Images Arizona (April 2023)

PROUDLY

From the Publisher

Publisher

Shelly Spence

Managing Editor

Joseph J. Airdo

Graphic Designer

Meaghan Mitchell

Contributing Writers

Joseph J. Airdo

Amanda Christmann

Francine Coles

Rebecca L. Rhoades

Shannon Severson

Photographers

Francine Coles

Loralei Lazurek

Carl Schultz

Advertising Sales

Cindi Calcinari

860-966-3271

cindi@imagesaz.com

Images Arizona

P.O. Box 1416

Carefree, AZ. 85377

623-341-8221

imagesarizona.com

TThis issue of Images Arizona celebrates the special moments in life through which we find perfection. Some of these moments are grand — such as a graduation or a wedding. But the vast majority of them are much smaller — like witnessing a sunset with someone you love or receiving a compliment from a complete stranger when you are having an especially difficult day.

I experience these special moments of perfection every time I look at my kids. I also experience them through my neighbors and the many people in our community who demonstrate kindness, creativity and generosity; the people whose stories we fill these pages with each month, aspiring to provide you with yet another moment of perfection as you read this magazine.

It is my hope that this month’s issue inspires you to seek out or even just become more aware of such moments. They exist in the connections we make with one another on a day-to-day basis. They exist in the art and music that surrounds us everywhere we go. And they exist in nature, as the universe conspires to reveal to us that everything in life happens for a reason.

Our small-but-mighty team at Images Arizona appreciates the moments you spend with us each month. Thank you for allowing us to tell your stories. As always, we encourage you to support the many artists, performers, nonprofit organizations and local businesses that not only make this magazine possible but are also responsible for so many moments of perfection in our community.

Cheers!

Shelly Spence

Publisher, Images Arizona magazine shelly@imagesaz.com

623-341-8221

Photography by Loralei Lazurek

Meet contemporary artist Loren Yagoda and discover her incredible collection of expressive works that stimulate and explore, and meditative works that unwind and clear the mind. Yagoda’s artwork invites viewers into her world as she dances her emotions onto canvas.

CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY CAREFREE ARIZONA

Space to Roam, Acrylic on Canvas, 58” by 60”

Grace Renee Gallery

Historic Spanish Village | 7212 E. Ho Hum Rd. # 7 | Carefree, AZ 85377

Hours: Tue.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. By appointment Sun. and Mon.

480.575.8080

GraceReneeGallery.com

Earlier this year, photographer Romi Boon opened the blinds of her RV at daybreak to discover a very rare and surprising sight: a winter wonderland in the desert.

“Knowing that I had only minutes before the sun would break through the clouds and melt the snow, I quickly got dressed and headed out into the serene calm of the white desert,” Boon says. “It was so beautiful. It didn’t take long for my hiking boots to become wet and my fingers to freeze; however, I was so excited that it was easy to ignore.

“There wasn’t a lot of light, so I placed my camera on a tripod and took a number of exposures at different focus points then combined them in Photoshop. Fortunately, there wasn’t any wind, or else that would have been impossible; nothing can move when you place multiple images on top of each other.

“What I love about this image is that most of the desert cacti are represented in the photograph and the small shrubbery disappeared beneath the snow. I also love that the mountain is in the background because it adds a sense of depth to the overall image.”

romiboonphotography.com

facebook.com/CreativeRVing instagram.com/romiboontravelphotography

Photo by Romi Boon

© Romi Boon Photography

P

Phoenix Chorale artistic director Christopher Gabbitas strongly believes in the idea that music is the soundtrack to life.

“Music is all around us all of the time — whether we choose to have it or not,” he says. “It is always there. It is playing in the restaurant, it is often in our cars, it is often at our place of work, it is in elevators, it is everywhere. I think that the idea of life without music, the idea of a sort of silence, is a really terrifying one. And perhaps we should be alone with our thoughts more often, but we do not like to be.”

This month, chorale groups and orchestras across the Valley will perform concerts that reflect the thoroughfare that music has in our lives.

ORPHEUS MALE CHORUS OF PHOENIX

On April 30–May 7, Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix will perform a concert it calls “Songs from Home” at venues in Litchfield Park, Mesa and Paradise Valley, featuring several selections featuring the word “home” somewhere in their lyrics.

On April 30–May 7, Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix will perform a concert it calls “Songs from Home” at venues in Litchfield Park, Mesa and Paradise Valley, featuring several selections featuring the word “home” somewhere in their lyrics.

“We open with a song called ‘Ad Astra,’ which actually means ‘to the stars,’” says Brook Larson, the ensemble’s artistic director. “But there is a line in that song that reads, ‘for the stars will guide you home.’ Another piece in this program is called ‘Like a River in My Soul’ and, in it, there are the lyrics, ‘let the waves bring you home.’”

Other selections include “Rocky Top,” (“you’ll always be home sweet home to me”), “Unclouded Day” (“oh they tell me of a home”) and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken (“There’s a better home awaitin’”). Other selections feature the word “home” in their titles — such as “Bring Him Home” from “Les Misérables” and “Homeward Bound” — and while others feature reflections on the idea of home — such as “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Keep Your Lamps,” “Promised Land”

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

and traditional folk songs “Polly Wolly Doodle” and “Shenandoah.”

“We close the concert with ‘God Bless America,’ which of course features the words, ‘my home sweet home,’ as its final lyrics,” Larson says.

The artistic director adds that, though many of the selections are patriotic, the concept of home is a very universal one.

“We could sing many of these songs anywhere in the world — whether here in America or in Europe, Africa or South America,” Larson explains “And even if someone does not understand the words that are being sung, they just speak to them. They just impact you.

