciting and demanding job and I love every minute of it.

What surprised me about the Valley is the richness of the arts scene in Scottsdale and the Valley. Everything you could want is here – and it is close by. On our Scottsdale Campus we have the best of the performing and visual arts – and then there is the Museum of the West around the corner from us, the art galleries around the corner, the Artist School as well, Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard, Mesa, the MIM, Taliesin, the theatre companies, I’m probably only scratching the surface here — the list is almost endless of things to do in the arts.

PERL: My wife and I love living here. We have some family members who used to live here in Phoenix before we were married and I remember visiting them and saying, ‘Oh, this would be a nice place to move to someday.’ So it worked out.

FRONTDOORS: SMoCA and the Performing Arts Center have some exciting shows and exhibits coming up this fall. What are you looking forward to in particular? What has the process been like in terms of curating acts and exhibits — does it get easier due to a boost in reputation for both institutions?

I guess if I had name one thing that has surprised me about my role, it is the incredible variety of what Scottsdale Arts has to offer the

PERL: Of course, as our reputation for excellence continues to grow, it makes bringing big name artists and musicians easier.

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FALL ARTS & CULTURE PREVIEW

Stuart A. Weiner, [Soleri sketching at his desk, Cosanti], ca.

1960. Gelatin-silver print, 10 x 8 inches. Collection of the Cosanti Foundation. © The Weiner Estate

In addition, my staff is very well connected in the art and music world, so we leverage those friendships to benefit the community. That is how we got Yo-Yo Ma here.

I am looking forward to everything. If I had to choose, I love our new Broadway Series with Seth Rudetsky at the Center (Megan Hilty, Kelli O’Hara) — so I’m really looking forward to that.

We’re doing Parsons Dance Company, so that’s a big event for us. We’re doing the Moscow State Symphony — and to do a 100-member orchestra in a hall that’s less than a thousand seats is really an exciting opportunity to see a huge international orchestra up close and personal. Then we’re also launching another new series at the Center, with Rob Kapilow and it’s all about the American Songbook.

And at SMoCA we have the new new Soleri Exhibition — it has been in the making for years — and, as you know, our Public Art division was responsible for building the Soleri Bridge. The only one of its kind in the world! I heard that he designed hundreds of bridges and this was the only one to be built.

In Public Art, I look forward to inviting friends from around the country to see Canal Convergence at the Waterfront in Scottsdale.

They’re amazed by the beauty of the event

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Paolo Soleri, [Untitled fabric design], 1950. Tempera, collage and black ink on paper, 11 ¼ x 17 inches. Collection of the Cosanti Foundation. © Cosanti Foundation

— a festival of light, art and water — and they love coming to Scottsdale. Everyone’s heard of Scottsdale but some people haven’t made it here yet. They’ve been to Santa Fe, Grand Canyon but they just haven’t been here. But with a personal invitation from a friend they come here and stay at one of the beautiful resorts, and they go, ‘Wow, we’re going to come back!’

I go to almost all the events and sometimes it’s just a personal discovery. We had (blues musician) Taj Mahal. I went and it was such a rocking show. On a personal level, it’s rewarding to see the work that my colleagues do, bringing these artists here.

Is our growing reputation helping? Absolutely.

FRONTDOORS: What are some of your favorite arts destinations in the Valley?

PERL: Obviously, in high season, I am out 4-5 nights a week just attending our own events — which doesn’t allow for a lot of free time. Still, I enjoy attending the Symphony, the Ballet, the Opera, the theatre companies, Phoenix Art Museum and the MIM. Whether its taking visitors or going with my wife, there’s just so much here.

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Top Art Classes to Take This Fall Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Art classes aren’t just for kids — they’re just as enriching and fun for adults. While many people enjoy all the great art in our city, you might be apprehensive about creating your own. That’s why we put together this list of unique classes for aspiring artists of all ages to get you started in what might be your next favorite hobby.

Thunderbird Arts Center MIRROR, MIRROR with David Jarvinen September 7 - September 14 Thursdays 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

In this unique class, artists of all abilities, will create an 8x12 mosaic mirror complete with grouting.

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Shemer Art Center TRAVEL SKETCHING with John Erwin August 4 - August 25 | Fridays 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Prepare for your holiday travels with this all-level class that will teach you how to quickly sketch and watercolor in a travel journal while traveling to create your own beautiful memories.

________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL WATER MEDIA with Sue Hunter September 12 - October 24 Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Try something new by combining medias such as tar gel, molding past and alcohol inks with more traditional watercolor and fluid acrylics to add variety and texture to your paintings.

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MASTER ESSENTIAL DIGITAL CAMERA with Lloyd Lande September 11 - October 2 | Mondays 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Ever wonder why your digital camera photos aren’t as good as the pros? This introductory class might be the answer. You’ll learn the basic workings of your camera including exposure and composition.

________________________________ ABSTRACT MARK MONOTYPE with Wendy Willis October 10 - October 24 | Tuesday 6:00 - 8:45 p.m.

Learning a new skill can be stressful — but in this abstract monotype class you can rejoice in knowing you can’t make a mistake. Throughout the three-week course you’ll create multiple 4 x 4 inch monotypes that will be more than worthy of a prominent place in your home. ________________________________ AUGUST 2017

FALL ARTS & CULTURE PREVIEW

Mesa Arts Center: Fabrication

Mesa Arts Center: Stained Glass

HOLIDAY CARD WORKSHOP with Wendy Willis Thunderbird Arts Center November 9 - November 16 | Thursday 6:00 - 8:45 p.m.

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than a custom holiday card workshop? In this class, you’ll have the opportunity to create a custom design that will be printed on 10 blank cards. Your family and friends will love the custom touch!

Mesa Arts Center: Flameworking

FLAMEWORKING: BOROSILICATE: BEGINNING

by Laurie Nessel August 29 - October 10 | Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

While it may sound a bit dangerous, this flameworking class is very safe, even for those as young as 13. Learn basic techniques like cutting and bridging and by the end of the seven-week class you’ll be creating small sculptures and hollow pendants.

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Mesa Arts Center BEGINNING ART JEWELRY: FABRICATION BASICS

by Victoria Altpeter August 28 - December 11 | Mondays 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

In this beginner class, you’ll gain the creative freedom of learning how to make your own jewelry — including earrings, rings, pendants and brooches. ________________________________ AUGUST 2017

STAINED GLASS

by Troy Moody October 24 - December 5 | Tuesday 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Learn one of the world’s most traditional and celebrated art practices — stained glass. The curriculum includes leading techniques, design principles and glass paints and stains. Participants will also learn how to make custom decals.

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Art in the Southwest’s Most Renowned Garden DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While many might not immediately connect arts and a garden — the Desert Botanical Garden has become a driving force in Phoenix’s culture scene with their wide variety of arts events and activities. The garden is a treasure in itself, with an array of 55,000 plants from around the world, making it the largest botanical garden in the Southwest.

This fall will be no exception when it comes to the garden’s community building initiatives, with a strong lineup of concerts, art events and festivals.

The Art in the Garden series will kick off on September 22 with Phoenix-based designer and sculptor, Larry Kornegay who creates sculpture, graphic artistry, sign painting and fine art painting, and will run through January 7 and will feature more than 20 pieces.

Internationally renowned ceramic artist, Jun Kaneko, will display his bold, colorful and monumental pieces begin October 13. The display will include 20 large-scale ceramic and bronze sculptures through May of next year.

natural space. Concerts will take place in October and November.

Other activities will include the family friendly annual event The Return of the Butterflies, on September 30 and a Dia de los Muertos festival November 4 and 5, the Chiles & Chocolate Festival on November 11 and 12 and the Dog’s Day in the Garden event on November 18.

On November 19, plant-lovers can also take advantage of the fall plant sale, which will feature of 30,000 varieties to choose from.

The garden will also host plenty of holiday events with 8,000 of the beloved Las Noches de las Luminares.

The fall will also include the venue’s highly anticipated Music in the Garden series, which will showcase some of the state’s best musicians outdoors in the garden’s beautiful

Photo credit: Adam Rodriguex

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Top Left: Art in the Garden series with Larry Kornagay Photo Credit: Bill Timmerman Bottom Left: Jun Kaneko Sculpture Exhibit Photo Credit: Takashi Hatakeyama Top Right: Desert Botanical Gardens Bottom Right: Día De Los Muertos festival Photo credit: Desert Botanical Gardens

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Five Fab Fall Tunes The world would be a dull place without music, and luckily in the Valley we have access to a lot of great tunes — from sold out tours at Jobing.com arena to captivating, classic compositions at Symphony Hall or musical numbers at ASU Gammage. Here are our top five tunes for this upcoming arts and culture season and where to find them.

“In My Own Little Corner” RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S “CINDERELLA” Performed at ASU Gammage, 12/19 - 12/24

This well-known tune comes from the Tony Award-winning production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” a Broadway musical that offers viewers a modern rendition of the classic fairytale complete with a full orchestra, beautiful sets and a lot of comedy.

