Images Arizona: Carefree May 2017 Issue by Images Arizona Magazine Carefee/Cave Creek Edition

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may 2017

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BVOLuxury.com CALL(480) 999-1821

We are a Data-Driven Real Estate Group Our chief assets — information, interactions and experience — create value for our clients.

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DIGITAL MARKETING Our omnichannel strategy and expert marketing experiences mean that your home is seen multiple times by potential buyers through the latest in marketing technology, including websites, unique content and social media ads.

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“WE’VE IDENTIFIED WAYS TO COMBINE OUR PASSION FOR REAL ESTATE AND TECHNOLOGY BY APPLYING BUSINESS ANALYTICS METHODS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARKETING STRATEGY, GREAT STAGING EXECUTION AND INSPECTION NEGOTIATIONS. I HOLD IN-DEPTH EXPERIENCE IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE, AND I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ENGAGE, IMMERSE AND ATTRACT THE BUYER FOR YOUR HOME”

ANDREW BLOOM

Call 480 999 1821 | Visit SOLD.BVOLUXURY.COM

may 2017

SENIOR PARTNER IMAGESA R IZ ONA .C O M

RANDY O'BRIEN CERAMICS

FERRARI FEVER

By Grace Hill

By Beth Duckett

THE MUSICAL CANVAS OF LIZZ WRIGHT By Lara Piu

COMMUNITY EVENTS

OLIVERIO BALCELS

By Grace Hill

Cover photo by Jesse Kitt

54 ARIZONA THEATRE CO. DAVID GOLDSTEIN By Kenneth LaFave

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! dule ouse e h c S nH ouse m/Ope H n o Ope sdale.c day t n u S Scot l l i dm Win

20 Acres. 8 Homes. 1 Unrivaled Designer.

An enclave of homes designed by Bob Bacon – “Master of the Southwest” with interiors by Gail Archer. Windmill is a custom neighborhood of western ranch homes ranging from 3,500 to 5,200 square feet. Although every home Car Collector Garages Available - 1600 & 3600 sq ft

bears a family resemblance, each features a unique floor plan and elevation, and is carefully located in relation to its neighbors. The uniqueness of the neighborhood has already

Creek

Stagecoach Pass Rd

Pima Rd

Cave

attracted buyers who appreciate homes reflecting Bacon’s signature high levels of architectural artistry, quality, and careful attention to every detail. For a private tour,

Windmill Rd

call Davis Driver at 480-788-0401.

www.WindmillScottsdale.com

may 2017

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PUBLISHER Shelly Spence

EDITOR/CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jenn Korducki Krenn Amanda Christmann

ART DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT Jennifer Satterlee

When we began printing Images Arizona 18 years ago, the Internet was new. Most people didn’t have computers, and most people relied on newspapers and

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ana Petrovic

STAFF WRITER Grace Hill

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tom Scanlon Beth Duckett Monica Longenbaker Kenneth LaFave Gregory Granillo Shannon Severson Katherine Braden Lara Piu

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bryan Black Loralei Lazurek Monica Longenbaker

ADVERTISING SALES

nightly news to find out what was happening in the world around them. Today, that has all changed.

We are proud to say that our dedication to bringing heartening stories that cannot be found anywhere else has paid off. For nearly two decades, our local professional writers and photographers have explored the human experience and cultural events like no other publication in the area. They have taken great pride in telling stories that introduce neighbors, share pride and sorrows, and inspire us all to connect so that our community can grow stronger roots. At a time when proper vetting, skillful writing and original photography seem to be lost arts, there is a growing demand for quality, distinct articles and images. Through the years, we have gotten requests for subscriptions from winter residents, visitors, and many others who didn’t want to miss out on the anecdotes, events and adventures of our thriving community. We are happy to share that we now offer subscriptions, and that, through them, hundreds of readers only need go as far as their mailboxes each month to be tuned in to the heartbeat of our community. As we continue to grow and change, we are excited to be able to keep you in

Loren Sheck

the loop through subscriptions to Images Arizona. For just $24 a year — $2 a

Images Arizona P.O. Box 1416 Carefree, AZ. 85377 623-341-8221 imagesarizona.com

and learn about stories that, despite technology, can’t be found anywhere else.

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.

month — you can keep in touch with what’s happening in your own back yard Simply visit us online at imagesarizona.com and click “Subscribe.” Even as we change and grow, we will continue our promise of quality and integrity, and to continue to be a proud community partner. On behalf of all of our writers, photographers and editors, thank you for making us a continuing part of your lives, and for supporting us through the years!

Cheers! Shelly Spence Publisher, Images Arizona magazine shelly@imagesaz.com 623-341-8221

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dr N tom darlington

Terravita

DESERT MOUNTAIN

THE BOULDERS

LONE MTN RD

WHISPER ROCK

pima road

scottsdale road

Terravita

CAV E

CRE

RD.

carefree hwy

Terravita Marketplace Located on the NW corner of Scottsdale Road and Carefree Highway

LIBERTY STATION | (480) 595-9930 LibertyStationTavern.com Liberty Station, an American tavern and smokehouse is now open at Terravita Marketplace! From the same ownership of Market Street Kitchen in DC Ranch, Liberty Station is open daily for lunch and dinner, serving American comfort food with regional touches. The bar at Liberty Station offers vintage cocktails created in a very classic style, and local craft beers, plus a wide array of wine options.

Enjoy great dining options, a variety of salon & nail services, home decor services & more! DINING First Watch Liberty Station NEW! Now Open! Sesame Inn Subway

SERVICES

NATIONAL BURGER DAY IS MAY 28TH! Visit Liberty Station on Sunday, May 28th and enjoy a $5 Burger or $9 Burger + Brew!

Animal Hospital at Terravita Barbershop Bob Lontowski Real Estate Carefree Coverings Fashion Nails Hunter Douglas Gallery Salon Picasso Terravita Smiles NEW! Now Open! The UPS Store Ultra Cleaners Wells Fargo Bank

SPECIALTY RETAIL Mattress Firm Sherwin Williams

Terravita Marketplace 34402-34502 N. Scottsdale Rd. | Scottsdale, AZ 85266 may 2017 IMAGESA R IZ ONA .C O M

RANDY O'BRIEN CERAMICS Writer Beth Duckett Photographer Wilson Graham

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Randy O’Brien’s journey from fledgling art student to acclaimed potter has led him to some very interesting places — and people. Before settling at his current home in the foothills of southern Arizona, O’Brien lived in California, where he studied under well-known ceramics artist Al Johnsen. He also launched a pottery studio in Alaska before experimenting with pottery glazes at a New York university, a process that led to the striking, one-of-a-kind glazed surfaces he is known for today. O’Brien says of his style, which resembles the mineral formations and lichens found in southern Arizona: “If anyone sees it, they know that’s my work.” With such a repertoire of places traveled, you might think O’Brien has taken the opportunity to also journey to art shows across the country. But the potter primarily sold through galleries for much of his career. It wasn’t until the recession that O’Brien began to explore the art world beyond his comfort zone. “For a large part of my life, I wanted to hole up in my studio and make pots,” the artist recalls. “I had about 24 galleries before the recession. It got down to six. I had to try and reinvent how I made a living.” Now, O’Brien shows at about a dozen fairs annually, gaining crucial feedback from collectors that he didn’t get previously. “It has been great for my growth,” he says. “It has been great to interact with people.” Additionally, O’Brien works with about a dozen galleries across the country, from California to Illinois. June Dale, owner of the Austin Presence gift shop in West Lake Hills, Texas owns several of O’Brien’s pieces, noting that they have a “mystery about them, because they look like they could come from outer space, under the sea or from a volcano.”

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There is not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t walk into the gallery and ask me, ‘How does he do that?'

colors combined with the deep texture always stirs the curiosity of collectors as they come through our door,” she says.