“And the experience of 90+ guys singing this variety of literature and genre truly is an experience. It is the music that draws these 90+ guys together. That is the reason we are there at rehearsal every Tuesday night. We check everything else at the door and the music brings us together.”

Noting that Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix’s membership numbers had taken quite a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, Larson says that he is hopeful of using the music to bring even more guys together.

“We did some stuff online for about a year and a half, then I got creative and we sang in a parking garage where everybody brought their own chair and was in a mask six feet apart,” Larson says. “We only had 55 guys for that, but let me tell you that was a blast compared to doing things online where you cannot even hear the other singers.

On May 5–7, Phoenix Chorale will perform a concert it calls “Soundtrack” at venues in Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale, tracing a history through 500 years of song and exploring how composers throughout the ages have used music to help explain everyday life, love and loss.

“So it has taken a while for us to get our numbers back up. But this is our 94th season and I have a plan to have 200 singers by our 100th season. We have been talking about it for a while, but I am done talking about it. I hope to have a net gain of about 20 guys every year for the next five years so that we can be at 200 singers for our 100th season.”

PHOENIX CHORALE

On May 5–7, Phoenix Chorale will perform a concert it calls “Soundtrack” at venues in Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Scottsdale, tracing a history through 500 years of song and exploring how composers throughout the ages have used music to help explain everyday life, love and loss.

“The idea of this concert is to show people how over time people have used music and song to relay stories about life,” says Christopher Gabbitas, the ensemble’s artistic director. “The same hopes, fears and dreams that we have now, people have had forever. Songs have been sung about love, hate, breakups, happiness, sadness, drinking, war and fights. All of the main things that we deal with in life have been dealt with in song and have been for a long time.”

One of the most significant and timely aspects of life reflected in the program is womanhood.

“There is this young composer named Jennifer Lucy Cook who got her degree in musical theater and writes in a very accessible, contemporary style,” Gabbitas says. “She wrote a song called, ‘They are Mother’ and she is flying in from Los Angeles to accompany us. It is a piece about femininity, which is in everything around us — even things that we might perceive as being male. And it is quite thought-provoking and the language is beautiful.”

Phoenix Chorale // Photo by Jen Rogers

Phoenix Chorale // Photo by Chris Loomis

Christopher Gabbitas // Photo by Jen Rogers

Another rather unfortunate but very real aspect of life reflected in the program is addiction.

“There is this song that was written by Trent Reznor for Nine Inch Nails in the 1990s called ‘Hurt,’” Gabbitas says. “It was covered by Johnny Cash as the final video he made before he passed away and it is just the most wonderful song. Popular American choral composer Eric Whitacre arranged it for choral voices and we will be performing that. It is about six minutes long and is incredibly powerful.

Gabbitas has aspired to fit as many aspects of life into the concert with the hope of drawing as wide of an audience as possible, who can all identify with at least some element the chorale is communicating.

“I want to say, ‘Hey, we can give a voice to your emotions,’” the artistic director says. “We really want this program to be bittersweet. We want it to feel wonderful and enjoyable, but we also want it to trigger the sort of real emotions that very often the modern world papers over. We want people to come out of the concert feeling a bit raw, but acknowledging that they actually felt something; and that can be really uplifting and cathartic.”

Gabbitas adds that the most important message he hopes to relay through not just “Soundtrack” but each and every one of the concerts that Phoenix Chorale performs is that music and singing are for everyone.

“We think that in each of our performances, we create moments of real beauty,” he explains. “We have a warmth of our sound because all of our singers are from the area. These are your people. Our music is for and of Arizona and we are proud of these connections. And I really want more people to come hear us. I want to have more people experiencing what we do. And I hope that their lives can be enriched by hearing us.”

Music is all around us all of the time — whether we choose to have it or not. It is always there. It is playing in the restaurant, it is often in our cars, it is often at our place of work, it is in elevators, it is everywhere. Christopher Gabbitas

NORTH VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

On Saturday, May 20, North Valley Symphony Orchestra will perform a concert it calls “Spirit of the American West” at North Canyon High School Auditorium in Phoenix.

“It features all sorts of music that centers around our wonderful American Southwest spirit,” says Kevin Kozacek, the ensemble’s music director and conductor. “We had never really done anything that really focused on our area specifically and we thought that it was just time for us to pick those pieces we thought the audience would really enjoy.

“We open with John Williams’ overture to the movie ‘The Cowboys,’ which is just such a great piece. We will then play some wonderful music from various movies such as ‘Silverado,’ ‘The Big Country,’ ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ ‘Dances with Wolves and ‘How the West Was Won.’”

The concert will also feature a performance of Aaron Copland’s four dance episodes from “Rodeo” — Buckaroo Holiday,” “Corral Nocturne,” “Saturday Night Waltz” and “Hoedown.”

“The song that everybody loves which is probably the most reflective of Arizona is ‘On the Trail’ from Ferde Grofé’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” which sounds so much like a donkey going down the trail,” Kozacek adds.

The music director and conductor says that North Valley Symphony Orchestra is the epitome of a community-based ensemble.

“All of the musicians — including myself — have backgrounds that are reflective of our community,” Kozacek explains. “I was in the military before being a Southwest Airlines pilot for 24 years. Many of our musicians wanted to be professional musicians at some point n their lives but ended up doing other things. We have teachers, lawyers, doctors, first responders and stay-at-home moms. So I think that we are very reflective of a true community orchestra.

On Saturday, May 20, North Valley Symphony Orchestra will perform a concert it calls “Spirit of the American West” at North Canyon High School Auditorium in Phoenix.