“Prologue” HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE Performed by the Phoenix Symphony, 10/6 -10/8

This mystical number, composed by John Williams — who’s won Grammy Awards, Emmy Awards and everything in between, is musically synonymous with the larger-than-life Harry Potter film franchise. See this song, and the rest of the Academy Award-nominated soundtrack performed live by the Phoenix Symphony.

“Mamma Mia”ABBA Performed in “Mamma Mia! The Musical”

by Phoenix Theatre, 9/6 - 10/15

The chart-topping song by ABBA, which inspired the award-winning Broadway musical turned Golden Globe Award-nominated movie is set to be performed in Phoenix this fall as part of Phoenix Theatre’s adaptation of the

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play, “Mamma Mia!” along with other classic ABBA hits such as “Dancing Queen” and “The Winner Takes it All.”

“Big Bright Beautiful World” SHREK THE MUSICAL Performed in “Shrek The Musical” at Valley Youth Theatre - 8/11 - 8/27

If any song performed this fall in Phoenix is going to captivate your entire family this is it — not only is it inspired by the Academy Award-winning family film, “Shrek,” it’s being performed by the children of Valley Youth Theater. Don’t write this off as a typical kids’ production. Valley Youth Theater puts on topnotch performances and boasts alumni like Emma Stone and Jordin Sparks.

“If I Could Turn Back Time” CHER Performed by impersonators at Mesa Arts Center at “An Evening with Cher, Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler & Streisand Starring World Impersonators The Edwards Twins” - 10/18

Experience your favorite artists from the ‘70s and ‘80s, like Cher, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and many more through the art of impersonation during this variety show in which you’ll hear the hits you love like they were performed by the artists themselves. NBC “Today Show” hosts called it “one of the most extraordinary shows we have ever seen.”

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"Cinderella" Photo Credit: Takashi Hatakeyama AUGUST 2017

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EMBRACING THE PERSONAL AND ECONOMIC

POWER OF THE ARTS Benito Almanza | GUEST COLUMNIST

Few things are more powerful and personal than the arts. Each brush stroke, musical note and body movement creates a journey. My journey didn’t start in a typical way, but it brought me to a profound appreciation of the arts that has led me to a special opportunity to support Arizona’s rich arts scene as a banker.

Growing up in a small California farming community, there were no arts. My parents were farm laborers, moving around the Central Valley with the seasonal crops where we worked hard in the fields every day.

In college I got my first taste of the arts by hearing things I’d never heard before –a Grateful Dead concert.

Some may not think of the Grateful Dead as art. But that incredible night planted something in me, and not just a Grateful Dead

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obsession. I came to appreciate creativity that can appear in any art form.

The power of the arts is diverse. It reflects and inspires individual expression. It stimulates conversation and debate, opens us up to new ideas and possibilities. It creates a common thread that engages, connects, educates and enriches us as a society. And, importantly, the arts contribute to the economic vitality of our community.

A study, Arts & Economic Prosperity 5, estimates that nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and their audiences spent more than $400 million in Phoenix - nearly $23 million in the West Valley - in 2015, and that the arts and culture industry supported more than 12,800 full-time jobs in Phoenix, generating $19.5 million in local revenue and nearly $25 million to state coffers.

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Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Exhibit Photo Credit: Heard Museum Design

I am proud that my own employer, Bank of America, gets that the arts matter.

The local dance troupe is just as important as the world-class museum in its culture and economic contribution. Core to this is ensuring widespread access to the arts, and the bank takes a thoughtful approach to this locally.

Through our Museums on Us program, now in its 20th year, card holders get free access one weekend a month to local galleries like Phoenix Art Museum. The Arts in Our Communities program loans complete or customized exhibits at no cost to nonprofit galleries and museums to help stimulate local economic and cultural activity. The Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum benefitted from a stunning 32-piece minerals collection from the bank that is now part of its permanent collection.

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Preserving notable pieces for future generations is vital, and our Arts Conservation Project helped the Heard Museum restore eight iconic bronze sculptures by American Indian artists.

Finally, through direct funding such as the popular Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit at the Heard Museum, we can help cultural and art institutions do what they do best – offer diverse and often life-changing art that speak to us in a universal language and becomes its own currency.

Benito Almanza is Bank of America market president in Phoenix. He has seen the Grateful Dead 87 times.

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Less Obvious Places to Explore the Arts Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Most of us are already familiar with the heavy hitters in Phoenix’s arts scene, like the Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum and Phoenix Symphony to name a few.

However, the arts and culture scene in Arizona is more expansive than ever, with plenty of smaller organizations you might not even be aware of. This fall is a great time to visit at least one new spot, so we put together a list of our top less obvious places to explore the arts.

SHEMER ART CENTER AND MUSEUM The Shemer Center was converted from a historic building in 1984 into an art education center for the residents of Phoenix. In 1992, it was named one of the 21 Points of Pride for the City of Phoenix.

Today, the center still provides plenty of art classes features several exhibits each year — ranging from photography to sculpture.

MODIFIED ARTS Modified Arts was opened in 1999, and in 2010 it transitioned into a full-time contemporary art gallery with musical performances. It hosts monthly exhibits featuring local, national and international artists of all media, including painting, sculpture, photography and more.

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THE MONORCHID The Monorchid is a dynamic, multi-purpose space in the heart of downtown Phoenix, and while it houses work spaces and a studio, those elements only add to the charm of its art galleries. It first opened in 1999 and was one of the first galleries of its size in the area and was instrumental in the inception of the now incredibly popular First Fridays.

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM While it’s unlikely that any Phoenicians aren’t familiar with Arizona State University, many may not know about its robust art museum, which opened nearly 70 hours ago and now spans three locations and hosts 12,000 pieces. Its specialties include contemporary art, post World War II ceramics, southwest art, art of the Americas and historic and contemporary prints.

CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS The Chandler Center for the Arts has a variety of arts activities — from full exhibits to theatre activities for kids and music performances — like concerts by local and national artists.

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Arizona State University Art Museum

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Catch This One Fascinating Exhibit Before it’s Gone CHANDLER MUSEUM

Photo Credit: Chandler Museum

Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER If you can’t wait to see terrific exhibits before the start of fall, the Chandler Museum is hosting “Un-American: Japanese Internment in Our Backyard” until September 2.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were confined to internment camps. Of those, 16,655 women, men and children were relocated to Gila River Internment Camp, only a few miles away from Chandler, simply because they looked like the enemy. Experience the photos and stories of the people who were forced to leave behind almost everything they owned to live in stark conditions in the middle of the desert. “Un-

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American” has attracted people from all over the Valley and Arizona, including former internees.

The exhibit, which opened in February, features an installation of 16,655 paper origami cranes (one representing each person incarcerated at the camp) created by people from across the Valley and beyond and a wall with names of each family moved to Gila River Internment Camp with markers indicating former internees or family members who have visited the exhibit.

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5 People to Watch in the Arts Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DAVID EMITT ADAMS Photographer Adams is an award-winning Tempe-based photographer and Arizona native who was recently named a 2016 Contemporary Forum artist grant winner by the Phoenix Art Museum.

He has also received the Lens Culture International Exposure Award in 2011, the Freestyle Crystal Apple Award for Outstanding Achievement in Black and White Photography in 2012 and the Fish/Pearce Award in 2014.

This year, he has had solo exhibitions in Roswell, New Orleans and Phoenix.

JAIME DEMPSEY Executive Director of Arizona Commission on the Arts Dempsey is set to take over as executive director of Arizona Commission on the Arts this month, replacing Robert Booker, who held the position for over a decade. Previously, Dempsey had served as the deputy director since 2006. She has also held the position of program manager for Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, taught courses in art leadership and nonprofit management at ASU and managed programs for Idaho’s nexStage theatre and the multidisciplinary Sun Valley Center for the Arts. She currently serves on the board of Grantmakers in the Arts and DataArts.

KATHY WILLS

has served on since 2013. She has previously served on its executive committee and chaired the development committee and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Advisory Board.

Willis is a Scottsdale native and currently serves as a senior vice president and private banker at MidFirst Bank.

THERESA DWYER Board Chair for the Herberger Theater Center Dwyer was recently elected chair of the board for Herberger Theater Center. She was nominated for her first term in 2016, and began serving as vice chair in 2016. She is currently a director with Fennermore Craig, where she has worked since 1994. She has previously served as a board and executive committee member of Florence Crittenton of Arizona and currently volunteers at Perryville State Women’s Prison.

AMY NESBITT Director of Performing Arts for Scottsdale Arts Nesbitt will join Scottsdale Arts this month as the Director of Performing Arts, overseeing the implementation of music, dance, theater, film and family events. Nesbitt previously served as the artistic director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival in Michigan where she helped expand the festival’s programming to include 175 events, with an attendance of over 80,000.