O’Brien’s work “combines brilliant color and amazing texture to create a piece that is both organic and otherworldly,” says Mesia Hachadorian of Tubac, Arizona-based Cobalt Fine Arts Gallery. “It is hard to have a Randy O’Brien piece in a room and not have it draw your eye,” Hachadorian notes. “There is not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t walk into the gallery and ask me, ‘How does he do that?’” Similarly, New Mexico artist Barbara Meikle, who represents O’Brien at her namesake fine art gallery in Santa Fe, says his pieces “add a delightful element” to any room. “His unique process has an organic quality that is hard to resist; the unusually bright

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O’Brien began his career as a young student at the University of California, Berkeley, enrolling there in the early 1980s after spending a year as a foreign exchange student in Malaysia. Of his travels abroad, O’Brien remarks: “I went into some pottery studios there. When I got back to the states, I went to school. At that point, I didn’t really consider making a living making pots. I just spent all the time I possibly could in the studio.” O’Brien left Berkeley and later attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he had access to a pottery studio 24 hours a day. Santa Cruz is also where he met late accomplished painter and potter from Gig Harbor, Washington, Al Johnsen, who hosted workshops there throughout the summer. After about three years, Johnsen hired O’Brien to work in his studio. “I made

some of his pots while he painted,” O’Brien says. “I did that for about a year.” With several years of schooling under his belt, O’Brien was experienced enough to take his career to the next step. He moved to Homer, a quaint tourist-friendly city in south-central Alaska, and pursued his dream of owning an art studio. “It took me six months,” the potter remarks. “I rented a studio I found it had been abandoned. It had all the equipment. I ended up in a number of different locations.”

Nicknamed “the cosmic hamlet by the sea,” Homer is on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula on the shore of Kachemak Bay, which is home to a sprawling wilderness park. Naturally, O’Brien found inspiration for his work in the innate splendor of the area. He recalls the winters in Homer,

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which often lasted nine months or longer; icicles would form on the sides of cabins and expand until the temperature finally warmed up in the summer. Inspired by the aesthetics of his surroundings, O’Brien tried placing bits of glaze as an accent flowing down the sides of one of his pots. “I put on just enough so it wouldn’t hit the bottom,” he remarks. “It was a period of glaze experimentation for me, learning about glazes and coming up with a distinct body of work.” His experiments created a feedback loop and “in the end, what I came up with looked a lot like the landscape from Kachemak Bay,” he says. Later, O’Brien continued this experimentation as a student at Alfred University in New York, where he earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in 1996. There, he focused on specialeffect and low-fire glazes. Since he had earned a living as a potter, O’Brien was advanced compared to many of his classmates; the experience allowed him to focus solely on glaze experimentation and three-dimensional glaze surfaces, he says. “There were a lot of resources there,” O’Brien remembers. “I had MFA graduate students available to me. While I was there, I was able to take glaze chemistry classes in the ceramic engineering department. I would not have been able to do what I do now if I hadn’t gone to Alfred.” It would take the artist another five years to fully develop the body of work and style he is known for today. By 2001, his pieces were recognizable, though more earth-toned than his current style. “They remained earth toned for about 10 years,” he says. “I gradually started making them brighter, now I can make them as bright as I possibly can.” randyobrien.net

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may 2017

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COMMUNITY arts // announcements // culture Writer Grace Hill

MAY 3 JEWISH FEDERATION B&P HOSTS CORNER OFFICE Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Business & Professionals Groups presents Corner Office: Lessons Learned from Jewish Business Leaders. Listen to panelists and enjoy a cocktail/hors d’oeuvres reception. Registration required. Professionals $36; students $18.

MAY 6

5:30-8 p.m. Phoenix Plaza, 2929 N. Central Ave., 480-481-1754,

SMOCA’S ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT

jewishphoenix.org.

MAY 4 SIPS AND SOUNDS PRESENTS ROCK LOBSTER

Contemporary Art presents

MAY 5

SMoCA Mix: TECH Sublime. VIP champagne reception honors

band, will perform during the

THE ART OF FEARLESSLY DOING BUSINESS III

Sips and Sounds concert series

Celebrate entrepreneurs, business

Proceeds benefit SMoCA. VIP

at The SHOPS at Gainey Village.

networkers and art lovers. Event

Reception: 6-7 p.m. General:

Enjoy food and drinks from

includes artwork by Michelle

7-10 p.m. VIP: $250. General:

nearby restaurants. Free. 6-8 p.m.

Micalizzi. Reservations by May 3.

$175. Scottsdale Museum of

The SHOPS at Gainey Village,

Free. 6-9 p.m. Fearless Art Works

Contemporary Art, 7374 E.

8777-8989 N. Scottsdale Rd.,

at Spanish Village, 7211 E. Ho Rd.

Second St., 480-499-8587,

theshopsgaineyvillage.com.

#17, 480-526-2609, aofdb.com.

smoca.org.

Rock Lobster, an ’80s retro cover

Scottsdale Museum of

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SMoCA Emeritus advisory board member Dorothy Lincoln-Smith.

MAY 5-7 CINCO DE TREASURE FEST Magic Bird Festivals presents a Cinco de Mayo shopping extravaganza! 70 local artists and vendors will showcase boutique apparel, jewelry designs, original art, Native American crafts and more. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cave Creek Roadhouse, 6900 E. Cave Creek Rd., 480-488-2014, carefreeazfestivals.com.

Photo courtesy Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art may 2017

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MAY 10

ARIZONA AUTHORS SHOWCASE

ARIZONA ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY MEETING

Join local authors Donna J.

Doug Gann, PhD presents

Grisanti, Eric Heisner, Dr. Tricia

“Traveling in Time and Space:

Pingel and Patricia L. Brooks as

The Interpretive Potential of

they discuss and sign their latest

Virtual Reality in Archaeology,”

books. Bring cash or check to

to discuss recent technological

purchase copies. Cake and tea

innovations and how they affect

reception included. Registration

the field of archaeology. Open

required. 10-11:30 a.m. Desert

to the public. Free. 7:30-9 p.m.

Foothills Library, 38443 N.

Refreshments at 7 p.m., Good

Schoolhouse Rd., 480-488-2286,

Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal

desertfoothillslibrary.org.

Church, 6502 E. Cave Creek Rd., azarchsoc.wildapricot.org/ DesertFoothills.

MAY 23JUNE 10 AN EVENING AT DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN Ballet Arizona’s artistic director Ib Andersen presents “Topia,” a performance of movement, sound and multimedia surrounded by the beauty of the botanical garden. A preshow dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets starting at $36. 8 p.m. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., 602-381-0188, balletaz.org.

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Events

Photo courtesy Ballet Arizona

MAY 14 HYATT REGENCY’S MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH Enjoy live music and delicious food like smoked salmon benedict, chilaquiles, mini pastries, cherries jubilee and more. Includes a children’s buffet. Adults $90; with champagne $100; children 6-12 $42.50; children 5 and under free. Excludes tax and gratuity. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa, 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., 480-444-1234, scottsdale. regency.hyatt.com.

MAY 18 NCA ARIZONA ANNUAL FUNDRAISER The National Concierge Association (NCA) Arizona Chapter’s fundraiser will benefit The Fetch Foundation and features appetizers, cash bar, silent auction, Chinese auction and balloon pop. $5 admission includes one Chinese auction ticket. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fleming’s Steakhouse, 6333 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-636-0500, ncakey.org/ arizona-chapter. may 2017

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MAY 21 SCOTTSDALE PHILHARMONIC CONCERT Arizona’s premiere philharmonic presents music by composers Bach, Offenbach, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Suppé and Bruch. General admission: Free; VIP preferred seating: $15 donation. 4-6 p.m. Scottsdale Bible Church, 7601 E. Shea Blvd., 480-951-6077, scottsdalephilharmonic.com.

MAY 20 CANVAS & COFFEE Join Sunny Hall, owner of Paint and Gogh, for a stepby-step guided acrylic painting class. Supplies provided. No experience necessary. Registration required. $40. 10 a.m. to noon. Holland Community Center, 34250 N. 60th St., Bldg. B, azfcf.org.

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Fine Art Photo courtesy Mike Benedetto

MAY 27 CAR CORRAL AND SWAP MEET Car Corral and Swap Meet provides a safe and friendly environment for buying and selling vehicles. Registration proceeds benefit Our Lady of Joy Preschool and other charities. To sell: $45; RV, boats and larger vehicles: $60. 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church, 36811 N. Pima Rd., 480-488-2229, carcorralscottsdale.com.

