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256 • APR 2017
GRANT VETTER • ROSEMARIE DOMBROWSKI • JAMES G. DAVIS

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CONTENTS
8
12
22
30
34
FEATURES
Cover: Mina Bell
Photo by: Daveed Benito
8 12 22
34
GRANT VETTER
A Man With a Plan for the Phoenix Art
Scene
By Bill Dambrova
ROSEMARIE DOMBROWSKI
Phoenix’s Poet Laureate
By Demetrius Burns
ORIGIN UNKNOWN
Concept and Styling: Jen Deveroux
Photos: Daveed Benito
HUCKLEBERRY
Natural Selector
By Mitchell L. Hillman p. 30
JAMES G. DAVIS
The Inaugural Exhibition at the New
Mountain Shadows
By Amy L. Young
COLUMNS
7
16
20
32
38
40
BUZZ
Art City
By Robert Sentinery
ARTS
Frida and Diego at the Heard Museum
By Jenna Duncan
Sarah Kriehn and Kathy Taylor
By Constance McBride
FOOD FETISH
SoSoBa
By Sloane Burwell
SOUNDS AROUND TOWN
By Mitchell L. Hillman
GIRL ON FARMER
A Magical New Year
By Celia Beresford
NIGHT GALLERY
Photos by Robert Sentinery
JAVA MAGAZINE
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Robert Sentinery
ART DIRECTOR
Victor Vasquez
ARTS EDITOR
Amy L. Young
FOOD EDITOR
Sloane Burwell
MUSIC EDITOR
Mitchell L. Hillman
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jenna Duncan
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Celia Beresford
Demetrius Burns
Jack Cavanaugh
Bill Dambrova
Constance McBride
PROOFREADER
Patricia Sanders
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Enrique Garcia
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(602) 574-6364
Java Magazine
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4 JAVA
MAGAZINE

OPENS APRIL 11
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4.21
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5.6
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on Main St
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ART CITY
By Robert Sentinery
BUZZ
Phoenix is become more and more of an art town, with many creators and
cultural institutions coalescing. Movements are started by people willing to
pursue a belief with a force that borders on obsession, and Grant Vetter is
bringing that kind of energy to the scene. Having cut his teeth as a gallerist in
Los Angeles, Vetter moved to the Valley in 2013 with a mission to purchase a
building (after many fruitless attempts in L.A.) to house his gallery. Upon his
arrival, it was only a matter of days before he located a space for his Tempe
Fine Art Complex (FAC).
Besides running his own gallery, Vetter manages all of the student galleries
on ASU’s main campus, he guest curates other spaces around town and does
critical writing for the Arts Beacon, Phoenix’s online arts journal. Vetter already
has one PhD and is pursuing another. His focus on ideas and critical thinking
combined with a laid-back style (he can explain even the most complex ideas
in layman’s terms) makes him the perfect candidate for a leadership role in the
arts (see “Grant Vetter: A Man with a Plan for the Phoenix Art Scene,” p. 8).
Rosemarie Dombrowski is Phoenix’s first Poet Laureate. She was granted
the title by mayor Stanton, and her two-year term, which started Jan.1,
2017, is supported by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and the Phoenix
Public Library. Dombrowski is also an instructor at ASU’s downtown campus
and holds a PhD in American Literature. She is very active in the poetry
scene, hosting the monthly Get Lit! salon at Valley Bar and is cofounder and
host of the Phoenix Poetry Series. The poems in her first book, The Book of
Emergencies (Five Oaks Press, 2014), were driven by the challenges of raising a
son with autism, and in some circles, she become know as the “autism poet.”
As Phoenix’s inaugural Dombrowski role will include giving at least four public
readings per year, composing poetry for special occasions and doing literary
based community outreach (see “Rosemarie Dombrowski: Phoenix’s Poet
Laureate,” p. 12).
James G. Davis passed away late last year. As one Arizona’s most important
artists of the last several decades, Davis was known primarily for his striking
oil-on-canvas paintings and master printmaking. In a serendipitous turn of
events, Davis’ first posthumous exhibition will take place at the newly reborn
Mountain Shadows resort. Walking through the minimalist lobby gallery, one
can’t help but think of notions of resurrection. Independent curator John Reyes
brought the show together with the help of the artist’s son Turner Davis and
it is a stunning representation, both artistically and architecturally, of what
Arizona has to offer (see “James G. Davis: Inaugural Exhibition at the New
Mountain Shadows,” p. 34).

