Images Arizona May 2019 by Images Arizona Magazine

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ARTISTIC EVOLUTION Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Wonderspaces

COMMUNITY EVENTS Writer Amanda Christmann

STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS Writer Amanda Christmann Photography by George Gruel

CYNTHIA ANN FINDING MEANING IN THE PAST Writer Amanda Christmann

Photography Courtesy of Cynthia Ann Jewels

MIMI HYMEL SEEKING THE CROWN Writer Shannon Severson Photography Georgina Vaughan and Brad Olson

GRAPEFRUIT POMEGRANATE SALAD Writer and Photographer Kyndra Kelly

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PUBLISHER Shelly Spence

MANAGING EDITOR Amanda Christmann

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Meaghan Mitchell

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joseph Airdo Amanda Christmann Sue Kern-Fleischer Kyndra Kelly Shoshana Leon Shannon Severson Fadi Sitto

PHOTOGRAPHERS Scott Baxter Bryan Black Kyndra Kelly Loralei Lazurek

ADVERTISING SALES Cooper Langston 480-544-8721 cooper@imagesaz.com

Images Arizona P.O. Box 1416 Carefree, AZ. 85377 623-341-8221 imagesarizona.com Submission of news for community section should be in to shelly@imagesaz.com by the 5th of the month prior to publication. Images Arizona is published by ImagesAZ Inc. Copyright © 2019 by ImagesAZ, Inc. All rights reserved.

It’s hard to believe that it’s May already! As time flies by, I find myself becoming increasingly sentimental about the past. With every year that goes by, I realize the importance of becoming deeply rooted in the community. We are all part of a continuing storyline that joins past, present and future generations of people who live, love, struggle and find joy in this amazing world. Our writers and photographers seem to be feeling the same way. As I look through this month’s editions, I’m moved by the history shared within our pages. Inside are stories of some of the people and places that have helped to create the cultural identity of our community and beyond. Talented photographer George Gruel contributed to this month’s photo essay, which poignantly reminds us to “stop and smell the flowers.” This essay is a particularly meaningful departure from George’s decades of touring with Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and other rock and roll icons. It represents some of the deeper lessons he’s learned along his journey. I’m also thrilled to share Cynthia Stewart’s passion for preserving and repurposing centuries-old artifacts. Her story touched me deeply, and I know you’ll enjoy it too. In fact, I love her line of Cynthia Ann Jewels so much that we’ll be featuring one-of-a-kind pieces from her collection throughout the month of May—just in time for Mother’s Day—at Grace Renee Gallery in Carefree. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re also a physical reminder that love and humanity transcend space and time.

Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for the return of unsolicited material.

May you find beauty, love and connection in all that surrounds you. Thank you for letting our Images Arizona family be part of that journey.

Local First A R I Z O NA

Happy Mother’s Day! Shelly Spence Publisher, Images Arizona magazine shelly@imagesaz.com 623-341-8221

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The Journey To Earning $6,789,642 In Merit Scholarships Great Hearts is setting a new standard and purpose for public education in Anthem. Our schools believe in a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innate potential to comprehend the rich tradition of Western Civilization. Students will grow in the virtues that mark a profound, philosophical life through their pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.

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Grace Renee Gallery | 480-575-8080 | GraceReneeGallery.com

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# 7 imagesar | Carefree, Grace Renee Gallery | Historic Spanish Village | 7212 E. Ho HumMRd. ay 2019 iz ona .c om AZ9

Submergence by Squidsoup - Photo by Adam Elmakias Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Wonderspaces

The landscape of the arts world is changing. Classic architecture, ceramics, paintings, photography and sculptures continue to carry significance in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society, but artists are finding new methods to express the way in which they see the world. Whereas creativity used to be about finding ways to color outside the box, it is now about finding new canvases to color, and new tools with which to do so. As seen in Wonderspacesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; debut exhibit in Scottsdale, many of these new methods invite audience engagement via virtual reality, body movement or three-dimensional exploration. The Wonderspaces team hopes that by exposing audiences to new and unorthedox works from artists, it can expand upon the audience for art while also challenging perspectives and creating conversations that lead to new ideas.

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Blooms by John Edmark

“[Wonderspaces] is an art show that is designed to be accessible to all audiences, whether or not you commonly identify with art,” says creative director Kendall Warson. “It is a place that features work that is engaging, multi-sensory and probably unlike anything you have ever seen before. One of the strengths of Wonderspaces is that we are showcasing work with a diverse array of mediums.” Occupying the former Harkins movie theater inside of Scottsdale Fashion Square, Wonderspaces partners with artists from around the world to create art shows that run for about three months, creating a place where people can connect with art and with each other. The 16,000-squarefoot venue is Wonderspaces’ first permanent location. “We have had two pop-up shows in San Diego,” Warson says. “The first show was in 2017 and was put together by our co-founders Jason Shin and Patrick Charles. It was put up in a tent and kind of thrown together in a sense. Over the course of about 10 weeks, there were 56,000 people who came to experience it. The next year, we had 111,000 people come to a pop-up show at a cruise ship terminal.” Realizing the intrinsic benefits of exposing new audiences to artists’ work, but also the inherent challenges of popup venues, the team put into motion a plan to sign longterm leases in cities across the country. It hopes to plant seeds in Austen and Philidelphia later this year.

Blooms by John Edmark

“The intention is for these shows to go from city to city—not only to bring a really exciting offering to local communities but also to scale the impact of all the artists and their work,” Warson explains. “That way, it is constantly reaching new audiences. Our intention is to be sort of a movie theater to the Arizona community and to have this continual offering that is rotating every three months.” The art installations are not the only things that will change every three months. The space has been redesigned to act as sort of shell, with modular walls and other easily modified elements that allow Wonderspaces to regularly reinvent itself. The space itself will change based on the theme of the exhibit, as will the food and shopping options.

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Body Paint by Memo Akten - Photo by Anne Vetter

Entry is staggered every 15 minutes to ensure individual installations do not get too crowded, giving visitors an opportunity to peacefully and personally engage with each piece of artwork. Each show is designed to take about 80 minutes to experience but visitors have the freedom to enjoy the exhibit at their own pace. Running through July 21, Wonderspaces’ debut exhibit in Scottsdale—Point of View—features 13 installations that explore how new perspectives expand our concept of the world. “A lot of the works are offering new perspectives or are abstracting perspectives—not only visually but also from a narrative sense,” Warson explains. “People come to Point of View with their own perspectives as a visitor and that is interacting with the perspectives that the artists are bringing to the table. People are able to converse, share opinions, share ideas and walk out with an enlightened sense of reality and a larger scope on their point of view.” One of the highlights of Point of View is Dinner Party, a virtual reality film based on the story of Betty and Barney Hill—the couple who reported the first nationally known UFO abduction case in America in the 1960s. The installation, which was created by Angel Soto, Laura Wexler and Charlotte Stoudt, makes use of virtual reality headsets and is designed to replicate a mid-century dinner party atmosphere.

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Black Balloons by Tadao Cern - Photo by Amanda Schroeder

“It is exciting, a little scary and super engaging,” Warson says. “You watch the film at a dinner table that we have designed in partnership with the artists. There are themes of isolation and of community. The installation format helps push forward those themes and engages the audience in the larger dialogue of what the director, writers and producers are exploring through the concepts of the film.” Warson is also proud that Wonderspaces can bring Body Paint to the Valley. The installation, which was created in 2009 by artist Memo Akten, is a visual instrument that enables people to paint on a virtual canvas with their bodies. Playing on our natural instinct to express ourselves through movement and dance, Body Paint interprets our physical gestures into evolving compositions. “Even though it was created 10 years ago, Body Paint is still so relevant and engaging,” says Warson, noting that Wonderspaces will occasionally dig into an artist’s archive to find work that should be brought back to the forefront of people’s consiousness. “Body Paint is less about the outcome and more about expressing yourself physically.” Point of View also brings Submergence back to the Valley after its 2017 exhibition at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. An immersive installation comprised of 8,064 individual points of light that visitors can walk through, Submergence was created by Squidsoup—an international group of artists, researchers, technologists and designers who work together to create interactive experiences.