Board Chair for Scottsdale Arts Board of Trustees Wills was recently appointed the chair of the Scottsdale Arts Board of Trustees, a board she AUGUST 2017

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ACT ONE Founded on the belief that every child should have access to the arts, Act One provides children from Title 1 schools the opportunity to experience educational arts field trips, paying for the tickets and busing that too often are cut from school budgets. This year, Act One has capacity to bring more than 40,000 students on field trips in metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson thanks to the generous support of community donors. Act One also partners with dozens of arts organizations to make free admissions available through the Culture Pass, available in 60 libraries statewide. www.act1az.org

ARIZONA BACH FESTIVAL This annual festival brings the nation’s top artists to perform the masterpieces of Johannes Sebastian Bach. Concerts are held each weekend in January, classical guitarists, pianists and string quartets arrive in Phoenix for this Baroque music immersion. arizonabachfestival.org

ARIZONA BROADWAY THEATRE Arizona Broadway Theatre, a 501 (c)(3) arts organization, has grown to become the highest attended year-round live theatre in the Valley of the Sun. Recognized as the "Best Playhouse" of the Valley by PHOENIX Magazine in 2010, ABT has redefined what it means to "grab dinner and a show." Avoid having to rush around the Phoenix sprawl to enjoy a night out on the town.

The "ABT Experience" has everything you need all in one convenient location! azbroadway.org

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ARIZONA CITIZENS FOR THE ARTS Arizona Citizens for the Arts (AzCA) works every day to help build a vibrant, well-funded arts and culture sector that contributes to shaping the future for our young people and the vitality of our local communities.

For more than 35 years, AzCA has been the voice of nonprofit arts and culture, promoting arts-friendly public policy at all levels of government and increased funding, and insuring arts and culture gets rightful credit for the contributions it makes to local community vitality, tourism, business attraction and job growth. azcitizensforthearts.org

ARIZONA CONSORTIUM FOR THE ARTS The Arizona Consortium for the Arts is an all-volunteer (501c3) community organization. During the Annual Blue Guitar Festival of the Arts, the Annual Fall Festival of the Arts, the monthly Open Mics and Magazines the public celebrates local artists through presentations, exhibitions, readings and performances. The Blue Guitar, a literary and arts magazine features local emerging and established writers and artists. The Blue Guitar Jr. Edition features works by children and works by adults who write for children. Unstrung magazine is solely dedicated to poetry. We support and give voices and visibility to Arizona artists in all disciplines and genres, organizations and audiences, through continuous events, festivals and programs free to the community. artizona.org

ARIZONA HERITAGE CENTER AT PAPAGO PARK Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park, home of the Centennial Museum, features exhibits spanning 100 years of Central Arizona history, making it the perfect place to enjoy the best of Arizona’s past and present. Journey through time, from western frontier days through the post-war building boom. Learn how water sustains life in the desert and discover the beauty and variety of Arizona’s vast natural resources.

Nestled in the foothills of beautiful Papago Park, the museum is ideal for group tours, corporate events, weddings and other indoor and outdoor functions. Arizona Heritage Center features regular presentations on topics and events impacting Arizona. arizonahistoricalsociety.org/museums/tempe/

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ARIZONA OPERA Arizona Opera ‘s 2017/18 Season brings a Technicolor special event in October with Hercules vs Vampires, the intrigues and double-crossings of Tosca in November, a celebration of Leonard Bernstein with Candide, in January, the comedic The Barber of Seville and a momentous production of Nordic gods, dwarves and giants in Das Rheingold concludes the season.

Arrive early to sip a cocktail and show off your best cocktail attire, then enjoy a spectacular night at the Opera. All performances are held in Symphony Hall with ticket packages available at www.azopera.org azopera.org

ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER Don’t miss the blockbuster POMPEII: THE EXHBITION, coming to Arizona Science Center in November. Forgotten for centuries after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and then rediscovered 250 years ago, Pompeii is truly awe-inspiring. POMPEII: THE EXHIBITION features nearly 200 artifacts, including frescoes, mosaics and precious items belonging to the residents of Pompeii. The mission of Arizona Science Center is to inspire, educate and engage curious minds through science. The Center features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, the state-of-the-art Dorrance Planetarium and the five-story Irene P. Flinn Giant Screen Theater and the new CREATE makerspace. azscience.org

ASU GAMMAGE ASU Gammage has announced its historic 2017-2018 Desert Schools Federal Credit Union Broadway Across America – Arizona season. The season is anchored by HAMILTON and is packed with award-winning musicals, classics and the newest hits from Broadway.

The season features the last two Tony Award® winners for Best Musical, HAMILTON and FUN HOME, as well as Best Revival winners THE COLOR PURPLE and THE KING AND I. The season also includes 2016’s Tony Award®-winning Best Play THE HUMANS along with other favorite musicals THE BODYGUARD, the hilariousSOMETHING ROTTEN!, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s SCHOOL OF ROCK. asugammage.com FALL 2017

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A relentless advocate for more public and private funding for arts and culture in Arizona...

An enthusiastic promoter of arts education in our schools...

A reliable source of information on arts and culture issues for advocates, media, elected officials and voters...

For more than 35 years, Arizona Citizens for the Arts has been the public voice of non-profit arts and culture. Our goal – a vibrant well-funded arts and culture sector that gets rightful credit for the contributions it makes to shaping the future for our young people and the vitality of our local communities.

Along with more than 100 arts and culture organizations statewide and 5,000 citizen advocates, we do together what organizations alone cannot – change perceptions and change policy for the benefit of arts and culture in Arizona.

AZCitizensForTheArts.org

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BALLET ARIZONA Ballet Arizona is the official Ballet Company of the State of Arizona whose mission is to create, perform, and teach outstanding classical and contemporary ballet. The company is dedicated to preserving and celebrating classical dance while creating and commissioning new innovative works. The 2017-18 season features a mix of classical ballets against contemporary dances. The season opens with Swan Lake, followed by the festive The Nutcracker, with Cinderella rounding out our classical season. Our spring season features contemporary ballets in Today’s Masters and All Balanchine, while a brand new ballet will be featured at An Evening at Desert Botanical Garden. balletaz.org

BLACK THEATRE TROUPE Black Theatre Troupe’s acclaimed 2017/18 Season includes Caroline or Change, bringing Motown and Gospel set against backdrop of Civil Rights movement, August Wilson’s epic Seven Guitars, Black Nativity, a legendary holiday event based on Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, a powerful look at school segregation with Lines in the Dust, and concluding with Blackberry Daze, a musical adaptation of Ruth P. Watson’s romantic mystery thriller. blacktheatretroupe.org

THE BRIDGE INITIATIVE: WOMEN IN THEATRE The Bridge Initiative: Women in Theatre incubates and celebrates professional female theatre artists, promoting gender parity across all theatrical disciplines.

Upcoming programming: THE BECHDEL TEST FEST at the Tempe Center of the Arts, September 9th and 10th. Two days of play readings and film screenings that satisfy the Bechdel Test: two female characters talk to each other about something other than a man. Events include an audition workshop, a panel discussion, talkbacks, children’s workshops, and lobby mixer. HEARING HER VOICE: NEW WORK BY WOMEN, a monthly play reading series hosted at the ASU Kerr Cultural Center, free to public. bridgeinit.com

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CENTER DANCE ENSEMBLE As the resident dance company at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix, Center Dance Ensemble performs mesmerizing original works of classic modern dance. Sharpened and honed by the steady hand of Artistic Director Fran Cohen, each performance tells stories through movement, bringing unique choreography rooted in the ground-breaking philosophy of the great Martha Graham. 2017/18 Season opens in October with a celebration for Halloween, Ghosts & Goblins & Witches, Oh My!, followed in December’s holiday classic, the icy and wicked Snow Queen. Center Dance will then bring two distinct pieces to the stage in March, the classic fairy-tale with a modern beat, Cinderella Rock! and a fascinating interpretation of Shakespeare’s Othello paired with pieces choreographed for his famous sonnets. The season concludes with American Voices, where choreography and spoken word converge in a celebration for National Poetry Month.

centerdance.com

CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS The mission of the Chandler Center for the Arts is to make visual and performing arts available to the entire Chandler population; to become a creative force and an educational resource for the community; and to harness the economic vitality of the arts. As one of the leading performance venues in the Valley, Chandler Center for the Arts presents music, theatre and dance.

See our entire season lineup and information on how to support the Chandler Cultural Foundation at chandlercenter.org. chandlercenter.org

CHANDLER MUSEUM The Chandler Museum is an innovative environment where the community comes together to share our stories, store our cultural heritage and experience Chandler as a people and place. The vision of the Museum is to be the community’s principal resource to explore its people’s history, culture, and their place in a rapidly changing world of today – within and without the walls of a building. More about our programs, exhibits and the building, set to open in late 2018, at chandlermuseum.org. chandlermuseum.org

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CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX The Children’s Museum of Phoenix delivers rich-learning opportunities to children in our community in a way that they learn best -- through play. The Museum offers over 300 hands-on, open-ended, imaginative play experiences in a no-fail environment. Suited for children as small as infants up to 10 years old, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix offers programs and exhibits for multiple age groups. When here, children climb, build, pedal, slide, create, paint and so much more! Baby Zones are included in each exhibit space plus there’s a whole room devoted just for those three and younger. Come Play and Learn Today! childrensmuseumofphoenix.org

CHILDSPLAY Childsplay is a nationally and internationally respected professional theatre company whose chosen audience is children. We believe that young people deserve to experience challenging, thought-provoking theatre of the highest artistic quality. Founded in 1977, Childsplay’s mission is “to create theatre so strikingly original in form, content or both, that it instills in young people an enduring awe, love and respect for the medium, thus preserving imagination and wonder, those hallmarks of childhood that are the keys to the future.” In our 40 year history, we have educated and inspired more than 5 million Arizona residents, and have grown to serve an average annual audience of 250,000 children and families. childsplayaz.org

CITY OF LITCHFIELD PARK The City of Litchfield Park organizes live concerts, large-scale festivals, art exhibitions, and distinct cultural celebrations. We anchor our annual offerings with Oktoberfest in late September, family-friendly holiday events in December, a Native American fine art festival in January, and our Spring Art & Wine Festival in March. Litchfield Park also hosts exceptional musical entertainment, informative lectures, and one-of-a-kind events that showcase the vitality of our city. We proudly partner with the luxurious Wigwam Resort as well as local arts and educational nonprofits. Together we offer events in Litchfield Park that promote a strong sense of community and attract diverse visitors from across the nation.

