Page 42 - the NOISE June 2014

ColleCTIVelY BuIldIng doWnToWn
as aRTisTs hoNe a CUlTURe, a leGaCy
ABOVE:
Scenes from the Artists’ Gallery, sToRy by Caleb MCClURe in downtown Flagstaff. PhoTos by ClaiR aNNa Rose
Twenty-three years ago a group of almost 40 Flagstaff artists were sitting on the ground in what was once a hair salon. They were discussing a new platform to show and sell their
work. with blood, sweat, and paint from a steadfast commu- nity, the hair salon would soon be transformed into The Art- ists’ Gallery — one of Arizona’s longest running art galleries. It was a project that would permanently change Flagstaff’s landscape, and coincide with a new era for downtown.
During the 1980s, downtown Flagstaff was in a lull. The lumber and rail industries were no longer large economic drivers. when the Flagstaff Mall opened in 1978, businesses that were previously downtown relocated to the east side, according to Thomas Paradis’ book Theme Town: A Geogra- phy of Landscape and Community in Flagstaff, Arizona. Down- town was no longer the economic hub of the city and people really didn’t have much of a reason to go downtown. Many of the storefronts were boarded up, and Heritage square was a dirt parking lot. “There were no art galleries down- town at this point. They were all bars, more bars and this hairsalon,”saidJoniPevarnik,DirectoroftheArtists’Gallery.
Only 80 miles away from Grand Canyon, Flagstaff was (and still is) a major stop for tourists, and people started to no- tice the potential economic value of having a space in which money could be spent on food, entertainment and hotels in that small area. In the early 1990s slowly but surely the downtown area started to reinvent itself from the run-down, once-upon-a-time business center into a space mainly used for entertainment and leisure, according to Mr. Paradis. This ultimately helped to create the perfect climate for an arts market. People started going downtown to spend money, and for a lot of tourists it was an opportunity to experience northern Arizona’s lures through art — something that couldn’t be done before. By the early aughts, downtown had turned a milestone, offering amenities never before imagined, a thriving nightlife, and establishments to satiate most any appetite.
Flagstaff’s momentum in developing downtown, and the structure of the Artists’ Gallery contributed to what the art scene is today. The gallery is a cooperative, where every art- ist pays for their own space, and everyone contributes. “we do all of our own work. we have various committees set up that do all of the work of a business,” said member Kather- ine Farr, a fiber artist who knits, weaves, and quilts, and as a
longtime volunteer, ensures other members have short bios stocked in the gallery at all times for interested patrons.
In order to become a member, artists must first submit samples of their work to a jury for consideration. Members of the jury evaluate the quality of the work, deciding if the art- ist would work well in the co-op setting, whether their work clashes or is too similar to an artist already showing work in the gallery. “The jury meets with the artists on a personal level and see if they will fit into our family,” said Ms. Pevarnik. However, once an artist is in, they essentially own their space. They can show the work they want as long as it is approved by the jury, which means an artist isn’t stuck producing what they’re known for. They can branch out, try new things and have a place to show their new endeavors. “They can’t bring in Q-tip ornaments,” Ms. Pevarnik chides with a wink, adding the jury process ensures quality work is consistent, and has helped to define Flagstaff’s artistic aesthetic. “I love it be- cause it reflects the community.”
Quickly, a strong community began to form from all of the artists working together. The gallery was not only a place for these artists to show and sell their work, but a place to grow and learn from each other. “There’s a sense of community about it in terms of being able to chat with other artists to get some feedback from them. Also, it gives us the chance to be with other people who do work like this. I’ve learned a whole bunch about other media that I didn’t necessarily know,” said Ms. Farr.
At the same time the Artists’ Gallery is fast becoming re- nowned by aficianados the world over as a hidden gem in the southwest scene. The co-op produces quality opportunities for art buyers and collectors to talk to the artists personally.
“People come in and meet the artists. If you can have an in- teraction with someone who actually made that piece of art, you go away probably a bit more knowledgeable, and you also probably have this connection with these artists, where in a gallery setting often times you’ll never, ever have the op- portunity,” said Ms. Pevarnik.
As their community grew, members of the gallery started to branch off, and create venues of their own. In 2000, Caro- lyn Young, a former member of the Artists’ Gallery opened west of the Moon Gallery, which is now right across the street. George Averbeck, another veteran member of the co-op,
opened Arizona Handmade / Fire on the Mountain Gallery next door. Stuart Wolf now runs the biannual Art in the Park on Fourth of July & Labor Day weekends.
But one of the greatest legacies of the Artists’ Gallery is the First Friday Artwalk, which packs downtown the first week- end of every month. “It started out with three galleries, and now it’s become a really big deal, and we should be proud of that,”saidMs.Pevarnik.“Here,you’recreatingthiscommunity because all these artists continue making neat art. when you get a gift that’s handmade, you have done a couple things — you’ve helped keep something alive downtown, which I think is important instead of another bar downtown; and you have bought something that will actually help the path of an artist
... They interact with you and they say, ‘wow that’s really neat that people like my work and I’ll make more of that.’”
Ms. Pevarnik started making pots when she was in high school in Denver. Her older sister’s friend had a car, and she’d get a ride home if she met them at their last class of the day
— which happened to be ceramics. The teacher didn’t want her to just sit and do nothing while she waited for class to be over, so he told her if she was going to be there, she needed to make something. she’s been making pots ever since. Af- ter high school she came to nAU to be a spanish major, but eventually earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts instead. In 2009, she took over as the director of the Artists’ Gallery.
The economic and artistic growth of downtown can be largely traced back to the Artists’ Gallery in some way. wheth- er it’s the events that have grown out of it, or the art venues that sprung forth — the Artists’ Gallery has been a major driv- er of this mountain town’s cultural renaissance.
“everybody has had a sweet little idea, and some of them have been negative, some of them have been positive. we’ve learned along the way and I thank every artist who has ever been in the Artists’ Gallery. They all deserve a little pat on the back to have been part of this really unusual, cool thing,” said Ms. Pevarnik.
June marks the Artists’ Gallery’s 23rd anniversary, featuring all member artists for the month of June at 17 north san Fran- cisco street. 928/773-0958 FlagtsaffArtistsGallery.com
| Caleb McClure is learning his curves around the local art scene. arts@thenoise.us
42 • JUNE 2015 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us