Art N' About
Featuring area arts and events
Protecting Families and Children … Through Music
When Lisa and David Mitts first realized the prevalence of sex trafficking—not just in this country, but in their own hometown—they knew they had to do something about it.
“It’s truly a battlefield,” Lisa, an award-winning singer and songwriter, said during a recent interview. “We have to stand up and say this is wrong.”
She added, “Music has always been the avenue by which we spread the message because it was through a music video that we learned of what was actually happening here in the U.S.”
It’s Time to Get Festive
It may be a little early for Christmas, but it’s not too early to sign up for a merrymaking event that benefits one of our local nonprofit heroes during the holidays.
Festival of Trees Prescott is seeking a few more businesses to participate in the 2023 event. The festival features a wide range of sponsorship opportunities, from decorating a tree or wreath to sponsoring a table.
This year, event profits go to Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation, which plays the important role of working to enrich the lives of current and former foster youth and supporting the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program.
A True Spectacle Filled with Glitz and Glam
In the year 2017, the leadership at the Boys & Girls Clubs partnered with a local dance studio to discover a new and fantastic way to support the Clubs’ efforts in the community. They developed a way to honor our local distinguished citizens for their support and hard work to help the Clubs’ operations; a clever and fun approach to a gala that many had never seen or heard of before.
Now in its seventh season, Dancing for the Stars has grown beyond its organizers’ dreams, and they have no intentions of slowing down. As community support has grown through this event, it has risen to be one of the greatest events in the area and one of the largest fundraisers of its kind in the country.
A New Face for the New Season
Prescott’s Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) announced this spring that after an extensive search, board members have selected Abby Coffey as Co-Executive Director. She took the position in May to help usher in the 2023-24 season, which begins September 10.
Innovation Within Tradition
The Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet and Fine Arts (MFAB) reopens its world headquarters this August in Prescott, having relocated from New York and survived COVID. Sometimes it’s not just a dancer, but an entire Academy, that picks itself up off the mat.
A Metamorphosis for Everyone to Enjoy
The story starts last May, when I was on a hike along the Granite Creek Trail led by Michael Byrd, of Prescott Creeks. We arrived just north of the underpass at Gurley Street, which is home to the massive concrete wall. It was, to say the least, not attractive. Michael mentioned it might be nice if there was something on the wall. As an artist of over 50 years, I immediately thought of a mural.
Juneteenth!
Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, the day this country’s last Confederate slaves were freed in Texas. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that slaves in Confederate states were free on Jan. 1, 1863. The Confederacy surrendered on April 9, 1865. But in practice, unless slaves escaped north, their freedom remained elusive until Union troops arrived to enforce it.
The Artist Lounge: Inviting and Inspiring
The Artist Lounge is just one of the many new additions to Suze’s Prescott Center for the Arts, and its mission aligns with that of the center: to open more doors to the community of Prescott and provide access to art in all mediums.
The walls inside the Artist Lounge feature a rotating selection of artwork, and sometimes, cabinets displaying the work of local artists. Tables provide a space where visitors can create, and a small stage is available for poetry slams, rehearsing lines for auditions, and more. There is also a complimentary coffee station.
A Rockin’ Good Time
Friday, August 4 through Sunday, August 6, folks can find anything their heart desires related to rocks and minerals: finished one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, rough rock, slabs, fossils, mineral specimens, equipment, beads, findings, and so much more. Featuring more than 60 vendors from around the western United States, the show will not disappoint.
Better Together
Creativity runs in the family, the women said: their great-grandfather, Runar G. Rodell, is considered one of America’s greatest western artists. His work—dioramas with backgrounds painted in oil paint and foregrounds containing sculptures made of sticks and other natural materials he collected in nature—is currently on display in the Phippen Museum’s James Gallery.
DANCING FOR THE STARS 7 SEASON HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona is proud to present the seventh season of Dancing for the Stars, the organization’s major fundraiser of the year. Presented by Granville Universal Homes, El Gato Azul & Lamb Chevrolet, the event has the import mission of raising a significant percentage of our local Clubs’ annual budget. In this thrilling community event, local celebrities team up with professional dancers for a dazzling dance performance and friendly fundraising competition. All proceeds directly benefit the Clubs’ youth programs in our community.
Helping Raise an Active, Healthy Generation
The 2023 Summer Program is much more than just day long care for youth, as Clubhouses offer creative and engaging camp-oriented activities. Each themed summer week includes a wide range of games, sports, recreation, group projects, and crafts. As members explore their way through Adventure Week, they will participate in camping activities and crafts, as well as the Ultimate Journey, a program that includes activities in partnership with the National Park Service. Youth will also have a blast in themed weeks such as Sports Camp, Science Week, Arts Camp, Carnival Week, Beach Week, and so much more!