With all of the exciting arts and cultural activities happening year round in the City of Litchfield Park, art enthusiasts and families can experience a variety of event choices. We encourage you to “Discover The Park” and all it has to offer.

litchfield-park.org

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CONDER/DANCE Conder/dance, one of the Valley’s leading companies in contemporary dance brings its acclaimed festival, Breaking Ground, to the Tempe Center for the Arts, January 19 & 20, 2018. Breaking Ground draws some of the most important voices in contemporary dance from around the globe, with noted choreographers, movement artists and dance film-makers showcasing their work. The two-day festival features ten tiny dances, with dancers performing short 5 minute pieces on small stages located around the Tempe Center for the Arts. conderdance.com

DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN From sunrise to sunset, Desert Botanical Garden has you covered with many offerings this fall. Desert Botanical Garden is the largest botanical garden in the Southwest featuring 55,000 plants from around the world. The Garden allows visitors to experience the beauty of the like never before. For 78 years, The Garden’s commitment to the community is to advance excellence in education, research, exhibition and conservation of desert plants of the world with emphasis on the Southwestern United States. Fall events include Art in the Garden exhibits, the return of the Monarch butterflies, two Fall Festivals, and Music in the Garden events. For more information about each event, tickets prices and more, visit dbg.org dbg.org

DESERT FOOTHILLS THEATER Desert Foothills Theater is an award-winning theater that has been presenting work in the far north valley since 1975. Theater changes lives and we invite all community members to be part of that life-changing experience by providing performance, volunteer, education and attendance opportunities for everyone!

We invite participation through open auditions for all adult and youth shows; through a variety of educational opportunities including classes, camps, post-performance talkbacks, pre-performance “meet ups”; and by providing volunteer opportunities in all areas and aspect of theater production. We invite everyone to join us in experiencing the life-changing world of theater. dftheater.org

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DESERT SOUNDS PERFORMING ARTS A Sense of belonging (Jeremy Project), an opportunity to learn (musical mentors) and an occasion to share is what Desert Sounds Performing Arts gives underserved children. The Jeremy Project refurbishes donates/used instruments and lends them to children who otherwise would not be able to participate in their school based band/orchestra programs. Our Musical Mentors teach children music and help them develop the skills for success in life. Mariachi Sones del Desierto, a multi-tiered program, teaches a diverse group of children in grades k-12 traditional mariachi music. Our programing is passing on to the next generation a love for the arts. desertsounds.org

DESERT STAGES THEATRE A bustling community playhouse, Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale, Ariz., will celebrate its 23rd year in 2017. DST is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3, founded in 1995, and delivers performances year-round. Four show schedules occur throughout the year: Actor’s Café performances in the intimate 68-seat theatre; Mainstage Series in Cullity Hall, a 200-seat theatre; On Stage Children’s Series for ages 3-19, andNext Stage Series for 12-19, both also performed in Cullity Hall. DST also operates a theatrical academy (Center Stage, and many other classes) and offers a variety of music, dance and classes open to the community. desertstages.org

FREE ARTS Founded in 1993, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona is a nonprofit organization which heals homeless and abused children through artistic expression. Free Arts programs include creative elements that promote safety, self-expression and a sense of belonging. All Free Arts programs, delivered by volunteers and artists, serve more than 8,000 children annually through partnerships with 45 social service child welfare agencies at 100+ sites across Maricopa County. freeartsaz.org

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HALE CENTRE THEATRE Arizona’s Premier Family Theatre in Gilbert since 2003. Hale Centre Theatre is a 350 seat theater-in-the-round that puts on exquisite family-friendly productions throughout the year. Hale is dedicated to providing patrons with the finest theatrical experience possible in an atmosphere as intimate and friendly as their own homes. In doing so, we have always selected shows which reflect our promise to provide fun and affordable entertainment. Come see how incredibly talented local actors bring the plays and musicals to life, making every production here a memorable experience!

HaleTheatreArizona.com

HEARD MUSEUM Since its founding in 1929, the Heard Museum, a private nonprofit organization, has grown in size and stature to become recognized internationally for the quality of its collections, world-class exhibitions, educational programming and its unmatched festivals. With an education center, an award-winning Shop, the Books & More bookstore, Coffee Cantina and Courtyard Café, the Heard Museum is a place of learning and unforgettable experiences. Dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art, the Heard presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitions that showcase the beauty and vitality of traditional and contemporary art. heardmuseum.com

HEATHER J. KIRK Longtime Artist and Graphic Designer “PhotoGraphic Artistry by Heather J. Kirk” includes her photography on clothing and accessories. Using art and fashion for a cause, she proudly supports World Vision and Eternally Cherished programs that prevent and intervene in sex and human trafficking around the world. In the fashion industry, she seeks to support the human rights of garment workers and encourage ethical purchasing by consumers and clothing designers all along the supply chain. Her learning process resulted in a TEDx Fountain Hills presentation and a “Not On Their Backs” campaign. Find links to her art and fashion at www.HeatherJKirk.com HeatherJKirk.com

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Performances Live Music Food Court Children’s Activities Visual Art Pet Adoptions Craft Beer & Wine Tasting and More!

Saturday, November 4, 2017 11:30AM - 5:00PM

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HERBERGER THEATER The Herberger Theater is a 501(c)(3) Arizona nonprofit organization which supports and fosters growth of the arts in Phoenix as the premier performance venue, arts incubator and advocate. Proceeds from annual fundraising benefits its Youth Outreach Programs, designed to give Arizona children (ages 3-19) opportunities to excel, learn and heal through experience with the arts. Over the last 28 years, four million patrons have enjoyed more than 15,000 performances at the Herberger Theater. For information, call 602.254-7399 or visit HerbergerTheater.org. herbergertheater.org

KIDS IN FOCUS When kids experience trauma, they disconnect from the world and from themselves. A camera in their hands, with the right guidance and encouragement, can switch the light in their eyes back on, giving them a new lens on life. Kids in Focus is a 501(c)(3) that gives at-risk kids the chance to see themselves and their world in a new, more positive light. Through intensive and ongoing mentoring programs, Kids in Focus inspires hope in children ages 10-13 who come from backgrounds of poverty, homelessness, neglect and abuse. The kids receive much more than a camera. Mentored by professional photographers, together they take a journey of discovery culminating in public photography exhibits, a hardbound book, and a new self-confidence for the future. kidsinfocus.org

MESA ARTS CENTER Mesa Arts Center, owned and operated by the City of Mesa, is the largest comprehensive arts campus in the southwestern United States. The unique and architecturally stunning facility anchors the arts and cultural district in Mesa, and is home to four theaters, five art galleries, 14 art studios and an artist cooperative gallery. Visit MesaArtsCenter.com to discover live performances, free community events, the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, a robust engagement program, and nearly 1000 performing and visual arts classes offered annually. mesaartscenter.com

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MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA Founded in 1928, the Museum of Northern Arizona inspires a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau. View exhibits relating to the museum’s four main disciplines: anthropology, biology, geology and fine art; attend annual Zuni, Hopi, Navajo and Latino Festivals of Arts & Culture that attract thousands of visitors from around the world; discover the Colorado Plateau on week-long outdoor adventures with museum researchers; take a Navajo weaving or Hopi pottery class; or purchase authentic Native American art and jewelry from the award-winning Museum Shop. Don’t miss the museum’s newest permanent exhibition, Tribal Peoples of the Colorado Plateau, opening in 2018. To learn more, call 928.774.5213 or visit musnaz.org.

musnaz.org

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEM Rated Phoenix’s #1 attraction by TripAdvisor, MIM displays more than 6,500 musical instruments and objects and provides a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors of all ages. MIM’s five Geographic Galleries showcase music and cultures from every country in the world through multimedia that allows you to hear, see, and feel the creative spirit of people as they play their instruments.