GRANT VETTER
A MAN WITH A PLAN
FOR THE PHOENIX
ART SCENE
:By Bill Dambrova
8 JAVA
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There has been a lot of talk about what the metro Phoenix contemporary art scene
needs to become known on national and international levels. Unfortunately,
it’s not easy to find people with the skills and experience who are willing to do
the work. Lucky for us, we didn’t have to call a doctor for help. Dr. Grant Vetter
enthusiastically stepped up to face the challenge when he moved to Tempe from Los
Angeles in 2014.
Equipped with a Ph.D. in media and communications, as well as a Master of Fine Arts,
with a minor in critical thinking, Vetter has had his eye on Phoenix and Tempe for the past
20 years. He sees them both as “perfectly set up to be thriving art cities.” What finally
brought him to Tempe was the presence of ASU’s main campus, along with what the City
of Tempe is doing to promote the arts—as well as the ease of acquiring a property. As
gallerist in Los Angeles, Vetter tried to purchase a property for three years and, in his own
words, “failed completely”—whereas upon his arrival in Tempe, Vetter was able to find a
property to house his gallery within 72 hours.
I met with Vetter at his office. As the gallery director for ASU Herberger Institute
for Design and the Arts, his office is conveniently tucked behind one of the several
on-campus galleries he manages. Behind a door on a starkly lit wall is Vetter’s huge art
and philosophy book collection. Eight-foot-high bookshelves cover three of the walls,
surrounding a dark, homey rug and a modern grey reading couch. The space is warm,
dimly lit and comfortable. It feels like a modern version of a Victorian gentleman’s library.
Glancing around at a few of the titles, including Vetter’s own book, The Architecture of
Control: A Contribution to the Critique of the Science of Apparatuses, I start to get a sense
JAVA 9
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Photo: Mello Jello
of what might be swirling around inside Vetter’s
head. Contrary to the stereotype of a person with
such an extensive resume and library, Vetter isn’t
your typical stuffy, tweed-wearing academic or
snooty hipster philosopher. He’s a young, semishaggy,
approachable guy in a T-shirt and jeans, with
a crystal-clear way of communicating that generates
comfortable and open conversations. He has a way of
explaining very complex philosophical ideas in a way
that is accessible to the average Joe.
As a gallerist, curator, instructor, author, critic
and artist working to put Arizona on the map for
contemporary art, one might expect to find a frazzled
mover-and-shaker type, complaining about how
chaotic his day was. Instead, when I stepped into his
well-organized office, Vetter was calmly stationed at
his computer, responding to an email from an MFA
student with a pressing art-related issue. Vetter truly
cares about his students, and I watched as he took
the time to delicately defuse the situation. After
hitting send, he swiveled toward me in his chair,
became fully present and began to tell me about
his understanding of the art scene here and how he
plans to use his experience to help move it forward.
Vetter has strategically positioned himself in city
planning meetings for arts district programs in
Phoenix and Tempe. His non-profit gallery, Tempe Fine
Art Complex (FAC), where he exhibits cutting-edge
and sometimes controversial work, is located near
the university and is about a 15-minute freeway drive
from downtown Phoenix. Finding a location that could
bridge the gap between the art centers was a smart
move, allowing him to keep a bead on both cities.
While the downtown Phoenix scene is having some
growing pains, Tempe is not far off from having a
thriving art walk of its own. Grant pulled his monitor
around to show me a map of Tempe highlighting
where the art centers, shops and alternative spaces
are, as well as where the potential art collectors
work and reside. “We are going to have a highly
concentrated metropolitan area in Tempe where
people live and work within a two-block radius,
making this a very powerful art walk,” Vetter says
with an approving nod.
This isn’t Vetter’s first rodeo. He was on the art walk
planning committees for Long Beach, Santa Ana, and
downtown L.A. He has heard all of the strategies
and knows what works. “It’s fun to have ideas, but it
all comes down to who is going to put in the hours
and the feet on the ground,” he says. Vetter puts
his money where his mouth is by hopping on his
bike and physically knocking on doors, zeroing in on
possible investors, venues, start-up companies and
art collectors, dispersing information and invitations
to art events, and creating a buzz on the street as
well as online.
One of Vetter’s major crusades is to encourage local
art organizations to use better and more professional
images and to make the information on their web
pages more easily accessible and, most importantly,
up to date. When Vetter is not hosting his own events
or attending committee meetings, you will find him
at art openings showing his support for the artists
and venues. He also writes critical essays about local
artists’ work and exhibitions for The Arts Beacon, a
website dedicated to Arizona art.
Currently Phoenix isn’t known for contemporary art,
and Vetter says that needs to change. “When you
bring up other cities in the region, like Santa Fe,
Dallas and Las Vegas, they are known for something
related to contemporary art. Santa Fe is known for
seminal artists, like Agnes Martin, who’ve retired
there, and Dallas is up and coming for abstract
paintings and the wealth of its collectors. Las Vegas
is known partially because art critic Dave Hickey
valorized and capitalized on the day-glo painting
of artists like Tim Bavington and Yek, creating a
sense of regionalism. When you get to Arizona, the
10 JAVA
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conversation about contemporary art goes silent
because they don’t associate us with anything, and
that is a problem,” says Vetter.
As an immediate response to this problem, Vetter
is doing his best to write critically about Arizona
art, putting it in the context of the larger art world.
He goes on to say, “We have all of these incredible
producers [artists], but they’re all over the Valley, and
it takes time to find them one by one.” While on the
hunt for local artists, another tactic Vetter uses to
gain attention outside the state is to curate shows
that include artists from other cities. His current
exhibition, Abstraction in the Singular at Bentley
Projects, includes nationally known artists and underrecognized
local artists in a painting survey that rivals
anything you would see in L.A. or New York. Shows
like these will generate press outside the state and
make people curious about what is happening here
in Phoenix.
Vetter is also an artist himself. Art world luminaries
such as Lucie Lippard and Kay Saatchi have
selected his paintings for exhibitions. He has shown
internationally and received several awards. Since
moving to Tempe, his painting career has been on
pause until he feels that the art scene here has
taken hold. As an artist, he wants to enjoy the same
benefits that he’s helping other artists to achieve
in their careers. When I asked him if he is currently
making art, his response was enthusiastic. “Yes,
absolutely, writing is creative! Moving to Phoenix
has felt more creative than any other time in my life.
Every day is a series of crises that need to be solved
creatively and not bureaucratically.”
While on the topic of using creativity to solve
problems, I asked Vetter if he thought that art could
save us from the “control society” he refers to in his
book. His response took on a serious tone: “I think
it has to.” He explained, “We can’t carry on with
the current mode of production because it wastes
resources and turns the planet into a big dump. I
think that the only mode where the planet survives,
where we survive, is the artistic mode of production.
Artists can initiate change on all levels through
experiments in rethinking things like urbanism, the
environment, et cetera.”
Setting the stage for a thriving contemporary art
scene is no easy task, but when you believe that
art can change the world, it becomes a passion and
a way of life. As a call to action, Vetter says, “We
have dynamic people in town that want something
to happen here. There is a huge changing of the old
guard in our museums. All of us interested in where
we fit into the puzzle have a chance to find our place
and use our strengths while things are being stirred
up. I’d love to see people jump in and do it!” The
Phoenix metro area art scene is rising again. It’s time
to show the world what we’ve got.
Grant Vetter, Untitled, oil on canvas, 18” x 24”
Grant Vetter, De Rerum Natura, oil on canvas over panel, 30” X 36”
JAVA 11
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Rosemarie
Dombrowski
Phoenixs Poet Laureate
By Demetrius Burns
12 JAVA
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Photos: Enrique Garcia
One of the main functions of poetry—and all art, for that matter—is to create a watermark, a historical
time stamp that anthologizes history. In other words, poets swerve historical writing in real time, in
rhyme (and often out of), pointing us back to the north star of our respective periods. Phoenix’s poet
laureate, Rosemarie Dombrowski, exemplifies this.
Dombrowski is what you might call an anthological poet. Her field work: womanhood and raising a child with
autism. “Auto-ethnography is the most authentic form of history,” Dombrowski says. “I’m a fervent believer
that history is written from the inside. I don’t like the old ethnocentric paradigm. That leads to erasure. We
know that as members of the disability community. We have to tell our own stories. When you bring all those
stories together, then you have a real community.”
Dombrowski’s poetic sensibilities were cultivated through a combination of factors. When she was a child,
her mother would read nursery rhymes, and Rosemarie would memorize them before she could even read. She
was a dancer and performed throughout her schooling. For her, dancing had a lyrical quality that she eventually
mixed with poetry in high school. Dombrowski was kicked out of two Catholic schools as a young person for
“just being expressive.”
“I felt like a ‘poet’ because of the way people perceived me,” Dombrowski says. This sentiment is shared by a lot of
poets—poetry coming from a place of isolation. Another dimension that shaped her dive into poetry was her father’s
death when she was a teenager. This triumvirate cultivated a poet, and she wrote as a form of survival.
She moved to Arizona from Missouri with her mother after eighth grade and attended Red Mountain High
School—which was kind of a culture shock for her. She went from going to school with all Catholics to
attending a majority Mormon school. Dombrowski found a role at the school quickly: teaching the Mormon
kids to rebel. She would help sneak girls out of their houses to hang with boys. She was practicing women’s
liberation long before she would read Adrienne Rich in college.
During her time at Red Mountain, Dombrowski began to integrate poetry with dance. She had a teacher who
had received an MFA in dance from ASU and encouraged her to dance to a spoken-word piece. Dombrowski
went for it, and it worked out. When she graduated from Red Mountain, she decided to attend Arizona State
University and major in anthropology. However, after a few semesters, she realized that she missed reading
poetry, so she majored in English, as well.
One poetry teacher who profoundly influenced Dombrowski was Susan McCabe. “She was very young and very
gay, and I adored her,” Dombrowski said. McCabe was one of the first people to give Dombrowski feedback on
JAVA 13
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Intention
He tells her that she’s an origami bird made of air,
something viral and vegetable with overtones
of leaves, exhalations like subtext
dancing under a western haze,
his lips tracing her organs
as he tells her that no one is a guru,
that the spirit remains for years
after the body has vanished,
so she asks him to disappear her into particles,
drive away with the windows down
so she can float between the buttes,
blanket the city with gardens of graffiti
like folklore, like ritual, like something that will take
more than a lifetime to decompose.
14 JAVA
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her poetry. In her classes, they often straddled the line between critical analysis
and creative writing—which Dombrowski loved.
Dombrowski took as many classes she could with McCabe and, upon graduating,
continued taking classes as a non-degree graduate student. Her professors
eventually encouraged her to join the English Master’s program, where she
studied the intersection of dance and poetry—specifically, how indigenous
dances were inscribed into art forms. The stories that were central to dance
were chronicled poetically. For her Ph.D. studies, also at ASU, Dombrowski
focused on confession—fitting for a woman who was kicked out of two
Catholic schools. She was specifically interested in women, marginalized men and
the LGBTQ community when it came to confession.
During her first year of graduate school, Dombrowski got pregnant, which would
change anyone’s life, but her case was especially challenging because her son
was born with a heart condition and developed severe autism in his early years.
“At that point, writing became central to my existence,” Dombrowski says. “I
was learning as much as I could. Poetry became a means of telling those stories
that would have otherwise blurred into one another. Poetry became a way of
chronicling those days. Others are very specific snapshots. I felt like I was in a
strangely ethnographic space. Autism isn’t my culture; however, without any say, I
couldn’t write anything else.”
Her son’s childhood was rough. In junior high he was banging his head against walls
for up to eight hours a day. It was a frustrating experience for her. Things got a bit
better after he got on medication. Dombrowski sees her son as a multi-dimensional,
multi-species human whom she’s learned to accept and cherish. She began reading her
poems about autism around town and became known as the “autism” poet.
“My desire to help voice the marginalized as a pseudo ethnographer, I find myself
doing fieldwork in the culture of autism,” Dombrowski says. “I don’t necessarily
want to be there. I don’t think I can do it unless I inscribe it ethnographically. It’s a
combination of everything that I’ve studied and lived. That degree in anthropology
and English with an emphasis in poetry never felt like what I would be living the
rest of my life.”
Writing her history from the inside was incredibly important to her. Most of her
poems during this period came together in Book of Emergencies. “I think it’s gutwrenching
at times,” Dombrowski says. “I didn’t really hold much back. I wrote
about when I loathed the disorder; when I think of it as a disease; when I hated
my child by association. I felt like that was necessary in the pieces. I think it’s the
process of research. It’s about therapies; it’s about failures.”
After receiving her Ph.D., Dombrowski started teaching at ASU. Her work centers
on radical poetics, women’s literature and creative ethnography. “I feel like I
can speak out about injustices occurring in other spaces, but I feel like it’s more
important for the members of those spaces to share stories,” Dombrowski says.
“That’s why I teach ethnographic poetry.”
Dombrowski has played a major role in creating imaginative spaces in Phoenix.
According to her biography, she is the founder of Rinky Dink Press; co-founder
and host of the Phoenix Poetry Series; the host of Get Lit, a monthly literary salon,
and an editor for Four Chambers journal. She is the co-editor of the multi-genre
collection Weaving the Threads: Women, Art, Community, forthcoming from Four
Chambers Press.
Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Columbia Review, Stonecoast Review,
Anthro/Poetics (an anthology), Bombay Gin, Nano, The Review Review and
elsewhere. Her collections include The Book of Emergencies (Five Oaks Press,
2014) and The Philosophy of Unclean Things (Finishing Line Press, 2016). She is a
bastion in the community, and last year she applied to become poet laureate for
Phoenix. She was urged to do so by the director of Four Chambers, Jake Friedman,
and eventually received the designation later in the year, by a unanimous decision.
“I’m planning on leveraging the position as the poet laureate to push others’
voices forward,” Dombrowski says. “I am not interested in hearing my own voice.”
“It kind of felt like a fairy tale,” Dombrowski says. “When you’re a mid-level poet, you
don’t think much about beyond most days—what I do in the classroom. I submit my
work every few months. I pretty much work as every other C-level creative writer.
How would that not be a dream come true? This is as good as it gets.”
Her latest poetry book, released earlier this year, is entitled Philosophy of Unclean
Things. While writing this book, Dombrowski was dealing with a lot of unclean
things in her life. She was in love with another poet who is a germaphobe. She
was discovering dead birds in her yard weekly and was inspired to collaborate
with Tawny Kerr—a three-dimensional artist who works with decaying matter.
Recently, Dombrowski was awarded a poetry grant from the Lincoln Center for
Applied Ethics. The grant is allowing her to get together youth from the community
and work with artists to create a wall piece in the city that anthologizes their
poetry. “I really want it to be their vision for the future. I want them to know they
have a voice, and I want them to know that people are listening. I want them to
express through poetry to see the power,” says Dombrowski.
In this sense, Dombrowski is using her power to help those who need a voice—
who need to understand that they have power within. Dombrowski is helping
people tell stories, and at the end of the day, that’s the most empowering thing
you can do for another person, poet or not: use your power to give them space of
their own.
JAVA 15
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FRIDA AND DIEGO
At the Heard Museum
by Jenna Duncan
Works by two of the most beloved monoliths of
20th-century Mexican art, Frida Kahlo and Diego
Rivera, will be on view at Heard Museum’s brandnew
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Grand Gallery
this month. Dozens of works that belong to the
Jacques and Natasha Gelman collection center
around the infamous art couple’s intertwined lives,
works, friendships and domestic life.
This exhibit has been traveling the globe, visiting
Sydney, Australia, and Bologna, Italy, before touching
down in Phoenix, says Heard curator Janet Cantley.
Cantley takes care of preservation, research and
communication and does a lot of exhibit development
for Heard. Even though this show was already
organized, she has had many details to coordinate in
order to mount it in the Heard’s newest space.
Just two years ago, Heard Museum featured the
Frida Kahlo—Her Photos exhibition along with an
accompanying exhibit that included many pieces
recently discovered after spending decades locked
in one of Kahlo’s personal closets at the Blue House,
where she and Diego spent most of their domestic life
together. The Blue House, located in Coyoacán, a suburb
of Mexico City, is now operated as the Frida Kahlo
Museum, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
Cantley says that the exhibitions two years ago were
immensely popular and attracted a different audience
than usual. There were many families and members
of the Latino community and a greater number of
differently-abled guests, Cantley recalls. Kahlo’s
allure to such a broad audience may have a lot to
do with the physical hardships and surgeries she
endured during her lifetime.
The current collection of works going on view at
Heard consists of 33 paintings and drawings, along
with numerous photographs. In addition to Rivera
and Kahlo at the center, work by eight other Mexican
artists is represented, Cantley says. Paintings by
Maria Izquierdo, a contemporary of Kahlo and also a
feminist like her, will be on view, as well as figurative
abstract and surrealist paintings by Rufino Tamayo.
The slightly less well-known figure painter Ángel
Zárraga, who painted portraits of Natasha and
Jacques Gelman, will also be represented in this
show. The exhibit will include about 50 photos of
Kahlo and Rivera at home in Mexico, borrowed from
Frock Morton Fine Art in New York City.
Some of the works on view at Heard will be well
recognized by art students and lovers of the Mexican
modern art movement. Guests may recognize Rivera’s
“Calla Lily Vendor” and another of his paintings
entitled “Sunflowers.” Rivera’s works are easy to
distinguish because most are “very colorful,” says
Cantley. He used blocky representations of the human
form, “figures with round heads and no neck.”
Fans of Frida will recognize her “Self-Portrait with
Monkeys,” and those more familiar with her less
broadly published works may recognize “The Love
16 JAVA
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Embrace of the Universe,” because it’s so distinctive.
Kahlo rejected the “surrealist” label during her lifetime,
but many of her works are rife with symbolism. “The
Love Embrace” is an image that shows both the
good and evil in the universe. It is basically a canvas
divided in halves—dark on one side and light on the
other. “There’s a figure representing the universe
that’s embracing a figure of Mexico—from the Aztec
period, embracing Frida, who is embracing Diego
portrayed as a baby,” says Cantley. Also in the
painting is the family’s pet Xoloitzcuintle, a breed of
small, hairless dog native to Mexico.
“You get a sense of what their life was like and
all the people who would come to visit,” Cantley
says of the photos accompanying the paintings and
drawings. In some of the images, Frida Kahlo is
visited at home or in her studio by doctors. Some
photos show her resting in bed.
Visitors will also get a sense of the jet-setting,
metropolitan lifestyle the couple led. They traveled a
lot and spent time living in U.S. cities such as New
York, Chicago and Detroit. In the photographs you can
also see their home and many of the Pre-Columbian
relics they collected, which often served as
inspiration for their artworks. “Diego collected more
than 60,000 Pre-Columbian works over the course
of his lifetime,” Cantley says. “He even opened
a museum, Anahuacalli, in Mexico City and later
donated it to the Mexican government,” says Cantley.
Two gallery talks, one with Kathy Cano-Murillo,
founder of the Phoenix Fridas, and one with Mexican
artist Gennaro Garcia, are scheduled for May 6 and
June 3 respectively. Heard Museum is offering a
short course, open to the public, for those who want
to study and research the couple along with the items
on view in the exhibition. The course will be held
Thursday mornings 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on April
6, 13, and 20 for a small fee and is taught by Claudia
Mesh. For other related events, museum times and
admission, visit heard.org.
“Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera”
April 11 – August 20, 2017
Heard Museum
heard.org
Diego Rivera, Sunflowers, 1943. © 2016 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida
Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
and the INBA.
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Monkeys, 1943. © 2016 Banco de México Diego
Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York and the INBA.
Diego Rivera, Calla Lily Vendor, 1943. © 2016 Banco de México Diego Rivera
Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New
York and the INBA.
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait as a Tehuana or Diego on My Mind, 1943. © 2016
Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists
Rights Society (ARS), New York and the INBA.
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MAGAZINE