Sweet Spot by Shawn Causey and Mark Daniell

“It is great because you are seeing this landscape but then all of a sudden you are a part of it,” says Warson, noting the lights continually change colors in correspondance to music thereby creating feelings of movement within physical space. “It is a very visceral, accessible artwork that is just extraordinary and awe-inspiring.” Other noteable Point of View installations at Wonderspaces include a videotaped performance of two handymen sweeping trash for 12 hours; an audiovisual installation that distorts space and blurs the lines between what is digital and what is real; an immersive installation

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Sweet Spot by Shawn Causey and Mark Daniell - Photo by Victor Ren

Daydream v2 by NONOTAK Studio - Photo by Victor Ren

Dinner Party by Angel Soto - Photo by Peter Pascucci

Come Together by Michael Murphy

The Last Word by Illegal Art

EXPERIENCE Wonderspaces: Point of View i m a gJuly e s a r21 izon a . c o m M ay 2 019 Square | 7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale | $19+ | arizona.wonderspaces.com | Scottsdale Fashion 14Through

made of 19 miles of multicolor nylon string; and 3D-printed sculptures designed to animate when spun under a strobe light. “A lot of the artists that we are working with are excited about their work reaching a broader audience,” Warson says. “I think that the goal is to create a communal conversation and a space where people can confidently enter into and explore the concepts and perspectives that these artists are sharing.” Wonderspaces acts as an invitation for people who may ordinarily not be drawn into the art world to discover it through totally surprising and unexpected works. It activates visitors’ senses in new and innovative ways, encouraging them to explore artists’ perspectives and challenge their own while also sparking discussions with their friends and family. “A lot of these pieces are not conventional,” Warson says. “We strive to support installation art and find ways to present work that is challenging to present and might not otherwise exist in a traveling format. We feel like people are really moved by a lot of these pieces and are able to share experiences with one another and connect with each other through the context and lens of this artwork.”

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COMMUNITY

2019 MAY

Writer Amanda Christmann

May 17–26

ARIZONA RESTAURANT WEEK It’s that delicious time of year again! Arizona Restaurant Association’s Spring Arizona Restaurant Week will showcase some of the Valley’s best culinary menus with prix fixe menus and specials. See website for participating restaurants. arizonarestaurantweek.com (District American Kitchen And Wine Bar Pictured)

May 2

BEYOND THE HORIZON What does the future hold for us?

schools, school legislation, charter school transparency and more. Free. 39808 N. Gavilan Peak Pkwy., Anthem. 623-233-1600; anthemprep.com

May 3–19

FRANK FOWLER: THE DESERT WAS MY TEACHER

This Big Ideas Forum will provide

Accomplished Navajo artist Frank

an opportunity to view a video and

Fowler uses acrylics to depict what he

be challenged, thrilled, provoked and

May 3–19

sees in his own visions. Meet the artist

outraged. Free. Anthem Community

MASTERS OF GLASS

May 3 from 5–8 p.m. May 3; artist’s

Center, 3701 W. Anthem Way, Anthem.

Peter Wright and Peggy Pettigrew

talk at 6:15 p.m. Turquoise Tortoise,

7–8:30 p.m. bigideasforum.info

Stewart showcase very different styles

a Bryant Nagel Gallery, 431 SR 179,

of glass creations. Meet the artists 5–8

A3 at Hozho, Sedona. 928-282-2262;

p.m. May 3, including an artists’ talk

turquoisetortoisegallery.com

May 3

EVENING WITH ERIK TWIST Anthem Preparatory Academy and

community members about charter

beginning at 5:45 p.m. that evening. Lanning, a Bryant Nagel Gallery, 431 SR 179, A1–2 at Hozho, Sedona. 928282-6865; lanninggallery.com

May 4

TALK DERBY TO ME

Archway Classical Academy welcome

Enter the best hat/best Southern attire

Great Hearts Arizona president

contest, drink mint juleps and enjoy

Erik Twist, who will be speaking to

a Southern-inspired spread by chef

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de cuisine Tandy Peterson during the Kentucky Derby at the Phoenician’s Derby Day Porch Party at Mowry & Cotton. $95. 6000 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale. 1–4 p.m. 480-423-2530

May 6–9

ANTHEM PREP AND ARCHWAY PERFORMANCES It’s four days of performance at Anthem Preparatory Academy and Archway Classical Academy. From music to drama, see some of the area’s most talented young people in action. There will also be an art showcase May 14. See website for schedule. Free. 39808 N. Gavilan Peak Pkwy., Anthem. 623223-1600; anthemprep.org

May 11

SUMMER SALUTE CONCERT North Valley Symphony Orchestra will present their Summer Salute concert at Shadow Mountain High School. $5. 2902 E. Shea Blvd., Phoenix. 7 p.m. 623-980-4628; northvalleysymphony.org

May 30

SING THE ANTHEM IN ANTHEM Think you’ve got what it takes to sing what you see by the stars’ early light? Anthem is seeking a soloist for their July 3 celebration, and it could be you! Auditions will be held at the Anthem Civic Building. See website for details and rules. Register online by May 24. 3701 W. Anthem Way, Anthem. 6 p.m. 623-742-6050; onlineatanthem.com

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SUMMER THEATER PROGRAMS Looking for summertime ideas for creative kids? Musical Theatre of Anthem will hold summer camps, productions and workshops for performers ages 3 to adult, including Freckleface Strawberry the Musical for children 8–14 years old; Summer Performing Arts Institute for children ages 6–18; and MTA summer shows, which are still shaping up. See website for dates, times and fees. 42201 N. 21st Dr., Ste. B100, Anthem. musicaltheatreofanthem.org

CAMP RISING STAR

Applications are available at

Enrollment is open now for Starlight

the Anthem Civic Building and

Community Theater’s Camp Rising

Community Center or online

Star for children ages 7 to 17. This

at onlineatanthem.com/AYAC.

summer’ camp will feature Willy

Applications must be submitted

Wonka Kids June 10–22, Monday–

by 5 p.m. May 5. ddworak@

Friday, 8 a.m.–noon. Performances

anthemcouncil.com

will be held June 22 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. See website for camp, audition

MUSIC IN MAY

and rehearsal schedule. 1611 W.

Each Friday in May brings a free

Whispering Wind Dr., Phoenix.

concert at Anthem Community

starlightcommunitytheater.com

Park. May 3, it’s Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns—and Food Truck

YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS NEEDED Teens in grades 9–12 who are interested in serving their community, developing leadership skills and becoming a voice for themselves and their peers are invited to apply for a position on Anthem Community Council’s Youth Advisory Council.

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Friday; May 10, it’s Neon; May 17 brings Radio London; May 24 features Rhythm Edition; and May 31 concludes the series with City Nights Band. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and picnic food. Food trucks will kick off the opening night, and an ice cream truck will provide treats the remaining weeks. onlineatanthem.com

GRAETZ NAMED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/ PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR Noted vocalist and conductor Patti Graetz has been named ProMusica Arizona artistic director and principal conductor. With a musical career spanning more than 30 years, she has been with ProMusica since 2015 and is not only a conductor, but also an award-winning soprano. She has sung leading roles with the Houston Grand Opera, Arizona Opera and in Australia. She will be bringing her talent and leadership to ProMusica Arizona, one of the most beloved music organizations in our state.

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True artists need not even pick up an instrument, brush or other tool to illustrate their talent. Their virtuosity manifests through the way they see the world around them and, in turn, the way they talk about it. Nineteen-year-old Phoenix resident Haley McKeown speaks of the new handmade violin that she won as the victor of North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Summerford Violin Concerto Competition in such a way that indicates her artistic aptitude and foreshadows her long and prosperous future as a musician. “I really like this instrument a lot,” says McKeown, noting the differences between her new violin and the one that she had previously been playing. “What I like most about this instrument that I have now is that it sounds really bright. I like the openness it has to it. The other violin that I own is a little bit darker, which also sounds nice, but I like the change in tone that this one provides.” North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Summerford Violin Concerto Competition is an annual contest that aims to nurture and develop young musicians in the Phoenix community by awarding the competition victor a handmade violin—valued at more than $5,000—and an opportunity to perform on stage as a soloist before a live audience. Phoenix luthier Jody Summerford donates the prized violin each year, with McKeown walking away as this year’s winner. McKeown could have easily been propelled down a completely different musical path with a single decision she made a decade ago. In fourth grade, she was presented with the opportunity to join either her elementary school’s band or its strings program. She initially wanted to play the flute, but destiny intervened and McKeown ended up playing the violin instead. She enjoyed the instrument so much that she pursued private lessons within the year. “I had always enjoyed music growing up,” McKeown says. “I liked the sound of [the violin]. I also liked all of the expressive things that you can do with it and just how diverse of an instrument it is. I was learning things really quickly, so I approached my grandmother and asked if

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she would pay for my private lessons. She saw it as a natural talent that I had and supported me through it.” McKeown notes that her grandmother played piano and had always wanted one of her grandchildren to continue her family’s musical legacy. She calls her grandmother her greatest inspiration. However, she was also inspired by her first public performance. “The music director at my church asked me if I wanted to play violin with him at one of the services,” McKeown recalls. “I was about 10 or 11 years old. I had just started playing. It was just a lot of fun and I knew right then and there that I wanted to play the violin for a very long time.” Upon entering middle school, McKeown was approached by a classmate and fellow violinist who invited her to start a string quartet. The group stayed after school to play music that they dug out of the music department’s filing cabinets. The side project solidified McKeown’s interest in the instrument, leading her to join North Valley Symphonettes—a division of North Valley Symphony Orchestra that serves middle school musicians. During her freshman year of high school, McKeown successfully auditioned into the organization’s advanced-level orchestra for high school and college musicians North Valley Youth Orchestra. McKeown was also a member of Paradise Valley Unified School District’s regional and district honor orchestras, as well as Tri-M Music Honor Society. As a high school senior, she successfully auditioned into North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s adult ensemble. “I really liked the challenge,” says McKeown, acknowledging that her involvement in the various orchestras required a lot of commitment and even more time. “I liked playing music that was more difficult.” McKeown initially dedicated about one hour per day to practicing her violin. As she became more serious about her craft, that rehearsal time increased to three or four hours per day.

Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography by Loralei Lazurek M ay 2019

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“When my private teacher first told me that I would have to practice three or four hours every single day if I wanted to be successful, I thought that sounded like a lot of work,” McKeown says. “And it really is a lot of work. But the improvement that I have made since I started being very disciplined with my practice is just astronomical.” That discipline and the talent that her grandmother and her church music director saw in her a decade ago propelled her to win North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s Summerford Violin Concerto Competition. In January, McKeown began the application process by composing answers to five essay questions. “I just spoke from my heart,” McKeown explains. “Music is a huge part of my identity and I spoke to that.” She also obtained a letter of recommendation from her private violin teacher, Aquiles Figueroa, and auditioned in front of a panel of judges. McKeown was thrilled to learn that she had won and felt as though all of her efforts up until then had finally paid off. McKeown was especially excited about the opportunity to perform Italian Baroque musical composer Antonio Vivaldi’s “Violin Concerto in A Minor” as a solo during North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s March concert.

North Valley Youth Orchestra Music Director Josh Lynch believes the performance will be the first of many in the musician’s future as a recognized soloist. “During Haley's audition, the judges were impressed by her stage presence,” Lynch explains. “She plays, moves and carries herself as a soloist does. They felt that she was the best-suited candidate to be awarded the victory.” McKeown intends to take full advantage of that victory and the opportunities that it provides. She is currently taking several music classes at Paradise Valley Community College and will transfer to Arizona State University this fall to pursue a degree in violin performance or music education. She aspires to one day join the Chicago Symphony. “I love everything about Chicago,” McKeown says. “I’m just drawn to that city. It is within perfect distance of universities to which I could apply as an adjunct professor once I complete my master's work.” In the meantime, McKeown will continue to play in the pit orchestra for Valley Youth Theatre as well as with the North Valley Symphony Orchestra, which will present its Summer Salute concert 7 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at Shadow Mountain High School. She says that the ensemble has allowed her to meet people from many different backgrounds and walks of life who all share one very powerful thing in common—music. “The community of North Valley Symphony Orchestra is what makes it so successful,” McKeown notes. “We're a member-run organization, so we all kind of act as a team in making decisions for a lot of things. I

have always loved being a part of that, going in every week, seeing the same people and building relationships.” McKeown adds that the violin has afforded her a strong work ethic and taught her how to think outside of the box, work through challenges and overcome obstacles. “Even if I can't get past something right now, if I look for a different approach or solution, I will eventually find one,” McKeown says. “Sometimes it is just a matter of being able to look at things from a different perspective.” Lynch hopes the far-reaching benefits McKeown has received as a violinist inspire other young musicians to join one of North Valley Symphony Orchestra’s youth ensembles for the 2019-10 concert season. Auditions will take place May 19, June 1 and June 2 at Desert Ridge Music Academy, 21043 N. Cave Creek Road in Phoenix. “North Valley Symphonettes, North Valley Youth Strings and North Valley Youth Orchestra are unique in their approach to community involvement as well as their training structure,” Lynch says. “North Valley Symphony Orchestra has a seat for musicians of any level and will train them to perform all the way to a professional level. “The staff and directors of these groups work closely with each other, planning out scope and sequence to make the training process effective, exciting and fun. For any strings student who feels the drive to get better, there is no other organization in Phoenix like North Valley Symphony Orchestra to get them where they want to be.”

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Bougainvillea

There are plenty of facts to be said about Arizona plants. For example, there are about 3,400 species of plants that grow in our state, and we have an unusually diverse variety due to our contrasts in climate, topography and habitats. Anyone who has been struck with the awe by the sight of the desert floor transformed by bright confetti flowers knows that facts don’t really matter. The blooms that fill the ground with such sweet and piercing dichotomy between fragility and strength are a testament to beauty and endurance. Photographer George Gruel has spent his life capturing rock and roll icons like the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and the Band, Graham Nash and Warren Zevon. He has also accrued collections of the quirkily ordinary, including neon signs and eateries across the globe. Gruel’s experience of life in the fast lane has given him a unique perspective on finding beauty in the natural world. Not only are his botanical photographs striking, but their singularity and micro perspective tell a different story than the broadstroke of views we’ve come to know so well. Images Arizona is proud to share a bit of insight into Gruel’s work in this month’s photo essay. We hope that you’ll gain an appreciation for the detail in the beauty all around us, and that you, too, will stop and smell the flowers.

Writer Amanda Christmann Photography by George Gruel

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Photographing plants allows me to really see the amazing beauty and intricacies of their being. I hope these images inspire you to stop and really look, in depth, at a flower the next time you see one. George Gruel

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RuelliaÂ Peninsularis

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER Encelia Farinosa Brittlebush

For George Gruel, art and music have been more than just hobbies. While attending photography and art school in Michigan, he decided to travel to San Francisco to photograph the journey as part of his photographic thesis. That trip changed his life. “It was a creative mecca like nothing I’d seen or experienced before,” he says.

Opunga Santa Rita

The Bay called him back, and in the early 1970s, he lived with Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir and became part of the Grateful Dead family. Rock and roll in those days was a little different than today, and many of the day’s biggest names hung out in the same circles. Gruel fit right in. He toured with New Riders of the Purple Sage, and he photographed Bob Dylan’s entire 1974 tour. In 1977, he took photos for the Eagles during their European Hotel California tour.

Kalanchoe Delagoensis Flower

“In 1978, Warren Zevon asked me if I would be his aide-de-camp,” Gruel says. “Of course I accepted. It went way beyond the money for me; it was pure joy—fabulous people, rock-nroll craziness, travel and most of all, amazingly great music. “Working with Warren was the best job of my life. He was in his heyday. I was listed on all albums as his aidede-camp. It was an all-encompassing term, which included me being his road manager for many tours, in the USA and Europe. We had great

fun together through a myriad of adventures, including some that bordered on insanity.” Gruel’s friend Graham Nash made him art director for the Crosby Nash album, “Another Stoney Evening.” He also photographed a few of Rick Springfield’s shows for a tour book. “Throughout this portion of my life, I kept my eyes, hands and mind involved with photography. My photos from those days grace Zevon albums, Rolling Stone, books and are in a new book about Warren published by Harper Collins called “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.” Gruel published a book of his adventures with Warren Zevon called “Lawyers, Guns and Photos.” “I could ramble on and on about many obtuse times in Los Angeles and the world of rock-n-roll, but let’s fast forward. Ten years ago, my life took yet another marvelous leap into the unknown—the world of true love. “I had never really known what great partner could do for one’s art and creativity, let alone, life. This all happened when I met my wife Jan. She is, by far, the best thing that has ever happened to me—and I’ve have had some pretty wonderful and unique experiences.” georgegruel.com biggorillabooks.com M ay 2019

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Sphaeralcea Laxa - Globe Mallow

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Opuntia Blossomopen

Aloe Blue Elf

Trichocereus Candicans

Images have always been the fabric of my life. I see photos everywhere I look, all day and all night. I frame the visual without even trying. It just makes seeing more enjoyable. I have frames around most everything I see. Life is one large rich gallery to me. George Gruel

Pima Cotton

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It's fun to go out and photograph whatever you see and moves you. George Gruel

Cactus Mitt

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Saguaro

A Little Prickly …

Opunga Santa Rita Yellow Blossom

One of the most common Sonoran Desert plants is the prickly pear cactus. Nearly every part of the prickly pear is edible, including the fuschia fruits, called “tunas,” and the green pads, or nopales. Arizonans also tend to love their bright blooms, which are among the heartiest and first to appear after seasonal rains. Because of their versatility and robustness, Australians began importing prickly pear cacti in the 1800s, with devastating results. The plants quickly became an invasive weed, smothering over 100,000 square miles—much of it farmland—with their impenetrable spiny paddles. Many farmers were driven off of their land by what they called “green hell.” In 1919, the Australian government formed a board to try to eradicate the prickly pear. First, they tried to manually remove the cactuses, then they tried, also unsuccessfully, to poison the plants using chemicals. In a last-ditch effort, entomologist Alan Dodd introduced a moth aptly called cactoblastis cactorum, which has a larvae that feeds on prickly pear. His efforts worked, and a memorial hall in Queensland now commemorates not Dodd, but the moth that saved the day.