Photos by Mike Benedetto

“And what is really great about that is that we have the opportunity to come together weekly with the community spirit and give back to our community by providing very reasonably priced tickets. Our tickets this season are still only $5. We have been able to do that for 11 years. So the entire family can come and enjoy a concert and not break the bank.

“We also have an awful lot of outreach groups that go out and serve the community at retirement homes and grand openings of various establishments. And we support three youth ensembles — beginning, intermediate and advanced. So we are a full-service organization that supports kids who are just beginning to play all the way up to kids who are getting ready to go to college. We try and prepare them and get them ready to go off and study music more seriously.”

In fact, many of the kids who at one time performed as part of North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s youth ensembles are now members of the adult orchestra, further demonstrating not only the community aspect of the organization but also just how significant the thoroughfare of music is in so many of our lives.

Music

‘Songs from Home’

April 30–May 7

See website for times and locations

$25; youth, student and senior discounts available

orpheus.org

‘Soundtrack’

May 5–7

See website for price, times and locations

602-253-2224

phoenixchorale.org

‘Spirit of the American West’

Saturday, May 20 7 p.m.

North Canyon High School Auditorium

1700 E. Union Hills Drive, Phoenix

See website for price

northvalleysymphony.org

COMMUNITY April 2023

Through April 8

‘XANADU’

Starlight Community Theater will present its production of “Xanadu.” See website for price and times. Starlight Community Theater, 1611 W. Whispering Wind Drive, Suite 9, Phoenix. starlightcommunitytheater.com

Through April 9

‘RESPECT: THE MUSICAL’

Black Theatre Troupe presents its production of “Respect: The Musical,” which combines excerpts from more than 60 songs with women’s personal stories about realizing dreams, loves won and lost and battering against glass ceilings. $48+. See website for times. Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix. 602-258-8128; blacktheatretroupe.org

Through April 16

‘ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE’

Arizona Broadway Theatre presents its production of “Escape to Margaritaville,” a musical comedy that features the most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics — including “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Margaritaville,” “Fins” and more. See website for price and times. Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria. 623-776-8400; azbroadway.org

Through April 29

‘STEEL MAGNOLIAS’

Don Bluth Front Row Theater presents its production of “Steel Magnolias.” $30; youth, student, senior, military and group discounts available. See website for times. Don Bluth Front Row Theater, 8989 E. Via Linda, Suite 118, Scottsdale. 480-314-0841; donbluthfrontrowtheatre.com

April 1

ARTRAGEOUS GALA

Scottsdale Arts will bring its annual ARTrageous Gala back to the newly renovated Scottsdale Civic Center for an outdoor celebration blooming with radiant living art experiences and fantastical creations and designed to be an ultra-sensory evening that will reignite the attendees’ passions for the arts. Festivities will include a red-carpet arrival, living art activations, silent and live auctions, a delicious coursed meal, dessert bar and performances by Quixotic and the Valley’s own Walter Productions. See website for price. 6:30–10:30 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale. scottsdalearts.org

April 1

PHOENIX ARTISTS GUILD GALLERY RECEPTION

The Phoenix Artists Guild will present an exhibit of works by local artists. Free. 3–5 p.m. Holland Community Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Scottsdale. phoenixartistsguild.com

April 1 and 2

‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’

The Phoenix Theatre Company will present its production of “The Last Five Years,” an emotional examination of relationships and ingenious, interchanging structure between present and past. See website for price and times. The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-254-2151; phoenixtheatre.com

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

April 1 and 2 THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS IN CONCERT

The Phoenix Symphony will perform the score of the beloved fantasycomedy-romance “The Princess Bride” as the film is projected on a screen above the stage. See website for price. Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. phoenixsymphony.org

April 1 and 2

PROMUSICA ARIZONA’S 20TH Anniversary Celebration Concert

ProMusica Arizona will present the world-premiere of Arizona composer Craig Bohmler’s “Saguaro Song” — a suite of five songs for choir and orchestra with texts by awardwinning Canadian author Marion Adler, who uses the iconic saguaro cactus as a metaphor for the seasons of life. The concert will also include Timothy Powell’s “A World Without Boundaries,” with texts by American astronauts; Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on the Shining Night;” Ola Gjielo’s “Sunrise (Gloria),” from “Sunrise Mass’” and other musical gems. Saturday 7 p.m. at All Saints Lutheran Church, 15649 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. Sunday 3:30 p.m. at American Lutheran Church, 17200 N. Del Webb Blvd., Sun City. pmaz.org

April 2

GREAT PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE

Rosie's House will host its annual event featuring instrumental and vocal solos performed by outstanding students enrolled in its music program. Selected by a panel of adjudicators, top students will showcase their artistry and musicality. Free. 4 p.m. Divine Performance Hall, 919 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 602252-8475; rosieshouse.org

April 3

CHRIS BOTTI

Master trumpeter and composer Chris Botti will take the stage as part of Arizona Musicfest. $59+.

7:30 p.m. Highlands Church, 9050

E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale. azmusicfest.org

April 5–May 14

‘A CHORUS LINE’

The Phoenix Theatre Company will present its production of “A Chorus Line.” See website for price and times. The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-2542151; phoenixtheatre.com

April 7–9

‘THE MAGIC FLUTE’

Arizona Opera will present its production of “The Magic Flute,” Mozart’s beloved fairytale of darkness and light which explores the journey in search of truth and reason, love and enlightenment. See website for price. Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. azopera.org

April 7–23

FESTIVAL OF NEW AMERICAN THEATRE

The Phoenix Theatre Company will host its annual Festival of New American Theatre, which amplifies new voices and expands the canon of American theatre. Returning for its 25th year, the festival will continue honoring a longstanding commitment to the development of new works, playwrights, and performers and include a variety of events that allow artists of all kinds to see their work come alive onstage. See website for price and schedule. The Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. 602-254-2151; phoenixtheatre.com

COMMUNITY April 2023

April 7–23

‘SHREK: THE MUSICAL, JR.’