MAY 29JULY 14 REIGNING GRACE RANCH WILD AT HEART DAY CAMP Reigning Grace Ranch offers girls ages 8 to 15 horse care lessons, nature walks, arts and crafts, and much more! Leadership, teambuilding and communication skills taught while building self-esteem. 5 sessions available. $500 per session. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reigning Grace Ranch, 28614 N. 172nd St., 480-466-2154, azrgr.org/day-camp. may 2017

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DESERT FOOTHILLS LIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST May 12 from 3-6 p.m. and May 13 from noon-4 p.m., Desert Foothills Library will accept photo submissions for their 2017 photography contest. The exhibition, located at the library, will be from July 3-21. Entry fee is $5 per image and paid by cash or check only. Free for youth ages 17 and under. Jerry Sieve, sieveimages@gmail.com, or desertfoothillslibrary.org.

Experience

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BUTTERFLY WONDERLAND’S RAINFOREST REPTILE EXHIBIT

DESERT FOOTHILLS LIBRARY SUMMER YOUTH EVENTS

Rainforest Reptiles, the newest

this summer! Younger kids will

exhibit at Butterfly Wonderland,

enjoy events like Story Kids,

opens Memorial Day Weekend.

Little Ones Lap-sit and Sensory

Guests will experience 12

Playdate. Older children can

large exhibits depicting the

natural environment of reptiles

to Win-It, American Girl Doll

and amphibians and hear

Crafts, Summer Lego Club and

natural rainforest sounds.

Arizona Critters Talk. Tween

Exhibit includes “Animal Talk”

and teen classes include Build-

presentations; animal feedings;

a-Better-World Clay Bowls,

trading cards; and more!

Tweens Cook, Mala Beads

Butterfly Wonderland, 9500 E.

and more. Classes begin early

Via de Ventura, 480-800-3000,

June. Registration required.

butterflywonderland.com.

desertfoothillslibrary.org.

The library is the place to be

NOTRE DAME PREP ART SHOWCASE Residents of Vi at Silverstone had the opportunity to judge high school artwork during the fifth annual Notre Dame Prep Art Showcase. Winners include: Jenna Mateo for photography; Gabi Johnson for drawing; Mallory Walker for painting; Tara Murnin for 3D art and design; Daniel Dougherty for 3D printing; Gianna Iorio for digital design; and Katie Bussoletti for ceramics. Tricia Loscher, Ph.D., chief curator at Western Spirit Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, was

THIS IS WHAT YOUR

LANDSCAPING LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT LIGHTS LET OUR HIGH-END, LOW-VOLTAGE OUTDOOR LIGHTING EXPERTS HELP

enlisted to judge “Best of Show.” She selected “In the Field” by Chereia Hoebing. Congratulations NDP winners!

CAVE CREEK RESIDENT PUBLISHES BOOK William (Bill) A. Faust Sr. published “A Singular Love,” a

LICENSED | BONDED | INSURED www.lettherebelightllc.com | (480) 575-3204 | info@lettherebelightllc.com

book he wrote to lovingly and humorously chronicle his 44year marriage to his wife, Pat. The book shares photographs, cards, notes and letters that the couple exchanged over four decades. It’s a beautiful story discussing courtship, marriage, children, family, friends and cats! Purchase on outskirtspress.com and amazon.com.

Photo courtesy Butterfly Wonderland may 2017

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Writer Lara Piu

When my daughter was a wee one, my father would ritually take her outside, hold her high in his arms, and together they would point and yell, “Balloooooon!” as hot air balloons flew above my house. But you don’t have to be a child to appreciate hot air balloons. They tend to stir up the light side in anyone. Big, colorful and bright, hot air balloons rise above the fray and elevate us to a higher perspective. During Memorial Day weekend, you can get up close and personal with these monstrous marvels at the Cave Creek Balloon Festival. Presented by Tonto Bar and Grill and Aerial Solutions, the eighth annual event will be held at Rancho Mañana Golf Course’s driving range from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 27. At around 7:30 p.m., eight massive glowing balloons, some with one-of-a-kind shapes, will light up the Sonoran Desert

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sky in Cave Creek’s largest one-day event. It will also feature food trucks, live bands, and a fan-favorite fireworks show that will fill the sky with red, white and blue. Arrive early to settle in with your low-profile lawn chair in at the main stage lawn area for the Civil Air Patrol color guard presentation and a flyover by Deer Valley Composite Squadron 302. Madison Holmes, a local upand-coming singer/songwriter will perform at 5:30 p.m., and later she’ll kick the evening off with her rendition of the national anthem. The Anglim Sisters and native Arizonan Harry Luge and his country band will perform on the main stage. A cross between the gritty nature of Travis Tritt with the soul of Waylon Jennings and powerhouse vocals of Pat Green, Harry has opened for well-known artists including Merle Haggard, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Chris LeDoux,

EVENT TIMELINE 5:30 p.m. Gates open Live music by Madison Holmes. 6:30 p.m. Arizona Wing Civil Air Patrol color guard presentation Flyover by Deer Valley Composite Squadron 302 National anthem performed by Madison Holmes. 6:45 p.m. Live music from the Anglim Sisters. 7:30 p.m. Balloons start to inflate, come to life and glow. Glow lasts for about 90 minutes. 8 p.m. Harry Luge performs. 9 p.m. Fireworks

Neal McCoy, Martina McBride, and Montgomery Gentry. A kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; zone will feature free face painting and balloon twisting, and pay-to-play bouncy house inflatables. Food from local food trucks like Grilled Addiction, Wandering Donkey, Fry Bread Inc., Doughlicious Pizza, Cheese Love and Happiness, The Buffalo Chip, Firehouse Kettle Corn and Cotton Candy, Firehouse Shaved Ice, Affogato Coffee, and Frosted Frenzy Cupcakes will also be on hand. Beverages will include cocktails, wine and Four Peaks Brewery craft beer. cavecreekfestivals.com

may 2017

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Woody Woods and Steve Woods with the "Business Person of the Year" award

There is a powerful strength in numbers and working together as a community. Working together is vital for the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce to continue strengthening the local business environment with resources, networking, educational opportunities and advocacy. The power of the chamber comes from the strength and support of its members, ambassadors and sponsors who work together toward a common goal — a thriving business community in Carefree and Cave Creek. To recognize the standout businesses and ambassadors who make a difference in the community marketplace, the Carefree

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Writer Kim Prince

Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Celebration of Excellence Awards. This year the awards ceremony was held on March 30, 2017, at Harrold’s Cave Creek Corral. “It is such a pleasure to shine a spotlight on our esteemed business and ambassador of the year at the Celebration of Excellence Awards,” said Patty Villeneuve, executive director of the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce. “Each of the nominees is a shining example of giving back to the community that supports their business and helping the chamber enhance the local business environment.”

Tech 4 Life, Carefree – Winner, “Business of the Year” Steve Woods founded Tech 4 Life in 2003 with the sole purpose of helping people with their computer support. Their mission is to provide country doctor service for your technology. Steve and his crew have been invaluable to the chamber and many other non-profits in this community by donating untold hours and dollars in volunteer services to keep everyone’s technology running smoothly, always with a smile on his face. His corporate career made Steve desire a more purposeful life without overnight travel. Steve’s brother, Tim, introduced him to his love for computers. But it was his dad, local area realtor Woody Woods, who set an example of doing business with integrity, building relationships and creating community. “I want to dedicate our Business of the Year award and recent Spirit of Carefree award to my father, Woody Woods,” said Woods. “Thank you, Dad, for being a role model for relationships and integrity for all of us at Tech 4 Life!” Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ – Finalist, “Business of the Year” Bryan Dooley and his wife Donna opened Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in 2009 after spending 15 years as a chef at the Fairmont Scottsdale. Bryan wanted to do something a little more his style, a little more down-home. Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ has won numerous awards over the years for Best of BBQ and has garnered attention from all sorts of national and international media. Not only are you able to enjoy amazing traditional BBQ dishes, you can also savor frog legs, ostrich sloppy joes, gator ribs and a pig ear sandwich on his adventurous eater menu.

