JAVA.Feb.2019

BUZZ
CREATIVE COUPLES
By Robert Sentinery
For February, JAVA celebrates the power of two. With Valentine’s Day just around
the corner, we take a look at how coupling goes beyond romance toward creative
collaboration. We’ve chosen four couples who are contributing in various ways to
the greater cultural good of the Valley.
Christopher Alt and Christiana Moss are founders of the architectural firm Studio
Ma. For many, introduction to their work comes from driving past their office on
Indian School Road and being roused out of complacency. The building’s oddly
minimalistic exposed-timber construction, perhaps harkening back to the couple’s
student days in Norway, is shocking in its own way. Their office is a microcosm of
a much larger philosophy that has found expression in such impressive edifices as
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, a 35,000-square-foot, gold-LEEDcertifi
ed building in the heart of Old Town’s arts district. Much of what motivates
Alt and Moss is their passion for bringing environmentally responsible strategies to
building, in hopes of eventually reducing carbon footprints to net-zero. Their homelife
goals are much simpler: preparing wonderful meals together and raising their
daughter (see “Love and Space: Studio Ma’s Christopher Alt & Christiana Moss,” p. 8).
Jennifer McCabe and Julio Cesar Morales are curators at two of the Valley’s top
art museums, SMoCA and ASUAM, respectively. The individual paths that brought
them to curating and brought them together are very different. McCabe was born in
Grand Rapids, Michigan, but grew up mostly in Atlanta, where her father pursued
his career. Morales was born in Mexico and grew up in the borderlands between
Tijuana and San Diego. He was the first of his family to attend college, landing at
the San Francisco Art Institute. McCabe ended up in the Bay Area to pursue her
master’s degree in art history.
Prior to the tech boom and gentrification, San Francisco was a hotbed for the arts
and creativity. The couple met during those glory days. When opportunities dried up,
Morales accepted a position at ASU. The couple and their two children have settled
well here. McCabe was recently promoted to director and chief curator at SMoCA, and
Morales is known not only for his curatorial work at ASU but also for his fine art career
(see “Curating Couple: Jennifer McCabe and Julio Cesar Morales,” p. 12).
Angelina Ramirez and Elisa Lucía Radcliffe were married in New Mexico four years
ago (prior to Arizona adopting same-sex marriage laws). The couple met through
their passion for dance. Ramirez has been a Flamenco dancer for 27 years and runs
Flamenco por la Vida. Radcliffe taught dance in schools for 12 years prior to taking
a position with the Arizona Arts Commission. Despite their busy schedules, the
couple is able to work together on their Creative Aging initiative, a program that
brings arts/dance therapy to older individuals (see “Angelina Ramirez and Elisa
Lucía Radcliffe: Creative Coupling,” p. 34).
Devon McConville and Terrence Murtagh own and operate four companies together.
The most visible is their First Place Coffee truck that seems to show up at all
the cool spots around town. The couple is the essence of creative collaboration
and entrepreneurship, bouncing ideas off each other and balancing each other’s
strengths and weaknesses. And they serve some of the best lattes in town. (See
“Winning with First Place Coffee,” p. 30.)