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All of the Upgrades, All of the Luxury If you’ve been looking for a home with it all, this is it. Located in the gated Anthem Golf and Country Club, this 3br/2ba home features over 2,000 square feet of upgrades and an eastern exposure view from your back patio of not one, but two meticulously groomed fairways.

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Inside, this home is appointed with everything you need for luxury, comfort and low-maintenance living. Each upgrade has been thoughtfully executed, from diagonal tile in all the right places, to textured carpet, custom closets, plantation shutters, custom window treatments, wood cornices and a beautiful built-in entertainment center and desk. The kitchen features custom raised-panel cherry cabinets, granite slab countertops, a cook’s pantry and a kitchen island. The only things you’ll need to do outside are to enjoy the time you’ll spend with family and friends and to take in gorgeous mountain sunrises that will take your breath away. Desert landscaping is enhanced by natural-looking, maintenance-free turf grass. A gas barbecue grill on the patio invites opportunities for nice evenings at home or gettogethers with your new neighbors. This one won’t last! To find out more, call Linda today!

Please call Linda for your private showing. Linda Rehwalt RE/MAX Professionals 602-402-1136 lindarehwalt@azrealty.com

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Writer Amanda Christmann Photography by Bryan Black i m a g e s a r i z o n a . c o m M ay 2 019

Once you’ve met Marshall Shore, you won’t soon forget him. With his bold and eclectic taste in vintage fashion, his edgy pompadour and his larger-than-life personality, Shore stands out in any crowd—which is the way he likes it. It’s only apropos that Shore has become the unofficial ambassador for something else that shouldn’t be forgotten: Arizona history. In fact, as self-proclaimed Arizona’s Hip Historian, Shore has made it a point to dust off and share some of the most notable—and quirky—bits of local lore. For example, even people who have lived in the Valley for years may not know the haunted and harried history of the downtown Clarendon Hotel. In its early days, it played host to Hollywood stars, and it still does, thanks to renovations that have brought back its “Mad Men” swankiness. Ask Shore about the hotel, though, and he’ll tell you stories that go beyond the allure of its mid-century architecture and rooftop bar. With the skill of a true wordsmith, Shore draws audiences in with the story of the jilted lover who put on her best dress and threw herself to her death from the roof of the hotel. Some hotel patrons claim they can still smell her rose perfume in the room where she stayed. He’ll also tell you about Phoenix’s most notorious unsolved murder that happened just outside of the hotel’s front doors: the car bombing murder of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles. In fact, that’s just one of the tales he can tell about the days when Central Phoenix was home to quite a few mob figures. He takes tourists and locals alike on guided tours, sharing stories about infamous Phoenix murderess Winnie Ruth Judd, and about the governors, prostitutes,

and other colorful characters who share an unlikely eternal companionship in the downtown Pioneer and Military Memorial Park cemetery. There’s nothing routine or predictable about Shore or his tours. He’s been known to play bingo in cemetery tours, and the yellow school bus he uses for others make learning about Phoenix history more of an adventure than the intellectual pursuit that it is. In fact, Shore is doing a bang-up job of turning a town with “no history” into a fun historical mecca. Not bad for a guy from a one-horse town in Indiana. Shore grew up in Odell, Indiana—and you’re not alone if you haven’t heard of it. With a population of 25, and boasting two roads and one stop sign, it’s probably safe to assume that Shore is Odell’s most colorful export. “I always marched to my own drum,” he says, his eyes smiling from behind peculiarly shaped green wire rims. “That drum has just gotten louder.” At 23 years old, Shore bought a one-way ticket to New York, where he landed a job in a library in Brooklyn. It was a practical decision. “It was ingrained in me early on, ‘Don’t be an artist! Don’t be an artist!’” Shore explains. The library gave him an opportunity to dig through books and archives for stories about the people and places that surrounded him. Every story he read made him feel more alive and connected to the city. A few years later, his parents moved to northern Arizona. He soon followed, but not too closely. He didn’t want to leave the glow of the city lights, so he took a job as a librarian in Phoenix.

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“As soon as I got here, I heard all of these stories about how there is no history here,” he says. “Yet, I was working in the Central Library and I was hearing all of this fascinating oral history. It gave me a whole fresh perspective. Now, I kind of look at stuff and I think, ‘Look at that building. I wonder what happened inside.’ And I find out.” Shore combs through old newspapers and other documented accounts, and he reaches out to authors and others who either remember or have researched old stories. To Shore, who refers to himself as an “information curator,” each of these stories is a thread in the fabric of our city, and finding them has been a personal journey. “When I first moved here, I was like, ‘I moved where?!’ It really was about finding things that connected me to this place, and finding all of these amazing people who were finding themselves and forging new paths. “That’s still true today. There are people today whose stories we’ll be telling generations from now. The idea that we’re all trying to leave our mark is nothing new.” Anyone who has been to one of Shore’s now-famous ghost tours, Phoenix in Film, Arizona LGBT History, Arizona by Design or any of his other experiences at local bars, Scottsdale Museum of the West, the Alwun House, the Arizona State Fair or other venues knows what a good time history can be—especially when its told by Phoenix New Times’ Best Unofficial Phoenix Historian and Phoenix magazine’s Best Bespectacled Phoenix Celeb.

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TOPPABLE S N U NG KICK OFF EV

Give him an hour and Shore will pique your interest and make you want to know more.

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“I’m most interested in the people and events that have made Phoenix what it is today,” he explains. “Sharing my passion is how I got connected to Arizona. I could be anywhere doing anything, and history is why I’m here.” He’s also set his sights on creating a little history of his own. Currently, he’s collaborating with Marilyn Szabo and the Casa Grande Historical Society to put together a book about the life and work of Casa Grande photographer James Gorraiz. Gorraiz’s work documented the incredible post-war boom that Phoenix experienced in the mid-20th century.

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Like so many other Phoenix characters, he’s always got a few other tricks up his sleeve, too. The best place to find out what tours and fun he’s got coming up is to follow his Facebook page.

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“There’s a whole city to explore!” he says. And with Shore, exploring it is a treat.

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Shore has become a liaison for the city’s most notable destinations, people and events, and he’s doing it with spectacular style.

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Being a hip historian isn’t the only thing Shore does. He’s on the board for Arizona Apparel Foundation, where he works with emerging designers in helping them brand apparel unique to Arizona.

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It reads as if it came from the pages of a fairy tale. On the streets of Paris, where emperors once ruled, revolutions were borne, and where creative minds like Picasso, Hemingway, Matisse and Wilde found their muses, Cindy Stewart was searching for something she couldn’t name. She wasn’t interested in the souvenir postcards or Eiffel Tower figurines that fill many of the shops that line the city’s roads. Even the artists with their easels and palettes couldn’t tempt her eye. Pretty things and baubles may have brought a momentary smile, but Cindy needed something bigger—something deeper—to fill an emptiness in her heart. Her mother had died a few months earlier, and she was drowning in waves of grief. She wanted something to hold onto, and she was searching for it an ocean and a world away from her Houston home. She pushed open a door to a shop whose window promised old and interesting finds. As she closed the door behind her, the busy sounds of the street gave way to the heavy, reverent silence of a long, narrow antique store. She made her way through the stiff, ornate furniture and large and small leftovers of other people’s lives when a box caught her eye.

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Writer Amanda Christmann Photography Courtesy of Cynthia Ann Jewels

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It wasn’t the plainness of its shape or its solid weight. Its contents were what drew her nearer. Thousands of medals, each hand-forged and crafted to signify something that was once special to its owner, were piled inside. Atop the pile was a small Madonna medal inscribed with the words “Jesus,” “Mary” and “Joseph.” Cindy’s breath caught in her throat. She grew up with her mother using the phrase, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” and she could almost feel her mother’s presence as her fingers traced the coolness of the metal. “That was the epiphany moment for me,” Cindy says. “I was struck with an overwhelming sense that she hadn’t left, and she was telling me she hadn’t left. That’s what really started me on my journey.” Cindy bought the entire box of 2,000 medals. They dated back hundreds of years, symbolizing everything from small crosses to patron saints. That box would be the start of a soulwork of sorts that has touched thousands lives.