CASINO

Gaming excitement and the thrill of winning, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! With over 800 slot machines and live Poker, there’s something for everyone.

PLAYERS CLUB

It’s absolutely FREE to join and you instantly get free play just for signing up! Hon-Dah Resort Casino Players Club card is your exclusive pass to winning, all day, every day!

CONFERENCE CENTER

Accommodating over 700 people in theater style seating and 450 people for banquet style seating. Our rooms are available for a countless variety of occasions and events.

DINING

Indian Pine Restaurant is Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 6am until 10pm, 7 Days a Week. We have a large Off Menu selections to satisfy any appetite.

HOTEL

You can expect to feel the outdoor ambiance when you step inside and check into one of the finest Hotels on the Mountain.

“I was never really planning on being a chef,” he says. But life happened. Dooley met his wife, Donna, at a restaurant in Texas, moved back to the Valley and had two kids. Watson’s Hat Shop – Finalist, “Business of the Year” When you step into Watson’s Hat Shop, it is like taking a step back in time when things were handmade. “Back then, people took pride in what they wore because it was tailor-made by a master craftsman,” says owner Eric Watson.

3 Miles South of Pinetop AZ

hon-dah.com 1.800.929.8744 may 2017

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BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES FOR 2016 Tech 4 Life, Sonoran Arts League, Watson’s Hat Shop, Cave Creek Candles & Gifts, Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ, Brix Wines, Animal Health Services and Bartlett Lake.

AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES FOR 2016 Paul Cocuzza and Liz Castenada.

Eric Watson’s passion for hats started as a teenager, inspired by the fedora worn by Indiana Jones. Watson’s Hat Shop is a family operated business assisted by some great employees. Even their shop dog, Derby, can use his skills to make a hat! Featured in many local and national magazines, newspapers and even a few TV shows, Watson’s Hat Shop has garnered media attention from all over the country. Eric was also one of AZCentral’s 2015 35 Entrepreneurs 35 and Younger. Paul Cocuzza – Winner, “Ambassador of the Year” Paul Cocuzza serves as the co-chair of the chamber ambassador

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committee. He attends every chamber event acting as a greeter, a host and emcee. Paul champions the chamber’s mission and vision and is actively involved with member recruitment and retention. He has volunteered countless hours with the chamber and many other community organizations, including ELDERfriends, Scottsdale Airpark Kiwanis Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Pro Athlete Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and is a member of the advisory board for Green Living AZ magazine. Paul is also a top-performing sales and business development manager at UCP of Central Arizona. Paul is a connector, a problem solver and an organizer, having found success in a number of diverse business development and sales roles over his 37-year career. When he is not spending quality time with family and friends in North Phoenix, Paul is actively involved in volunteering and giving back to the community. Liz Castañeda – Finalist, “Ambassador of the Year” Liz Castañeda serves as the ambassador committee chairwoman where she communicates the chamber’s mission and goals to members and prospective members. She serves as a host, emcee and greeter at chamber events and functions. She advocates chamber recruitment, member retention and helps to increase attendance at chamber events. Liz made Arizona her permanent home in 1990. In 2014, Liz began handling business development at The Niessink Allstate agencies in Cave Creek and Carefree. As a licensed insurance agent, Liz uses her passion for educating and caring for clients. carefreecavecree.org

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Writer Tom Scanlon Photographer Bryan Black

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Oh, yes, football is all about winning at all costs. Except during one magical season when the scoreboard didn’t matter for little Marshall University in West Virginia. This was 1971, the season after a plane crash that killed nearly the entire team, plus the coaches, boosters and others connected with the program. In the 2006 production “We Are Marshall,” a rising star named Matthew McConaughey played Jack Lengyel, who was hired not only to coach the team, but also to resurrect the program. In the movie, McConaughey-as-Lengyel philosophizes about the thousands of times he has heard, and preached, “Winning is everything,” the phrase that fuels football. “And then I came here. For the first time in my life, maybe

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for the first time in the history of sports, suddenly, it’s just not true anymore. At least not here, not now. It doesn’t matter if we win or if we lose. It’s not even about how we play the game. What matters is that we play the game. That we take the field, that we suit up on Saturdays, and we keep this program alive.” The real Jack Lengyel says that wasn’t some Hollywood fancy speech; he really said that, or at least something very close. “It really wasn’t about winning,” he said, looking back at that challenging season, 46 years distant. “It was about getting a team together to begin the process of rebuilding. We realized we were going to have to do things differently. We were going to have to change the way we coach.”

With an inexperienced squad of freshmen, transfers, volunteers from other sports, and a few surviving members who were not on the plane, Lengyel’s team somehow won Marshall’s first home game after the crash — and the homecoming game. But the 1971 team lost the other eight of its 10 games, with five shutouts and a string of lopsided losses. And yet, it was a resoundingly victorious season. In a Sept. 7, 1971 letter to Coach Lengyel, his staff and the team, then-President Richard Nixon summed up the feelings of many: “The 1970 varsity players could have little greater tribute paid to their memory than the determination to field a team this year. Friends across the land will be rooting for you, but whatever the season brings, you have already won your greatest victory by putting the 1971 varsity squad on the field.” Lengyel had been a coach at the College of Wooster, 230 miles north of Marshall University, when he learned of the tragic plane crash. Wooster had just finished one of its most successful seasons. “I was home with my family,” Lengyel recalled, “watching a television show, and a crawl came across ‘Marshall University football team perished in a crash.’” He didn’t think of contacting the school right away, until a few months passed, and he heard Marshall was having trouble filling the position. “They offered the job to a coach at Penn State but he turned it down. Another coach took the job and resigned. I got to thinking, ‘Maybe I can help.’ I called down there, and they invited me down.” Over the years, he’s been asked many times why he took the toughest job

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imaginable. Why leave a successful run as a young coach at Wooster, where he had an impressive 24-12 record in four years, to tackle the unknown? “There’s an old Chinese proverb,” Lengyel will tell you, with a twinkle in his eye. “If you’re ever given something of value, you have a moral obligation to pass it on to others.” So it was that Lengyel passed on to the young players all the football knowledge and worldview he had gathered. Though his record was an unspectacular 9-33, in his four years at Marshall he helped save a program that would become a powerhouse in the 1990s. A few years later, in the spirit of his “Charlie’s Angels,” director McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol) directed a script based on what could be called “Jack’s Angels.” “We Are Marshall” opened Christmas week, 2006. Reviews were mixed, ranging from “thrilling and wrenching” to “misbegotten tribute”; it turned a slim profit, grossing $43 million at the box office.

Though there were a few Hollywood touches in the script, Lengyel said the producers “did a good job” telling the story, and he still watches his copy, once or twice a year.

just been named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” is central to the movie. Though the facts are in place, Lengyel has a hard time seeing himself in the movie. A chat he had with the star during the production helped explain the curious circumstance of watching someone play him — or perhaps an alternate-universe version of him.

