Where do they all go?

At 5:00 on Friday afternoon (THIS Friday, the 25th of February), all of the Joes, the Juds and the Charmanges will come off the wall. Imaginatively, I picture the lights shutting off in the gallery, and all of the characters from within the frames and from the sculptures become unhinged, leap to the carpet, grab their bags and waddle on home, leaving a noiseless void behind. Obviously it won't happen quite that way - but sort of, if you imagine the FCP staff and another helper or two as characters, prancing around over-sized boxes and wooden crates, diligently packing up the two gallery spaces like worker bees on a buzz of a late-afternoon coffee run and six packs of packaging tape.

But where will all the pretty paintings go? Truth is, they represent a variety of zip codes. (And even accents!) Joe Sorren's works are on loan to us from collectors all over the place. Several paintings including Interruption and By Day I Dream Of Night, live in New York or California. Because of Toast lives in Kansas, and Bump lives in Seattle. The Mushroom Hunter lives in the U.K. The other paintings are going their separate ways to Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

As for the sculptures, Charlie and Me (the largest sculpture featuring the sitting boy and the stacked paper bags) is going to Jonathan Levine gallery in New York City. Spooning has a home with someone outside of Arizona, but the rest of the sculptures are moving in with Joe in Flagstaff until they find forever homes.

Many of Charmagne's work sold too and have forever homes of their own in Flagstaff. Word has it, she is working on new works.

Many thanks to Joe, Jud and Charmange for a month of intrigue! Your work has proved, as always, to be thought provoking - I've enjoyed working at the front desk catching everyone's comments and questions as they've grazed in the gallery. Let's do it again sometime!

Because of Joe Sorren

When I was a senior at Flagstaff High School, I took a poetry class. One of our assignments was to cut clumps of words from magazines and fashion them into a cut-and-pasted poem or story, using a bare minimum of "filler" words or phrases to make each sentence cohesive.

Joe Sorren's paintings are without a doubt thought provoking, but reading the identifying titles of his paintings provoked poetic thoughts too (for me, at least). Tapped out below is a short, curious story using all the titles of Sorren's paintings, currently housed in our gallery. (Can you spot all 24 titles?)

I Had A Dream Last Night That I Punched You In The Face. We were in Dialog about a Tryst. We were to meet at The Dance Of All Hollow’s Eve, but I didn’t find you until In The Morning, In The Tide. There you were with Astraea, chatting about When She Was Camera and her Portrait of Isabell Romée. Roar, My Own Little Self for I was jealous (which is when I punched you in the face). In Exile, I ran into The Luthier with a Bump. Distraught, I inquired “Given The Difference Between No. 1…and Given The difference Between No. 2…” but with a wave came an Interruption and he said, “It’s All Because Of Toast” as he left to join Pinkmu On the Wind, M’am.

Later, The Overture was In Bloom While The Trucks On The Highway All Howl. I was At Tea with Roeishi and The Mushroom Hunter. We were Filling Little Thoughts With Little Ears when I awoke.

By Day I Dream of Night from now on.

El Fin.

-Ren

15% Discount on Joe Sorren's New Book!

We are offering a pre-order discount on Joe Sorren's new book, Joe Sorren: Painting + Sculpture.  This pre-order is available for PICK UP ONLY (no shipping) for those of you who would like to pick up the book at the Coconino Center for the Arts.  You can have Joe sign the book for you the night of the Opening Reception on January 22, 2011.

Pre-orders must be made by January 13.  Order online or call us at 928.779.2300.  

The Amazing Violas

One month prior the event date, the Viola Awards Gala has sold out.

I'm looking at that sentence, reading it again, trying to figure out what we did right. I've been working in the arts and cultural industry for over a decade - I've been event planning for longer than that. But I've never been part of an event that has drawn the interest, attraction, excitement and power of the Viola Awards.

Now I am aware that we are only talking about a 300-seat venue for this dinner-and-awards-gala event. And our ticket prices are not too high compared to other non-profit fund raiser galas in town (most prices are $75 - $150, and the Violas are priced at $50).

However, there's a certain level of passion for this event that goes beyond just selling out. First and foremost, folks get it. They understand the concept of the event - an awards program to recognize and celebrate the quality art that is happening in and around Flagstaff. They understand that it's a huge value to do this, not only for the nominated and winning artists and organizations, but also for the whole art scene in Flagstaff. It helps to raise the bar.

At last year's event, we weren't sure about this. But quickly, as the room filled up, we realized that the arts community was taking this event as their own. There was a celebratory, party-like atmosphere in the room that night, one that had the aura of support and respect for the nominated artists and organizations, win or lose. There were standing ovations for the winners, hoots and hollers for the nominees, and a lot of hugs, smiles and handshakes. Flagstaff artists respect and support one another ... without the tired sense of competition or jealousy that I see stunt other communities' arts scenes ... and it makes for magic. The Viola Awards have become the place where this magic is in action, real, tangible, touchable.

In short, the Viola Awards had been a long time coming. I know this because while we are only in our second year of producing them, people talk about them as if they have been around for a decade. People want to be there. Supporters want to see the event live in perpetuity.

I'm not writing about all this to self-congratulate FCP or toot our own horn. I'm in awe of the passion for this event, and I'm observing and participating in it. I find it inspiring in a way... to see the arts community here come together and rally around a celebration event like this one. It says a lot about who and what we are as a community. I like what it says.

Cheers,
JT

(Photos from 2009 Viola Awards Gala: at top, Don Bendel receives the Lifetime Contribution to the Arts Award; at bottom, Joe Sorren receives the Visual Arts award from emcees Karen Kinne-Herman and Julie Pastrick.)