THE PRESENTS OF THE PAST Once home, Cindy got busy. She’d always had an interest in fashion and design. Though she’d been working in the corporate retail world for over 25 years, she’d also begun a jewelry boutique on the side. She had no trouble at all determining what she wanted to do. “Life is short,” she says. “My whole path and journey has taken me here. I closed up my store and started designing jewelry around these medals.” Using techniques and resources she’d learned about in her corporate life and as a boutique owner, she cleaned and polished each one, inset them in gold and added diamond bezels and bales.

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South of the Outlets next to Swankyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fashion Boutique

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She took them to a trade show and received an overwhelming response. People didn’t just like them because they were pretty; they liked them because they felt their deep connection to the present and the past, and to the part of life that cannot be broken by distance or death. “They had the same response I had when I found my first medal,” she explains. “It was just a cascade of people who were relating to a product that was so important and so close to my heart.” They became the first in a long line of Cynthia Ann Jewels. She soon found herself combing European antique fairs. She was most attracted to Victorian-, Edwardian- and Georgian-era jewelry. Their history, brilliant craftsmanship and unique stones tugged at her heart. The more that she found, the more people wanted. Unlike most start-ups, Cindy’s problem wasn’t that she couldn’t reach customers; with a retail base that reached 65 stores in a relatively short amount of time, her issue became maintaining the integrity of her mission. “The number of medals available is very, very limited,” she says. “We started growing too fast. People wanted me to reproduce the medals, but I wouldn’t do that. “It was important to me to use those pieces that had passed through history, that people had held, and that people were happy with, sad with, and that had a story that went along with them. We may not know the whole story, but every one of them has a story. “I love that each one has a life that continues, and that helps people in their own journeys, whatever that journey may be.”

EXPERIENCE Cynthia Ann Jewels Trunk Show | 7212 E. Ho Hum Rd., Carefree | 480-575-8080 | gracereneegallery.com i m a g e|s Grace a r i z o n aRenee . c o m Gallery M ay 2 019 42May 1–31

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BEAUTY IN SYMBOLISM Medals have been recorded in history since the early Egyptians forged jewelry out of fine metals to show their devotion to deities. In the fourth century, Roman emperors Constantine and Maxentius were fighting over power. Christianity had not yet been embraced by the empire, so when Constantine saw a vision that he should use “Chi-Rho,” the first two Greek letters of Christ’s name, upon his sword, he was likely as confused as any. Still, “Conquer by this sign,” is the message Constantine would heed. Constantine’s army soundly defeated Maxentius, paving the way for Constantine to rule the western half of the Roman Empire. Religious jewelry would become an important symbol for people to show they’d renounced their earlier religions and had embraced the Christian God.

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Guardian angels are among her favorites. “Whatever the language it is, it’s ‘Let me be your guide.’ We’re all born with a guardian angel. It’s in the Old Testament and the New Testament; we’re all born with this guardian here to be our spiritual guide throughout our lives. I love that. I don’t leave my house without my guardian angel spiritually, but I keep my guardian angel medal with me as well.”

Life in Abundance

Uptown Funk

Cold Shott & theThe Daisy Mountain Band

Locked Out of Heaven

The Daisy Mountain Band

Been Here for Ages

Hurricane Horns Can’t Stop the Feeling! Can’t Stop the Feeling! Been Here for Ages

Justin Timberlake

Can’t Stop the Feeling!

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Life in Abundance

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The Daisy Mountain Band

Been Here for Ages Justin Timberlake

Can’t Stop the Feeling!

“I have grown to really appreciate the symbolism in old jewelry,” Cindy says. “I love the meaning of a swallow and the symbolism in heart bracelets, for example. All of them have interesting connotations, and I’ve loved learning about them throughout this journey.”

The Anthem Band

BRUNO MARS

Going North & South

The Anthem Band

“Chi-Rho” loosely resembled a cross, and it metamorphosed into a primary Christian symbol. It is one of many symbols Cynthia Ann Jewels showcase.

Fo Tr u o d F r i ck d Ma ay y3

Radio London GAVILAN PEAK

Going North & South

Uptown Funk GAVILAN PEAK Going North & South

GAVILAN PEAK

Going North & South

MAY

The Daisy Mountain Band

Been Here for Ages

Journey

Don’t Stop Believing Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake

Can’t Stop the Feeling!

Rhythm Edition GAVILAN PEAK

Going North & South

Can’t Stop the Feeling!

City Nights Going North & South Band GAVILAN PEAK

The Daisy Mountain Band

Been Here for Ages

MAY

Cold Shott & the Hurricane Horns • May 3

This band got their start in Phoenix, AZ in 1990 as the three-piece Cold Shott Blues Band. Now, Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns is one of Arizona’s longest-running, successful entertainment ensembles.

Neon • May 10

Neon has performed for the biggest names in the corporate world, countless weddings and every nightclub that seeks quality live entertainment. This band brings world-class talent, experience and know-how to every show.

Radio London • May 17

Get ready to dance and have a good time when Radio London plays your favorite songs from the 60’s to the present, satisfying everyone’s taste with quality hits!

Rhythm Edition • May 24

Another favorite seems like an unlikely affinity at first glance.

Rhythm Edition is an all-variety party and show band with seven lead singers, each with their own style of vocals. This band brings the party to the party!

City Nights Band • May 31

This band plays greats from Bruno Mars to the Beatles, Michael Jackson to Journey, and Pink to the Band Perry! An evening with this talented group is the perfect way to close out our Music in May 20th anniversary year series.

OnlineAtAnthem.com/events In case of inclement weather, visit the events page for announcements or cancellations.

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It was important to me to use those pieces that had passed through history, that people had held, and that people were happy with, sad with, and that had a story that went along with them. Cindy Stewart

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The Latin term memento mori translates literally to “remember you must die.” Represented by a skull, it seems a morbid reminder for someone so positive, but Cindy doesn’t see it that way. “The skull is such an amazing representation and appreciation of life,” she explains. “We’re all so afraid of death because we’re not educated about it. That’s why it was so difficult when my mom passed away. We just had no grasp about where we are going, and the memento mori is a reminder that God promised eternal life in his kingdom with him. “I found my first piece from the 1700s in Bulgaria. I now understand who he is and what he represents. He’s not creepy at all. He’s a reminder that we are to live each and every day to the fullest because we were promised eternal life. That’s what we were promised here.”

Cynthia Ann Jewels is currently working on new collection memento moris, and although they are limited in number to about 46 in total, Grace Renee Gallery in Carefree will feature several pieces, along with many of her other limited editions. About 80% of Cynthia Ann Jewels have religious connotations, and not all are Christianity-based. Many date back to biblical times, between 300 and 450 AD; others are from 19th century European and Russian collections. From medallions to St. Benedict symbols to guardian angels, Cindy’s goal is to make beautiful pieces that are unintimidating. “It’s meant to be modern, very accessible jewelry. I don’t want it to be something people are afraid to wear. It’s beautiful, but it’s not so overly serious that you wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it every day. “Whether you have on lululemons, jeans or a little black dress, my jewelry is accessible.” In its short time here in the North Valley at Grace Renee Gallery, it’s clear that message, and her jewelry, is being embraced. For Cindy though, it’s more than just creating pretty jewelry. Restoring and repurposing historical artifacts has given her peace, and helped her to recognize that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves. “My collection holds a very special place in my heart. It’s my journey, and I am excited to share it!” gracereneegallery.com

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Writer: Shannon Severson i m a gPhotography: e s a r i z o n a . c oGeorgina m M ayVaughan 2 019 and Brad Olson

Beauty pageants date as far back as Medieval England’s spring celebrations. Each year, a beautiful young woman would be chosen to give a speech officially opening May Day ceremonies. She was dressed in white and crowned with a wreath of flowers for the occasion, a tradition that continues to this day in many European towns. It took a bit for the tradition to make its way across the pond, but in 1921, East Coast newspapers, looking for a way to boost popularity and circulation, promoted photographic contests to spur young ladies to vie for “The Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America,” complete with Mermaid Trophy. Anthem’s Mimi Hymel is the face of pageants in the 21st century. The Boulder Creek High School senior will travel to Disney World this July to compete for Teen USA National Miss and the $5,000 scholarship that comes with the title. The pageant is affiliated with the USA National Miss (UNM) system, an organization that bills itself as having a positive, community-conscious approach to pageants. “I like to be out of my comfort zone,” Mimi says. “I’ve learned it’s important to polish a certain look and be ready to speak in public. It helps in every day life, too.” Mimi will compete in evening gown, fun fashion (a non-traditional, runway-style segment where contestants express their personal style), an interview panel segment, lifestyle and fitness

(modeling activewear) and talent. Mimi’s talent will showcase her dance abilities, something she has developed over many years of studying ballet pointe, contemporary, and hip-hop. Mimi enters the contest as the reigning Miss Golden State Teen. Since her father lives in California for his job, UNM’s dual residency rules allowed Mimi to apply for and win the title. When the Hymel family moved from St. Louis, Missouri, it was a dance store owner who first recommended that Mimi compete in pageants. “I never knew much about it,” says Mimi’s mom, Allison Hymel, “but I trusted Nathalie. The more we got involved, the more we enjoyed it. Mimi has lots of friends from pageants and community service. It has been a really good experience.” Mimi is just the type of well-rounded student that today’s pageants seek to attract. She is on the BCHS Spirit Line, has been inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts and her favorite classes are English and College Algebra. “I enjoy the challenge,” says Mimi. “It’s satisfying when you get a problem right” This fall, Mimi will attend Grand Canyon University with an academic scholarship, where she will study graphic design and advertising.