The energetic performance by McConaughey, who had

“People say to me, ‘He doesn’t have your mannerisms, at

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all,’” Lengyel said, with a chuckle. “Well, I remember walking back off the field one night during the filming with Matthew. He put his arm around me and said, ‘My dad was a football coach...’ So he had some feel for coaches. He did his research and read about me, but he said, ‘I didn’t try to mimic you. I took the material and put it inside myself.’ “I said, ‘I’m glad you told me that, because I was never that frickin’ animated on the sidelines!’” Sitting at the dining room table of his Sun City Grand home, Lengyel breaks into a wide grin when an F-35 military plane roars overhead. “The sound of freedom,” said Lengyel. He is quite familiar with the roar of military planes, as he was athletic director at the United States Naval Academy from 1988 to 2001. In the big picture, Lengyel’s four-year stint at Marshall was just a slice of a long career as a football coach and athletic director. His home is filled with photos and mementoes documenting his two legacies, professional and personal. After moving 24 times in his coast-to-coast career, he and Sandy, his wife of 60 years, settled in Arizona a dozen years ago to help her arthritis. They enjoy visits with their three children, sons David and Peter, daughter Julie Logan, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. Retired as a coach/administrator, the 82-year-old Jack Lengyel serves on several football boards, chairing the Divisional Hall of Fame Board at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. In general, he remains enthusiastically active in the sport that has had him captivated for decades. As the movie coach stated and the real Lengyel confirmed, coaching at a

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school rising out of deep sorrow taught him that winning at Marshall wasn’t the most important issue. Well, let’s take it a step further. Why, Jack Lengyel, does football matter at all? Why should thousands of college kids who have no hope of playing professionally waste their time running around, slamming into each other when they could be studying? Jack Lengyel has thought about this, and he is convinced that his favorite sport is a worthy endeavor — and then some. “Football’s a game that enhances so many of the characteristics you need to be successful in life,” Lengyel said with the patience of a coach explaining a play to a freshman quarterback. “You develop character, perseverance, respect and teamwork. You learn lessons, even from losing. “… Football provides one of the best lessons in athletics and life: to face adversity, get back up off the ground and go on to success.” One thing the ol’ coach treasures is hearing from former players, especially when they say, “You know, now that I have kids of my own, I get what you used to tell me!” Just an example, Jack Lengyel says, of the life lessons hiding inside the country’s most popular sport. “It’s a game that teaches you to be selfless,” said this leathery football man. “There are things you can’t learn in the classroom, born out of camaraderie, and those are friends who become lifetime friends. “These are lessons that are valuable in the business, in the community and in life.” There are only three words to add to that: We Are Marshall. may 2017

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FEVER Writer Beth Duckett Photographer Bryan Black

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After the completion of the world-renowned Bowman House, an architectural tour de feat designed by Southwest designer extraordinaire Bob Bacon, Jim Ikard decided to offer something unique to a growing demographic of residents in north Scottsdale — wealthy car collectors. A developer, Ikard bought 20 acres of land near the award-winning Bowman home, built years ago near its inspiration, the Bacon-designed Boulders Resort and Spa. Ikard contacted Bacon, an architectural designer whose commercial portfolio also includes the Princess Resort in Scottsdale, to see if he could offer his services once again. “I just basically turned Bob loose,” Ikard says of the housing project, located at Windmill Road and Stagecoach Pass in north Scottsdale. “He designed seven unique and different Western ranch homes here.” After delays caused by the recession, the boutique neighborhood, situated behind gates and an iconic windmill in the rolling foothills near Carefree, is now under construction with new multimillion-dollar properties for sale. In addition to eight luxury houses, encased amid rolling foothills and untouched desert extending for miles, Windmill Homes will offer something special for a small but burgeoning group of serious car collectors who want to store and keep their luxury vehicles in pristine shape. According to Ikard, each homesite has the potential for buyers to build an additional “car barn,” which, as it may sound, is like a garage on steroids. Windmill Homes are the latest high-end development in the northeast Valley, and in Arizona, to capitalize on the growing demand for deluxe car garages. Appealing to local car enthusiasts, a demographic that fills the tents every year at the Barrett-

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Jackson Collector Car Auction and Russo and Steele automobile auction, Ikard says each “toy” barn can accommodate multiple vehicles with high-end amenities such as polished concrete floors and lifts to stack cars, generating more storage space. Size-wise, the barns outperform even a generously proportioned house. While all the sites call for oversize garages, the barns themselves can range in size up to 3,600 square feet. “Most of us have multiple cars, and therefore we want homes with garages that can accommodate those cars,” says Peter Volny, activities director of the Desert Region of the Ferrari Club of America, which covers southern Nevada and Arizona. “I think the greater Scottsdale area probably has the largest concentration of exotic and collector cars in the U.S.,” Volny continues. “The main factor is a population with a high disposable income and net worth. No. 2 is climate. People store all their airplanes in the desert because nothing corrodes or deteriorates. It’s the same with cars. When you buy an Arizona car, you’re getting a car you know is in good condition. We don’t have the humidity and salt here. It’s an ideal venue.” Several times a month, members of the non-profit club get together to socialize or drive to iconic places throughout Arizona, often in a convoy, attracting the notice of passing motorists.

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Most recently, more than 50 members visited Windmill Homes, packing into the Bowman House for brunch and socializing. The event was designed, in part, to attract attention to the subdivision from a clientele who not only can afford a multimillion-dollar Bacon pedigreed home, but also are in the market for a residence that can accommodate their high-end car collections in the desert environment. Volny, who joined the club a little over two years ago, says he owned a Maserati and has since purchased a Ferrari — a 1972, 365GTB/4 Daytona. While he may not plan on moving, he acknowledged the appeal of having a massive indoor space for storing vehicles, many of which are driven sparingly but require the utmost in upkeep. “Ferraris are not exactly your daily driver,” he says. “You certainly need something else to drive around in. Many of our members have significant collections of Ferrari and other models as well.” Volny, who admits to being “the worst mechanic who has ever lived,” says high-end garages offer options that you can’t find in a traditional garage. Some of the garages have “very elaborate tool equipment and tool storage,” he notes.

In addition, luxury car owners don’t run the risk of taking their vehicles to an automated car wash. “We’re not going to let the brushes and mechanical equipment get on our very, very expensive paint,” he says. Having more space, and tools such as air compressors to blow water off the cars, can benefit drivers who wash their vehicles at home, Volny adds. Another plus, he says, is the option for a “man cave” in the garage. Buyers can add seating areas, large-screen TVs, wet bars and other amenities for small or large gatherings. “When the boys get together, instead of meeting in the family room, living room or a den, we meet in the garage,” Volny elaborates on a friend’s home. “It’s comfortable and it’s lovely.” While sitting on the living room couch in the Bowman House on a recent Friday, Ikard speaks candidly about the neighborhood he refers to as “a little oasis.” In addition to luxurious amenities such as car barns, what makes the subdivision stand out is its location. Easily considered the most expensive homes in the area, the Windmill subdivision maintains a small, quaint atmosphere close to a major grocery store and shops. Nearby is Desert Mountain Golf Club, where Bacon also imprinted his visionary style as the architectural designer of not only of the club’s showcase Cochise Geronimo clubhouse, but the land planning itself and the main entry building. Ikard offers a tour of the $2.245 million Bowman House, which, like the other houses in the neighborhood already built, is an architectural feat of cozy flowing rooms, intimate seating areas and sprawling outdoor spaces. The homes are designed with the natural desert environment and vistas in mind. The houses are placed 45 degrees off cardinal points, maximizing the winter sun. Vigilant placement means that outdoor views are largely unobstructed. Bacon designs homes “so you can be in the sun or the shade, outside, at any time of year,” says Ikard. Bacon also has named each house after Southwest foliage. The fourth home being built is Joshua Tree, estimated at a price of about $2.7 million when it wraps up construction this spring. The remaining homes will range from about $2.45 million to roughly $2.76 million. 480-788-0401 windmillscottsdale.com ferrariaz.com

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Writer Katherine Braden Photographer Bryan Black

After visiting Mayan cities as a child, Oliverio Balcells became intrigued at a young age by ancient Mesoamerican culture. It sparked something within him. “I started to study, read about different cultures and travel more,” he tells me. “This added to my passion to learn more, to look deep in my heart for my identity, for my essence as a Mexican.” Oliverio earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Univa University in Guadalajara, Mexico. “I wanted to be an actor, then a musician,

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“Tejedora del Color,” mixed media, 48”x19.5”

then an artist,” he says laughing. He got his degree “before computers,” so he learned to do everything by hand: oil, pastels, watercolor, photography.

Wixarika (Huichol) art, and the Mexican master muralists. “It’s in my DNA, in my blood. You can see it in my pieces — it’s my passion.”

In 1999, he followed his wife to Arizona to try it out for six months. Now, it’s been 17 years, so “I guess I’m staying,” he says, laughing.

Besides finding his own identity, Oliverio hopes to share what he has learned about Mexican culture with others through his art.

At the moment, Oliverio dabbles in a bit of everything, though his favorite medium for what he has dubbed “Mexican contemporary art” is acrylic.

“I cannot hide [my heritage.] I make art because I want to share with everyone who I am, what I know,” he says.

