Tubac Nov 2015 Newsletter - Tubac Center of the Arts

November 2015
Performing Art Series
Wildcat Jazz Band with
CRYSTAL STARK
Wildcat Jazz Band with Crystal Stark
On Sunday, November 22nd at 7:30pm
Tubac’s favorite Jazz Band returns!
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE at TCA
30.00 (TCA Members) $35.00 (Non-members)
Call TCA Box Office for tickets - 520.398.2371
$
See you at the show!
It’s not too late to get a PAS season subscription! But do hurry – seats are going fast!
Call TCA @
520.398.2371
to subscribe.
9 P l az a Road • Tu b ac, AZ 85646 • Tel 520. 338. 2371 • Fax 520 .3 9 8 .9 5 1 1 • www.Tuba c Art s.o rg
The Tucson Seven
November 13 - January 25
The work of some of the
West’s most noted artists
is coming to Tubac! The
Tucson Seven were first
illustrators and successful
painters in the East
Coast publishing worlds.
They came to Arizona
for varying reasons and
first joined together in
an unstructured group
to enjoy each other’s
company. With combined
talent, experience and
common
backgrounds,
they met on a regular basis Protectors of the Cheyenne by Howard
with a bond of friendship Terpning, ©Terpning Family Limited
LLC, courtesy of The Greenwich
and artistic pursuits. Now Partnership,
Workshop®, Inc.
is your opportunity to see
the work of these incredible artists including Harley Brown,
Duane Bryers, Don Crowley, Tom Hill, Bob Kuhn, and
Howard Terpning. Tickets to the Gala Opening Reception
are $25 for members and include catered appetizers, open bar,
music and the opportunity to meet some of the artists and their
family members. Call 398-2371 now to reserve tickets for this
special evening.
“The Tucson Seven represent an exceptional group of talented artists.
They were forerunners as illustrators and are now singled out as seven
of the most well-known in the world of western art.” –Bobb Vann,
nationally known artist whose work is currently in The Studio
Gallery at TCA through November 15th.
Annual Meeting
The Conversation by Bruce Horn
Southwestern
Invitational
2015
October 30 - December 13
This traveling exhibit, showcasing
exceptional
contemporary
Arizona
artists, comes to TCA for the first time.
The idea was to bring together diverse,
innovative and exciting contemporary
artists from around the state and provide
Birds of a Feather by
an opportunity for their work to be Bernie Molasky
shown in various venues throughout
southwestern Arizona. Featured in the catalog are the 102 artists
who were juried into the exhibit including TCA member artists
Laurie Giangregorio, Archie Tucker and Carolyn Wayland.
48 of the pieces are part of the traveling exhibit culminating at
the Phoenix Airport Museum from March – August of 2016.
Catalogs of the exhibit are available for sale during the exhibition.
of the Membership
TUBAC CENTER
of the ARTS
Subscribe by Nov. 7th & you’ll get to see
Carnival of Illusion for only $22.00!
TUBAC CENTER
of the ARTS
Meg Flanders, Lee Ann Lucas, Ana
Thompson, Bonnie Jaus, Pam Wedemeyer “on the stage”
Winners of “Best Dressed” Western
Outfits – Bob Maurer & Dee Hall
Mary Lou Taggart with Colin Steffen,
Tom and Dee Hall
Bobb Vann with Dan Groethe
Editor’s Corner
IN PLACE...
by Myrna York
As I see it...
Is it art or is it craft? Form vs. function? The debate
has been around for ages. Remember the Mercedes
Benz commercial? Among designers of craft, there is
a crossover of technical skill and design and to have
both makes it a better piece of art. A common anomaly
is painting is fine art and all other materials such as
ceramics, wood, fibers, etc. belong to craft. But sculptures are fine art made
of craft materials. My best guess is the difference lies in the intention of the
artist. The work’s spiritual and philosophical intentions need not be apparent
but it is in fact behind the creation which gives it vitality. If the artist creates a
piece as art, then it is art. If the artisan creates a piece strictly for its function
then it is craft. James Culver says he creates strictly for craft. However, I
disagree because his leather handbags are walking pieces of art hanging
from the shoulders of many women. The handbags made by Culver carry his
distinctive design of contemporary southwest with colors and textures that
scream Tubac.
