Page 17 - the NOISE December 2012

Cleanse by Ryan Lamfers is among the work at Coconino Center for the Art’s annual exhibit, “It’s Elemental.”
a simplified manner,” Ms. Henes says. “Some pieces will incorporate handmade papers or mixed media. The pieces are made by manipu- lating wax. Painting it, pouring it, molding it, and layering it. It is a really in depth process that is built upon layers. The materials are: damar resin, beeswax, and pigment that are manipulated with heat, a heat gun, brushes and palette knives.”
I ask Ms. Henes where her inspiration comes from, “My students, my partner Steve Schaeffer, the natural world and contemporary art,” she says. “For the past few years my colleague Mike Levin and I have been taking students to San Francisco, Chicago and NYC. I am also a big fan of the PBS series Art: 21. I want to start work- ing on a series either dedicated to education or women’s issues/rights. These are true passions of mine.”
“I have a visual journal that I use often to de- velop creativity as a process,” she explains. “I strongly believe in looking at art. I tell my stu- dents that the more you look at art, the more you develop your aesthetic: your visual literacy, your visual language. Just like the more you read books, the more you develop your vocab- ulary and ability to communicate.”
“I grew up the oldest of four children, in a working/middle class neighborhood in Phila- delphia with very hard working parents,” Ms. Henes tells me about herself. “Art at my all-girls Catholic high school was my sanctuary. I am inspired to work on social justice initiatives through volunteering, service and service- learning at FALA.
“In January my colleague and I will take 10 students on a border service expedition, where we will see firsthand the Arizona/Mexico bor- der, bear witness as we meet with folks who have been deported, and do humanitarian aid with No Mas Muertes and Rancho Feliz.
“I am very blessed and privileged to be an art educator. I truly believe that art has the power to inspire, move, challenge, respond and act in ways that other kinds of media cannot. Art is a response to the human condition, and there- fore it is our responsibility to create works that
reflect it. We understand the world because of the visual artifacts that we produce.”
“I am working on a retablos (a small por- table homemade alter) dedicated to Malala Yousafzai,” she tells me. “Currently in my art studio class we watched a short video about her, “Class Dismissed,” sent to me by my col- league Ben Anderson. We were so inspired and humbled by her dedication to education that I had to honor her in some way.”
Gallery One13, 111 E. Aspen, will hold an opening reception for Ms. Henes during the First Friday ArtWalk on December 7 from 6PM to 9PM. Galleryone13.com
BEFOrE THE FOrM
Ben Jordan and Ryan Lamfers are two of a selection of talented artists juried into “It’s El- emental,” at the Coconino Center for the Arts this season.
“I grew up in wonderful Kingman AZ,” Ben Jor- dan tells me. “As of right now, I spend the large majority of my time on art, focusing on creat- ing a body of work that will help me continue on towards graduate school. I am interested in sociological issues. I have a BS in sociology as well as a BFA in ceramics, and this interest is something that continues to inform my work. I am also passionate about gardening and the pursuit of living a more self-sustained lifestyle!”
“I am somewhat new to the world of clay and metal work,” Mr. Jordan says. “I would say my first real contact with clay was about 5 years ago at Coconino Community College from El- len Tibbetts, who really inspired me and she was a big part of getting me excited about the medium of clay. Metal was probably around two years ago thanks to the amazing NAU sculpture professor Brian Painter.”
“As an artist there are many things that in- spire me, again contemporary social issues is a big one,” Mr. Jordan continues. “Like a lot of people, the natural world is something that is also a continuous inspiration, I am especially interested in the overlap and influence these two topics have on each other.”
I ask Mr. Jordan about his creative pro-
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thenoise.us • the NOISE arts & news • DECEMBER 2012 • 17