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????????? “I want to become involved in social media or be in public relations for a magazine company,” Mimi explains. “Pageants have helped me develop not just public speaking and people skills, but I’ve also learned to design graphics for social media. Now I have all the pieces to fit together for a career.”

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There’s a lot of criticism about pageants, but that’s mostly because people don’t know a lot about it. My image represents who I am. It’s not an act. You need to be a driven, smart, well-rounded person to participate in pageants. It’s way more than just how you look. Mimi Hymel

Mimi’s public speaking skills have been put to good use in the community as an ambassador for UNM’s antibullying effort, Crown C.A.R.E.S. (Creating A Respectful Environment in Schools), where she has chosen to focus on allergy awareness. It’s a cause close to her heart because she herself suffers from the condition. “I had an anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts and ended up in the hospital,” Mimi says. “I’d had allergy shots for years, but had never had a major reaction. It ended up being caused by cross-contamination, which was something I didn’t know about before.” Mimi joined the Teen Advisory Group for Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) non-profit and had a nationally published blog post on the topic. She has focused not only on awareness in schools, but on how children with allergies may experience bullying for their food allergies. “Last October, I got involved in FARE’s Teal Pumpkin project, which households can use to symbolize that they have non-food treats or allergy-safe treats to pass out at Halloween,” Mimi explains. “I created an anti-bullying food allergy coloring book and gave a presentation at Esperanza Elementary School and I made teal pumpkins for them to award to raffle winners.

At BCHS, Mimi made 2,000 “Palentines” for Valentine’s Day and the Student Council’s Kindness Week. “I stayed up so late,” says Mimi. “I tied teal ribbons on Dum Dums lollipops, which are one of the top allergy-friendly candy treats. Each one was tied with a message encouraging students to ‘Be a Pal’ to those with food allergies. I also brought teal ribbon stickers for students to wear in support of those with food allergies.” Mimi’s work in the community is part of her duties as a titleholder, but she explained that all she does in support of her pageant participation is a part of who she is. “There’s a lot of criticism about pageants, but that’s mostly because people don’t know a lot about it,” Mimi says. “My image represents who I am. It’s not an act. You need to be a driven, smart, well-rounded person to participate in pageants. It’s way more than just how you look.” Beyond the chance to help the community, develop her personal image and gain public speaking skills and experience, the top thing Mimi has enjoyed about pageants is the friends she has gained. “I have so many friends I’ve made through pageants,” she says. “I’m still friends with the same girls from when I started in the Miss America system We are definitely BFFs and lifelong friends.” If Mimi wins the national title, she plans to continue her schooling in addition to traveling monthly to fulfill the community and sponsor obligations that come with the crown.

“The kids asked some good questions and I think they enjoyed the coloring book as a fun way to learn about the topic.”

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Writer Amanda Christmann Photography Courtesy of The Phoenix Theatre Company

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The year was 1920. Arizona had become a state just eight years prior, and Phoenix was beginning what would become one of the biggest growth spurts in the West. Cotton, which had been in high demand during the war, had attracted pioneers eager to plant their lives in the Salt River Valley. When World War I ended in November 1918, the market for cotton would see a tremendous decline. Many were forced to move to the city, where construction jobs and other opportunities were ripe. For the first time, the U.S. Census showed more people living in Arizona cities and towns than on farms. Growth in Phoenix meant diversity. People from all different backgrounds were moving into the Valley. It was a fertile ground of opportunity, and it didn’t matter if people were rich or poor. Everyone wanted their piece of the dream. These early residents were beginning to build a foundation for the state’s retail, insurance, wholesale, distribution and banking sectors, and as they came, so did bars, brothels and gambling dens. It was, after all, still the Wild West in ways. But less reputable forms of entertainment weren’t the only ones available. It was the beginning of the Age of Jazz and of the proliferation of cinema, and the city’s wealthier and more educated upper crust in particular wanted more sophisticated forms of art.

A DRAMATIC ASIDE Within the theater scene was an undercurrent of discontent. In 1895, theater owners across the nation had held a secret meeting, forming a syndicate that would, in effect, monopolize competition, artistic content and pricing. Playwrights, directors, producers and actors would all feel a stifling effect on their creativity. Many in the theater community wanted to express political ideas and address social issues that many felt were important. Chicago was the first to launch what is now called the Little Theatre Movement. These free-standing theaters gave the industry’s “small players” a venue in which to experiment. They didn’t care about the commercial value of what they were producing so much as they were interested in creating a message, and like many passion-fueled, grassroots efforts, these smaller theaters began to spread like wildfire. M ay 2019

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Two Phoenix figures were carefully watching this movement: Harry Behn and Maie Bartlett Heard. They would become the founders of a now-century-old legacy that continues to play a part of our Valley towns.

TAKE IT FROM THE TOP Harry Behn was born in the now-abandoned ghost town of McCabe, located in Arizona’s Bradshaw Mountains. His parents were immigrants, his father from Germany and his mother from Denmark. Harry was a smart and thoughtful young man and a prolific writer, even from a young age. At 18, he was accepted into Stanford University. That summer, as he was preparing to go off to school, he took work as an assistant to photographer Henry Berger. The two took off on assignment to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. As the story goes, Berger was called away for a family emergency, leaving young Harry to guard his expensive Kodak camera equipment. While he waited, Henry befriended some Blackfoot Indians from a nearby reservation. He is said to have been invited to join the tribe, and he received the name “Big Wolf Medicine.” Harry went on to earn his first degree from Stanford, and a second from Harvard. He married Alice Lawrence and had two sons, Prescott and Peter, and a daughter, Pamela, and would go on to write screenplays for cinematic hits, including “The Big Parade” in 1925, and “Hell’s Angels” in 1930. He also wrote dozens of children’s books and was a professor of English at University of Arizona in Tucson, where he was put in charge of educational radio programs. It is likely that the series of events that formed the foundation of his young adult years, combined with his intellectual and social affinities led to his eventual friendship with someone else who shared his appreciation for Native tribes, Maie Bartlett Heard. Maie Bartlett Heard was born in Chicago to a wealthy family. Her father was Adolphus C. Bartlett, president of the Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Company, which would later become True Value Hardware.

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It was not her father’s work that interested Maie so much as his apprentice did. Dwight Heard was handsome and rugged looking, with dark hair and a strong brow. He was ambitious, too. Before long, the two were smitten. Dwight and Maie married in 1893, but all was not perfect. Dwight suffered from health issues, and like many people at the time, he was convinced that the dry desert air would be good for him. In 1895, the couple made the long trek to Phoenix. It would be a good move for them. Dwight became one of the largest land owners in the Salt River Valley, and was president of the Arizona Cotton Growers Association. He started Bartlett-Heard Land and Cattle Company, an extremely lucrative venture that sold beef, alfalfa, citrus and cotton to a growing Phoenix market. In 1912, the same year Arizona achieved statehood, he purchased the Arizona Republican newspaper, which would later become the Arizona Republic. In the meantime, Maie kept herself busy as a leading lady of the new state of Arizona. She involved herself with civic organizations and was passionate about the plight of others. She became an avid collector of art—particularly Native American artifacts. She and Dwight built their 6,000-square-foot home, Casa Blanca, in what is now northern Phoenix. They entertained often, inviting not only the local who’s-who, but national figures as well, including Marshall Field, Harvey S. Firestone, and even Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. Politics were a frequent discussion, as was the Native American art the couple had become enamored by. In fact, in 1926, the Heards would purchase a Hohokam ruin. Its artifacts would join their collection in becoming some of the foundational pieces in their Heard Museum.

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What’s the difference between “theater” and “theatre”? According to the folks at grammar.com, the word “theater” is by far the preferred spelling in American English, while “theatre” is preferred nearly everywhere else. The American preference is a late-20th century development, so uses established prior to then are often spelled the British English way.

It was no surprise, then, that with so much in common, Maie found a friend in Behn.