We have so many unsung artists in Tubac that give this village a name for
itself. The jewelry, furniture and wearable art and so on abound to the point
that a day’s visit in the village is not enough to see them all. There is one
artisan that is exceptional and that is James Culver who started his craft
in high school, 1968 in fact, after hearing a radio ad for an experienced
leathersmith. Having been given a work space in his home by his parents
when he was 10 years old, he was very comfortable with benchwork and
that was the experience he needed to get the job. He says, “the design and
color work is an art. Good art is knowing when to start and when to stop.
The construction, focused on shape, detail, and balance, is definitely a
craft.” Culver listens to his customers who give him direction and intuitively
he follows the elements and principles of design and puts a high premium
on craftsmanship. Collaged geometric and filigree embellishments have
very smooth and clean edges that contrast well with a melange of textures
just enough to satiate our visual and tactile sensations. This attention to
structural detail is the intention that sets the artist apart from the artisans.
Design literacy is the nemesis of most crafters. When decoration is thrown
haphazardly then there’s no room for the eyes to rest. Decoration as the
intention serves only as adornment, the embellishment of the function.
Therefore stating a piece as a work of art is not sufficient to call it as such.
There is an aesthetic sensibility that unlocks the reason why we can say what
it is that makes something a work of art. Once again, I applaud Culver for his
creations as walking sculptures, a subliminal kind of performance art. LOL!
James Culver’s working leather studio is located on the northeast corner of
Tubac Rd and Hesselberth Lane.
More artists and artisans will be showing their wares at the TCA Holiday
Artisan Market opening on November 20th and indulge throughout December.
You’ll see fine collectibles, something for everyone’s taste and pocketbook
then be the judge whether you picked a well crafted piece or a work of art.
The following is a contribution from a Tubac artist and TCA member,
serving at large and locally as a witness to the power of place in human
experience.
Waves wake me. The angry ocean is approaching, skies grey as slate,
water smashing against the sea wall mere feet from my door. White
caps dance merrily toward shore and their impact sends sea spray
high to my second story window, catching light, igniting sparks of
awareness to my waking brain. This is Rockport, Massachusetts,
home of Motif # 1, a place where artists have flocked for years to
record an iconic building through their own creative lens.
A few weeks earlier, I had a similar experience. Gazing from a
steep cliff at the Hudson River below, I marveled at the towering
cloudscapes, autumnal color, and burnished silver water that
distinguish this particular vista. Immediately, I knew why 19th
century painters gravitated here and felt compelled to start a painting
revolution in this place. This revolution marked a dramatic break
with European convention as artists of the Hudson River School
glorified the natural world and in doing so, put mere man in a
diminutive place in the landscape.
Both of these encounters brought me to thoughts of home, Tubac,
Arizona. I longed to be back in my dynamic place that also has
the power to attract and inspire the creative. Spectacular sunsets,
crystal night skies and triple rainbows uplift and unite residents in a
common love of this unique place on earth.
What is the underlying magic inherent in all these places? What
causes certain locales to possess such a strong sense of place? The
power in these environments demand that we attend to being part
of a larger universe. It is almost as though the place itself is a living,
breathing entity calling forth our best selves. We feel grounded,
connected to history and though we may be solitary on our journey,
we do not feel alone.
Business & Artist Members News
Historic Kenyon Ranch will host a workshop entitled Painting
the Impressionist Landscape by artist Lois Griffel, Nov. 17
-21. The workshop is open to all skill levels and will focus on
capturing color and light by gaining insight into the foundations
of Impressionism. Lois was recently honored by the American
Impressionist Society as a Master Signature Artist. For more
information and to register, visit her website, www.loisgriffel.com
or contact Lois at [email protected]. Lodging is available
at the ranch which is just two miles from downtown Tubac.
Visit www.kenyonranch.com and contact Lynn Carey, marketing
director at 520-398-8073 for reservations.
Nationally acclaimed ceramic artist Curt Hoard inaugurates his
new Green Valley Studio with the first Annual Holiday Exhibit and
Sale – November 13-15 from noon -5pm at 645 Canyon Rock
Road, Madera Shadows, GV, or by appointment, call 207-7070.