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present its youth production of “Shrek: The Musical” See website for price and times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480-483-1664; desertstages.org

April 10

DESERT PRE-HARVEST SEMINAR

The Desert Awareness Committee will host a pre-harvest seminar on desert edibles. $15. 6:30–8 p.m. Holland Community Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Building B, Scottsdale. 480-488-1090; hollandcenter.org/desertawareness

April 11

THE FOLK LEGACY TRIO

The Folk Legacy Trio — featuring former members of the Kingston Trio, The Limeliters and The Diamonds — will perform a concert of beloved songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s as part of Arizona Musicfest. $41+. 7:30 p.m. La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale. azmusicfest.org

April 12

GET LIT BOOK CLUB

Desert Foothills Library will host a happy hour discussion of John Darnielle’s “Universal Harvester.” Free. 5 p.m. RSVP. See website for location. 480-488-2286; dfla.org

April 13

50 YEARS OF SCOTTSDALE PUBLIC ART

April 12 and 13

KATHERINE JETTER

Couture jewelry designer Katherine Jetter will make a personal appearance during a special event to showcase her cutting-edge, wearable art pieces for bold and brilliant women. Discover the secrets of her craft while marveling at the eye-catching rhodium hues and exceptional, hand-picked gemstones that individually tell Jetter what they need during her design process. Free. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Grace Renee Gallery, 7212 E. Ho Road, Carefree. 480-575-8080; gracereneegallery.com

Scottsdale Public Art will celebrate the oldest and newest works in the city’s permanent art collection with a special event, which will feature the dedication of “The Desert’s Garden,” a new mosaic artwork installed by Arizonabased artist Tammi Lynch-Forrest near Scottsdale City Hall, and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Louise Nevelson’s “Windows to the West,” the first large-scale artwork in the city’s collection. Free. 5 p.m. Scottsdale Civic Center. scottsdalepublicart.org

April 13–16

‘THE ALCHEMIST’

Southwest Shakespeare will present its production of “The Alchemist.” $35+; youth, student and teacher discounts available. See website for times. Taliesin West, 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale. swshakespeare.org

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

April 14 and 15

‘THE UPSCALE ZONE’

The Upscalde Singers will perform a concert featuring the music of “Les Miserables,” “Jersey Boys,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Lion King” and “Peter Pan.” $35; youth discounts available. Friday 7 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m. Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale. upscalesingers.com

April 17

‘RESPECT’

Arizona Musicfest will present a tribute to Aretha Franklin. $34+. 7:30 p.m. Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale. azmusicfest.org

April 21–23

JUNK IN THE TRUNK VINTAGE MARKET

With a reputation for featuring quality vendors selling one-of-a-kind items and inspiring design, Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market — a semi-annual shopping experience that connects shoppers with local artists, makers and curators — will return to WestWorld in Scottsdale, offering attendees a vast selection of clothing, jewelry, furniture, vintage, decor and more. The event will also include food trucks and live music. $8+; youth, veteran and active military discounts available. See website for hours. WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. junkinthetrunkvintagemarket.com

April 21–May 14

‘SIDEKICKED’

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre will present its production of “Sidekicked,” based on the classic television sitcom “I Love Lucy.” See website for price and times. Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre at Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Suite 0586, Scottsdale. 480-483-1664; desertstages.org

April 22 and 23

EXPERIENCE THE MUSIC OF THE MIDDLE EAST

The Musical Instrument Museum will host an event that explores the rich musical traditions of the Middle East with live performances and educational workshops. See website for schedule of events. $20; youth discounts available. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. 480-478-6000; mim.org

COMMUNITY April 2023

April 27–May 14

‘THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL’

Musical Theatre of Anthem will present its production of “The Spongebob Musical,” based on Nickelodeon’s animated series “Spongebob Squarepants.” $25. See website for times. Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N. 41st Drive, Anthem. 623-336-6001; musicaltheatreofanthem.org

April 29

‘TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS’

Arizona Musicfest will present a tribute to the Doobie Brothers. $34+. 7:30 p.m. Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale. azmusicfest.org

April 30

DANCE FUSION FESTIVAL

Dance Fusion and Dance Fusion Teen Division/ Dance Fusion Youth Academy will present its annual performance showcase featuring local talent and internationally acclaimed performers and choreographers. $25+; youth discounts available. 4 p.m. Dance Fusion, 7601 E. Gray Road, Suite B-C, Scottsdale. 480-625-3900; dancefusionaz.com

April 30–May 7

‘SONGS FROM HOME’

Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix will perform a concert that includes “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” “Rocky Top,” “Bring Him Home” and “Shenandoah.” $25; youth, student and senior discounts available. See website for times and locations. orpheus.org

April 28–30

SPRING OPEN STUDIOS TOUR

The Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition will present its Spring Open Studios Tour, featuring 48 working artists across the Verde Valley. In its 20th year, the self-guided tour will offer attendees an opportunity to visit with the artists in their studios, gain firsthand insight into the creative process and purchase one-of-a-kind works of art. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enter a studio-wide drawing for a $250 gift certificate to be used at a studio of their choice. Free. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. See website for locations. sedonaartistscoalition.org

May 4–7

‘ALL BALANCHINE’

Ballet Arizona will perform three ballets by George Balanchine — “Raymonda Variations,” “Emeralds” and “The Four Temperaments.” See website for times and prices. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. balletaz.org