“What does Mexican contemporary art mean?” I ask. “It’s colorful, bright, strong and inspiring. It’s understanding, happiness, joy and abundance. [These] are what I always look for to reflect in my pieces,” Oliverio says. Taking a look at his work, I understand: Mesoamerican patterns, references, and myths, geometric shapes, bright, bold colors. “There is power behind the color,” he tells me. His influences include ancient Mexican manifestations,

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Oliverio is fascinated by the contrast of official Mexican history versus the oral traditions. His extensive studies have led even deeper into the anthropological aspects of Mexican cultures and historicity. “You have an understanding about the people who used to live there, and you can capture that moment and say: in the end we are still human beings in different times.” Culture, history and human potential are what truly inspire his work.

“I can keep [my learning and experience] to myself, but there’s no growth in that. You have to share it with the people. Art is the perfect medium to have these understandings and differences, to express yourself and your culture and to share it.” Oliverio’s murals are a wonderful example of this. His work can be found all over Phoenix, Glendale and Tempe. He’s also partnered with Free Arts, working with shelter families, the homeless and elementary students. “It’s very interesting to create [community art] as an artist. It’s about how you can share your knowledge, your abilities, and the techniques that you have with others.” At the moment, Oliverio is artist-inresidence at an elementary school in Tempe, painting seven murals. He partners with the students, combining their ideas with the theme given to him by the school. “It’s an honor for me to do it with other people,” he says. “It’s really good gratification.” Oliverio also owns Four Lizard Studios, a studio specializing in printing, graphic design, art and music. “It started in 2004 when I got laid off from an advertising agency in downtown Phoenix. I decided to stay home, take care of my son and focus on being a professional artist,” he says. Oliverio and his wife reside in Tempe with their two children. Community service, mural work, acrylic paintings, his own studio, husband and father — you would think Oliverio would be busy enough. You’d be wrong. “When I’m not painting, I’m composing,” he says. He’s produced several CDs and is now working on a multi media project to combine his music with photography and film.

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“Diamondback Geometry,” mixed media, 7.25”x10”

“Essence,” mixed media, 7.25”x10”

“Four Peaks Lake View,” acrylic on canvas, 18”x36

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His main instrument is guitar, but he also sings in Spanish, plays percussions, keyboard, and piano. These days, he’s experimenting with traditional acoustic music combined with electronics. What’s his process for a mural or song? “You get an idea, you want to follow it, not force it. If you don’t follow up, you can forget. You have to have discipline, translating it to paper or song. Making art, you feel like this is how nature creates itself. It’s a process; you don’t force the process, you respect it,” Oliverio tells me. His next show, Spectacular Tones in the Essence of All, was inspired by a trip to Mexico and will be opening May 5th in the Herberger Gallery in downtown Phoenix. You can also catch his work at the Desert Botanical Garden for Dia de los Muertos in October and the Mercado de las Artes at Heard Museum in November. “Thank you to all who support me,” Oliverio says. “It’s been an honor for me, as an artist and immigrant, to be here and have the chance to connect with so many people who trust and support me.” In return, he’s doing what he can to give back, to share the story of his identity and culture, and to remind us that we are more alike than different. “I want to inspire [the people of Phoenix.] I create my art to provide an understanding between cultures, to recognize we are all connected as human beings, no matter where you come from or who you are. In the end, we are human beings. I want them to know that.” fourlizard.oliveriobalcells.com oliveriobalcells.com

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Writer Shannon Severson Photographer Bryan Black/Michael McKee Gallery

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Inside Michael McKee’s Fountain Hills studio, classical music is playing and the red oak or birch boards he uses as his canvases are stacked several deep around the room. In one corner stands his pastel work station, as it is the medium he used for the first 15 or so years of his 16-year career as a full-time fine artist. A few steps away, his most recent abstract work in oil sits on a large easel with palates of mixed colors, wide-handled flat brushes, wedges, and angled painting knives at the ready. The piece is a mix of brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds, punctuated with shadowed areas of black and deep plum. While McKee’s pastel work tends towards recognizable landscapes and cityscapes, his oils are wide swaths of abstract, bold colors, intersected by lines and the impression of muted patterns, almost architectural in nature. “I’ve always had a lot of fun with strong color,” says McKee. “With my landscapes, even though they’re representational art, they’re not based on a specific place, but rather my impression of that place. All my work is about high-energy, high-key color. I like structure in my abstracts; I like them to look like they’ve been built with some element of control. The shapes and the architectural elements just show up intuitively.” Co-founder of the Successories line of motivational graphics and business accessories, McKee’s background as a successful graphic designer and entrepreneur is not only evident in the feel of his abstracts, but also his profoundly personable nature. He and his wife of 28 years, Cassandra, have lived in Arizona full-time since 2013 and spend much of the year traveling the country, displaying his work at art shows, galleries and festivals. It’s clear that he enjoys the connection to those who love his work and have collected it for many years.

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Top left to right: "Statuesque," pastel, 38"x50" "Big Sur," pastel, 36"x48" "Snake River," pastel, 27"x48"

“I developed a lot of collectors with my landscapes and then started doing abstracts about six years ago,” says McKee. “The abstracts were very different for a lot of my clients, but I found that because it was the language of color that was speaking to them, they liked my abstracts, too. There is an appeal in the implied detail and convergence of structural elements.” McKee grew up in Cleveland as the son of a prominent jazz musician who, at age 89, is still playing Big Band gigs. McKee’s parents, always eager to foster an appreciation of the arts in their four children, saw his love of drawing, recognized his talent and enrolled six year-old Michael in a life drawing class that met on Saturdays at a local college. There he was,

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sitting among adults and drawing live nude models — a bit intimidating for the average child, but McKee went with it and art was soon his career. The musicality in his DNA comes through in a dance of visual intrigue and improvisation. His landscapes are created from memory and he sees the shapes and shadow as chords to be transposed while the paintings take shape. His process begins when he puts a mark on the board and the color becomes a conversation. He is content to discover where it goes as he works. “Improvisation is key in jazz,” says McKee. “I view my work as improvisation, and that’s part of why I paint from memory.

I try to get my brain out of the way and to be as present as possible. It’s like when you write a composition but, as in jazz, you never hear it the same way twice. There are elements with similar composition in my pieces, but none are the same. They’re different melodic interpretations.” At just 14 years old, he became an animation apprentice, then freelanced as an illustrator and portrait artist through college, earned a National Scholastic Art scholarship, and became an honors graduate of Art Institute of Pittsburgh. His advertising and graphic design career brought him to Chicago in 1981 to launch what eventually became Successories, which he and his partner sold in 2000. Divested of the business, he and Cassandra began to travel extensively, and the Southwest became a particularly favorite destination. It was one such trip, watching a sunset in Chamayo, New Mexico, that brought him back to fine art as a career. “We were looking at this beautiful sunset, and I reached down to pick up some of the red dirt,” says McKee. “As I rubbed the dirt between my fingers, I felt as if I could feel the sunset in my hands. It reminded me of pastels. Seeing this sunset and holding this dirt, I had the thought that I would get some soft pastels and see what I could do with it. I just fell in love with it right away. It’s a very tactile medium. With the oils, too, I use tools that allow me to feel the tactile response of the paints.” The rich, vibrant colors of the Southwest have always been evident in his color palate, whether in the bright leaves of a pastel forest of Colorado Aspens or dramatic orange poppies on the cliffs of Big Sur. His cityscapes are bright with yellows, reds, and cerulean blues, and large areas of negative space. “Desert colors appeal to me,” says McKee. “Not everyone sees the depth of texture and amount of color in what they might call a limited palate. Coming from Chicago, you get used to seeing your world a quarter mile at a time. The view is confined. Here, you can see forever, and it changes how you interact with the space. There’s an endlessness — a vastness — that people gravitate toward.”

