Center for the Arts
Calendar of Events |
JULY
Many Colored Weaves
thru August 9: Exhibition of Navajo Textiles from the collection at the Museum of Northern Arizona .
Curator TourJuly 5: Curator Jen McLerran takes guests through Many Colored Weaves. Dine' Dye DemonstrationJuly 12: Navajo weaver, Mark Deschinny, presents a workshop: "Dine Dyes: Local Plants, Local Minerals, Local Water, Pots/Pans & Grandma's Teachings." 11am & 3pm.  Claire Lynch Band in ConcertJuly 19: Bluegrass Great Visits Flagstaff. Dine' Dye DemonstrationJuly 26:
Navajo weaver, Mark Deschinny, presents a workshop: "Dine Dyes: Local
Plants, Local Minerals, Local Water, Pots/Pans & Grandma's
Teachings." 11am & 3pm. AUGUST
Aug 2: Symphony Quintet performs night-themed works in CCA's intimate theatre. Opening ReceptionAug 23: The annual preview of Open Studios, Prelude (formerly known as Appetizers), opens. PreludeAug 26 - Sep 21: Exhibition remains open to the public through Open Studios weekend. ~~~~~ |
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Community Events CALENDAR
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Click on each event to connect to its website for more detailed information.
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About Us
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 Flagstaff Cultural Partners (FCP) is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to enhance the spectrum and quality of cultural experiences available to residents of and visitors to our community.
FCP manages the Coconino Center for the Arts with support from Coconino County. At the Center, FCP hosts art exhibitions, concerts, performances, workshops and more. The Center is also available for use by private parties and groups for events.
FCP also manages the Art & Science Fund in partnership with the City of Flagstaff. Each year, over a quarter million dollars from the City's Bed, Board and Beverage (BBB) Tax is distributed through FCP's grant program to arts, cultural and science organizations that provide public programs for the benefit of Flagstaff residents and visitors.
Visit our website to support these public programs with a tax deductible contribution online.
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| Flagstaff Cultural Partners Leadership
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FCP Board of Directors
President
Ingrid Lee
Vice President
Terry Hubbard
Secretary
Marjorie Kamine
Treasurer
Trevor Ainardi
Board Members
Kevin Burke
Stacey Button
Marian Denipah
Darcy Falk
Richard Fernandez
Frank Garcia
Heidi Hansen
Jean Hockman
Peter Jolma
Julie Pastrick
Barbara Osborne
Rick Swanson
Carl Taylor
Holly Taylor
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FCP Staff
Executive Director
John Tannous
Gallery Director
Jillian Asplund
Program Coordinator
Elizabeth Vogler
Office Manager
Robin Cadigan
Gallery Docent
Tana Mendenhall
Facility Manager
Kelcey Mead
Contact
(928) 779-2300
Email FCP
PO Box 296
2300 N. Fort Valley Road
Flagstaff, AZ 86002
Directions to the Center
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Get Involved
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Become a member of Flagstaff Cultural Partners today!
Benefits include:
- Discounts on purchases of artwork
- Discounts on concert tickets
- Invitations to special events
- Discount on facility rentals
- Your contribution is tax-deductible
- Supports programs at the Coconino Center for the Arts
- Supports arts and sciences programs throughout Coconino County
Click here to make your tax-deductible contribution to become a member of Flagstaff Cultural Partners.
Interested in volunteering?
Contact us by email, or call us at (928) 779-2300.
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 July 2008
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Greetings!
I want to take the opportunity in this space to thank everyone who came out to last month's Navajo Rug Auction. Without the enthusiasm and support from the Flagstaff community, the event could not have been the rousing success that it was. I also want to thank Joel Ybarra, at Golden Eagle Distributors, for providing cold beverages to a thirsty Auction-going crowd. See the article at the end of this newsletter for more details about the event's results. This weekend is a big one in Flagstaff: The 4th of July festivities, First Friday ArtWalk, the Hopi Festival at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Independence Day Festival at the Pioneer Museum, Summer Concert at the Arboretum and Art in the Park downtown. That's a lot to choose from! And it's just the first weekend of the month... Cheers, John Tannous Executive Director
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First Friday ArtWalk - July 4, 2008
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Projecting a World View
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Artist Profile: Coppelia Tarantal
by Elizabeth Vogler
As a photographer, Coppelia Tarantal has been able to use the camera lens to translate her passion and share her perspective with American society.