Visitors can also get a close-up look at instruments played by influential artists, such as Elvis Presley®, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, and Maroon 5 in MIM’s Artist Gallery and have fun making some music of their own in the Experience Gallery. mim.org

MUSICANOVA ORCHESTRA Known for performing unique and rare pieces from the classical repertoire, MusicaNova Orchestra is comprised of the best musicians from the Valley. Led by Music Director Warren Cohen, the 2017/18 Season opens with Mid-Century Masters, with cinematic pieces from Twentieth Century English composers, evoking images of 40s, 50s and 60s spy films, the morning, mid-day and evening symphonies of Haydn in A Day with Papa Haydn; Johannes Sebastian Bach’s controversial and highly unusual Eastertide Oratorio, St. John Passion and Ports of Call, featuring orchestral compositions inspired by music from exotic locales around the world, from Bali and the Mediterranean to tribes of the New World. musicanovaaz.com

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THE NASH The Nash located in the heart of Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix has been named one of the top jazz clubs in the United States. Named for Phoenix native and world-renowned jazz drummer, Lewis Nash, the venue showcases top local and national jazz artists each weekend. From Latin, mainstream, Big Band, fusion and alternative to Be-bop, The Nash brings the best of jazz to this intimate venue. Craft beer and wines available for purchase to enjoy while you relax and enjoy the best jazz in Phoenix. thenash.org

PHOENIX CENTER FOR THE ARTS Phoenix Center for the Arts, also known as “The Center,” is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, providing the community with opportunities to participate in the visual and performing arts through quality programming, events, and education for youth and adults. In addition to offering more than 600 unique art classes throughout the year in two locations, The Center also boasts several amazing resident arts organizations including Phoenix Children’s Chorus, Radio Phoenix, Cultural Coalition, Rising Youth Theatre, SOUNDS Academy, Emancipation Arts, Aliento, Essential Theatre, Teatro Bravo, and Restore Arts.

Join us December 8-10 for Phoenix Festival of the Arts! phoenixcenterforthearts.org

PHOENIX CHORALE Phoenix Chorale has become one of the most well respected choral groups in the United States, with multiple Grammy nominations and two Grammy wins including 2015 Best Chorale Performance. Led by Artistic Director Charles Bruffy, the Phoenix Chorale will present a thrilling season of vocal fireworks for 2017/18, including Bruffy’s Best, a selection of Charles Bruffy’s most beloved pieces, the holiday tradition of A Chorale Christmas, music inspired by the ethereal phenomenon of light, Lux, and Spring Songs, featuring the magical song cycle, Five Centuries of Spring. phoenixchorale.org

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PHOENIX THEATRE Phoenix Theatre creates exceptional theatrical experiences by using the arts to inspire hope and understanding. We believe the arts are essential because they foster the hero within, create a greater understanding of cultural and political differences and, in an era of simulated virtual gatherings, continue to provide a forum in which the community can gather – live and in person. Phoenix Theatre values theatre as a place where people can be accepted regardless of race, creed, orientation or color. By inspiring empathy and the ability to see things from another’s point of view, we encourage qualities that lead to visionary leadership and build communities in which we are proud to work and live. Join us for our 2017/2018 season! phoenixtheatre.com

PHOENIX YOUTH SYMPHONY Celebrating our 65th season, the Phoenix Youth Symphony (PYS) trains and equips young musicians for success. For the past 64 years, PYS has trained over 15,000 student musicians, awarded over $1 million in student music festival scholarships and performed at over 500 events. With five orchestral ensembles, annually serving our 250+ student musicians, from all parts of the Valley, PYS continues carrying out our mission of providing high quality musical training, equipping young musicians for future success, right now! We invite you to join us and see for yourself at one of our 2017/18 Season concerts. phoenixyouthsymhpony.org

PHOENIX ZOO The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation, through its flagship organization, the Phoenix Zoo, has been a point of pride for Arizona for over 50 years. The organization strives to advance the stewardship and conservation of animals and their habitats while providing experiences that inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world. The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest nonprofit zoos in the United States, caring for more than 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened or endangered species. phoenixzoo.org

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Visit Shop Discover Celebrating the Colorado Plateau FALL 2017

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PRELUDE Holiday Prelude 32nd annual event will be held Friday, December 8, 2017 at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn and features an expanded boutique shopping space, designer runway show, luncheon and prize drawing.

Proceeds benefit two of the Valley’s premier nonprofit organizations, Phoenix Youth Symphony and Phoenix Theatre Guild, funding programs bringing the Arts and Musical opportunities to children and the community. As a friend of the Arts, we invite you to partner with us to support development and enrichment of performing and visual arts in the Valley for youths and adults.

Dana Dean 480-342-9124

ROSIE’S HOUSE A Music Academy for Children is committed to playing a pivotal role in a child’s future and strengthening our local community. At Rosie’s House, a free afterschool program for children facing economic adversity in Phoenix, we bridge achievement in life through achievement in music. Serving 450 youth annually, Rosie’s House provides training in strings, piano, winds, mariachi and choir. Serving our community for over twenty-years, Rosie’s House is certified for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. Get involved today, and make a difference tomorrow. rosieshouse.org

SCOTTSDALE ARTISTS’ SCHOOL Scottsdale Artists’ School, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is dedicated to the artistic enrichment of the community and to developing the capabilities of artists and aspiring artists of all ages by teaching the applied fundamentals of fine art.

SAS founded in 1983, is located in the historic Loloma school building, in the heart of the Scottsdale Arts’ District. AS a multifaceted visual arts organization; we feature over 200 diverse art programs along with an innovative youth academy, arts-outreach programming, community availability, and scholarship offerings. We believe in the importance of the arts on society and continuing the tradition of fine art education. scottsdaleartschool.org

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SCOTTSDALE ARTS Through its partnership with the City of Scottsdale, the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts creates diverse, inspired arts experiences and educational opportunities that foster active, lifelong community engagement with the arts. Founded in 1987, Scottsdale Arts has grown into a regionally and nationally significant, multidisciplinary arts organization offering an exceptional variety of programs through three acclaimed divisions – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and Scottsdale Public Art – serving more than 400,000 participants annually. scottsdalearts.org

SCOTTSDALE GALLERY ASSOCIATION A visit to the Scottsdale Arts District is one of the best fine art experiences anyone can have. For over 40 years, galleries have exhibited a diverse selection of paintings, sculpture and jewelry by world class artists. Along with the City of Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Gallery Association is proud to sponsor another year of the famed Thursday Night ArtWalk including 9 special Gold Palette ArtWalks beginning with DEMONSTRATE! on November 16 where galleries will host live demonstrations by artists. Please check www.scottsdalegalleries.com for the seasons schedule. All are invited! scottsdalegalleries.com

SHEMER ART CENTER Located in the very first home built in Arcadia, the Shemer Art Center provides a unique setting in which residents and visitors can learn about and enjoy visual art through daily classes, weekend workshops, monthly lectures, exhibitions and events. After-school art classes and summer camp programs for children are also offered, and an on-site gift shop and outdoor sculpture garden offer one-of-a-kind works of art for sale, all of which foster the Shemer Art Center’s mission to support and showcase Arizona artists. shemerartcenter.org

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PHOENIXTHEATRE.COM | 602.254.2151 FALL 2017

FALL ARTS & CULTURE DIRECTORY

SONORAN DESERT CHORALE Led by Music Director Jeff Harris, the 60 voices of the Sonoran Desert Chorale bring a delightful annual program showcasing the vast styles and themes found in choral music. The SDC’s 2017/18 Season opens with To Everything There Is A Season, evoking both the storms and joys of life. December brings performances of the Desert Voices of Christmas, with traditional carols to celebrate the “hap-happiest season of all,” followed in March with All The Earth, Sing As One as the Chorale is joined by a chamber orchestra to perform an uplifiting, new piece, Jubilate Deo. The season concludes with a powerful concert, Long Road To Freedom, as the Chorale performs songs originated by African people in bondage from slavery to emancipation. sonorandesertchorale.org

THEATER WORKS Theater Works is a nonprofit theater that provides the most comprehensive programming of any performing arts organization in the West Valley. Now entering its 32nd season, Theater Works serves students from preschool through college age by producing full seasons of theater (MasterWorks), youth theater (YouthWorks), puppet theater (PuppetWorks), educational camps, workshops, and youth performances troupes (Stardust, Kids Alive!, and YouthWorks Academy). As the managing tenant of the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, Theater Works also offers a diverse range of programming from nationally-known musicians and comedians, through regionally significant culturally-specific theater and dance troupes, to locally-based community events. theaterworks.org

VALLEY YOUTH THEATRE Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) is in its 29th Season of inspiring young people to be the best they can be! VYT is an award-winning professional youth theatre company. Alum extend from Hollywood to Broadway, into boardrooms across America and many more influential places. Some of these include: Oscar Award-winning actress Emma Stone and award-winning celebrities: Jordin Sparks and Kimiko Glenn, television star Chelsea Kane, Broadway actors Max Crumm, Nick Cartell, Charity Dawson and many others.

VYT is a unique place where young people from diverse backgrounds can learn and grow as individuals, performers and creators through a wide variety of performing arts opportunities. Camps and classes taught by professional arts instructors are offered throughout the year. VYT produces six MainStage productions each season, three of which are at the Herberger Theater Center. All youth are always welcome to audition.