SARAH KRIEHN & KATHY TAYLOR
Dreaming a New World
By Constance McBride
Two art teachers were looking for a new project to tackle together. When one
was approached to curate a group show at the Herberger Art Gallery, they talked
it over and decided to do it together. The director gave the OK, and in return for
their service, they were awarded a show of their own; hence, Dreaming a New
World, an exhibition by Sarah Kriehn and Kathy Taylor. They had shown together
before and recognized a common thread in the organic elements of their work,
so they created a show with this commonality in mind. The result represents an
exploration of ideas that they’ve both been mulling over for some time.
Sarah Kriehn taught art for a long time before becoming a full-time artist. She
worked primarily with clay and taught every medium but printmaking. In the mid
oughts, she took her first printmaking workshop and quickly realized that this was
the medium she wanted to explore. For her, the thrill was in the possibility of
combining lots of familiar techniques into the making process. After a few more
classes and renting space from another printmaker, she realized that she needed
a space of her own. She had a studio built, invested in a press and honed her
skills. Kriehn takes pride in doing it all. She taught herself how to mat, frame
and photograph her work. She also started a blog that eventually led to having a
website built. Before all this, she didn’t even own a computer.
Kriehn creates etchings, collagraphs and monoprints that are rich in color and
texture. To enhance her pieces, she utilizes a variety of finishing techniques, and
each work ends up becoming one of a kind. At times, her artwork is minimal and
fluid; other times, it’s all about repetition and geometric patterns. She follows
convention and exhibits work in a traditional gallery setting but has also enjoyed
exhibiting in alternative spaces, including a post office, medical school and airport.
Kriehn has approached her practice as a business, and that mindset has served
her well. Her work can be found in public collections including the University
of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, the Sam Fox School of Design at
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.
Kathy Taylor’s practice includes making 3D works utilizing ceramic, wood and
found objects, but her primary focus is mixed media on canvas. She begins by
layering bits of paper and paint, then adds form and color until something emerges
and becomes visible. From there, she follows what she sees and continues until
she feels the piece is complete. Taylor uses spirit horses a lot in her work — to
represent inner strength and power. She says they just appear on the canvas.
Given a recent turn of events in her life, they are surely around to help her over
this hurdle. In a case of what can only be considered a tragedy of bad luck and
timing, early last month, Taylor’s house was burglarized and set on fire. Her cats
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were injured and her home was left in ruins, with most of her belongings and
some of her artwork damaged. Many friends came to her aid, and for that Taylor
is extremely grateful. She is touched beyond words at the outpouring of love
she received from the community. Luckily, most of her work was stored in her
rented studio space she calls Studio 6020, where she also teaches art to adult
professionals from other fields.
Taylor exhibits in galleries throughout the Southwest and Northwest, as well as
in Europe. Her work is in public collections including Chandler Center for the Arts,
AT&T and Juhl Marketing Inc., in Arizona. She is a popular instructor; her Creative
Development courses at Studio 6020 are always full.
Layering is one of the common threads for both of these artists. Their practices are
all about building up materials to convey the unseen. They want viewers to look
deep for new discoveries. Up next for Kriehn is making a new series of work in the
studio. For Taylor, it’s a five-week teaching gig in China. Dreaming a New World
opens at Herberger Theater Art Gallery on Friday, April 7, with a free opening
reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Sarah Kriehn
Veiled Violet, collograph, wood, resin, metal, courtesy of the artist
Pine Cone, etching, courtesy of the artist
Kathy Taylor
Female Spirit Horse, ceramic, steel, 14” x 12”, 2013, photo courtesy of the artist
Emergence #6 (Free Spirit) mixed media on canvas, 17” x 21”, 2016, courtesy of the artist
Dreaming a New World
April 7 through April 30
Herberger Theater Art Gallery
222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix
herbergertheater.org/art-gallery
JAVA 19
MAGAZINE