May 5–7

‘SOUNDTRACK’

The Phoenix Chorale will perform a concert that traces a history through 500 years of song, exploring how composers throughout the ages have used music to help explain everyday life, love and loss. See website for price, times and locations. 602-253-2224; phoenixchorale.org

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

‘A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS’

Sonoran Desert Chorale will perform a concert that, acknowledging our world and our lives are enriched by the glory of flowers, will embody a bouquet of flowers in song — bright, colorful and full of promise and delight. $25; student, senior and group discounts available. 3 p.m. La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale. sonorandesertchorale.org

ROSIE’S HOUSE ACCEPTS APPLICATIONS

Rosie's House, one of the nation's largest free after-school music programs, is accepting applications for its 2023–2024 school year. The popular program is open to students of all ages and is taught by leading music teachers in the state. Rosie's House students attend after-school group and private music lessons, perform in recitals and public performances, and connect through community service activities. Programs include piano, choir, band, strings, mariachi, guitar, percussion and digital music, as well as an early music education program for children ages 4–6. 602-252-8475; rosieshouse.org

Downtown Phoenix Aging Like Fine Wine

BBars and restaurants located in the walkable downtown core of Phoenix — including the Evans Churchill and Roosevelt neighborhoods — are set to participate in the city’s 11th annual tour designed to celebrate its distinction as one of the most extensive and diverse wine-tasting scenes in Arizona.

Scheduled for Saturday, April 22, the Urban Wine Walk will offer attendees an opportunity to sip their way through some of the state’s best wine-serving establishments.

“Overall, it is just a great showcase of wine,” says R. J. Price, chief growth officer for downtown Phoenix. “The mixture of food and wine with the hyperlocal nature of our businesses and the art-rich sidewalk experience all come together in this nice four-hour package.”

During the self-guided tasting tour, each participating bar and restaurant will offer discounted wine samples paired with a delicious and complimentary bar snack. Attendees may explore the roster in any order they desire.

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography Courtesy of Downtown Phoenix

R. J. Price

“I describe it as a choose-your-own adventure,” Price explains. “This is a really affordable way to try a number of our businesses with a very small investment. Downtown Phoenix is developing and changing at such an accelerated rate of speed that selfguided events like the Urban Wine Walk in the spring and the Urban Ale Trail in the fall are excellent vehicles for people to experience the area in real-time as it is changing.”

That is to say that if you have not been to downtown Phoenix within the last three months, chances are you will have several new venues to visit, making the Urban Wine Walk a very valuable event for both patrons and participants.

Our small, locallyowned businesses give downtown Phoenix its rich, authentic, hyperlocal feel.

“It provides people with a really unique opportunity to see downtown Phoenix from the street level and is also a great opportunity for our businesses to put their best foot forward, put on a show and earn repeat customers,” Price says.

“Our small, locally-owned businesses give downtown Phoenix its rich, authentic, hyperlocal feel. Those are the types of businesses that will make up the majority of our roster.”

Price adds that downtown Phoenix’s historical buildings such as Westward Ho, Luhrs Tower and Orpheum Theatre further add to the alluring tapestry of the sidewalk experience, making the short walks — or light rail rides for those who prefer them — between participating bars and restaurants as enjoyable as your time at the establishments themselves.

“There is a lot that will be going on that day,” says Price, noting that many of the participating bars and restaurants will also have live music. “It is going to be a great day to come downtown for the afternoon and check out how much we have grown.”

dtphx.org/winewalk

TThe highly distinguished visual artist Andy Warhol once asked, “Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?”

Similarly, the notably less illustrious fictional “One Tree Hill” character Lucas Scott said, “Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever.”

Photographer Nick Milotta is perhaps more cognizant than most of these images and moments. Among his favorites are memories of a Japanese maple tree that grew in the yard outside his childhood home.

“I remember my mother taking me into my room to show me how the light from the setting sun would seep through the thin branches and red leaves of the maple, filling my bedroom with patterns of dancing shadow and glowing light,” Milotta says. “Sometimes I would go upstairs to my room and just wait for it to happen.

“There was also a place called Port Richmond where my father used to take me to watch the ships. However, my eyes were usually glued to the shadows an old section of the boardwalk cast across the shore. I would live in these fleeting moments when they happened and wish that I could freeze time — but, eventually, the mental images faded.

“Photography has given me a chance to relive those experiences three decades ago in my bedroom or on the shore. And although it took me many years to make the connection, I am grateful for the journey that led me to this place in my life.

“As I continue to explore the world through my camera lens, I am reminded of the power that photography has to capture emotion, memories and stories. I am grateful for these moments — and for the opportunity to share them with others. I want to make those fleeting moments a little more lasting.”

This month, Images Arizona’s photo essay celebrates the moments in life that stun us so much that they live on forever. Some appear as though they were lifted right out of a detective novel. Others look like they could be a production still from an Oscar-nominated movie. And others are simply so surreal that they may as well have been manufactured by Warhol himself.

But this is real life. This is the world around us. This is fleeting perfection.

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Nick Milotta

SENSE OF NOSTALGIA

Having fallen in love with photography two years ago, Nick Milotta has most recently been experimenting with older technology: 35mm film.

“It is a different experience altogether,” he says. “It is a process that involves more intention and mindfulness, as there are only 36 shots on each roll of film. I have to think out and carefully compose each shot. There is no immediate feedback or opportunity to delete and retake the shot. It feels like there is more on the line, so hearing that shutter slap is that much more satisfying.

Milotta adds that 35mm film provides an aesthetic that speaks to him on a level that newer technology cannot.