VYT.com

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VISION GALLERY The Vision Gallery is a fine arts gallery representing more than 300 regional artists and home to one of two Art-O-Mats in Chandler. Visitors can discover a varied palette of original artworks from oil and acrylic canvasses to ceramic works, sculpture, jewelry, and more. Exhibits are rotated on a regular basis and are free for the public to view at this nonprofit gallery supported by the Chandler Cultural Foundation.In 2017, Vision Gallery was named one of the ten best Best Art Galleries in Arizona by Best of Arizona. visiongallery.org

WESTERN SPIRIT: SCOTTSDALE’S MUSEUM OF THE WEST Learn the stories of the West through engaging exhibits of Western art, Old West artifacts and historic Native American objects in a stunning, contemporary setting that meets the highest standards for sustainability and conservation of natural resources. The museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2015, and was named “Best Western Museum” in the nation (2017, 2016) by True West magazine’s editors. This TripAdvisor highly rated attraction is owned by the City of Scottsdale. Scottsdale Museum of the West, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that relies upon private support to fund the museum’s operation, is the managing operator. Located in downtown Scottsdale. scottsdalemuseumwest.org

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2017-18 season

sep 8 - 24

oct 13 - 29

oct 27 - nov 12

dec 8 - 24

feb 16 - mar 4

mar 30 - apr 15

season subscriptions, flex passes and single tickets FALL 2017 noW on sale

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KITCHEN DOORS {where we ate this month}

FARM & CRAFT Old Town Scott Many restaurants have tried and failed to make eating healthy easy, convenient and most importantly appetizing. But Old Town Scottsdale’s newest bistro-style restaurant, Farm and Craft, has it down to a science. It even breaks down its menu items with four health and lifestyle categories — anti-inflammatory diet, increased probiotic levels, high antioxidant levels and reduced stress (which I need in my life). I opted for the spinach and black bean bowl breakfast, and while I’m not sure if it reduced my stress, it was delicious, far exceeding my expectations. I also appreciate their willingness to incorporate less healthy favorites - like nachos, flatbreads and a killer drink menu - into a healthy lifestyle, with options like kombucha cocktails. Plus, the atmosphere is great, with a fun and bright nature-inspired interior aesthetic and a comfortable patio right on Scottsdale Road. — Jamie Killin

Photo Credit: Farm & Craft

THE ATTIC Arcadia As a writer, on one hand, your job is to tell a story. But on the other hand, sometimes you find something that you don’t really want to share. So, please don’t go to The Attic on Wednesday nights, when they have an awesome beer-and-a-pint special on any of their 5-6 amazing, pretzel-bun-anchored, halfpound, delicious and amazing burgers and their 25 different draft specialties.

Nothing to see there. I’m sure pastrami on a burger is not your thing, nor is craft beer from breweries that aren’t represented anywhere else in Arizona.

Also, they don’t have an awesome patio with an amazing view of Camelback Mountain, so don’t go there to see that. Otherwise, i’m going to have to wait in line longer for my new favorite Wednesday night activity. — Tom Evans

Photo Credit: The Attic

MARIGOLD MAISON Paradise Valley Arizona isn’t known for its stellar Indian food but Marigold Maison is working on changing that with a casual dining experience that’s as educational as it is delicious. When Frontdoors was invited to try the restaurant’s traditional cuisine I learned a lot of new things, like that the chicken marsala we’ve been enjoying all these years is nothing like how it’s served back in India, and what’s even more surprising is that the traditional version is actually much, much better — trust me. Plus, the Tour of India Thai platter I enjoyed offered tastings of 10 different dishes from all across the country (and a map so I could keep track of it all!) so I practically felt like an expert by the time I left. If you try anything here, it has to be their chicken tikka masala and shrimp tandoori tikka, the naan is also not optional. - Jamie Killin 60 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM

Photo Credit: Marigold Maison

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Photo Credit: Sassi

Sassi North Scottsdale Sassi is the self-proclaimed best Italian restaurant in Scottsdale and Phoenix, and while I’m usually not a fan of such grandiose statements, I think they’ve got me on this one. Not only does Sassi have the ambience of the most luxurious castle you could imagine (and a beautiful patio to match), their food is incredible. The best part is, they’re generous enough to teach you how to make it yourself. I was lucky enough to attend one of their summer cooking classes, which end this month, and it was immediately clear to me that these are not your typical cooking classes.

First of all, they’re demonstration-style, so if you’re more interested in eating and AUGUST 2017

drinking with entertainment (like me), you can rest assured you won’t have labor yourself with pasta making. However, if you’re dead set on becoming an at-home chef, you’ll be provided with an in-depth recipe and more than enough time to ask questions, help Chef Christopher Nicosia (who definitely has a fan club of his own) and really learn how the restaurant sets its food apart. The classes boast several repeat attendees, those that come to every class offered (or just one or two a season) for years in a row, and it’s easy to see why — the experience is engaging and of course, delicious. — Jamie Killin

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OFFICE DOORS {leadership}

DR. AARON

BLOCHER-RUBIN CEO OF ARIZONA AUTISM UNITED

Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER A lot can happen in a decade.

In 2006 the Arizona Autism United got its start and since then it has transitioned from a small support group for families affected by autism into a visible, respected organization with 500 employees and a statewide vision under the direction of its CEO, Dr. Aaron Blocher-Rubin.

While the organization was in its early stages, Blocher-Rubin, was in the early stages of his career as a leader too.

“When this opportunity came along to start this organization it was a risk,” he said. “It was building it from the ground up, but it was exactly what I wanted to do, and since I didn’t have experience running a company it was a good way to get started because it was kind of low risk in the beginning because if it didn’t work out nobody would notice, but if it does it could be great.”

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Fortunately, the organization’s fate was the latter.

“At the very beginning, (my role) was pretty much everything,” he said. “I did the accounting, the staff training, and I’d go do some services myself. I was doing assessments for the first several years but that’s changed obviously. Now we have multiple departments, a management team, I work with a board.”

While the growth of the organization is undeniable, it retains some of its smalltime charm, with Blocher-Rubin admitting that he’s still the unofficial IT manager — a journey he says is ending soon.

With this growth has come an expansion in services available for children and youth with autism, their families, the community and even schools.

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Blocher-Rubin acknowledges the shift, his changing role and the how it affects the community’s view of the organization.

“When we were starting it was small. We were scraping by with the few resources we had — donated computers, recycled office supplies and stuff like that and doing the best you can and being grateful for what you have,” Blocher-Rubin said.

He credits their positive company culture to the organization’s success — which is demonstrated by many families’ dedication to Arizona Autism United.

“We’ve had families that have been with us since we opened our doors,” he said. “My brother is one of them.”

Blocher-Rubin’s brother is what initially led him to this career path.

“When I went to college he was just beginning his early intervention treatment and so I ended up taking some classes at UCLA in a program there that was one of the best in the world for behavioral AUGUST 2017

intervention,” he said.

“I originally just wanted to learn because of my brother but I ended up really liking working with kids and so I pursued that and developed a clinical background initially then when I moved back to Arizona I started working with another autism organization, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center or SAARC and that was my first experience working with a nonprofit.”

His combination of a clinical and nonprofit background helped him transition into his role as CEO, while allowing him to wear the multiple hats he needed to help build the foundation of a burgeoning nonprofit.

Now, 11 years later, his role has shifted toward assessing the organization’s structure, relationships and future, but his fervor for the cause hasn’t changed.

“I’m never bored,” he said. “I never lose interest or lose passion and I’m constantly learning.”

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GIVING IN STYLE {fashion in the philanthropy lane}

Our Pageant System Embodies Ideal That Beauty Is Only Skin Deep Tyler Butler | SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER Pageants have long been stereotyped as lavish ceremonies featuring brainless beauty queens who vainly seek attention for their external attributes.

This reputation is amplified in pop culture by way of shows such as “Toddlers and Tiaras” and memes, which show daft yet beautiful girls who seemingly aren’t well spoken or well versed on world affairs or current issues. The Miss America pageant system is working against these misplaced perceptions while educating the public about the true lineage that showcases this organization’s mission.

Miss Arizona is a part of the larger Miss America pageant system and has been in existence since 1921. It has evolved from a boardwalk beauty pageant to the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women, awarding more than $45 million each year. It has served as a voice for women’s empowerment. It promoted equality and education at a time when women were discouraged from joining the workforce and has served as a beacon for positive societal change. And while history clearly shows the story of a dignified organization with a purpose and mission 64 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM

that people can support, the confusion endures about the opportunities provided by the Miss America organization.

The Miss Arizona Scholarship Organization started in 1938 and as a 501c3 nonprofit foundation it has devoted itself to empowering the women of Arizona to achieve their personal and professional goals. Over just the past five years, the Miss Arizona Organization has awarded over $130,000 in cash scholarships at the state and local level and has offered more than $500,000 in-kind college scholarships each year. The Miss Arizona pageant prides itself on its principles as described through the four points of the crown: service, style, scholarship and success — all of which are evident in the process and approach this organization takes when awarding titles to contestants.