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Left to right: "Scatterly," pastel, 27"x48" "Royal Payne," oil on red oak, 48"x36"

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What he loves about pastels as a medium is their bright colors and ability to blend in rich combinations, bringing their vibrancy to his abstracts and, in many ways, replicating the mixing and layering of oils. Upon close examination, his pastels reveal an abstract approach to color, line, and shadow that combine to make a recognizable form. His structured abstracts use color and line to lively effect and one can imagine seeing a cityscape, a shoreline, a canyon — environments that pulse with energy. “When you look up close at my landscapes, they’re actually made up of many abstract shapes,” says McKee. “There’s not real detail in there, it’s implied detail. The bold shapes, I would see little abstract compositions all throughout my landscapes. That inspired me to start playing with abstracts as my focus.” McKee is a prolific painter and creates the bulk of his work in the winter so he can travel throughout the summer. While he shows his art here in Arizona October through March, his appeal knows no geographic boundaries. Palm Springs desert denizens, Texan cowboys, Midwestern moguls, and East Coast cosmopolitans all find beauty in his work. At any time of year, his website offers notecards, free downloadable wallpapers, and a limited number of prints, so that fans with various budgets can still enjoy owning a piece of his work. Many collectors attach stories to the back of each of his pieces, noting where they were when they purchased it or what personal meaning it has for them. McKee enjoys hearing their stories and seeing how people connect with his vision. “My goal has never been to become a famous artist,” says McKee. “I love creating what I create. At 62 years old, I don’t concern myself with the next month or the month after. There’s so much happening when you’re painting, I want to let the natural evolution take place and really experience life where it happens — up close.” michaelmckeegallery.com

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Writer Lara Piu Photographer Jesse Kitt

Enjoy

Lizz Wright Musical Instrument Museum 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix Monday, May 1 7 p.m. $48.50 - $63.50 mimmusictheater.themim.org

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“I see myself much like a painter,” jazz artist Lizz Wright says about her work in a recent documentary. Her premiere composition and first album, “Salt,” soared to the number two spot on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz list. Tommy LiPuma, the man behind the award-winning work of artists like George Benson, Diana Krall, and Natalie Cole, produced the album. Since then, Lizz released another four acclaimed albums: “Dreaming Wide Awake,” “The Orchard,” “Fellowship,” and “Freedom and Surrender.” They’re the stories of her life, she explains. “If you look at the records I’ve made and really take them apart as elements, you start to think about the things that must have come together to create these things,” she explains. “I’ve arrived at a certain kind of eclecticism, which is actually just an honest picture of what my life is like and what my imagination is like.” The artist now performs on the other side of several challenges: divorce, creative struggles, and feeling off-track. Then she nearly died in a car accident on an icecoated mountain road. “The heavy car floated silently toward a 75-foot ravine that ended with a wide band of a frozen creek,” Lizz recalls in a recent artist statement. “‘Ok,’ was the only thing I could get out in a sigh. I was stopped by a young bellwood tree that grew out of the bank like a hook. I slowed my breathing and meditated in suspension. About 20 minutes later, a young neighbor pulled the door open, reaching in with a strong arm to guide my climb out. Now when I sing the chorus, I see the gracious hole and the sweet sapling that grows over it. It threw me back, a fish returned to the river with a cut lip.” The delicate pink flowers of the tree that saved her remind her of that day. “They were strong enough to save me. In surrender I experience freedom,” she explains. “The gift of an end is a beginning. I greet the sun with the only reason I've ever needed: ‘Why not?’” Her experiences inspired the songs she will sing in May, many coming from her latest album, “Freedom & Surrender,” often considered her sexiest, most sensual album yet. She wrote 10 of its 15 songs, six with Grammy Award-winning producer, bassist and songwriter Larry Klein and his longtime songwriting partner David Batteau. The trio wrote songs like the rocky, country-bluesy “The New Game,” “Here and Now,” inspired in part by the passing of Maya Angelou, and a tender ballad called “Blessed the Brave.” Lizz will perform at MIM Monday, May 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $48.50 - $63.50 and can be purchased on the MIM website. The music theater will host an additional four jazz artists in May: Anat Cohen & Trio Brasileiro on May 7, the John Pizzarelli Trio on May 12, René Marie on May 17, and Lisa Fischer on May 25. mimmusictheater.themim.org

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Writer Kenneth LaFave Photographer Tim Fuller

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It’s been David Ira Goldstein’s “Long Goodbye.” Four years ago, Goldstein announced his retirement from the position he’d taken up in 1992: Artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company, the state’s only fully professional theater organization. But circumstances, including some dicey financial moments, meant that hiring a new artistic director was out of the question. So Goldstein stayed on – one short stretch after another. “The board would come to me and say, ‘Will you stay another six months?’ ‘Can you plan another season?’” he recalls. And so he stayed another six months and planned another season, repeating at length until at last, this month, the 64-year-old director will actually step down from the job he has held now for exactly half the 50 years of ATC’s existence. He will leave in typical Goldstein style: With a stylish world premiere. “The thing I’m proudest of in my years with ATC is that, in the 25 years before I came, they’d done only one world premiere. Since then, we’ve done one almost every season.” The playwrights have been many, but Goldstein cultivated a special relationship with two of them: Steven Dietz (“Inventing Van Gogh”) and Jeffrey Hatcher (“Jekyll and Hyde”). For Goldstein’s swan song as ATC artistic director, Hatcher, who has frequently explored the character of Sherlock Holmes both in plays (“Sherlock Holmes” and “The Suicide Club,” premiered by ATC) and on film (“Mr. Holmes,” starring Ian McKellen), wrote a new Holmes mystery-with-a-twist, “Holmes and Watson.” “Having a long-term relationship with a playwright over the years is one of the richest things that can happen to a director and a theater company. It’s like a conductor having a special relationship with a composer. You feel you’re closest to the artistic start, the initial artistic impulse, when you work with the playwright,” Goldstein says. The idea behind Holmes and Watson swaps the usual roles of the world’s first consulting detective and his amanuensis. Holmes, reported dead in the fabled confrontation with may 2017

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Experience Holmes and Watson

Herberger Theater Center 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix May 11â&#x20AC;&#x201C;28 Tickets $25-$50 arizonatheatre.org

Having a long-term relationship with a playwright over the years is one of the richest things that can happen to a director and a theater company.

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Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, reappears three years afterward — in triplicate. Three people claiming to be Holmes confront Watson, who must himself apply keen observation and logic to determine which one is the real genius of Baker Street. The show plays ATC’s main venue, the Herberger Theatre Center, May 11 – May 28. For ticket info, go to arizonatheatre.org. Though he is leaving the post of artistic director and all the headaches of financial juggling that go with it, Goldstein will not be leaving the Valley. He and his wife, KJZZ-FM broadcaster Michele Robins, plan to remain in their home in Phoenix’s Windsor Square neighborhood, “except for summers,” Goldstein adds eagerly, when they will reside in a recently purchased getaway on the Oregon coast. Goldstein even wrote himself into the ATC 2017-18 season as a guest director, staging a new version of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Look for more “guest appearances” over the coming years. He will also be guest-directing for regional theaters around the country. One thing Goldstein says he will definitely not miss about the job is the constant commute between Phoenix and Tucson. ATC serves both cities, and the drive back and forth is draining. By the director’s estimate, his miles between the two cities in the quarter-century he’s been making the commute are “the equivalent of having driven 19 times around the world.” What was the best thing about the job? “Because ATC presents a variety of theater, I could go from staging a serious drama to a musical to a mystery or comedy. I never got boxed in.” Who could possibly replace him? “You will know by the time this story is published,” he says. “And I am very, very happy with the choice.” arizonatheatre.org may 2017

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Writer Lara Piu Photography Gina Brown

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Exactly two years ago, Images Arizona told you about a local high school basketball player shaking things up: Cactus Shadows Lady Falcons’ point guard Caitlin Bickle. At the time she was a young athlete who was nearly single-handedly transforming the Lady Falcons basketball team. We checked in to see what’s happened since then and what’s on her horizon now. “It’s really nice to see over the last two years how she’s grown,” Cactus Shadows High School athletic director Jim Swetter says. “She’s really becoming a leader and [it’s exciting to see] how good she has become.” That leadership has yielded two state championship runner-ups for the school — a long way from where it stood in 2014. A two-year comparison shows that the team won 16 games pre-Caitlin, but with her in the ranks they’ve won 51 games and have become state championship runner-ups for two consecutive years for the first time in the team’s history.