SoSoBa
Foodies in Phoenix are used to exporting our good taste to the rest of the state.
Local heroes like Pizzeria Bianco, Pita Jungle, Four Peaks and a litany of others have
become templates of gastronomic goodness that have been formatted, presented
and rolled out to other AZ cities. We’re the culinary big kid at the table. But
every so often, a little gem from outside our funky Phoenix drops into one of our
neighborhoods. Sometimes they stumble (I’ll miss you, Nimbus Brewhouse), and
sometimes they plant a flag and emerge into the local foodscape.
SoSoBa Noodles is one of those spots. Transplanted from Flagstaff, these groovy
guys see themselves as a “chef driven” noodle spot. What does that mean? After
repeated visits, I’m prepared to say that means a couple of twists on some
ramen favorites, paired with some killer cocktails and lovable late weekends
until 2 a.m. Add exceptional prices, and you’ve got a spot that already seems
like it’s part of our foodie family.
SoSoBa Noodles is on Roosevelt, in the same spot that once housed Centurion.
You’ll find nothing else the same except the once-shared address. They’ve
expanded the area, doubling the square footage, into a funky remodel that
makes the most of the exposed red brick. Interesting local art dots the walls
(and appears to be for sale), and a killer soundtrack accompanies your evening.
Not kidding here—on one visit we repeatedly busted out our phones to Shazam
the track. Evidently I’m a huge Kabul Workshop fan.
The service here is exceptional—on every visit a very happy server walked us
through the menu and helped us find just the right choice. They never batted an
eye on any request, and efficiently and effortlessly kept the dishes and drinks
flowing. Apps are half off during happy hour, which makes for a massive meal
with minimal investment.
We liked the Sweet Chili Calamari ($12/$6 at happy hour), a kicky and wellprepared
mix of mostly calamari rings, fried to perfection and doused in a
slightly sweet sauce. The side salad of shaved veg and greens was no slouch,
either. Note: We found the sweet chili sauce to be repeated on menu items. It’s
fine, just pay attention when ordering so your meal isn’t just one note.
General Tso Tso Cauliflower ($10/$5 happy hour price) uses some of the same
chili sauce. Here it’s goosed up with a smattering of peanuts, carrot shreds, mint
and garlic chips. I plan on eating this tasty spin on cauliflower again and again.
It was repeatedly the first appetizer to disappear.
Shishito Peppers ($9/$4.50 happy hour) defied the roulette odds. Fans of these
peppers know that about one or two peppers of the bunch will be nuclear hot
(of the wasabi variety: it will clear your sinuses and move on), but we found that
proportion closer to 20% here. This is not a problem, since a quick dip in the
cooling tahini-like sauce calms things down. I thought that the peppers could
have benefited from a bit more time in the sauté pan, as they missed some
of the usual blistering that happens, but apparently I was the only one who
noticed, since these were gone in a flash.
Nonstop Noodle Shop
By Sloane Burwell
But we’re here for noodles. Don’t miss our unanimous favorite, Mothra ($12).
Buckwheat soba noodles are bathed in green curry—a heady concoction that
doesn’t make this dish pho-like. Nuggets of perfectly cooked panko-coated tofu
circle the bowl, dotted with sriracha, and they still seem to melt in your mouth even
after significant time passes while you eat and chat.
Mr. Karl Katsu ($12) is exactly what you’d expect: a straightforward bowl of
ramen with excellent broth, with a panko-breaded chicken cutlet perched on top.
Thankfully, the chicken was cut into strips (makes noodle slurping much easier). I
wouldn’t call this dish unremarkable—that would be unfair. Rather, this is more of
an easy entry for folks who haven’t gone full noodle crazy—yet.
Full-on noodle fiends will enjoy the Mic Drop ($12), which is what happens when
protein fiends craft an udon noodle dish. Pork belly, ham fries, chicharones and
carnitas load this dish with enough pork to keep Dr. Atkins happy. The house-made
kim chi kicks it up a notch. Try the broth before swirling the goodies together—the
difference between the broth before and after spice is rather fascinating. I found
the noodles to be slightly overcooked. This turned out to be a non-issue. I spent the
rest of the meal guzzling all of the broth and seeking out pieces of pork. Pro tip:
Chicharones are excellent when crunchy, and not so much when soggy from the
broth. Seek and eat those first.
I don’t expect noodle joints to kill it in the dessert department. That would be a
wrong assumption here. The Hatcho Miso Carrot Cake ($8) is a shareable homage to
a more traditional carrot cake. A gingerbread-like square of cake, slightly chocolaty,
is loaded with a massive amount of goat cheese whipped cream, in a take on the
traditional cream cheese frosting, with thinly sliced carrots on top and soy caramel
on the side. Sweet, slightly savory and slightly shocking (it takes a few bites for
your brain to compute the somewhat tart goat cheese as opposed to the traditional
whipped cream), we cleared this with no complaints. I thought perhaps there was
too much goat cheese topping, but apparently that was just me—the whole plate
was essentially licked clean by the end.
So well done, Flagstaff! SoSoBa Noodles is a funky spin on the classic noodle house,
with interesting and whimsical cocktails, as well. And when you can eat cheap (find
their Facebook page for their parade of discounts and special dishes) and eat late, what
isn’t to love? While authentic ramen-heads might quibble with their non-traditional
choices, I’ll leave the authenticity discussions to people who only do authentic. I tilt
towards tasty, and I’m happy to go back. Again and again.
214 W. Roosevelt, Phoenix
nonstopnoodleshop.com
Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
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21

