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all have very different backgrounds and styles,” she says. “But they also all have strong ideas about what it is to be a woman and an artist.” For Royse, some of the highlights from that show were Christine Cassano’s piece (Cassano currently has a show on view at Modified Arts through Dec. 10) and a large self-portrait by Monica Aissa Martinez showing her husband next to her doing a headstand. That year, Martinez was also selected to participate in the Artists of America nationwide show hosted by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, along with a handful of other Arizona artists. According to Royse, Martinez really knows how to get inside an object and turn things inside out. She not only is a painter but also does sculptural works and drawings. “She dissects insects and people in her paintings,” Royse says. “She does very biological work, makes all her own tempera paints and works very organically.” For “Feminism Now” Royse was surprised that some of the highly esteemed local artists she originally selected canceled at the last minute. Despite the setback, she says it all it worked out—she was glad to have the challenge to rethink some things and hustle. The result was something that made her feel truly proud. Not only did she get to showcase some of the best local talent, she also came up with a show that was aesthetically beautiful. Another monOrchid show that stands out in Royse’s memory is the huge and elaborately planned “Apache X” that she did with artist Douglas Miles in March 2014. This was the first time she had the opportunity to work as the sole curator of the Shade Gallery at monOrchid. Basically the show was a 10-year retrospective of the artist’s work. But anyone familiar with Miles knows that his work takes all different forms and shapes (from murals to skateboard decks), and logistically balancing it all would be a daunting task for any curator. Royse dug deep and spent six months in planning with Miles. During that time, she made numerous trips to the San Carlos Apache Reservation in eastern Arizona, where the artist resides (a two-and-a-half-hour drive each way). She got to spend hours with the artist, poring through his works to make selections for the show. Royse had a personal connection with Miles, his work and the landscape because her grandmother is also Apache. She says it was wonderful for her to get to know the artist in a deep way and connect with his family. Once they’d made their selections, it was time to return to monOrchid for the install. Royse hung half a mobile home inside the gallery. They also presented Miles’ painted doors, parts of cars and other large items. “He often works on found objects with spray paint, mostly,” she explains. And some of these objects are enormous in size and weight. It was certainly a challenging show for the walls of monOrchid, which usually only see paintings and photographs. Another component to the show was Miles’ collections of painted skateboards, which he’s been making ever since his son was very little. He expanded this into a business, Apache Skateboards, and also something of a movement. Miles saw it as a way to connect community members and do something for the youth on his reservation to keep them healthy, active and off the streets. By now documentaries have been made about this work, and the Heard Museum also featured some of it in their “Beautiful Games: American Indian Sport and Art” exhibit last year. At the end of the day, the show was very well received and generated some of the best press monOrchid has had in its years on Roosevelt Row. Miles, too, got a 14 JAVA MAGAZINE
lot of press, including a visit from the New York Times, with the help of Royse’s public relations support and referrals. Royse also curated for Willo North Gallery steadily for one year, beginning in June 2014, until it closed. At the same time, she was also curating at the Renaissance Hotel downtown. She estimates that between the three spaces, she has curated and hosted more than five dozen shows since 2012. Aside from curating, Royse also does art consulting and artist management for independents around the Valley. When these artists plan a show, she helps them select works, manages their posts on social media and does other public relations work for them. She is providing this kind of support for Beth Ames Swartz at the moment. For the December opening at monOrchid, Royse will feature the photography of Marilyn Szabo and ceramics/mixed-media works of Constance McBride. Szabo’s show is entitled “Life & Death / Portraits.” “She’s been wanting to share this collection of portraits taken over the last 25 years. It will be a really beautiful show,” says Royse. Constance McBride’s “A Show of Hands” will be in Bokeh Gallery, featuring images of women’s hands. There is a theme of life, beauty and aging. “Typically, photography would be in Bokeh and painting/sculpture in Shade,” Royse explains. “But for this show it’s reversed.” December is usually a strong month for attendance. MonOrchid gets great crowds and everyone is usually positive. Hopefully this will boost sales. While the gallery seemed to be on a constant upswing the last few years, mirroring the economy’s slow but steady recovery, in this election year with all of its uncertainty, sales have not been great. The big news for Royse is her announcement that after four years she will be leaving her role as chief curator at monOrchid. She says she has simply outgrown it there. Royse says it was a difficult announcement for her to make, but she timed it to coincide with the end of the year, and one final show at the gallery that she can be proud of. Royse says it will be good for owner Wayne Rainey and the Shade Projects team to have someone different in that role because they seem to want to take the space “in a new direction to keep up with changes in the Roosevelt area.” Royse says she hopes her departure from monOrchid will eventually be a very calming and positive experience for everyone. She’s done so much in the last four years and has been so deeply engaged and busy that now she is looking to be more selective about the shows she works on. “It’s a little sad, but I think it’s best for everyone involved,” she says. Royse will continue to work with other galleries and artists independently. She wants to help Phoenix break into the national arts scene and get the coverage it’s been lacking. She recently curated “XXXX, the Bad and the Ugly” with Los Angeles-based artists Emmeric Konrad and Richard Kessler at the Tieken Gallery in Paradise Valley. This show will be on view through December 12. nicoleroyse.com
Page 1: 252 • DEC 2016 JOHN ROMERO • NI
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTS 8 12 22 32 34 FEATURES 8 1
Page 6 and 7: OPENING FEBRUARY 11, 2017 Inaugural
Page 8 and 9: JOHN ROMERO SHARING BIKES, SHARING
Page 10 and 11: Around 2013, Josh Squire, the CEO o
Page 12 and 13: Nicole Royse A Life of Art By Jenna
Page 16 and 17: ARTS GEOFFREY BOHM’S SOLO DEBUT A
Page 18 and 19: EMPHATICS: AVANT-GARDE FASHION at P
Page 21 and 22: PHO NOODLES GET YOUR VIETNAM ON By
Page 23 and 24: 23 JAVA MAGAZINE
Page 25: 25 JAVA MAGAZINE
Page 30 and 31: Saddles By Mitchell L. Hillman 30 J
Page 32 and 33: A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS PUDDING 2016 S
Page 34 and 35: 34 JAVA MAGAZINE Photo by Ryan Neal
Page 36 and 37: pop of color to our neutral desert
Page 38 and 39: GIRL ON FARMER December is here and
Page 40 and 41: NIGHT GALLERY Photos By Robert Sent
Page 42 and 43: REGISTER for SPRING classes $86per
Page 44 and 45: 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
Page 46: Karen Jilly, Looking For The Golden

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