“It captures a certain warmth and depth that digital often lacks, with a grainy texture and subtle variations in color and contrast,” he explains. “That sense of nostalgia is what I am after.”

As I continue to explore the world through my camera lens, I am reminded of the power that photography has to capture emotion, memories and stories. I am grateful for these moments — and for the opportunity to share them with others. I want to make those fleeting moments a little more lasting. Nick Milotta

I found myself seeking out that perfect moment of light and shadow that would transport me back to childhood memories. Photography became my escape; my way of freezing those fleeting moments in time and preserving them for posterity.

Nick Milotta

Photography is a way of seeing and interpreting the world around me. Through my camera lens, I am able to capture the beauty and complexity of life in all its forms — from the vibrant colors of a cityscape to the intricate and delicate details of dew on a rose petal. Nick

Milotta

About the Photographer

Nick Milotta discovered his passion for photography in an unlikely place.

“At the time, I would frequent a little improv theater in Tempe called The Bridge,” he says. “I would go and watch the shows and also perform from time to time. I had seen a lot of people taking pictures with their phones and I remembered that I had a Canon m50 with a kit lens in the trunk of my car. So I decided to go grab it and take a few shots of the performers.

“It was electric. I found myself skimming between rows and laying on the floor in front of the stage to get good shots. I guess they noticed my zeal and asked me to take photos for their social media team. The Bridge supplied me with fertile ground for growth, for which I am grateful.”

Milotta’s passion for photography quickly became an obsession, as he learned to shoot manual and experimented with shutter speed, aperture and ISO to capture the perfect image.

“I found myself seeking out that perfect moment of light and shadow that would transport me back to childhood memories,” Milotta explains. “Photography became my escape; my way of freezing those fleeting moments in time and preserving them for posterity.”

Realizing that photography was far more than just a hobby, Milotta has spent the past two years leaning into what he views through the lens.

“Photography is a way of seeing and interpreting the world around me,” he says. “Through my camera lens, I am able to capture the beauty and complexity of life in all its forms — from the vibrant colors of a cityscape to the intricate and delicate details of dew on a rose petal.”

instagram.com/nickmilotta.photos

IIn the summer of 2017, Anthem resident Kelly Autry spotted a beautiful silver necklace with initials stamped into it on a woman in a store. Having always been drawn to creative efforts, she wondered if she might be able to make such a gorgeous piece of jewelry herself.

Her curiosity piqued, Autry scoured YouTube for how-to videos, purchased the necessary materials, sat down at her kitchen table and created her very own necklace — which she wore to her kids’ school, where she worked as a paraprofessional, that fall. After receiving several compliments from teachers, she began making them as gifts.

“I have always made gifts for my family and friends,” says Autry — who, originally from Southern California, moved to Arizona in 2006. “I would crochet, I would make beaded jewelry, I would make all kinds of things. I remember being in my early 20s and thinking, ‘Gosh, it would be so nice to have my own business through which I could make and create.’”

Through Touch of Wonder Designs, 53-year-old Anthem resident Kelly Autry has finally realized a dream she had 30 years ago to own her own business through which she embraces and exercises her creativity.

Witnessing her talent and passion, Autry’s husband helped her create a shop on Etsy. Within the first 24 hours, she received five necklace orders.

“That was in September,” Autry says. “In December, I told my husband that I want to learn how to make a silver ring because I have always loved rings. So, for Christmas, he got me into a metalsmithing class. I walked into that class in January 2018 and, within the first hour, I knew that this was my calling. I wanted to learn everything about it. I became very obsessive. And by

I love brainstorming with them to come up with the piece. And I think that I am really good at kind of pulling out what it is that someone wants and putting that into a real thing that they can wear.

Kelly Autry

Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photography by Loralei Lazurek

Over the past five years, Kelly Autry’s business has blossomed and grown to include necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings, many of which involve setting stones and crystals to create one-of-a-kind heirloom pieces.

Most recently, Kelly Autry has added permanent jewelry to her list of products. Inspired by friendship bracelets, this chain jewelry is soldered with a pulse-arc welder directly around the wrist, neck, ankle or finger of the wearer.

the end of that year, I pretty much transitioned out of the school and opened my own business.”

Autry named her business Touch of Wonder Designs.

“I think that there is something so neat about being in a state of wonder,” Autry says. “I feel like that is what I do. With every order I send out, I write, ‘I hope you like your touch of wonder.’ I feel like everything I send out brings hope and whimsy to the person who receives it.”

Over the past five years, Autry’s business has blossomed and grown to include necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings, many of which involve setting stones and crystals to create one-of-akind heirloom pieces.

“Stones, like people, are unique and are some of the most beautiful gifts from nature,” Autry explains. “I believe that jewelry is about self-expression; choosing to wear a large statement piece or a delicate item can transform your style and the personality of your outfit. It can be a reminder of a special event, a person, a date or a quote that is meaningful only to you.”

Autry especially enjoys the personal connections she makes with each and every one of her customers — who, by the way, live all across the country.

“I love brainstorming with them to come up with the piece,” says Autry, noting that she takes great pride in making each item unique to the recipient. “And I think that I am really good at kind of pulling out what it is that someone wants and putting that into a real thing that they can wear.”

Most recently, she has added permanent jewelry to her list of products. Inspired by friendship bracelets, this chain jewelry is soldered with a pulse-arc welder directly around the wrist, neck, ankle or finger of the wearer.

“Until these past few months, I have been strictly online,” Autry says. “But I did my first market last fall and that went really well. I did 81 permanent bracelets for a University of Arizona sorority over Superbowl weekend. And soon my pieces will be in a store down in Chandler.”

One of her most popular products is something she calls a grieving parent necklace, designed after Albert Gyorgy’s sculpture “Melancholy” in Geneva, Switzerland.