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“She’s really contributed a lot to the basketball program here,” Jim adds, noting that she has broken several school records. This performance has attracted a lot of attention, including a feature in ESPN.com, a paid invitation to try out for the USA National U16 basketball team (competing with 100 of the other elite U16 players in the country), Player of the Year nominations from Gatorade and Arizona Republic, and an astounding 20 college offers.

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Now her future, Caitlin says, lies in the hands of two NCAA Division teams: the Cal Lady Golden Bears at University of California, Berkeley or Big 12 Conference competitors, the Baylor Lady Bears at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. “I love both of those schools because they’re very family-based and I have good relationships with the coaches,” Caitlin says. “I really love Baylor’s campus and the way they play, and I like the close relationship I have with Cal Berkeley.” But how does one choose? “I will select my final choice when I feel I'm at home,” she responds. Either way it will be a dream come true for the young lady who has been playing basketball since she was four years old. “I think I always grew up loving basketball because my brother and my dad played it,” Caitlin says. She enjoys the sport and being an athlete, but most of all she loves the camaraderie. “My favorite thing about basketball is the competition and the relationships you grow with others while playing the game,” she says. But before she graduates, she has one more very important task. “I would really like us to win the state championship,” Caitlin says. “We have gotten there both years, but we’ve gotten second place.” Her Cactus Shadows Lady Falcons teammates are already gearing up for next season, which will likely be an exciting time for the girls and their fans. Jim says, “Anytime you have an athlete who's going to go to the next level at a very high level, it’s a very special thing to see.”

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uperior coffee served in a welcoming and relaxed environment makes Carefree Coffee Roastery the place to be in the morning. From nitro cold brew to popular specialty coffees like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe 1 Kochere, Brazil Daterra Sweet Blue and Indonesian Sumatra Kokowagayo Fair Trade Organic, both old customers and new enjoy cozying up to a cup of something special at Carefree Coffee Roastery. But don’t expect to find the menu solely dedicated to coffee. In fact, Lars Hesse, owner of Carefree Coffee Roastery, encourages customers to grab a chair and have a bite to eat, and he’s tempting them with his newest breakfast item, Luftwaffles — delicious Belgian waffles prepared with fresh fruit and a choice of real maple syrup or real honey. The breakfast menu also includes warm croissants made with cheese and ham or spicy salami; fresh nonfat Greek yogurt with honey, almonds and a super seed blend; gluten-free, non-GMO and vegan Modern Oats; and plain, blueberry, cinnamon, everything and raisin bagels. Breakfast is not the only meal to be had at Carefree Coffee Roastery — customers can also stay for dessert! With German cheesecake, maple crumb cake and German apple cake, there won’t be a reason to say no. Additionally, the coffee shop boasts of an assortment of treats from local vendors, including classic Italian baked goods, toffee, brittle, chocolate and cotton candy. Carefree Coffee Roastery is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., and is closed on Sundays. Start the day right with a filling breakfast or boost your afternoon slump with a delicious dessert. And, of course, it all pairs well with a nice cup of coffee. Carefree Coffee Roastery 7171 E. Cave Creek Rd. Carefree, 85331 480-595-5050 carefreecoffeeroastery.com

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SP OTLI GHT

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Flower Piñata Cookies Yield: 6 Piñata Cookies Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling) 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup butter, softened 2 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Optional: ½ teaspoon almond extract miniature candy for filling (sprinkles, mini M&Ms, etc.) sprinkles for topping royal icing, store-bought or recipe below flower-shaped cookie cutter small round cookie cutter (about 1” diameter)

With a sweet surprise hidden inside, these colorful flower piñata cookies make a thoughtful gift that is sure to delight both adults and children alike. The hollowed-out center can be filled with sprinkles or your favorite miniature candies, which spill out once bitten into, much like a piñata. Use a variety of cookie cutters to customize these cookies for any special occasion. 64

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Directions: Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix for an additional one to two minutes. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the dough in half and shape into two discs. Cover each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two parchment-lined baking sheets. Unwrap the first disc and place onto a well-floured surface. Roll the dough to ¼”- ½” thick.

Writer and photographer Monica Longenbaker

Cut as many flower-shaped cookies as you can, then transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Tip: Roll the dough onto the parchment paper. Cut the cookies 2” apart, then remove the excess dough and transfer directly to a baking sheet. (Note: Excess trim will need to be reformed and rolled again, but may need to firm up again in the refrigerator before using.) Repeat with the second disc of dough.

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Bake the cookies for seven to nine minutes or until golden brown on the bottom edges. Once baked, select 1/3 of the cookies and cut a 1” hole (or as big as your cookie shape will allow) into the center of each. These holes will hold the candies later on. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. To assemble piñata cookies: Place royal icing into a piping bag with a small tip. Place a cookie with a hole in its center on top of a whole cookie. Dab some royal icing on each petal of the bottom cookie to glue the cookies together. Place miniature candies into the hole of the cookie, then place a third cookie on top using royal icing to glue. Frost the top cookie with the royal icing, then decorate as desired with sprinkles. Allow the icing to set for about an hour. Store the cookies in an airtight container until serving. Royal Icing Ingredients: 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1½ tablespoons meringue powder 3 tablespoons water (plus more for thinning) Optional: 1-2 drops food coloring Directions: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat powdered sugar, meringue powder and water on low speed until combined. Raise the speed to medium and continue to beat for seven to 10 minutes until icing forms peaks. Optional: Beat in food coloring until desired color is reached. If necessary, thin the icing by adding water ½ teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

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Italian Antipasto Skewers Yield: 24 Skewers Ingredients: 48 pieces (about ½ pound) tortellini 1 teaspoon olive oil 6 ounces salami, cut into 48 pieces, ½” squares 24 grape or cherry tomatoes 24 artichoke hearts, drained 24 miniature mozzarella balls 24 black or green olives pesto, store-bought or recipe below 24 – 6” wooden skewers

Directions: Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and rinse, then coat in olive oil to prevent the tortellini from sticking. Carefully thread each ingredient onto the wooden skewers in the following order: Tortellini, salami, cherry tomato, artichoke heart, mozzarella ball, salami, tortellini, olive. Right before serving, brush each skewer with pesto. Serve at room temperature.

Pesto Directions: 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 small clove garlic 2 tablespoons pinenuts, toasted 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated 2 teaspoon lemon juice ½ cups extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Place the basil leave, garlic clove, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until roughly chopped. While the machine is on, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Writer and photographer Monica Longenbaker

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Looking for a quick, last minute appetizer? These no-fuss Italian antipasto skewers are a fresh way to jazz up storebought ingredients. A variety of pickled and fresh vegetables, salami, mozzarella cheese and tortellini are threaded together on a wooden skewer and coated with pesto. The handheld skewers pack up easily for picnics, but are perfect for formal get-togethers as well.

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North Scottsdale-Carefree Office 34305 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, AZ 85266

P. 480-488-2400 $859,900 Magnificent Home, Stunning Backyard 3BR/3.5BA and office in North Scottsdale. Saiedeh Karamooz 480-695-5522

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$469,000 Charming townhouse 2 BR/2BA +den and office in gate community. Saiedeh Karamooz 480-695-5522 saiedeh.com

Carefree Crossings, open floorplan, 1.1 ac w/A+++ N/S views, 3BR+den, 3carG Linda Moorhead and Betsy Lynn 480 650-4502

True Adobe Home - 4.7ac Ranch, Barn, Arena - N. Scotts. Trails $1,275,000 Debbie O. 480-375-1522 CarefreeProperty.com

Time to Build! 23 Gorgeous View Lots in CF & CC, 2 - 20 acres $175,000+ Debbie O. 480-375-1522 CarefreeProperty.com

Live where others vacation! Desert Mountain Luxurious Transitional Remodel $2,485,000 Guest House w/Kitchen, Incredible Views, Deck w/BBQ & Putting Green

ESTANCIA BOB BACON 4305 SF CUSTOM Elevated Lot, Awesome Architectural Details, 2 Bedroom Casita $2,147,000

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Pat Scheckner 480-628-9482

The Boulders Community 480-488-7550 Bouldersrealestate.com for complete market information.