Art by Prescott Area Artists In Historic Downtown Prescott, Arizona
in the mezzanine gallery
“Those Who Can Do, Teach (the Sequel)” An exhibit of art works by the Instructors from the STEPS Art Education Program for Children Found Object Assemblage by Melody McConaughy, Impressionist Paintings by Jan Fischer and Paintings and Drawings by Gail Brendle
September 15 – October 13
in the main gallery
Fine Art Art Photography by Prescott area artists
September 22 – October 25
An exhibit of art works by the Instructors from the STEPS Art Education Program for Children
Reclaimed. Recycled. Reinvented. Recreated. Melody McConaughy has been foraging objects from her surroundings and producing found object art since childhood.
Melody is a long time member of the Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery where she currently exhibits her work. Prior to emerging on the professional artist scene, Melody taught in public schools and was a principal for a school prior to retiring from that part of her life.
For “Those Who Can Do,Teach (The Sequel) she will be displaying a series of work that she playfully refers to as “Castaways”. Using castaway glass from glass blowers and castaway metal and silver from eras gone by, her assemblage sculpture takes on a new life of its own.
She has been an art instructor for the ‘Tis STEPS Art Education Program for Children since 2011.
Jan Fischer holds a degree in Fine Art and Advertising Design and spent most of her life as an art director, graphic design illustrator, and children’s art instructor. Her graphic design company, Red Willow Design specialized in helping companies translate new products and services in a visual presence within their markets.
Wandering through the western states Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona, she is at her happiest when she is outside Plein Aire painting. “So many skies, fascinating shadows with the light changing by the minute… capturing those little moments is my greatest challenge.”
She has been an art instructor for the ‘Tis STEPS Art Education Program for Children since 2016.
Gail Brendle has been passionately studying art since the late 70’s; college level classes, art books, magazines and workshops with renowned artists including Rex Brandt, Robert E. Wood, Mary DeLoyt Arendt, Marilyn Simandle, Timothy Clark, Dawn E. Whitelaw and Fred Hope.
She has won prizes for her work in juried shows, and a First Place Scholarship Award through the John E. Profant Foundation in the Visual Arts category. Most recently she was awarded Best in Show for her watercolor painting “The Old Cheyenne” and Second Place for her charcoal study “Sunday Morning Togetherness” through the Prescott Valley Fine Art Showcase.
She is a certified Mission: Renaissance Fine Art instructor where she was trained to teach art to children and adults based on the premise that anyone can acquire talent, and anyone can learn how to express themselves artistically if given the opportunity to learn how. Gail’s personal goal when teaching art is to impart the principles of art in practical ways that help her students develop technical skills and individual creativity in producing works of art.
She has worked with home school groups, public school creative arts programs and currently teaches art for the Prescott Valley Parks and Recreation Department, the ‘Tis STEPS Art Education Program for Children, as well as private.
She is our newest member of the art instructor team for the ‘Tis STEPS Art Education Program for Children.
Judy Kaufman: mixed media and found object assemblage
Antonio Leal: turned wood
George Lewis: fine art photography
Mercie Marshall: portrait, landscape and miniature painting
Debra Sutherland Core: digital transfer paintings and wearable art
Susan Walshe: photo impressionist photography
Darrell Woods: indoor outdoor metal sculpture
click on the any image below to view the slideshow
Cindy Brower: Most of us have experienced events in our lives that, for a brief second, made time stand still; the images of those events burning themselves into our soul like a freeze-frame photo, forever redefining how we see life. For Cindy, the tragic loss of her two brothers, which came when she was a teenager, changed all that had come before and all that was yet to come; casting the world in a very different light.
Cindy’s love of nature and introspection was planted before she was born. Her mother, discovering that she was pregnant late in life and fearful for her unborn child, escaped the city of Phoenix to the woods outside of Prescott, Arizona, and spent three months camping with Cindy’s two brothers, waiting for her arrival.