THE BIRTH OF A THEATER In 1920, Heard and Behm formed a collaboration and joined the Little Theatre Movement. They started the Phoenix Players with a goal of bringing creativity and expression to the Valley through live performance. Four years later, with the troupe growing, the Heards donated their carriage house at Central and McDowell Roads. Just four years later, when the group applied for its articles of incorporation, there were 424 registered members. Phoenix Little Theatre was born. Phoenix was in an adolescent period of growth, still defining its political, economic and social personality. Theater played an important part of that growth, and in particular, smaller theaters like Phoenix Little Theatre were making strides. Through performance, writers, directors and actors could express ideas and touch audiences in ways that cinema, radio and newspapers could not. By 1940, nearly 1,000 members had registered with the theater, which was still putting on shows in the Heards’ converted carriage house. Even the onset of World War II, when families were separated by oceans and bullets, Phoenix Little Theatre continued to open its curtains and entertain the crowds. In 1951, the theater needed a new home. Board president Stephen Shadegg joined the Heard family and Barry Goldwater to secure funding

for a municipal cultural complex. The new theater would be alongside two of Maie Bartlett Heard’s other seminal endeavors, the Phoenix Art Museum and the Phoenix Public Library. It kept growing, incorporating a children’s theater in 1954, and solidifying its role among the core of the community. In 1985, the word "Little" was dropped from the theater’s title, and it would remain “The Phoenix Theatre” until it would eventually be renamed “The Phoenix Theatre Company.” Those who have not yet had the opportunity to experience The Phoenix Theatre Company’s newly renovated space will be more than pleasantly surprised. Beginning in 2013, The Phoenix Theatre Company launched one of the most ambitious expansions of a performing arts center in the Southwest, including a soaring glass atrium lobby, new rehearsal and entertainment spaces, and the addition of the chic and contemporary Hormel Theatre. The Phoenix Theatre Company has continued to realize the vision of its founders, and has likely gone far beyond what they dreamed. Their star-worthy performances challenge and delight audiences of all ages, and their programs are aimed at helping to develop new faces and voices in the performance arts. As the century mark approaches this year, it’s more than a look back at the past. “Our 100th season is a true celebration of everything we’ve been through as

THEATER Celebration of the Century It’s dinner under the stars followed by an unforgettable stage show featuring celebrity guests! Applause! Gala | Saturday, October 19 | 5:30 p.m. | The Phoenix Theatre Company | 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix | See website for pricing i m a g e s a r i z| ophoenixtheatre.com n a . c o m M ay 2 019 54602-889-5291

a company, everything we’ve been working toward and everything we believe we can be,” said producing artistic director Michael Barnard.

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“We can’t wait to share this historic, celebratory season with our community!”

The Phoenix Theatre Company 2019/20 Performances June 12–Aug. 11 Spamilton: An American Parody Aug. 28–Oct. 13 Kinky Boots Oct. 9–Nov. 10 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Nov. 13–Dec. 29 The Sound of Music Dec. 18–Feb. 16 Million Dollar Quartet Jan. 29–Feb. 23 Americano! World Premiere Feb. 26–Apr. 12 Sondheim on Sondheim

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Feb. 28–March 15 Festival of New American Theatre March 18–Apr. 19 Something Rotten! Apr. 15–June 7 The Rocky Horror Show May 20–June 28 HAIR The Phoenix Theatre Company 1825 N Central Ave, Phoenix 602-254-2151 phoenixtheatre.com

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Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of Prescott Film Festival

Despite all of the advances in technology and changes to our world, Prescott still retains the Old West charm that once made it a popular destination for filmmakers. Prescott first played host to a film production in 1912 when actor, screenwriter and director Romaine Fielding filmed “The Cringer” in the city. The Lubin Film Company opened a studio in Prescott that same year. Over the next six years, more than 100 movies were filmed in the area, including “Roping a Bride,” “Sagebrush Tom” and “The Sheriff of Yavapai County.” The Prescott Film Festival continues the city’s time-honored history within the film industry while also bringing the community together to appreciate the art of moviemaking. That art goes far beyond the blockbusters that big studios churn out on a regular basis. Yavapai College Film and Media Arts Director Helen Stephenson believes that educated audiences are becoming bored with those cookie-cutter flicks whose screenplays almost seem to have been copied and pasted from one another. That is one of the reasons why she founded the Prescott Film Festival, which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary June 7 through 16 at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center in Prescott.

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PUTTING PRESCOTT ON THE MOVIE MAP

BUILDING A FILM CULTURE IN YAVAPAI COUNTY

Stephenson, who also serves as executive director of the Prescott Film Festival, was born and raised in Arizona before attending college in the American film capital, California. She returned to Arizona in 1995 and made a home for herself and her husband in Prescott. However, she was immediately disconcerted that there was virtually no independent film scene in the city.

Initially, Stephenson tried to imitate the Phoenix Film Festival and the Sedona International Film Festival for her event, but the Prescott Film Festival now has its own identity— one that reflects the populations of Prescott and Yavapai County. One of the ways it does that is through the presentation of a horse-related film, which is consistently among the event’s most popular screenings.

“I started thinking about doing a film festival,” says Stephenson, noting she asked Sedona International Film Festival executive director Patrick Schweiss for guidance. “We decided to start with a monthly series because a festival is a huge thing to take on.” In 2009, Stephenson began hosting film screenings once a month at Frontier Village Cinema 10. Unfortunately, the movie theater eventually closed its doors, forcing Stephenson to look into other venues. She hosted subsequent screenings at Prescott Mile High Middle School, Prescott College and Yavapai College. “In 2010, we decided to jump in with both feet and do a film festival,” says Stephenson, noting the Prescott Film Festival’s venues over the past 10 years have included Prescott Elks Theater and Prescott Center for the Arts before finally settling in at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. “The first day we opened the door to sell tickets, people kept coming in and we could hardly believe it. People were longing for independent film.” Stephenson admits that she and her volunteer crew were unprepared for the demand as they frantically printed and cut tickets in the basement of an old bank building as quickly as they could. However, their efforts were well worth it as Prescott finally made a name for itself within the film community.

This year’s festival will showcase “My Paintbrush Bites,” a documentary short about a man battling reclusion who adopts an injured racehorse that he later discovers has a hidden talent for painting—a skill that changes both of their lives. Stephenson assures that there will be plenty of options at the Prescott Film Festival to appeal to all audiences— including a sing-along afternoon matinee of “The Sound of Music” Saturday, June 8. Actress Kym Karath, who played Gretl Von Trapp in the 1965 family film, will even be in attendance for the screening. “When I was in junior high, all the choir songs we sang were from ‘The Sound of Music,’ and it continues to resonate with me,” says Stephenson, noting ticket sales for the screening will benefit Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters. “We hope this will be an inter-generational screening with parents and grandparents, who loved the film when it first came out, bringing their children and grandchildren.” Another screening that Stephenson is especially excited about is “Pipe Dream: The Unlikely Success of Carol Burnett.” Lisa Ferris portrays actress Carol Burnett in the short film, which tells the story of the television pioneer’s early years—particularly how she went afrom total obscurity to starring on Broadway. Writer/director Chris King calls the film a passion project that took seven years to complete.

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“As a lifelong fan of Carol Burnett, I was curious as to how her road to fame came about,” King says. “Once I began to research her backstory, I was inspired to learn that there was not any nepotism or easy road to stardom that got her to where she is today. Born into poverty and losing both parents early in their lives to alcohol-related illnesses, hers is a story of guts and determination to entertain people through song and laughter.” Other highlights of the Prescott Film Festival include a series of free workshops hosted by Yavapai College Film and Media Arts Program, a pair of gourmet dinners and a wine and spirit tasting. Additionally, after the opening and closing night films, the theater curtains will open and the movie screen will be raised to reveal a stage-set party during which attendees can mix and mingle with one another.

That is not the only time audiences get to chat with one another, though. Impromptu conversations between audience members and filmmakers who are in attendance for Q-and-A’s are a common occurrence after each screening. In fact, Stephenson often finds herself having to shoo people who are excitedly discussing what they just saw out of the theater and into the lobby due to time contraints. “Film brings people together in a communal experience,” Stephenson says. “What I really wanted to do was build a film culture in Yavapai County. Once I started the film festival, people who were involved in film that lived here came out of the woodwork. I did not know that they lived here. There was no way of us to connect. Now people can connect through the film festival.”