Intelligence, grace, personality and talent take center stage at the Miss Arizona pageant. The focus is firmly set on service as a catalyst for young women to grow, learn and improve themselves, while giving back to the community and earning valuable scholarship money. The most vital component that differentiates AUGUST 2017

Miss Arizona 2017, MaddieRose Holler and Miss Arizona Outstanding Teen 2017 Dimon Sanders

this organization is its emphasis of placing service above self through a personal platform or community work. The Miss Arizona program offers a chance for young women to pursue higher education and professional opportunities while supporting social causes. Local and state titleholders become recognized spokeswomen on issues ranging from literacy to human trafficking.

The spotlight on a platform issue helps shape the image, mission and brand of Miss America and Miss Arizona. Titleholders must be dynamic, articulate speakers and champions of a cause. They also must be approachable and real. The speaking engagements and appearances range from addressing Congress to speaking at women’s conferences to visiting local schools. And given the climate of volatile AUGUST 2017

politics in the country at this time, Miss America and Miss Arizona serve as a welcome unifying force for good.

Stories abound of the causes and people who have been moved by this mission.

Take the newly crowned Miss Arizona 2017, MaddieRose Holler. Her dedication to our armed forces comes from an authentic place and has also guided her to actively seek out ways to aid those who make America the home of the brave. MaddieRose hails from a military family and this has guided her involvement with the Military Family Support Group, an Arizona 501c3 dedicated to assisting our troops by providing them with care packages as a symbol of the FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM | 65

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community’s gratitude, love, pride and patriotism. Her service has enabled the creation of over 10,000 care packages in her five years serving them. Equally crucial: Her dedication to the pageant has also paid for her education in large part. MaddieRose is an aspiring journalist.

MaddieRose has combined her representation of Arizona with her love for fashion. She partnered with State Forty Eight, an Arizona-based clothing line, to create a collaboration R.E.D (Remember Everyone Deployed) t-shirt. Through this effort, funds were raised to donate back to the Military Family Support Group.

And thanks to the valuable scholarship dollars MaddieRose has earned, she has opportunities to continue making a difference and sharing stories like hers because of the education she’s received.

Miss Arizona Outstanding Teen 2017 is also a product and champion of her upbringing.

She’s using her visibility to create awareness for foster kids. Dimon Sanders spent years in the foster care system. She has used those difficult times to elevate the conversation about Arizona’s foster child system. Her platform, Hope for Children in Foster Care, has helped her find her voice and given her the courage to tell her story.

Dimon has leveraged her experience in the foster care system to help countless others.

Her volunteerism with Together We Rise, a nonprofit that provides duffel Tyler Butler

bags instead of trash bags to kids in the foster care system is making an impact.

Dimon has gone so far as to add her own personal “Dimon Sweet Case” items that she believes are important to have while in foster care like nightlights and personal hygiene items. Fashion is a component of Dimon’s philanthropy. Through her involvement with GoodThreads, a clothing bank that helps foster kids pick out gently used clothes as well as holds clothing drives for donations, Dimon has had a chance to influence the next generation’s viewpoint on style. Dimon cautions against the allure of designer brands and instead puts the focus firmly on personal style for kids in need so they can have the resources they desperately require.

As Miss Arizona continues to grow in popularity through a resurgence of women seeking better opportunities and hoping to help the world (while banding together as sisters), it’s key to note that their history shows an organization that has and will always be focused on positive societal change and equal opportunities for all.

The role models this organization helps mold will continue to serve as leaders and advocates. The four points of the crown will be paramount and the young women who clamor toward this encouraging message will serve Arizona and America well.

(Programming note: Miss Arizona 2017, MaddieRose Holler, competes for Miss America September 10, 2017, at 9 pm ET, broadcast live on ABC.)

SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER @tylerjbutler

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HEAR HERE {news, updates and events} The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.

FROM PERU TO NICARAGUA, SCOTTSDALE DOCTOR IS A MAN ON A LOT OF MISSIONS Dr. James Foltz never imagined that his medical career would take him to faraway lands like Peru and Nicaragua.

Focus on Women, in Scottsdale in 1983, had never really considered volunteer medical travel.

But in August Dr. Foltz is scheduled to embark on his 25th surgical mission trip when he heads to Peru to perform life-changing surgeries on women there. It will be the 13th volunteer mission trip the Scottsdale gynecologist will take with Esperanca, an international nonprofit headquartered in Phoenix.

Dr. Foltz, who started his OB/GYN practice,

“I heard about people doing it but until my friend got me interested I never thought I would do such a thing,� he said.

His close friend, a general surgeon, had gone on a mission to Bolivia on his own about 15 years ago.

READ MORE ONLINE

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HEAR HERE CONTINUED

WITH HARD-WON SETTLEMENT FUNDS, AG BRNOVICH AIMS TO PROTECT SENIORS A two-year grant from the Arizona Attorney General’s office, courtesy of a national lawsuit settlement, will help seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Foundation for Senior Living was awarded $123,811 to put into place its Stay Active and Independent for Life fitness program designed to help seniors. This evidencebased program will be offered in its three Valley centers.

The Office of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich awarded the grant recently from a litigation settlement between Arizona and 36 other states against a pharmaceutical company. The settlement funds, Brnovich said, is to be used for education, outreach, treatment for mental illness, mental disorders and cognitive disorders. His office receives the settlement funds and then issues requests for groups to submit proposals. The proposals are reviewed by a team in his

READ MORE ONLINE

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HEAR HERE CONTINUED

JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICE ADDS SOJOURNER CENTER TO PORTFOLIO

Jewish Family & Children’s Service, one of the state’s largest providers of behavioral health and social services, and Sojourner Center, one of the nation’s largest and longest-running domestic violence shelters, have announced that Sojourner Center will become one of the programs offered by Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

services to victims of domestic violence cannot be overstated. We had the ability and resources to make certain Sojourner Center is able to continue providing those services, and that’s what we did. JFCS prides itself in being a good community partner and believes this is yet another demonstration of that commitment.”

“We welcomed the opportunity to make Sojourner Center part of the JFCS family of programs,” said Dr. Lorrie Henderson, President & CEO of Jewish Family & Children’s Service. “Sojourner Center’s role in providing critical, life-transforming

The organizations expect to that the move will increase Sojourner Center’s efficiency and effectiveness while positioning Jewish Family & Children’s Service as one of the leading domestic violence services providers in the state.

READ MORE ONLINE

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Hair by Julia Mendez

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GIVING BACK {charity spotlight}

VALLEY YOUTH THEATRE Jamie Killin | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

THE CAUSE Research shows that participation in the arts is beneficial to children — it leads to improved academic performance, allows them to be more imaginative and increases cultural awareness, to name a few. But at Valley Youth Theatre, that’s just the beginning. The children who leave their programs leave as better people, not just better performers.

of the process was helping these kids find the magic that’s inside of them,” said Bobb Cooper, producing artistic director of Valley Youth Theater since 1996. “We help them learn and grow and develop skills and learn responsibility, time management, teamwork, presentation skills and self-confidence.”

They set themselves apart by making it their mission to inspire children to be the best they can be, on stage and in life.

Valley Youth Theatre has also made it a priority to offer places in their production to children regardless of their socioeconomic status by not asking them to pay to participate, or to buy their costumes.

“We knew that as an organization, to inspire, we had to be inspiring and provide programs that were going to be top notch to give these young people a really professional experience and not necessarily to do theater but to inspire these children with the vehicle of theater so the end result

“Children from all walks of life come,” Cooper said. “They can arrive in a Mercedes or on the light rail and the moment they walk through the door none of that matters anymore, it’s about working together, it’s about inspiring each other and encouraging each other.”

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Photo Credit: Valley Youth Theatre

VYTAL AFFAIR 2017 SOIREE IN THE SWAMP Saturday, August 19, 2017 Showtime 5:30 PM Herberger Theater Center

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THE STORY Valley Youth Theatre began as a traveling troupe — with rehearsals, set design and more — all taking place in different locations and performances hosted at high schools and community centers. Shortly thereafter, the theatre found a permanent home in Tower Plaza Shopping Center, where they hosted shows in the basement.

But in 1998, the theatre was forced to find a new home on First Street in downtown Phoenix.

“There was no HVAC, there was no electricity, no running water, it was built in 1946, it was Phoenix’s first Ford dealership and it had many lives from an antique dealership to a lodge to a bakery and then sat in disrepair for many years,” Cooper said.

“So, we started this project and we rallied the community and it was extraordinary.”

They opened the doors to the new space a year later in August of 1999, and it has been the theatre’s home ever since. Now, nearly 20 years later, the theatre continues its mission of inspiring its participants with the best in costumes and sets as well as a determination to put on professional quality productions.

Valley Youth Theatre produces six productions a year, two of which take place on the Herberger Theater’s center stage, and boasts some of Arizona’s most successful entertainers.

“There’s countless stories of success of young people coming through the doors,” Cooper said. “Now they’re teachers, they’re attorneys, they’re journalists, they’re movie stars like Emma Stone, recording artists like Jordin Sparks.”

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GIVING BACK CONTINUED

We help them (children) learn and grow and develop skills and learn responsibility, time management, teamwork, presentation skills and self-confidence.”