Cindy’s paintings take inspiration from her Arizona roots — sweeping landscapes with a surrealistic twist. Cindy also paints what she calls her “chaos series” — bold and quirky dreamscapes often with a baby bird. In each painting there will always be a message of hope and a place of peace. Cindy became fascinated with surrealism as a child when her mother would take her to the Phoenix Art Museum. Her favorite stop would always be to see the paintings of Phillip Curtis. Years later, it was a great honor when she met Phillip in his studio and he critiqued one of her paintings. Cindy has a patient painting style, using many layers of glazing to achieve a sense of depth and intrigue.
Cindy earned a BS in Horticulture from the University of Arizona and an AAS in Interior Design from Scottsdale Community College, where she also studied painting with Robert You.
She has studios in Prescott and Scottsdale.
Gary Cassidy Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) Special Forces: Gary “Butch” Cassidy, a Special Forces Colonel upon retiring from the U.S. Army, was recalled from retirement to be the Army’s Artist and sent to Bosnia in 1998/99 to capture images and create a body of artwork depicting our soldiers’ experiences. From that Bosnia Art Project, one painting, Checkpoint at Bedrock, honoring U.S. Army soldiers’ Bosnia service, was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol building in a ceremony on April 11, 2000. Gary’s achievements include Doctor of Arts, Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. He served in various command and executive positions for the U.S. Army Staff, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. His military experience overseas includes the Balkans, First Gulf War, Panama, Korea, and the Vietnam War.
Since retiring and moving to Prescott in 2002 Gary has served in a number of positions to include, Executive Director of the Phippen Museum of Western Art, Board Member and President of Arizona Classical Theatre, Board Member and Chairperson for Arts and Cultural Affairs Study Group for Prescott 2050, Board Member and President for Friends of Yavapai College Art, and Board Member for the Yavapai College Foundation.
His art is in the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, Illinois, the Army Art Collection in Washington, D.C. and his artworks have been displayed in the Pentagon; U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; U.S. Special Operations Command, Mac Dill Air Force Base, Florida; Special Operations and Airborne Museum, Fayetteville, North Carolina; U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania; National Defense University, Washington, DC; and his art is in numerous corporate and private collections.
Gary works with steel, wood, stone and repurposed material as a sculptor and he is a painter. Additionally, he is about to publish his third book of a trilogy of novels or mythomemoir based on what he observed during his thirty-year U.S. Army career.
In the Main Gallery- “Black and White with a Splash of Color 2022”
August 25 – September 20
In the Mezzanine Gallery- “Those Who Can Do, Teach: The Sequel” works by the Instructors of the STEPS Art Education Program for Children Gail Benson, Jan Fischer, Melody McConaughy and Heather Nelson
September 15 – October 13
In the Main Gallery- Fine Art Photography by Prescott Area Artists
September 22 – October 25
In the Mezzanine Gallery- Cindy Brower and Gary Cassidy
October 15 – November 14
In the Main Gallery- “Assemblage and Collage 2022”
October 27 – November 23
In the Mezzanine Gallery- Jo Manginelli and Friends
November 15 – December 29
In the Main Gallery- Eclectic Works in Various Media
November 25 – December 20
In the Main Gallery- Fine Art Photography by Prescott Area Artists
December 22- January 24
left to right: George Lewis, Mercie Marshall, Patti Ortiz, Debra Sutherland Core, Judy Kaufman, Ken Boskoff, Darrell Woods, Antonio Leal
Art work by (clockwise from the top left): Allison Kantor, Christine Sutherland, Lynn Schmitt, Jan Fischer, Lesley Aine McKeown, Sheri Oriona Meadows, Patty Lindsey, Mary Kaye O’Neill, Pamela Henry & Patti Ortiz and Annessa Morrison
THANK YOU TO ALL THE ARTISTS FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS AND TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Click on any of the images below to enlarge and see the slideshow of Creative Spirits 🙂