To Coppelia, photography is not just about artistic beauty, but is also about helping people think about images, places, and other
people around the world. Recently, she used photography to help document her
travels and humanitarian work in Namibia, South Africa, while on a
PeaceCorps assignment for two years. Her work will be displayed this month during the First Friday ArtWalk on July 4th. 
Coppelia grew up in Tucson and received her B.S. from the University
of Arizona in Family Studies and Human Development. While completing
her degree, she participated in several internships,
working with the Department of Energy, and with programs to help
children dealing with sickness. While growing up and traveling the
U.S., she became interested in photography. After years of domestic
travels, she decided to apply for PeaceCorps and take the opportunity
to travel outside of the country. In Namibia, Coppelia worked on many projects. Working at a
Youth Center, she participated in a theater project through which community
members would learn and perform songs and skits about HIV/AIDS
prevention and perform them in different villages. This project was a
useful way to provide education to the community. In every project Coppelia worked on, the main goal was to
raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and methods of prevention:
"HIV is in every solitary thing I did," she says.
Coppeilia taught conversational English to an English language club for out-of-school youth and adults. She also hosted a Girls Club,
where about 20 high school-aged girls would meet to learn and discuss
health issues, work on self-esteem, and practice life-skills. One project that was very special to Coppelia was to help create
a jewelry-making organization. She was approached by local
jewelry-makers in the village who wanted help organizing and selling
their work. Coppelia helped them to develop the Opuwo Beads and Seeds
Group and then arranged for two long-standing buyers in the U.S. to sell them in the states over the internet. This group is active today and continues to sell jewelry. 
While living in Namibia, Coppelia became close with village members.
For the first 3-6 months, she focused on becoming immersed with the
culture, learning languages, and was trained in HIV education. By the
end of her stay, she had been given the privilege of naming seven
babies, and four were named after her. As she was accepted into the
community, photographing the people wasn't seen as invasive. In fact, one of
her final projects was to take a photo with each village member and
make a print for them. Now, when she displays her photography of her travels and her work
in Namibia, she urges people in the states to take a more active role
in raising awareness and assisting in the goal of prevention of
HIV/AIDS around the world.
"In the U.S. we don't see HIV/AIDS in
public," she says. Although most
Americans know about the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS, Coppelia believes the issue does not receive enough attention in the media. "As soon as we start
slacking in prevention," she continues, "[that's] when we begin to have a bigger problem."
Coppelia stresses the need to find
culturally-appropriate approaches to the issue. In some of her programs, teaching
locals to teach other community members was a better way to spread
knowledge. "We need to develop strategies in culturally-sensitive ways
that people will follow."
Another obstacle to overcome are the myths involved within the
culture about the disease and about the use of condoms. In the
polygamous chief societies of the Himba, condoms are not well accepted. Talking about HIV or admiting that you are HIV positive
is highly taboo. Even when there is a death because of AIDS, it is
blamed on an elusive "long-illness" or on a curse. In the villages
there is a discrepancy between cultural folklore and Western scientific
knowledge, therefore finding a technique to translate evidence about
HIV/AIDS into ways that are understood and accepted by Namibian people
is crucial. Coppelia's photographs will be on display at Anima's Beads on Rt. 66 for the First Friday ArtWalk on July 4th.
Coppelia will be bringing bracelets from Opuwo Beads and Seeds for
sale, where a percentage of the proceeds go to the jewelry-makers in
Namibia. Her photographs will be on display
throughout the month of July.
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Lucky Girl Productions presents:
Claire Lynch Band
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It's a Funny Thing
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NAU Theatre and Theatrikos Join Forces
 Togas, mistaken identities and some of the best talent in town combine to create a wild and bawdy time in Flagstaff. Theatrikos Theatre Company and Northern Arizona University Theater have combined efforts for the first annual "Town and Gown Summer Theater Festival" as they co-produce A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.
