Page 23 - May 2017 Edition

ARTSBRIEFS: MAY2017
on several paintings using different gel mediums for surface texture and dimension, she settled on pumice gel for the rocky textures she so loved.
Also, having been a sculptor for much of the earlier part of her career, she began to crave even more dimension and realistic texture in her compositions. She began building up the substrate of the canvases and adding rocks and twigs and branches to the surface ... Thus, her very original 3-D Relief Landstracts were born.
A former art instructor, Ms. Porter has been a member of galleries and art centers in Chi- cago, Pennsylvania, Florida and Sedona, and shown her work in solo and group exhibitions throughout her long career. She holds a BA in Art Education from the University of Illinois, an MA in Sculpture from Northern Illinois University, and has taken years of supplementary art and education classes and workshops in various disciplines. She is a member of Gallery 527 in Jerome, Arizona, and has recently been included in an anthology written and edited by art critic, Louise Sheldon MacDonald, entitled Sedona’s Best Artists.
Gallery 527 in Jerome will open Ms. Porter’s new show on May 6 from 5-8PM during the monthly Jerome Art Walk event. The show will continue through June 2017.
HUMAN NATURE DANCE THEATER
MIGRATION
Human Nature Dance Theater will perform an evening of dance, including Migration, a new work that explores current immigration issues through emotional personal experi- ence, using a mix of dance, theater, spoken word and music.
Imagine a time when you pack your essentials and walk out the door never to return. What if a disaster causes you to build up reserves, cut back on expenses and hunker down? What if the storm is so severe, that the only recourse is to abandon everything and search out a new land on which to start again? Some are living that life now. First one, then an- other, and then entire communities floating over seas, walking across borders and landing in unknown territory with no map of the future, like butterflies.
Human Nature Dance Theater creates original dance performance, as a collective of cross-disciplinary artists, emphasizing experimental, environmental, and intergenera- tional perspectives. For over 20 years, HNDT has produced events at Arcosanti, in Flagstaff, Prescott, and Portland. Founded in 1994, HNDT received the Otto Renee Castillo Award for political theater, were featured in Rising (a film about sculptor John Waddell), and were funded by the Smithsonian and Dark Skies to create Dreaming Dark. The film Dance Down River shot on the Colorado River has been shown in festivals worldwide.
Human Nature Dance Theater and Flagstaff Arts Council are pleased to present Migration at the Coconino Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 27. Doors open at 7PM and the concert begins at 7:30PM.
FlagArtsCouncil.org | HumanNatureDance.org | (928) 779-2300.
CROSS POLLINATION
The State Bar is bringing pollinators to the public with an art and science show celebrat- ing the wonder, importance and scientific knowledge of pollinators in our natural world. The pollinator art show continues through the end of May, including talks and workshops with local artists and scientists on the following dates: May 5, May 9, and May 23. At every event the State Bar will offer 20% off all drink, art, & raffle sales to go to support local pol- linator habitat projects.
The Arboretum at Flagstaff will benefit from the May 9 talk with Gail Morris from the Southwest Monarch Watch. The Arboretum at Flagstaff is home to 750 species of plants in gardens, greenhouses, and natural habitats and is located 4 miles south of Route 66 on Woody Mountain Road on Flagstaff’s west side. The Arboretum offers summer nature camps, school programs, and a variety of other fun and informative events. theArb.org
MELINDA ANDERSON
DEBBIE THOMAS
F-STOPS AND FAUXBOTS
Tis Art Gallery in Prescott features photographers Melinda Anderson and Debbie Thomas, during the 4th Friday Art Walk reception May 26, 5-8PM
Says Ms. Anderson: “I love all kinds of subjects for photography, but am drawn especially to nature and people. I find beauty in light, line, shape and color — and in negative space and soft focus and blur as well. I often use macro lenses, because I find the small details in nature to be fascinating. I enjoy using alternative camera techniques such as intentional camera movement and multiple exposures in some of my work to create an impressionistic feel.”
Ms. Thomas says: “Having done art all my life, I have been excited to discover sculpture and have it become my overriding passion. This, more than any of the previous forms my art has taken, draws me to keep working every day. It has allowed me to adapt my jewelry making skills to a larger scale and to work with other types of metal and bigger equipment. As a former biologist, my early wall sculptures all incorporated trees. I love using bronze casting splatter to mimic leaves.
“Currently my obsession is with ‘fauxbots’ — whimsical found object robots. These robots are purely decorative, and I strive to make each have a charming personality that will make people smile. It is not always easy to do with nuts, bolts, and odd bits of machinery and household objects. This is why I cannot pass a junkyard, garage sale or dumpster without looking for new shapes.
“For that is what I’m really doing, translating the shapes of the metal pieces in a new way to represent familiar animals, people or creatures. It is fun for me to watch people analyze my sculptures to discover what they are made from. I’m often asked how I ever thought of these, and I can only say I definitely have a different way of looking at the world around me!”
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY
Beginning May 18 and continuing through June 20, Journeys in Spirit returns, with an Opening Reception Friday, May 26, 5-8PM. The festivities continue throughout the week- end, with artist demonstrations, discussions, a dance & raffle. The show is presented by ‘Tis and the Smoki Museum with additional support from the City of Prescott and the Prescott Area Arts and Humanities Council.
Entering into its eighth year, “Journeys in Spirit 2018” brings together artists from many Native cultures including the Acoma, Apache, Choctaw, Diné, Hopi, Yaqui, Yavapai and Zuni. For each of the artists, the making of art is an integral part of life. For many, inspiration emerges from stories, ceremonies and rituals passed to them through many generations. Sacred colors, symbolic imagery and materials from the earth are integrated into the final work. For others, it emanates from personal experience in today’s world where so many walk and work within and outside of their tribal lands.
The selected work for “Journeys in Spirit” encompasses a variety of mediums including beadworking, metalsmithing, painting, woodcarving, basketry, photography and sculpture. Some of the artists work in traditional style while others gravitate towards the contemporary and/or a combination of both. For all, it is evident the creation of art is an ongoing quest for discovery and knowledge. It is every artist’s journey and there are stories to be told.
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