ORIGIN UNKNOWN
ART DIRECTION JEN DEVEROUX
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EDWIN COSTA
JAVA 23
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24 JAVA
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MINA BELL

SLOBBY ROBBY
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DESIGNERS
AMANDA TUCKER/
MODIFIEDMINDS
GRACIELA MARTELL/
TORTURE COUTURE
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LOCATION
CURIOUS NATURE
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DAVEED BENITO
PHOTOGRAPHY
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SPECIAL THANKS TO MASON
CONWAY, HUNTER ZELNER, HEATHER
GRIMES & GENERATIONCOOL.NET.
JAVA 29
MAGAZINE

Huckleberry
Natural Selector
By Mitchell Hillman
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For the last four years Huckleberry has consistently released one record after
another, each one raising the bar. They are the only band in the last 10 years
to get one album reviewed twice in JAVA. In 2013, I gave their debut album,
Fine Highway, a small review, but after not being able to stop listening to it,
I had no choice but to do a track-by-track feature. From that point on I was eagerly
anticipating each release.
Over two years later, they followed up with the album Problems, which was as
cathartic as it was confessional. I was surprised by the stopgap EP Shasta City, Bad
News Ricky, since they seemed to have an every-other thing going on. It was four
tracks that all played like singles back to back. The release of their third full length
this month suggests that the most you’re going to get from them next year is an EP,
but that will be all right as long as you keep this record by your side.
Huckleberry does a mystical thing where they combine 1970s AM rock with a pop
sensibility drenched in modern Americana. They create something totally original,
something uniquely Huckleberry, that doesn’t nosedive into something like Poco
or The Eagles that you think a band with those influences would. If anything, it
comes off as though Harry Nilsson teamed up with Gram Parsons for a Flying
Burrito Brothers album that never happened. I’m not sure how they pull it off, but
Natural Selector is another volume in their ever-expanding catalog of good vibes
and quality tunes.
On this round Huckleberry is Ian Kelman, Paul Bjorlie, Nick Schest, Cory
Gassner, Andrew Waterhouse and Raph Nzunga, and for my money, they’ve
never sounded better. This time around Eamon Ford is behind the board and
co-producing with the band. Huckleberry takes on new challenges here, and
they even get in some serious indie rock action, proving that this may be their
most dynamic recording yet.
Natural Selector kicks off with the first single from the album, “Working
Backwards,” and it feels like a warm spring breeze of steel guitar inviting you
onto the porch for a drink and some respite from a world that is far too busy.
Huckleberry records always feel like a vacation to me, because each one creates
an aural tapestry that surrounds you like a hammock where you’ve got nothing to
worry about except spilling your iced tea.
The title track, meanwhile, mixes their usual sound with something of a Stones
vibe and a little snarl, vying for attention on how it would complement tracks
from Beggars Banquet or Let It Bleed. The organ bit at the end kills me every
time. While the music is amazing, it’s the vocal take that makes it all that it can be.
“CSV” practically attacks the listener with bluesy, dirty guitars right from the
start, and it’s digging into late-1960s territory. If you’ve enjoyed Huckleberry’s
previous records, this may be the track where you can literally hear their
horizons expanding as they dare to rock out more than ever before and explore
some psychedelic territory.
The pacing is perfect with “Daylight Moon,” heading straight into the heart of
more traditional Huckleberry musings for cloud watching on a sunshine-laden day.
It doesn’t slow the record, but instead makes you feel as though you’ve dropped
into a four-minute dream while staring at the “daylight moon.” If nothing else, it
gives you some cushion for what’s coming next.
The second single from the album, “Tether,” is pure indie rock, pulled from the
early 1990s. There’s some steel guitar somewhere in the background, but it
seems unnecessary against the full-on guitar assault. It’s the best rocker the
band has ever come up. When it first came on, I forgot I was even listening
to Huckleberry. The jury is still out, but this may be my favorite tune they’ve
ever tackled, not because it doesn’t sound like them, but because it’s just a
fantastic song.
“Nobody Likes the Winner” grabs more tasty bites from late 60s pop and psychedelia,
producing a dizzying effect, with a guitar hook that will end up playing in your
mind days later. It’s another testament to how far their sound has come in four
years, with only the barest of Americana flourishes.
“Victoria” is a creepy, beautiful and baffling track that serves as a prelude
to “Ennui,” which returns once more to familiar Huckleberry territory. The pacing
and placement of this track find perfection in the album’s construction. On an
album filled with this many oohs and ahs, it’s nice to have a couple tracks to relax
with. The vocal hook is what grabs you, but the steel guitar is what keeps you with
Kelman, winding it around everything else here with precision.
“In on a Weekday” goes beyond Americana territory into traditional country western,
with a bit of a waltz. It’s a pretty great working-class tune and speaks with the
imagery of the seemingly forgotten American dream. This is one of Huckleberry’s
finest moments as they paint an idyllic fantasy lyrically and back it up with music
that makes you want to hang your laundry in a big backyard staring west toward a
wide-open horizon.
Huckleberry mixes equal parts Americana and rock ’n’ roll on “Circumstance,” once
more harnessing a vibe more akin to Mick Taylor–era Stones than anything
remotely contemporary. One could draw connections, I suppose, to the more
straightforward, sober studio works of The Grateful Dead, as well. It’s one of the
shorter tunes here, but it packs a perfect punch and never extends beyond its
realm or overreaches its purpose.
“Circumstance” works as a one-two punch in tandem with “Ode” to end this
stunning third album. You could well wonder if “Ode” is a new single just released
by Spoon. Of course, it is not; it is, instead, the finale of Natural Selector, and
it is something of the poster child for Huckleberry’s new synthesis, incorporating
far more rock and indie rock influence than ever before. If you’ve caught their live
show, you know that more rock and raucous tunes have been building in their set,
and this album has them on full display.
It seems no matter what year it is, Huckleberry can issue a record that will
keep you company for many more to come. If Fine Highway was the sound of
Huckleberry at the start, Natural Selector is the sound of Huckleberry coming
into their own and redefining their essence.
Natural Selector is set to be released on April 7, and your best bet on catching
Huckleberry will be the next day, Saturday, April 8, at Valley Bar, where
Huckleberry and Fairy Bones will be supporting LUAU for their EP release party.
Huckleberry usually has a release party for their records, so keep your eyes
open for that announcement.
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MAGAZINE