Forum, a musical by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, is a non-stop laugh-fest. A crafty slave, Pseudolus, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan named Philia for his young master Hero, in exchange for his freedom.
The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including satirical comments on social class, puns, a two-tiered set with many doors, and cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another).
"Theatrikos and NAU Theater are pooling our resources to create what is hoped to be a long and successful collaboration of theatre artists within our Flagstaff community," said professor Robert Yowell, professor of theater at NAU and director of the performance.
The performance will feature community member Dan Brady as Pseudolus, NAU Theater student Jake Larowe as Hero, NAU Theater student Amber Stonebraker as Philia, and Theatrikos board president Dennis Hattem, as Senex.
"All of us at Theatrikos are extremely excited to be working with the faculty and staff of the NAU Theatre Department," said Lynn Spence, managing director of Theatrikos. "This is a great opportunity to bring all of our talents together to put on a fun summer production."
The production will be staged July 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19, at 8:00 p.m. and July 13 and 20 at 2:00 p.m. at the Clifford E. White Theatre. Tickets are $12.00 for students, $15.00 for senior citizens, and $18.00 for general admission. Call 928/523-5661 for tickets or visit the NAU Theatre website.
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Interview With the Curator
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Talking With the Curator of Many Colored Weaves, Jen McLerran
 The new exhibition at the Coconino Center for the Arts, Many Colored Weaves, brings to view some of the Navajo textiles from the collection of the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Our Gallery Director, Jillian Asplund, sat down with Weaves Curator, Jen McLerran, to discuss the exhibition and what it represents.
JA: This is the second exhibition in recent years that you have curated on Navajo Weavings. What makes this topic significant to you personally?
JM: I was previously the curator at Ohio University's Kennedy Museum of Art. The Kennedy Museum has an extraordinary collection of nearly 700 Navajo weavings, and its greatest strength lies in 20th century Navajo textiles. My Ph.D. is in 20th century Native American art, so the Kennedy collection was a perfect one for my research. While working at the Kennedy, I was able to secure grant funding to travel to the southwest to interview weavers who were represented in the collection. Meeting these weavers was a life-changing experience for me. The women I met were extraordinary. I was especially moved by the strong bonds that existed between weavers and their daughters and granddaughters and how they viewed weaving as an important expression of the love and respect that one generation felt for the other. I was especially close to my own grandmother, so I felt a strong identification with these feelings. When I moved to Flagstaff, I was pleased to learn that MNA's collection includes pieces by some of the same weavers I had come to know through my work at the Kennedy Museum, and I was anxious to work with the collection. Since joining MNA as a Research Associate, I have become familiar with the collection and have found it to be incredibly rich.
JA: How did you come to the theme of the revival of naturally dyed weavings? Was this revival important in preserving the tradition of weaving?
 JM: In my opinion, vegetal-dyed textiles represent the finest in Navajo weaving. Their revival was an extremely important development in 20th century Native American art. Vegetal dye revivals at Chinle, Wide Ruins and in the Crystal area helped to revitalize an important traditional form, and they prompted many contemporary textiles artists to go way beyond previous traditional limits. I'm a painter as well as an art historian, and I see many similarities between the process of painting and the production and use of natural dyes in Navajo weaving. In the dyeing process, the weaver creates her own unique hues and then employs them in a process that I view as very similar to painting. A further beauty of this form of art lies in its close association to the weaver's physical environment. The weaver who produces her own yarns and dyes must possess a sophisticated knowledge of the plants and animals that surround her. Each weaving she produces is invested with a whole body of knowledge and way of being in the world.
JA: The Museum of Northern Arizona has a collection of 900 Navajo weavings. What makes the 28 you have selected for "Many Colored Weaves" stand out?
JM: The weavings displayed here represent concerted efforts to restore quality dyes and yarns to Navajo weaving. They represent the efforts of traders, philanthropists and weavers who worked together to revitalize a very significant traditional art form that, in many subtle and complex ways, works to perpetuate important cultural values.
JA: Do you have a favorite in the exhibit?