MAKING THE MOST OF A MIRACULOUS MEDIUM New to the Prescott Film Festival this year is a special event that aims to combine the love of music with the love of film. Silent Symphony will see the presentation of a silent film with live accompaniment from Denver’s Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

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“For more than 25 years, this orchestra has been accompanying silent films across the country from Lincoln Center to the Telluride Film Festival and beyond,” Stephenson notes. “It is known for its authentic photoplay style, which allows the music to speak for the film—just as music did over a century ago when films were not ‘talkies.’” For the inaugural Silent Symphony, Stephenson selected “The General,” a 1926 comedy in which Buster Keaton plays a train engineer whose beloved locomotive is stolen by Union spies. Keaton’s character single-handedly pursues the locomotive straight through enemy lines in the movie, which Stephenson calls a true classic. She also believes its restoration accentuates the beauty of blackand-white film. “I think that it is good for students of film and people who want to be storytellers to look at silent films because they are telling a story without words,” Stephenson explains. “Film is a visual medium, so this is just about the best lesson that you could ever have.”

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Stephenson hopes that the movies presented during the Prescott Film Festival educate, entertain and inform audiences. She also hopes that they ultimately make a difference in their lives. “I see film as a miraculous medium,” Stephenson says. “It might be something funny or it might be a mystery or it might be a thriller. All of these different genres of film evoke emotion. These are people's individual stories. We want people to leave inspired.” The film festival’s founder and executive director believes that Prescott is the perfect place to do that. “Prescott is a place to escape,” explains Stephenson, noting visitors can go on hikes, visit museums and explore downtown Prescott between screenings. “Our city is beautiful. It has got the cleanest air in the United States according to the American Lung Association. It is a place to relax. We have a lovely film festival community in Arizona. We are just another little chapter in the book of film in our state.” prescottfilmfestival.com

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Writer Shannon Severson

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Creating recipes is half the fun of owning your own tequila brand. Andrea uses the juice of oranges from her own trees to make simple “vitamin C shots.” Another favorite of the Bluniers is the Jalapeño Cucumber Margarita, which has been served at Taste of Cave Creek for the last three years. 2 ounces Dulce Dorado Tequila 1 ounce fresh lime 1/2 ounce Triple Sec liqueur 2 slices each jalapeño and cucumber 2 ounces Sprite or soda water

You might say that Andrea and Dave Blunier have been cooking things up together since the beginning of their relationship. After all, they met when they were both working at a Phoenix Sizzler. When Dave heard that Andrea might be breaking up with her boyfriend, he took the chance to ask her out, and the two have been together ever since. After 30 years of marriage, they’ve got two grown children and an extremely successful business, Dulce Dorado Tequila—a blend of tequila, honey and vanilla that was inspired by a favorite family vacation. “We have had a condo in Rocky Point for many years,” Dave explains. “We traveled there often as a family, and the community there means a lot to us.” Enter Carlos. He was one of the Blunier’s favorite shopkeepers who would routinely invite them into the back of the store for a shot of homedistilled tequila. Dave went into the experience with a bit of hesitance because, while tequila is a favorite of Andrea’s, it was decidedly not on his list of preferred spirits. He was pleasantly surprised. “This recipe was really good,” says Dave. “It belonged to his great grandfather. It was 110 years of family tradition in a glass. It was more of a Mezcal, which is made from all the parts of the agave plant that aren’t used for tequila. It had a maple-like sweetness to it. We decided we should buy some from him and covertly bring it back across the border for a party back home. We called it ‘Carlos Tequila Day’ and our friends loved it.”

Dave figured he couldn’t be the only one who wasn’t a fan of standard tequila, and with nothing on the market like Carlos’ recipe, he decided he would ask Carlos how it was done. That was the start of Dave’s quest to make his own tequila, which involved a lot of research, experimentation, and a bit of a mess. “I thought it would be fun to do in the garage,” Dave recalls. “Andrea thought I was crazy! I was trying batches with all sorts of different ingredients.” “The kitchen was always sticky,” says Andrea with a laugh. “There was stuff everywhere! But the true test was when he came up with a batch on the stove while my tequila-despising girlfriend was over for a visit. She was so worried to try it, but when she did, I saw the look on her face and I could tell that it was good. I knew we had something.” Dave still operates his own medical insurance brokerage, but when they got a call from Southern Wine & Spirits in 2013 asking them to bring in a sample, things got real. At the time, the Bluniers could hardly keep up with the demand from their friends for their garage-aged quaff and somehow, a bottle had landed in the hands of the major distributor. “We arrived in jeans and there were six people in suits around the table,” says Dave. “They loved the product. They said, ‘Can you make this?’ And I said I could make 50 bottles.” Clearly, production levels would need to be increased. That day began a long, trial-and-error process of developing and bringing to market their unique flavor.

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“There’s nothing else like it in the honey-vanilla taste category,” says Andrea. “We’ve really reintroduced the product to a huge population of men and women who might have thought they didn’t even like tequila. We call it the new generation of tequila.” The whole family got behind the effort that took the drink from a hobby in the Blunier garage to a wildly successful tequila that has won multiple awards, including three consecutive Consumer’s Choice Awards and a Tasting Panel rating of 92—higher than some of the nation’s best selling brands. The couple’s daughter, Danielle, who was 16 at the time, used her graphic design skills to create t-shirts, ads and labels. “She was really savvy with the computer,” says Andrea,” so she was our go-to. She really helped us out. “Our son, Evan, now works at Lucie’s Sage and Sand in Glendale as a bar back, where ours is their house tequila. They also make barbecue sauce with it. It has helped bring him out of his shell.” It’s now sold in 11 states and internationally. They recently learned it was being sold in Poland by a liquor store owner who imports it himself. The business brought about the chance to help two important communities, one on each side of the border. Temperance, Michigan, perhaps an ironic name for a place that bottles tequila, is a town of 6,000 with an economy that relies almost entirely on the facility. The Bluniers could have had the distilling and bottling process done start-to-finish in Mexico, where the tequila, bottles and labels are made, but they felt they had a chance to help the small town. “The economy was really tough there when we started,” says Dave. “The additional money we pay to bottle it in Temperance is almost a wash with tax savings. It’s our way of helping the community.”

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Closer to home, the Bluniers became a sponsor of the Rocky Point Rally, a November biker event with an annual attendance of over 20,000 that supports charities here, including Barb’s Dog Rescue, which has a special place in Andrea’s heart. In Mexico, they contribute to the Esperanza Children’s Home, which was the first charity the Bluniers wanted to give back to. They also contribute to Samaritan Aviation, which flies medical supplies to Papua New Guinea. Danielle now works for the charity. The couple has raised over $100,000 through their involvement. As for their friend Carlos, it turned out that they were able to help him, too. “We always stop in to say hello to him when we are there and we knew we wanted to find some way to give back,” Dave said. “When we found out that he needed major eye surgery, and we were happy to pay for it to help him.”

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The Bluniers’ first year of participation in the rally had 25 attendees. Now, they begin registration in May and max out at 250 people within a week. They rent the biggest venue on the main drag and toss goodies, Mardi Gras-style, to passing revelers below. “It takes us five months to plan and pull it off,” says Dave, “but we are able to benefit three charities. Many of our friends have also started supporting Esperanza Children’s Home on their own.” “We didn’t see this becoming a thing,” says Andrea. “We were making it for friends and family, but it’s really taken off. Now, our family has also been able to use the business to help charities we believe in. It has been a great experience.” dulcedorado.com

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Grapefruit Pomegranate Salad This fresh treat is the perfect light salad for any gathering, not to mention, it’s bursting with summery flavors and colors! Feel free to substitute oranges or any other fruit you’d like for the grapefruit. Serves: 4-6 Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 1 package baby lettuce mix, or any mix of salad greens you like 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds 1 ruby red grapefruit (save juice for dressing) 1 cup sliced strawberries 1/2 cup candied pecans or walnuts 1/4 cup crumbled feta or Gorgonzola Dressing: 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil 2–3 tablespoons grapefruit juice 2 green onions, sliced thin 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 tablespoon honey, or to taste salt & pepper

Directions: Place lettuce in a large salad bowl. Over a small bowl, use a knife to section grapefruit by cutting away skin, then cutting in between each membrane to create slices, letting the juices collect in the bowl for use in the dressing. Arrange grapefruit sections, pomegranate seeds and strawberries on top of lettuce.

Writer and Photographer Kyndra Kelly

kyndraclaire.com

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In a small shaker jar, combine the oil, reserved grapefruit juice, sliced green onions, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Shake well and drizzle over salad. Top with nuts and cheese.

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Ancho Chile Chicken Tenders This is the quickest, most delicious chicken you will ever make! Use it in tacos, on a salad or just by itself. Chile powder can be adjusted, depending on how much heat you prefer.

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon water 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders

Directions: Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken tenders in a Ziploc bag and add marinade. Squish them around until all of the chicken is coated. Place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Grill chicken tenders until done, about 10 minutes. Cut up or shred chicken and use for tacos or salad. Enjoy!

Writer and Photographer Kyndra Kelly

kyndraclaire.com

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