DEVIL GRASS
Dog + Cross EP
LANE CHANGE
Rise EP
DINERS
A Soft Day EP
I’ve been waiting for Devil Grass’ debut EP since they
released their first original single at the start of 2016.
It almost felt like I’d only dreamed about “In the Cut.”
But lo and behold, Devil Grass has released the fourtrack
Dog + Cross EP, and it’s a great introduction to a
big, twangy rock ’n’ roll band.
You wouldn’t suspect anything twangy from the
feedback-laden intro of “Hundred-Year Woods,”
which becomes a shimmering wall of guitars
inside of a minute. By the time the vocals are being
delivered, there is a bit of high desert roaming
through the soundscape, but this is epic rock ’n’ roll
that’s just drifting toward the scent of sagebrush.
At nearly seven minutes, you’d think it would be the
longest track here, but they save that for the finale.
I was glad to see “In the Cut” made the cut, since it’s
what sold me on their sound in the first place. While
it features blazing guitar and a definite rock vibe,
it’s soaked in whiskey-fueled Americana warmth.
“Pioneers,” the most upbeat track here, starts off
as near power pop with its catchy-as-hell delivery,
manic piano and brilliant guitar hook, then becomes
nearly a prog-rock extravaganza in the end.
If this EP’s idea is to show off every side of Devil
Grass, then they’ve achieved their mission, and they
sealed the deal with “St. Joe’s Spitting Image,” an eightand-a-half-minute
opus about the changes a man goes
through upon becoming a father. This may be an EP, but
it’s weighted like an album and just shy of being one,
considering its length alone. Sonically speaking, it
defies genre, while feeling authentic and original.
Lane Change has been kicking around since 2013, but
I’m just now catching up with them. They recently
released the four-track Rise EP, a follow-up to their
2015 self-titled debut. Lane Change are Myles Vann
(vocals), Jake Galambos (guitars), Lizzie Shafer (bass
and vocals) and Cameron Holladay (drums).
The opener, “The Rich Get Richer” is a cathartic
indictment of the 1% and the wealthy lording over
the working class. It’s delivered like a rock ’n’ roll
anthem and feels like one, crossing the border
between grunge and, say, Guns ‘N’ Roses. It’s a good
sound and a refreshing revival that coalesces two
rock directions effortlessly. “Club 27” rages naturally,
and its groove catches you up quickly. This is rock
to get rowdy with, even with its rather gruesome
topic, which I suppose adds to the allure, so this is
an apropos tribute to Cobain, Morrison and other
luminaries of Club 27.
You wouldn’t expect a near-gospel start to
“Floodwater,” but soon the killer guitars kick in and
all is right in the world. Still, the dual vocals between
Vann and Shafer are the star attraction here, and
no amount of guitar could say otherwise. This song
is filled with a refreshing dynamism that gets you
moving no matter the mood.
Rise finishes with “We Won’t Back Down,” which
shines a keen spotlight on Shafer’s wicked bass line,
wrapping around like a serpent and seducing you to
submit to its groove. With a strange reggae-meetsgoth
vibe, this is possibly the most curious number,
yet utterly compelling. This and “Floodwater” are
thoroughly designed to amaze intellectually, while
the first two songs grab you instinctually. Not a bad
way to go about it.
Diners, being unpredictable as ever, just released
a surprise EP on the heels of last year’s critically
acclaimed “three.” That album had fans waiting over
two years, so following up with an EP in just five
months is pretty great news. The idea was to record
an entire record in a day, and Tyler Broderick Blue did
just that with Jalipaz from Audioconfusion.
A Soft Day feels like a perfect title to describe the
record. Released just over a week after recording, it’s
the perfect indie pop soundtrack to an Arizona spring.
You can even hear the sounds of the birds at the end
of “Waiting for Music, Pt. 2.” “Dear Diane” is simple
dream pop fueled by teenage dreams, sounding like
a forlorn cross between odes from the early ’60s
and lo-fi pop of the early ’90s. Meanwhile, “Nothing
Ain’t Nothing” is immediate single material steeped
deeply in Arizona imagery, as the protagonist finds
the reason we love to live here.
“Syncronicity” [sic] has a ’60s pop-song construction
somewhere between Brill Building and The Lovin’
Spoonful, clever and cute at once. For pop genius in
under a minute, “Bummer Deal” ends up being just
that, because you want about three to four more
minutes of it.
“Don’t Be a Fool” is one of Broderick’s adorable
advice tunes, giving childlike insights over an
intoxicating minimalist backdrop. The mini album
finishes with “When the Phone Rings,” with more
wistful thought wanderings with a charming
innocence. Diners are a good-vibes kind of band
with their sunshine-laden sounds, and for a record
performed and recorded on the fly, A Soft Day is
surprisingly consistent in its simplistic warmth.
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MAGAZINE
Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman

THE DESERT BEATS
Desert Beats
PHANTOM PARTY
Hundred Skeletons
STRANGE LOT
God & Clods
The Desert Beats are the musical vision of Tucson’s
Randall Dempsey. The Sonoran desert lends itself to
psychedelia and beach vibes—maybe because the
desert is all beach but with no ocean until you get to
the edge of it—while native mescaline could account
for the other element.
“Rumble” kicks off as though a madman on peyote is
exploding out of his garage on a surfboard, carried by
tumbleweeds. It’s an instant classic. The entire album
is a labor of love that Dempsey has been assembling
for years, and he nailed it. It becomes enchanted by
new-wave and post-punk flourishes for “You Will Be
My Last Thought,” which shows a tremendous pop
aesthetic, while being subtly aggressive. “Nothing
Without You” was an early single that sounds only
slightly reworked. It’s always been a brilliant track of
desert rock, with a Kings of Leon vocal delivery.“We
Can’t Forget” gets back to the previous vibe of pub
rock meets power pop, and “Receive the Dark” closes
out the first half on a somber, sober, swirling note.
The neurotic rock vibe of “Forgive Myself” is part
guitar, part synths and in total contrast to anything
on the first side—as much Eno as ELO, but mildly
terrifying. “Wolfman Is Here” feels like the ride will
continue to be harrowing, in a desert goth way, but
with angular guitars and attitude.
Nothing could prepare you for the gospel harmony
intro of “Lost My Way” or its tone of redemption
as the band re-emerges into a sunshine-laden surf
tune. “Humble Gun” is a danceable little rave-out
rocker with a Cramps vibe. “People Hurt” finishes the
album with more than a few pages taken out of Black
Sabbath’s book.
Last year, I had been eagerly anticipating a follow-up
to Phantom Party’s debut EP, Stellar, from 2015. They
released the ultra-limited Beach Cult cassette, which
was a reworking of songs from Stellar. At long last,
Phantom Party has delivered with the full-length
Hundred Skeletons.
Phantom Party is vocalist/guitarist Joshua Capati,
bassist Matthew Slusser and drummer Austin
Cooper, and they take beach-blanket music to a
whole new level. The album kicks off with “Sedna,”
which, barring the much bigger percussion at the
start, seems to be Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk,”
only slightly shorter. “Catholic School” was one of
the strongest singles from Stellar, and its inclusion
is welcome here, kicking the record into gear. By the
time “Elvis” comes around, you’re joining Phantom
Party at their fantasy desert beach.
“Gypsy” gives a similar vibe, though here it’s a little
closer to their original concept of Morrissey singing
for a surf band, with plenty of reverb on the vox.
“Derby Daze” was a Beach Boys–esque single in
late 2015, and it makes a reprise appearance here.
It’s also a testament to their consistent vision that
these songs still fit into the new record. “Mermaid”
begs for actual wave sounds for this forlorn tale of
love and woe, because how else can a song about a
mermaid go?
“Runaway Bride” is a roaring little locomotive
number that keeps the pace going, only to be stopped
by the tropical surprise of the ukulele-driven “Post
Grad,” in a brilliant juxtaposition. The intoxicating
“Tunnel of Love” is an obvious single, but the album
finishes with a flurry of them, including the title track,
“Vice Kid,” “Charlie” and “Twenty,” which suggests
that the first side of the record is noodling about their
past, while saving the best for last.
Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman
Strange Lot have been one of the most consistently
strong local bands since their debut in 2014. Just
under two years after their last album, Dominic
Mena, Tim Lormor and Dave Dennis present Gods &
Clods, their newest psychedelic, garage rock opus.
Strange Lot sound as though they were either a great
lost psychedelic treasure from 1967 or a great lost
psych treasure from 1990.
They groove either way and waste no time getting
to it with the one-two punch of “Born” followed
by “Gods & Clods” as equal-measured singles.
“Numbers” is a little more frantic and darker, getting
into a bit of Amboy Dukes and The Seeds territory.
With “Pushin’ Too Hard” there is a sense of urgency
at the start, before the song melts into Revolver-era
Beatlesque meanderings. Going for irony, “The Quiet”
feels more akin to Britpop musings of Blur in the mid-
’90s, making for a dizzying but exciting shift.
On the corner of noise rock and freak beat, “This
Is the Light” is haltingly fascinating and confusing
by turns. “Describe Your Mess” opens the second
half with a more modern take on lysergic daydream
music, and you can almost hear Syd Barrett lurking
in the corner. As “Oxygn” reaches your brain, you
already feel intoxicated. Messing with your head in
every measure, this is a modern psychedelic classic.
“Have It Your Way” feels like peculiar shimmering
pop, in contrast, while the lyrics lie still deeply in
thought—think Flaming Lips meets Chamber Pop.
“Crimes All Day” has a peculiar Tijuana tinge to its
inebriating flow. The album closes with the peculiar
and charming “DFunkt,” with its summery groove.
For more on these events and other highlights of
the Phoenix music scene, check out Mitchell’s blog
at http://soundsaroundtown.net. For submissions
or suggestions contact him at mitchell@
soundsaroundtown.net
JAVA 33
MAGAZINE