THE EVENT On August 19, Valley Youth Theatre will celebrate its 29th season with its annual fundraiser, the VYTal Affair at the Herberger Theater — with this year’s theme being “Soirée in the Swamp”, a nod to the theatre’s production of Shrek the Musical.

Attendees will enjoy the fairy tale theme, snippets of the production, a catered dinner by Bobby Q barbecue and an award ceremony honoring the theatre’s supporters with the VYTality Award. This year’s honorees will include Fennemore Craig, P.C. as well as Karol Cooper, Mak Fearey and Bobb himself for 21 years of service to the theatre.

spending a fortune to put on this big party, Cooper said. “We put on a big party but everything is underwritten so all the money given goes to the programs and the theatre which is key and what our philosophy is about. We’re champions for the community’s support so we want to make sure we’re taking care of their funds that they’re giving to us and making sure we’re using them in the best way.”

The funds raised will help continue the theater’s mission to inspire young people, allowing them to put on high quality productions and to provide scholarships for children to take classes, theatre camps and more.

“The beauty of this event is the cost is so low from the standpoint of we’re not

FOR MORE INFORMATION vyt.com

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BOOKMARKED {what are you reading—culture edition} Where Frontdoors Media asks high-profile Valley visitors and residents what books they have been reading.

REVIEWER

W H AT C H R I S I S R E A D I N G

Chris Isaak

The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin'

musician, recently played Celebrity Theatre

BY BILL ZEHME

It was kind of interesting it just talked about his sense of style and things like that. It’s interesting to me when I read about people it’s not very interesting when a lot of times it’s very dry reports like he was born in this period, he lived in this place, his

REVIEWER

W H AT T O M I S R E A D I N G

Tom Franco

The Terranauts

artist, whose work, with brother of actor James Franco, is on exhibit at the ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center

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number one song was this and I don’t know any more about him than I did a minute ago but when they tell me he really loved such and such ice cream and he ate it from a bowl not a glass, then I’m getting a picture of somebody.

BY T. CORAGHESSAN BOYLE

I’d been looking for my page turner and asking around and I decided to buy this book that I’ve been eyeing the writer in the bookstores for a while and I finally did it and I’m really enjoying it the writer is T. C. Boyle and they describe him as this very hip and rock star-y-ish, high turnout type of writing and I agree, he’s very energetic and

full of ideas. The book is called Terranauts, it’s not astronauts but they’ve created this onEarth bio dome that’s supposed to simulate a Mars mission. It’s character based and it’s very fun and fact-filled but he’s just got a lot of fun ideas. When I read something like that I take the energy and some of those fresh ideas into my artwork.

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BOOKMARKED {children’s books...reviewed by children} Brought to you by Read Better Be Better, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that helps children improve literacy skills and become better learners. Readbetterbebetter.org

REVIEWER

W H AT T H A L I A H I S R E A D I N G

Thaliah Nunez

The Three Little Pigs

3rd Grader, Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix

BY JAMES MARSHALL

Tell about the book, but don’t give away the ending: There were three little pigs. Two were [eaten] by the wolf. He was going to blow the house down and eat the pig but he didn’t.

Tell about your favorite part of a connection that you made: The pig was tricking the wolf.

Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

Yes, because it is funny because the pig was tricking the wolf.

REVIEWER

W H AT S E N A J I S R E A D I N G

Senaj Wilson

The Escape of Marvin the Ape

3rd Grader, Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix

BY CARALYN AND MARK BUEHNER

Tell about the book, but don’t give away the ending: The book is about an ape escape. And the ape’s name is Marvin.

Tell about your favorite part of a connection that you made: I like when the ape went in a [fancy] dinner.

Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?

I think the kids should read this because you don’t [know] if this could happen?

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A SECOND ACT {stories of perseverance}

Having Lost a Child, She Now Helps Those Facing the Same Judy Pearson | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the natural scheme of life, most of us embrace the notion that parents aren’t supposed to outlive their children. As a parent myself, I can’t imagine the pain of my child dying. Ann Schrooten has not only experienced that pain, she relives it each time she answers the Willow Tree Foundation telephone.

Ann’s son, Jack, was born prematurely in 1998. She and her husband, Mark, took him home at six weeks. But he was repeatedly in respiratory distress, and eventually put on what they thought was a temporary ventilator. Finally, at age five, Jack received his diagnosis: a rare congenital muscular dystrophy that left him unable to walk, talk, eat or breathe without the assistance of the ventilator.

“Every day of Jack’s short, 15 year life, he radiated love,” Ann said. “He faced his life with unprecedented joy and grace, and challenged others to do the same. Doctors, nurses, family members, we all felt it.”

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parents of medically fragile children. “I know first hand the tremendous physical, emotional and financial stresses these parents face,” she said. “I felt compelled to do something to lighten their burden and let them know that I see them and I understand.”

In 2004, Jack, then six years old, was the inspiration to launch the Willow Tree Foundation. But the parents who get up each day, put one foot in front of the other, and give every ounce of their being to caring for their children — those folks inspired Ann as well.

The Willow Tree Foundation’s mission is to fund respite activities for parents like the ones the Schrootens met in the hospitals. The foundation allows them to take “time out” from the demands associated with their child’s care.

“We ask them, ‘What will help you?’” Ann said. “Gym memberships, a spa day, dinner and a movie, whatever will give them a breather. I’ve developed relationships with hotels across the Valley for the most popular request: a weekend away at a resort.”

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The Willow Tree Foundation provides support throughout Arizona. And one of their best received programs comes in the form of single-day retreats for moms. These getaways (offered free of charge) have included breakfast and lunch, and activities like painting, yoga, mindfulness, and dancing.

Ann said there is immediate connection among women who don’t know one another, but who have a deep understanding of the life they all live. “They could talk about feeding tubes, ventilators, seizures, wheelchairs and more, without fear of overwhelming the person they’re speaking to. Hearing the laughter, support, and compassion is incredibly moving.”

The retreats help the mothers understand the importance of self-care and nurturing their relationships in the midst of extreme caregiving. And dads haven’t been left out: the foundation is hosting its first ever dads’ bowling event in August.

Parenting is difficult in the best of situations.

But in the midst of all the insanity and suffering that comes with a medically fragile child, life is lonely and isolating.

“Everyone wants recognition for their job,”

Ann said. “I know they’re weary. I think the work of the Willow Tree Foundation is like saying, ‘I see you. I know how hard this is. You’re doing a great job.’ That really

means something coming from someone who gets it.”

Jack Schrooten died on January 5, 2014, at the age of 15. The Willow Tree Foundation continues on in his memory. But why a willow tree?

The willow doesn’t have much of a trunk and its branches are long and bending, giving the appearance of being weak and fragile. Yet, the tree’s expansive root structure gives it strength. When a storm rages, the willow stands strong, ever bending, never breaking.

Like its namesake, the Willow Tree Foundation provides moments of calm in the storm of caring for a medically fragile child.

Judy Pearson is a journalist, published author, and the founder of A2ndAct.org. Her organization supports and celebrates women survivors of all cancers as they give back to the greater good in their 2nd Acts. Her passion is finding those who have have healed themselves by helping others.

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OPEN DOORS {publisher’s page}

ARTS ANGELS AMONG US I’ve been lucky to experience beautiful art all of my life. I went to public schools with experienced instructors that taught music, choir, drama and lessons on drawing, painting and pastel techniques. We submitted our best work to be displayed at the Los Angeles County Fair. We played sports, of course, and many of us played an instrument or took dance classes as well. I loved to dance tap, ballet and jazz. I played the clarinet until it was time for braces. I saw “Annie” at the Shubert Theatre when Molly Ringwald played an orphan in the cast. I was not an artist by any means but I appreciated and loved to attend performances and exhibits when invited.

The schools my 11- and 6-year-old attend provide some art instruction, but it’s a fraction of what I had. What they have instead is access to amazing museums, cultural experiences, performances, concerts, and City of Phoenix after-

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school programs – many of which are free thanks to funding for field trips, student tickets and special “free” days for the community. To make this happen for my children and their friends across the Valley of the Sun, there are a few special families that I would like to thank for leading the charge for these opportunities: the Herberger Family, the Steele Foundation and the Dorrance Family Foundation.

Twenty years ago I had the incredible honor of meeting the late Katherine “Kax” and G. Robert Herberger. They were being feted by the Phoenix Symphony for their 50th Anniversary. I was on the Symphony staff at the time. They were kind, humble and their generosity meant stability to many organizations when other funding sources fell through during the ‘90s. Jeanne and the late Gary Herberger continued the tradition. They

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served as philanthropists for the arts, active board members and fundraising event chairs. And today Billie Jo and Judd Herberger are continuing the legacy of generosity.

Since my days at the Symphony, I have continued to notice the ever-present support of the Steele Foundation with Dan Cracchiolo at the helm, as well as the Dorrance Family. To all of these families and others that keep giving: thank you for being the arts angels for my son and daughter. I hope they will be able to thank you in person at a show this season.

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I look forward to seeing you at one of the performances, exhibits or experiences listed in our first Frontdoors Fall Arts & Culture Directory!

Andrea

Andrea Tyler Evans PUBLISHER

@AndreaTEvans

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