“It looks like a person sitting on a bench, hunched over because he has lost the love of his life,” Autry explains. “It represents this feeling of your whole middle part being gone. That sculpture has always resonated with me because my sister lost her son 20 years ago. She had shown a picture of this sculpture to me and I just thought that it was amazing how much it says.

“So I created this piece after I started metalsmithing and it is the likeness of the sculpture but in its shadow. I have made countless of them over time. I hear these stories [from my customers] about their spouse or their child or any kind of loved one. Knowing that each person who receives one of them has a memory of their loved one around their neck, close to their heart, has meant so much to me.”

Kelly Autry especially enjoys the personal connections she makes with each and every one of her customers — who, by the way, live all across the country.

Something else that has meant a lot to the 53-year-old entrepreneur: Finally realizing the dream she had 30 years ago to own her own business through which she embraces and exercises her creativity.

“I do not know that I could have done this when my kids were younger, “ says Autry, who has one child in high school, one child in college and one college graduate. “There is a lot of juggling. But I have also realized that I am quite disciplined. I have been surprised at that and how willing I have been to jump in with both feet.

“These are things that you really do not know about yourself until you own your own business. I really am a onewoman show. I do all of the administration, all of the shipping, all the marketing and all of the social media. I often have to start working early in the morning and keep working late into the night.

“It is sometimes very exhausting. So if you do not have the discipline, the tenacity and the passion for it, then it is not for you. But I have realized that I do and I think that I found my niche when it comes to drawing things out of people and bringing them to life so that they can wear and enjoy their touch of wonder.”

touchofwonderdesigns.com

OOn a typical day, more than 125,000 passengers arrive and depart at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. They pass through the terminals, ride the AirTrain and stop by the rental car center to pick up vehicles. For most travelers, the airport is simply a place that must be tolerated on the way to their final destination — it’s crowded, it’s chaotic, it’s stress-inducing.

But for those who take a moment to slow down and observe their surroundings, the airport becomes a welcoming space filled with color, beauty and artistry.

“Sky Harbor is the front door to our city and to our state in many ways,” says Gary Martelli, manager and curator of the Phoenix Airport Museum. “Having art at the airport says that art and culture are important to us.”

Phoenix Sky Harbor airport has one of the oldest and largest art programs in the country — second only to San Francisco International Airport. There are more than 40 display areas for individual art and themed exhibitions throughout the airport system. Artworks are displayed in the terminals, rental car center, SkyTrain stations and even outdoors. The museum also has exhibits at the Deer Valley and Goodyear airports.

Sky Harbor is the front door to our city and to our state in many ways. Having art at the airport says that art and culture are important to us. Gary Martelli

Writer Rebecca L. Rhoades

Phoenix Light Passage, artist James Carpenter

Sonoran Essence, artist Frank Gonzalez

From the Earth to the Sky, artist Bill Dambrova

Some exhibitions are permanent; others change about every six months. There are dedicated galleries, large glass display cases, art-lined hallways, hidden niches and a sculpture garden. Some pieces are integrated, such as artist-designed floors, ceilings and stained-glass walls. And 80–90% of the art on display is viewable pre-security, meaning that you don’t need to have a plane ticket to see it.

HISTORY ON DISPLAY

The Phoenix Airport Museum program began officially in 1988, but the tradition of showcasing beautiful artworks dates back to the airport’s origins in the 1960s.

One of the museum’s earliest pieces was commissioned in 1960 in anticipation of the opening of Terminal 2. Paul Coze’s 75-foot-wide mural, “The Phoenix,” is a three-panel multimedia work comprising 52 different materials. The center panel is dominated by a mythical blazing Phoenix perched atop a native date palm. It is believed to be the first piece of city-commissioned public art that was chosen by a citizen vote.

The triptych debuted in 1962 on the west wall of the Terminal 2 lobby and quickly became an iconic landmark. When the terminal was decommissioned in 2020, the mural was saved, and in fall of 2021, it was installed in the rental car center near the central escalator.

Today, it still attracts art lovers and historians who examine the mural’s tiny details, such as gemstones, tile and even a child’s toy steering wheel, through observation scopes tucked away at the base of the escalator. Display cases tell the story of the mural’s creation and its relocation.

In 1986, the city of Phoenix established the Public Art Program, which allocates 1% of the city’s annual Capital Improvement Program to public art projects — including the airport. Then, the airport’s collection stood at 25 pieces. Today, it spans about 900 works.

There are paintings, sculpture, photography, fiber art, glass, ceramics, architecturally integrated pieces and more from some of the region’s most renowned artists, including Ed Mell, Mark Klett, Frank Ybarra, Anne Coe and Patricia Sannit, as well as internationally recognized artists such as Jun Kaneko.

Travelers at Terminal 3 are greeted by a large backlit stained-glass wall created in 1979 by Ken Toney. The 1,400-squarefoot artwork originally was installed in the ceiling above the terminal’s escalators. Comprising more than 2,300 pieces of glass in sunset shades of gold, red and orange, the glass panels were repurposed into an exterior eye-catcher during the terminal’s modernization in 2019.

Inside the terminal, Donald Lipski’s “The Aviators” watches over the daily goings-on — literally. The giant pair of reflective aviator sunglasses hang above the arrivals atrium and are designed to celebrate Arizona’s rich history of civil and military aviation.

“We want to promote Arizona’s art and culture, and that can be expressed in a lot of different ways,” Martelli says when asked about the variety of works on display. “When we say ‘Arizona,’ that doesn’t necessarily mean a landscape or image of something from the state. I want artwork that’s well-crafted and that conveys what the artist intended to convey.”