JM: I actually have two favorites. I'm especially fond of the weaving by Irene Clark and the dye chart by Mabel Burnside Myers. Irene Clark is a contemporary master. Her design is intricate and complex, and her colors are rich and incredibly beautiful. I have interviewed Irene, along with her mother Glenabah Hardy (whose work is also included in the exhibition) and her daughter Teresa Clark, and I commissioned works by Irene and Teresa for the Kennedy Museum, so I know them and have some insight into their motivations. They have a signature family design that represents the Navajo hair bun, and they employ a signature technique--braiding of the weaving's tassels. I felt it was important to display Irene's and Glenabah's work side by side. Mabel Burnside Myers' dye chart is, like Glenabah's weaving, exhibited alongside a similar piece by her daughter, Isabel Myers Deschinny. So the exhibition starts with a pair of works (two dye charts) by a mother and daughter and ends with another pair (two weavings) by a mother and daughter. I chose to include the dye charts by Mabel and Isabel because Mabel was the first person to make such charts; and her daughter, Isabel, has carried on the practice. Mabel was a very important figure. She and other family members served as informants for anthropologists, demonstrated their work at World's Fairs and other venues, and were the subjects of films and documentaries. Mabel also participated in and exhibited at the MNA Navajo fairs for many years. The family, including Isabel Deschinny and Isabel's son, Mark Deschinny, carries on the family tradition. We are very fortunate to have Mark's participation in public programming surrounding "Many Colored Weaves." Mark will demonstrate dyeing techniques at the Coconino Center for the Arts on July 12 and 26.
JA: Have you ever dabbled in weaving yourself?
JM: I've done very basic weaving. But, while I know how to do it and I've learned the carding, spinning and dyeing processes, I can't say I'm a weaver. I feel it's very important to know at least the basic techniques of any art form you study or write about if you wish to fully understand it.
JA: The research you did for this exhibit is part of a larger project you will be working on over the next few years, can you tell us a little about what we might expect to see further down the line?
JM: I am working with MNA to prepare a larger exhibition of Navajo weaving. I'll be researching the museum's collection of weavings and interviewing weavers who are represented in the collection. Because this is such a huge and historically rich collection, the current exhibition barely scratches the surface. Many prominent local figures such as Frances McAllister and Harold and Winifred Gladwin, collected Navajo weavings and then donated them to MNA, so the history of this region is intertwined with the history of the collection. I'll be consulting with contemporary weavers and Navajo scholars, and we will incorporate their insights and understandings into the exhibition. I am also working with art education staff and students at MNA and NAU to produce educational materials on Navajo weaving that will be integral to the exhibition. We will translate the materials we develop into Navajo and will make them available to Navajo visitors to the museum and to reservation schools. In addition, I am involved in developing a museum studies program at NAU, and I will teach the first course in the program this fall. I hope to involve museum studies students in all phases and aspects of the weaving exhibition project.
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Many Colored Weaves is open at the Coconino Center for the Arts through August 9. The exhibition is open Tuesday thru Saturday, 11am - 5pm. For more information, visit the Many Colored Weaves website.
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First Auction a Major Success
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The Navajo Rug Auction produced by Flagstaff Cultural Partners and the Museum of Northern Arizona turned out to be a very popular program for Flagstaff. The event supported local weavers and raised funds for the public programs of the two organizations. The Auction was on June 14, the same the day the Many Colored Weaves exhibition opened to the public.
Auction-goers browse weavers during the Preview.
With a standing-room-only crowd, the live auction showcased over 300 Navajo weavings on the Auction block. Gross sales exceeded $125,000, with 63% of the Auction inventory selling. Over 85% of the proceeds from each sale goes to the owner of the weaving - in many cases, this was the original weaver. Many weavers were in attendance at the event.
Proceeds to support the public programs at the Museum of Northern Arizona and Flagstaff Cultural Partners were $17,438.01. Both organizations are non-profit entities with missions to provide artistic and cultural learning opportunities to the residents of and visitors to Northern Arizona.
Standing-room only crowds filled the CCA theatre.
With the success of this Auction, talks are already underway to consider doing another similar event.
~~~~~ The Navajo Rug Auction was supported by: Golden Eagle Distributors
NAU Art Museum&
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Flagstaff Cultural Partners' programs are made possible in part by a partnership with the City of Flagstaff, with funding from Bed, Board and Beverage (BBB) Revenues. |
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