Page 44 - The NOISE November 2015

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ARTSBRIEFS:
CHASING VISIONS
ArtistandstudentMichaelDavispursuesandderiveshispassionwiththephrase,“artisawayoflife,notaprofession.”
Since the time he got out of the military in January 2014 he has chased after his vision of who he longs to be as an artist. After breaking free from those military boundaries, he decided to do something personally fulfilling. He began studying at Northern Arizona University that spring semester in 2014 and is intending to graduate in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in sculpture.
Mr. Davis views art as a developmental process that is both powerful and intricate. Behind each work of art is a progression of thought and motive. Often times he finds himself creating subjective work with the intention of allowing the viewer to interpret and understand through their personal experiences.
He doesn’t take his role as an artist lightly but instead believes he has been empowered and entrusted with the gift to create. “I have had this gift given to me and if I don’t use it then I’m wasting it,” Mr. Davis explains.
Although surrounded by the influences and beliefs of this world, the artist in him strives to be true and unshakeable. He feels the demands and opinions human beings press upon one another can mold an individual into an
“unrecognizable entity” and he refuses to fall into that. Instead he pushes the boundaries and challenges himself continually.
“If I can get someone to look at my piece for five seconds then I’ve done my job, because I’ve taken up a moment of their precious time” Mr. Davis says.
In the future his hopes and goals are to teach at the university level, travel and speak on the importance of fine art, become an art advocate, and grow to be a renowned international artist.
Mr. Davis perceives art as the freedom to be whoever you will to be. “Be who you want regardless of what people think. That’s what makes it so freeing,” he advises.
His work will be on display at the annual Coconino Center for the Arts exhibition, “It’s Elemental.” Last year he applied as a student for this same exhibition but was not accepted. This year he has been given the opportunity to show in the professional category and will have one piece on display, Homeostasis.
A members’ preview reception will be held on Friday, November
13, from 6-8PM and a public reception will be held the following
day, November 14 from 6-8PM with live music by Clair Anna Rose. “It’s Elemental,” will be open from November 17 to
December 19, Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00AM to 5:00PM at Coconino Center for the Arts, 2300 North Fort Valley Road, in conjunction with Northern Arizona University’s student showcase “Foundations,” in the Jewel Gallery.
flagartscouncil.org, michaeldavisfineartist.com
FLIGHT LAUNCHED
On the east wall of the Orpheum Theater is the largest mural in Arizona. After two years, the artists are ready to unveil the Sound of Flight. The dedication is scheduled for November 7 at 2PM.
Sky Black conceived the idea of the 4500-square-foot mural in 2013. With the help of Mural Mice artists R.E. Wall and Margaret Dewar, work began last year.
Sound of Flight, was made possible through community support from 90 local business, 500 private donations
and grants from the BBB Tax, which are awarded by the Flagstaff Arts Council and the Beautification and Public Art Commission. The artists also teamed up with the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project to raise funds for the project. The mural is influenced by classical art with Sky Black’s characteristic surrealist tendency. The striking image of a hundred birds flying out of an ornately decorated grand piano depicts the climax of a song. The birds make their way across the wall past the twenty-five foot figures of Michelangelo’s “David” and a woman in red. They then migrate over
the head of a howling wolf and Rodin’s statue, the “Thinker,” and into the sun as it sets on the Grand Canyon.
The event is free and open to the public. There will be live music with performances in front of the mural from Flagstaff’s own Sambatuque, Flagstaff Aerial Arts and the young and talented musicians of “Tow’rs.” Jonathan Best of Prescott will be showing off the outlandish keyboard and looping technique that has inspired some to call him a
musical genius. Anyone who attends the festival can expect a few additional surprises during the celebration.
soundofflight.net
TIME TO NOMINATE FAVORITES IN THE ARTS
Every year, the community of Flagstaff nominates artists, educators, leaders and organizations for the Viola Awards. These awards celebrate excellence in the arts and sciences. Nominees are recognized for making a positive difference in eleven fields of the arts and sciences.
Any Flagstaffian can nominate an individual or group for the Viola Awards. So far, more than forty nominees have been announced. The Viola Awards Gala Event will take place at the High Country Conference Center on March 5, 2016. More than 500 people turned out for last year’s celebration.
The Viola Awards are named after Flagstaff’s Viola Babbitt. Born in Arizona Territory in 1894, she taught music and reading after earning degrees from the University of California in Berkeley and Columbia University in New York City. She was a painter and life-long advocate of the arts, as well as a mother of six children and the wife of Joseph Babbitt.