Art N' About
Featuring area arts and events
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!
35th Gathering of Cowboy Poets Returns to Prescott in August
The 2023 edition of the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering will again take the stage at Yavapai College Performing Arts Center on August 10-12. One of Prescott’s most popular annual events, this year’s Gathering features more than forty authentic cowboy poets and singers sharing the heritage and culture of the American cowboy for two days and three nights of entertainment.
Headline performers include Trinity Seely, Doris Daley and The Cowboy Way. This year’s collectible poster titled “This One’s for You, Buddy,” created by local artist Roselynn Fernwalt, will be available for purchase at the Gathering, as will raffle tickets to win an original framed giclee of the poster.
The Synergy of Women Coming Together
Local business owners Cecilia Lookingback and Candace Devine believe that when women come together, authentically, they can achieve powerful results.
Since the two met, they have cross collaborated on many projects, sponsoring and promoting each other’s brands. The latest example of that: their brands will work together during the Pure Imagination Festival on May 20 in Prescott, alongside a lineup of other local businesses and partners.
The relationship Cecilia and Candace have developed is about an even bigger movement: women empowering women. Candace said she’d love to see businesses cross collaborate on a larger scale, choosing female-led partners to support one another.
The Arts: Unlocking Potential, Bringing People Together, and Building Life Skills
The belief that all youth should have equitable access to quality arts experiences was one of the major drivers of Suze’s Prescott Center for the Arts’ (PCA) campus expansion. Now that the new studio theater, gallery, and classrooms are open, Suze’s PCA is poised to fully carry out its mission as a full-service arts center by providing youth arts experiences.
Bella Jenkins, Rodeo Queen Extraordinaire
Today’s rodeo royalty has come a long way from waving to rodeo crowds and posing for photos with adoring fans. Today’s queens serve in multiple roles. They are ambassadors to the sport of rodeo, they demonstrate athleticism on horseback and act as role models to the upcoming generation of cowboys and cowgirls. They educate the public on the sport of rodeo and serve as public speakers who help preserve America’s Western heritage.