Though it might not be immediately evident, there’s a grand
serendipity in artist James G. Davis’ first posthumous
exhibition, held in the gallery of the most recent version
of the Mountain Shadows resort. Both the man and the
property are elemental tangles in the creative roots of Arizona
history, their presences cemented and full of stories that outline
their evolution.
April 13 is the public reception for the exhibition, curated by John
Reyes, who was a longtime part of the team at Bentley Gallery.
Reyes is now an independent curator who will be employing his
esteemed eye to add another layer of interest to the Mountain
Shadows through multiple exhibitions yearly, as well as at other
galleries and venues in the region.
Reyes worked on the exhibition with Davis’ son Turner, a respected
local artist in his own right. The younger Davis is dedicated to
seeing his father’s artwork reach new galleries, museums and
institutions, locally to internationally. Though the two were bonded
in art, showing together many times throughout the years, and
both being represented by Scottsdale’s Riva Yares Gallery for a
lengthy stretch of time, Turner said that his own art career evolved
naturally, as in not from paternal pressure or expectation. “We grew
up in an arts-oriented environment, and I always helped my father,
stretching canvases, things like that, but he was not the type of
person to try and force someone in a certain direction.”
James Davis retired as professor emeritus in 1990 from the
University of Arizona, and Turner said that his observational and
subdued nature was present in the way he approached teaching.
Turner said his father, a notably quiet man in general, would spend
James G. Davis
Inaugural Exhibition
at the New Mountain
Shadows
By Amy L. Young
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ample amounts of time watching students, seeing how they created and how
their work developed before bringing his own thoughts and direction into the
mix. When Davis retired from teaching, it was so that he could fully devote his
time to painting and maintaining a busy exhibition schedule. He remained active
until his passing in September of last year.
His penchant for observation, along with an inherent need to immerse himself in
new situations, regions and experiences, is as much to thank for the depth and
knowledge present in James Davis’ artwork as is his formal education. Davis
was born in 1931, and as a young boy he suffered a harrowing trauma when his
foot was pinned beneath a train. During his recovery he was mostly immobile
for a period of time, and that’s when he started drawing. His son speculates that
this experience might have created an ever-present association between art and
escape for the elder Davis.
Eager to get out into the world and see what was possible, Davis didn’t bother
with finishing high school. He did odd jobs, read voraciously and never stopped
drawing. In Chicago, for a time, he painted toys in a toy factory. When he
decided to go back to school, he applied to the University of Wichita, where a
combination of life experiences and talent got him in the door, even minus a high
school diploma. He went on to receive his master’s degree.
Davis paralleled his teaching career with life as a successful artist. He earned
a place in the permanent collections of prominent institutions such as the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and the National Gallery of
Art. He also surrounded himself with artists. He lived at Rancho Linda Vista, an
arts commune in Oracle, where his wife still resides. When he was traveling, he
spent much of the time with creative peers. Additionally, though it didn’t factor
into his teaching career, he was also a master printmaker.
You don’t have to know about Davis’ history, or his affinity for observation, to
perceive the sincerity that pervades his work. As he captures the mechanisms of
people, daily life and various scenarios, the realness is palpable. It doesn’t read
as an outsider’s observation, but often more as someone painting his way out
from the inside, recognizing his subjects and subject matter down to the origins
that created the scene that resulted on the canvas. This is especially true when
he is pronouncing himself the main subject, as in “Self Portrait – 1972.” His suitclad
self is tense in both stature and facial expression.
One of the remarkable things about Davis’ work is that he doesn’t over-define
to create or set a mood. His narrative is often fluid and emotional, but conveyed
in minimal strokes. For Turner, his father’s use of space was something to note.
“The way he manipulated space was both flat and dimensional, simultaneously.
He came of age during abstract expressionism, and it often shows,” he said. In
this piece, Davis saved the motion for the framed painting on the wall behind
him, further solidifying the main subject’s off-kilter mood.
The composition in this self-portrait, as well as in pieces not present in this
show, such as “I Breathed Deeply and Squeezed,” is reminiscent of Fritz
Scholder. Both artists let you view the work without trying to beat you over the
head to convey their distinctive messages.
Davis’ fondness for oceanic settings shows up often in his work. His alliteratively
titled “Sensual Sienna Sea” exemplifies what seems to be a reoccurring
JAVA 35
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perspective on shore life. The people on the beach
exude tranquility and seem personally calm. The
chaos comes from nature: jagged rocks, choppy
waters and sharp edges. Rather than simply
observing, there’s a component in Davis’ work that
seems to say that it’s okay to just let things be as
they are.
“Red Day on Blueberry Bay” perfectly captures one
of nature’s powerful moods, as it tornadoes together
humans, birds, winds and waves, with a deep and
striking red that adds movement and force.
Another piece in this exhibition is “The Game,” which
features a seemingly nude couple engaging in a
game of hide and seek, though it appears that they
are both hiding. Their outlines are stark, while the
weight of the piece is contained in a tree centered in
the painting. The tree’s colors are deep and dark. It is
thriving, full of resting birds, but somehow it seems
to bear the emotion in the scenario. It feels as if
the tree is taking a comforting look at life’s inherent
complexities, that frolicking and hiding are options
of existing that help as we muddle through harder
moments. Davis’ masterful paintings, despite their
emotion, seem to whisper a reminder to take things
in stride.
As Mountain Shadows begins its new life, the
Davis paintings—along with a few of his etchings
and drawings—add a grace to the resort’s minimal
and airy lobby. Though the décor is scant, the
building’s warmth comes from the natural light and
mountainous backdrop that feels as if it is cradling
the entire structure. Reyes said that he “couldn’t
think of a better artist to populate the resort’s
inaugural exhibition.”
William Nassikas, president and CEO of Westroc
Hospitality, which owns this property—along with
other vacation stunners like the Sanctuary Camelback
Mountain Resort and Hotel Valley Ho—couldn’t
agree more. “We wanted a gallery and artwork that
would relate to the community,” he said. “James
Davis is a great part of our Arizona art history, and it’s
an honor to have the work as part of the Mountain
Shadows rebirth.”
The original resort, of approximately 80 acres,
opened in 1959. The ubiquitous Del Webb brought
in architect Martin Stern Jr., who’d worked on some
popular Vegas casinos, to bring a mid-century design
with a little whimsy to the predominately Western
landscape. At the time, they wanted to highlight
a more modern lifestyle and bring in a bit of what
Nassikas called “the ‘Mad Men’ aesthetic.”
When the original mid-century resort opened, it
became a happening destination. It was even used
as the location for a network television show, “The
Brothers Brannagan.” The crime drama focused on
two detectives, brothers, who shunned a traditional
office setting for an operational home base in the
lobby of the Mountain Shadows resort. Though
the 39-episode show aired for only one season, it
featured some well-known names, including Burt
Reynolds, James Coburn and Jackie Coogan.
The property closed in 2004 and was sold to a
development group that had intentions of giving it
a renewal but were never able to turn it around, so
it remained dormant until 2014. Westroc purchased
it and brought in architect Mark Philp, of Allen and
Philp, to create the new version of the resort, which
Nassikas says has a “modern sensibility.” They
renovated the golf course and in certain places on
the site have incorporated concrete blocks from the
original building.
A thoughtful union of art and architecture, the pairing
of James Davis and Mountain Shadows highlights
timelessness and transformation, as well as
providing a chance to immerse yourself in a present
moment that is rich with the fruits of the past and
the possibilities of the future. The James G. Davis
exhibition runs through the end of April.
“Personal Particular Pursuits’
“The Game”
“Sensual Sienna Sea”
“Self Portrait- 1972”
“Red Day on Blueberry Bay”
36 JAVA
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37 JAVA
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GIRL ON FARMER
By Celia Beresford
I bought a diary. Seriously, a real diary. Cooler kids
might call it a journal, but I think that would be a lie.
I mean, it has a lock and a key, so that’s a diary. You
may wonder why a grown woman has a locking diary
like a 12-year-old. I think it just comes down to a
mild, yet deep-seated paranoia from my adolescence.
You know, when you’re always worried that someone
in your family is looking through your stuff.
My fi rst diary, which had a front cover with Snoopy
skipping under a rainbow, was pretty innocuous. It
had a key that I lost, so I cut the security band and
hid the diary between my mattress and box spring. It
didn’t say much, aside from my dilemma over who to
love: Steven Bewley or Andrew Vota. This was first
grade, so neither really had much to offer. I didn’t
have much either, aside from some candy and a
badass sticker collection. Steven was a tiny little guy
who wore plaid button-downs and small rectangleshaped
glasses and shamelessly still sucked his
thumb. He claimed it tasted like strawberries.
Andrew was a preppy kid who played soccer, with
thick hair that swooped gently over one of his eyes.
Steven’s adorableness and corduroy pants won
me over. Sadly, I never found out about his claim
of a strawberry-flavored thumb. Steven was a solo
operator and didn’t care much for the ladies. He
moved away in third grade. I have, in moments of
extreme procrastination, tried to inter-stalk him to
see what he looks like now. As if I’d even recognize
him. But he was one of those kids that are like a
little shrunken adult, so I kind of just look for him,
but maybe with less hair. Anyway, that was it for the
Snoopy diary.
Maybe it was the cheerful and carefree skipping
Snoopy on the cover that kept that diary so innocent
and sweet. Any diary or journal after that was filled
with pages of scribbled warnings like, “You better
not be reading this!!!!!!” I sounded like a maniac.
The front page made a heartfelt plea to “respect
my personal things” and offered a reminder that “I
wouldn’t do this to you” (but I would. Reading my
sister’s diary was a favorite pastime). Once you got
into the thick of things, there were death threats,
curses and boldly written testaments of my hatred
for you if you defied my earlier, and much lighter,
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Steven was a solo operator and didn’t care
much for the ladies. He moved away in
third grade. I have, in moments of extreme
procrastination, tried to inter-stalk him to see
what he looks like now.
pleas for respect. You would think that I had something in there with some real
excitement, but it was mostly dribble about “my dad sucks, my mom is mean, no
one understands me.” The usual.
There were a few embarrassing moments I was trying to protect. Like the time
when caller ID was becoming a thing. Before caller ID you could just prank call
your heart away. Get some friends to pick up all the extensions in the house,
pick some random numbers from the phone book, and call people and say stupid
things. There was no fear of being caught. When caller ID started, it was a little
box, and it was kind of expensive, so you didn’t know who had it. And you kind
of assumed people didn’t have it. You definitely assumed that super-hottie Pete
Chalfers did NOT have it.
When Pete gave me his number in sixth grade, I almost died. And then I called
him. And called him. And called him—you get the point. It was an honest mistake,
really. When I called the first time I just thought no one was home, so better try later.
Then I called a few thousand times to make sure I didn’t miss him. When he finally
did answer, I denied it was me that was calling incessantly. He began reading
out the times of each call. I blamed a diabolical younger cousin that I made up
and said I didn’t know he had caller ID. He said he didn’t know that the caller ID
box could start smoking from call overload. It didn’t work out with me and Pete.
I wrote about the shame of this extensively in my diary. After that I added some
more “if you’re reading this, I hope you die” notes on the front and back cover. I
also implemented an intricate rubber band security system, just in case.
So now I have my adult diary. I will not decorate it with curses and threats. It
will just have a key, which I am pretty much guaranteed to lose so I will end up
cutting the thing open anyway. You might think I must have some sort of epic
secrets, or I’m having an affair or have a secret newborn that I gave away in that
baby drawer at the hospital. At the very least, I might even have someone else’s
secrets I want to hide. Nope. Maybe I am afraid of my deep inner thoughts and
the lock is a symbolic of way of locking myself out? Doubt it. I think I just have a
lingering paranoia from my old diary days.
Here’s another thing. If my husband had a diary with a lock, you know I would
bust that thing open. He’s got his sketchbooks and whatnot that I would never
look through, but if there was a lock? No. I am getting in there. I realize the
hypocrisy of this. I guess it’s something I need to work through. Maybe I’ll write
about it in my diary.