At the suggestion of Ann Groves of the Hal Empie Gallery, an
original oil painting by Hal Empie is being donated to Tubac Center
of the Arts by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Fink of Charlotte, NC in
memory of Mr. and Mrs. Hunter L. Keller Jr. of Birmingham,
Alabama. TCA is thrilled to have an original Empie as part of the
permanent to be displayed in our Master Artist Gallery. Anyone
interested in donating art by any of our Master Artists or for our
“Spring for Art” auction in March of 2016, please contact Karin
Topping, Executive Director.
John Muir expressed it best. “Everybody needs beauty as well as
bread, places to pray in, where nature may heal and give strength
to body and soul.” Tubac delivers this beauty. We only need to see,
absorb and cherish it for it to continue for generations to come.
Tubac Art
History
Guided
Walking
Tours
What was it that artists found so appealing about Tubac in the early days
of the art colony? Who were some of the artists and celebrities who lived,
created and built community here? Where did they live and work? How
did they contribute to the Tubac of today?
These are some of the questions that will be answered in a Tubac Art
History Guided Walking Tour being offered on selected Sundays and
Wednesdays from November through April and sponsored by TCA and
the Tubac Historical Society. Tours will take approximately 2 hours and
start at 11am Tours are free to members of the Tubac Center of the
Arts and the Tubac Historical Society and $10 for visitors and guests,
$5 for children under 12. For reservations, call or email the Tubac Center
of the Arts at 520-398-2371, education@ tubacarts.org. For more general
information about the tour contact the Tubac Historical Society at 520398-2020 or [email protected].
Dates of tours are Nov. 11 & 15; Dec. 13, 27 & 30; Jan. 17 & 27; Feb.
3, 21 & 28; Mar. 9 & 13; April 3 & 13.
Leave a Legacy!
To make your gift last forever, consider contributing to the Endowment Fund.
The gift of a simple bequest in your will is one of the best ways to ensure
the long-term future for Tubac Center of the Arts. Name TCA in any of the
following: Retirement Account, Charitable Bequest, Charitable Trust, Life
Insurance, or Life Estate.
Endowment funds are conservatively invested in order not to lose value.
Contact your attorney or financial planner and let
us know of your generosity.
J.M. Jackson resides in Tubac and continues a lifetime pursuit of meaning
inherent in place. Through work in design, public art, architecture and
education, she remains acutely attuned to ways that external environments
influence internal landscapes. Look for other essays on sense of place in
upcoming issues of the TCA NEWS.
The one place to go to find out when,
where and what’s happening:
TubacCalendar.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TUBAC CENTER OF THE ARTS
President: Mike Jacoby
Vice President: Dennis Eshleman
Secretary: Colin Steffen
Treasurer: Tom Potter
Directors: Carole Benequita
Joseph Birkett • Tim Duffin
Meg Flanders • Nancy Peyton
Gail Rich • Kim Roseman
Jean Smith • Polly Schlitz
Editor-in-Chief: Myrna York
[email protected]
Executive Director: Karin Topping
[email protected]
Gallery Shop Manager: Bonnie Jaus
[email protected]
Bookkeeper: Pam McNutt
[email protected]
Office Manager/Education:
Ruth Romano
[email protected]
Weekend Supervisor: Linda Patmore
[email protected]
Use it!
GALLERY HOURS
Mon-Sat 10-4:30 • Sun Noon-4:30
520-398-2371 • www.tubacarts.org
Supported by the Arizona Commission on the
Arts with funding from the State of Arizona
and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Road Near Steeplerock, Hal Empie
The 2015 Graham County Historical Society Fall Symposium will
be held at the Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, Arizona Nov.
21st at 10:00 am. The guest speakers will be Mrs. Charmayne
Dobbs with her presentation on a late 1800’s mystery “The
Murder of the Doctor’s Wife” followed by Guest speaker Ann
Groves of the Hal Empie Gallery in Tubac. “Arizona’s Hal Empie,
his life, his times, his art”. The Empie family settled in the Safford/
Thatcher area in 1886. Hal Empie was an artist, cartoonist and
pharmacist. The drug store where he started work at age 12 is
open today. “Candies” on Safford main street—visit the soda
fountain where Hal once jerked sodas.
Safford is a two and a half hour drive from Tubac, the symposium
is open to the public at no charge. Refreshments will be served. More info call 3989-2811.
The altar pictured above was located on the front plaza at TCA and honored the memory of those people who
had contributed so much to our community.