Michael Baxter // Susan Logoreci

WORLD’S BIGGEST GALLERIES

One of the most recent additions to the Sky Harbor museum is a 6,000-square-foot terrazzo floor by Phoenixbased artist Bill Dambrova. Located in the SkyTrain station at the rental car center, the floor, titled “From the Earth to the Sky,” welcomes travelers with bold graphics and vibrant hues.

“The city of Phoenix Offices of Arts and Culture said they didn’t want a ‘design’; they wanted ‘art,’” Dambrova says of the work’s undulating abstract biology-inspired shapes. He notes that the city, when making commissions, “selects artists who they feel have the potential to make something fresh and different, something that feels meaningful.”

Dambrova’s floor debuted in December 2022.

Having art displayed in the airport has become an honor that rivals having work in top galleries and museums — and an opportunity that artists now seek out. Dambrova, who also is a museum exhibition designer, notes that if given his choice, he would prefer to have his work shown in an airport instead of a museum.

“I feel that art is needed in airports,” he explains. “Many people still don’t feel comfortable going to art museums or galleries, and airports are like ambassadors for art. They make art accessible to those who otherwise would not seek it out. Some folks who say that ‘they don’t get art’ may even end up enjoying it, even if only by osmosis. I like the idea of being involved in making art more accessible to everyone, not just people who already like art.

“I’ve designed exhibits at some major well-known institutions with huge budgets that thousands of people see, but my name isn’t on them, and they are not permanent. This will be the most permanent thing I’ve ever done that could last 50 years or more. It very much feels like I am leaving a legacy in my hometown.”

Botanical artist Dyana Hesson of Mesa also has a large painting in the museum’s permanent collection. She recalls meeting a woman who had just relocated to the Valley from Canada who recognized her name because she saw the artwork hanging in the airport.

“She said one of the first things she saw when she landed in Phoenix was my painting, and she thought, ‘This is some place I want to explore, someplace I want to live.’ It made an impression on her,” Hesson says. “The Sky Harbor art program is a great venue and a great opportunity for artists. There are so many people you can connect with at the airport. It’s a way for our state to introduce itself to our visitors.”

Round-Up and Superstition Rodeo, artist Bill Schenck

The Ultimate Landscape, View from Bright Angel Point, artist Merrill Mahaffey

The Phoenix, artist Paul Coze

The Aviators, artist Donald Lipski

‘A SENSE OF PLACE’

Travelers who fly in and out of Arizona’s second-largest city also have the opportunity to view beautiful works of art. Since 1987, Tucson International Airport has been showcasing works by artists from southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico.

“In many ways, art is about establishing a sense of place,” says Danette Bewley, president and CEO of Tucson Airport Authority. “Passengers traveling through Tucson International Airport should have no doubt they have landed in Southern Arizona when they are in the terminal. We want [visitors] to be surrounded by Tucson’s unique beauty and culture and understand that they are in Southern Arizona before they step outside and snap selfies with the saguaros.”

The Tucson airport’s collection features more than 100 works, including paintings, photographs and sculptures. Some of the most popular pieces are “Desert Ramblers,” a whimsical sculptural scene by Joe Pagac that includes a javelina, jackrabbit, packrat and desert tortoise patiently waiting for their flight, and “Another Way to Fly,” a series of glass flying carpets by beloved Tucson glassblower Tom Philabaum.

“Tucson International Airport is more than just a travel hub; it is a pillar of the Southern Arizona region,” Bewley says. “The Tucson Airport Authority has partnered with local artists for more than three decades, and we will continue to amplify the creativity that makes Tucson such a special place to live, work and travel to from around the world.”

For Martelli, art is a calming distraction in an otherwise hectic environment. It transports travelers to new destinations and sets Phoenix and its airport apart from an increasingly homogeneous world.

“We like to say that Sky Harbor is a museum that planes happen to come and go from,” he says.

skyharbor.com/at-the-airport/amenities/airport-museum

flytucson.com/services/art

RECIPE

Carrot Cake Loaf

Serves: 8–10

Ingredients:

For the Loaves:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 pound whole carrots, peeled 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed 4 large eggs

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

For the Cream Cheese Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons butter, softened 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Green and orange food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Springtime brings Easter, Mother's Day and graduations. It's a perfect time to bake this carrot cake loaf. Simpler than a layered carrot cake but equally delicious, it will please everyone! If you want to take it up a notch, try decorating it with baby carrots on top!

Grease and flour two 9-x-5-inch loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Whisk thoroughly to combine.

In a food processor with a grater attachment, process the carrots until shredded. Pour into a medium bowl and set aside. Wipe out the food processor and fit with a standard metal attachment. Add white sugar, brown sugar and eggs then process until thoroughly combined.

Next, with the food processor running, drizzle oil into the sugar/egg mixture until thick and emulsified, about 30 seconds. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients then whisk until combined. Fold carrots into the batter using a spatula and distribute evenly between loaf pans.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Meanwhile, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Pipe or spread onto cooled carrot cake loaves.

Optional: Separate two 1/4 cup portions of frosting into separate bowls. Add a few drops of orange and green food coloring into each bowl and mix, adjusting colors to your preference. Spoon dyed frosting into small Ziploc bags, cut a tiny opening in the corner of each bag and gently pipe carrot designs all over the top of the cake, as desired. Carrots are made by squeezing a blob of orange frosting then quickly drawing the frosting in a downward motion. Add leaves by making 1–2 small green dots on the top of each orange carrot.

Writer and Photographer Francine Coles thefancypantskitchen.com

S ANDERSON LINCOLN S ANDERSON LINCOLN