NIGHT
GALLERY
Photos By
Robert Sentinery
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1. “Intersection” art installation at Art Detour
2. Gennaro and family at FOUND:RE Hotel
3. Art d’Core Gala at Bentley Gallery
4. Jennifer from Soul Carrier and friends
5. Ty announces the OMFG Chopped Salad at Devoured
6. Chad and his lovely lady in town from Alaska
7. Arizona Foodie magazine debut at Devoured
8. Ernesto at McDowell Mtn. Music Fest
9. Champagne wishes and cucumber dreams
10. Art d’Core Gala with Estrella, Dorina and friend
11. MR PHX on the decks at Devoured

12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26
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12. MMMF fun with these pretties
13. Sam Pillsbury and co. at Devoured
14. Postino posse pouring vino
15. Debby has the camera eye
16. Triple threat at MMMF
17. Tito’s brand ambassador with Bitter &Twisted babe
18. Buffalo Exchange crew in the house at MMMF
19. Leslie’s cock-a-doodle-do painting at FOUND:RE
20. Lovelies Aubrie and Beth at Devoured
21. Kenneth Ober at Scottsdale Arts Fest
22. Beers and babes with Justin
23. Shades are de rigueur at Devoured
24. Alan is representing with the Carlton tee
25. Fun in the sun with Natalie and pal
26. Flume headlines at MMMF
27. These gals take a stand for day drinking
28. Dirty Disco promo duo
29. Recycling dude at McDowell Mtn.

SAVE THESE DATES – Two evenings
of student art and performances
Free and open to the public
ARTISTS OF
PROMISE
STUDENT PERFORMANCES
AND ART EXHIBIT
ART | l DANCE | l FILM & MEDIA ARTS | l MUSIC | l THEATRE | l WRITING
CULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL
ELEMENTAL
MOVEMENT | SOUND | VISION | EXPRESSION
FEATURING THE DIVERSE ARTISTS OF
MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
APRIL 13, 2017
PHOENIX ART MUSEUM
RECEPTION/EXHIBITION: 5:00 P.M.
PERFORMANCES: 6:00 P.M.
maricopa.edu/elemental-2017
APRIL 27, 2017
HERBERGER THEATER CENTER
RECEPTION/ART EXHIBIT: 5:30 P.M.
PERFORMANCES: 6:30 P.M.
maricopa.edu/artists-of-promise-2017
The Maricopa County Community College
District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution.

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30. Sarah and churro girl at MMMF
31. Hector and Crystina at the S.Leisure show
32. Pretty dress duo at Devoured
33. Cute couple at M3F
34. Reverse Oreo photo
35. Getting their Tito’s drinks on
36. After party with the Tacos Chiwas crew
37. Tyler from SoSoBa at Devoured
38. Lauren and Heather from HighSpirited Cupcakes
39. Cute couple at MMMF
40. Soldier Leisure 20-year celebration at Megaphone space
41. The memo said black shirts and jeans
42. Bottle cap artist at Scottsdale Arts Festival
43. Rob and Nicole at the Art d’Core Gala
44. Picture perfect with the Hendricks Gin babes
45. LeAnn and chef Jeff
46. Rembrandt does some open-air painting
47. Snapped the couple in front of the Slack painting

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48. At Megaphone space for the S.Leisure show
49. Look who rolled into the Art d’Core Gala
50. Pretty posse at Megaphone
51. Soldier Leisure anniversary show attendees
52. Andrew autographs his JAVA cover story
53. Michele and pals with their sweet wineglass holders
54. Posing with Rembrandt’s polaroid installation
55. Cute nerdy couple at devoured
56. Bassim with his dad and his girl
57. Good times at the Mexican Moonshine booth
58. Jennifer and friends at the Art d’Core Gala
59. Having a bite with Joe at Match
60. Lin Sue and company at Devoured
61. Art Detour at the Icehouse
62. Laura, Fausto and Mello at Art d’Core
63. Framed Ewe meets St. Francis at Devoured
64. All together now ladies
65. Christina and Brian at Art d’Core

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66. With the 3 Amigos crew at Devoured
67. Pretty trio at Bentley Gallery
68. Katherine and her beau at Art d’Core
69. Denise Yaghmourian’s installation at Bentley Gallery
70. Mike and Mayor Stanton at FOUND:RE
71. Matt Hobbs is the new executive chef at Match
72. “Tres Cabrones” opening attendees at FOUND:RE
73. Josselyn and Maxfield surrounded by Joe Ray’s hearts
74. “Mad Men” gathering in Moon Valley
75. Center 8 Townhomes open house event
76. Lovely Mia at the Icehouse for Art Detour
77. Joe, Gennaro and Frank at their “Tres Cabrones” opening
78. At the Lodge for Art Detour
79. Rani G with house music legend Jojo Flores
80. Jayme Blue is the boss lady at the Icehouse
81. Ralph Brekan is in town visiting some old haunts
82. Happy St. Paddy’s, nice kilt!
83. Good times with this MMMF party posse

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