“Versions of Arizona” 

comes to Jerome Artists Cooperative

New Show Celebrates Startling Beauty of the State

There is no denying the power Arizona has to attract and motivate artists with its scenic beauty, endless diversity, and magnificent sunsets. That inspiration is on display at the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery in a vibrant new show called “Versions of Arizona.” It opens on October 5.

The exhibition presents the work of two women from vastly different backgrounds who come together to celebrate the wonders of the state. Michele Cokl Naylor grew up in a small Indiana town, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she continued making art before landing on the other side of the country. Here the vivid Arizona landscapes enhanced her passion for colorful paintings and mixed media canvases.

 Birgitta Lapides traveled halfway around the world, drawn to Arizona’s shining light. Born in Sweden, Lapides lived and worked for many years in southern France on the Mediterranean producing and selling her hand-woven and hand-painted garments. By 1996, she was living in Arizona and creating stunning collage paintings.

“Versions of Arizona” proves to be as diverse as the state itself. The rich layers of the show reveal the beauty and drama found amid the surrounding landscape and interpreted by two talented artists who are both devoted to color.

 Lapides never works from photos or sketches while creating images that are familiar yet fanciful, tugging at the corners of the viewer’s imagination. They are brightly-hued worlds of rolling mountains, moody skies, and seductive horizons. Along with the vivid collages on hand-painted papers, Lapides will also display abstracts, alcohol ink paintings, and lovely heavy-paper earrings.

“I am an intuitive painter,” says Lapides. “I don’t want to know the result before I start. For me, art is a discovery, and it’s the journey to create and to be open to surprises that makes it fun and fulfilling.”

Naylor has focused on an Arizona icon for the show. She has created an entirely new collection of mixed media saguaros, more than 60 in all. Working from her usual bold and colorful palette, Naylor reimagines the stately saguaros in simple desert settings. She experiments with patterns, textures, and added bits of ephemera. The tall cacti are created from paint, buttons, bottle tops, bits of glass, pieces from board games, and hardware. She’ll also have original 5x7 inch saguaros, matted but unframed, and saguaro magnets available.

“I’ve lived in Arizona for 28 years,” says Naylor. “And while I don’t live in saguaro country, I love them. Elegant and majestic, they each seem to be imbued with their own unique personality. I’ve injected a sense of whimsey into my saguaros, because I detect some of that same humor in the poses of the real desert giants.”

Naylor and Lapides are longtime members of the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery and both reside in Cottonwood. Naylor lives with her husband and a herd of color-coordinated shelter cats. Lapides also lives with her husband and their big, sweet rescue dog.

“Versions of Arizona” opens Saturday, October 5, with a special reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Both artists will be present to discuss their work and refreshments will be served. The event will be part of the popular Jerome Art & Wine Walk, which includes several participating shops and galleries throughout the town. The show will run through December 3.

Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery is located at 502 N. Main St. 

The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 928-639-4276, or visit www.jeromecoop.com.

To learn more about the featured artists, visit www.michelecoklnaylor.com, or www.birgittalapides.com.

 

“Impressions” 

with Sid Freeman, Jamalee Moret and Bernie Lopez

The Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery is pleased to present, “Impressions,” a three-member Featured Artist Show with a reception for the artists during Jerome’s First Saturday Art & Wine Walk - August 3 from 4-7:30 pm. The Co-op is located on the ground level of the old Hotel Jerome at 502 N Main Street in Jerome. The show runs through Sept 30.

“Impressions” are both literal and figurative in the ceramic work of Jamalee Moret. She uses actual plant matter from her garden as impressions for her work in this show. “Nature is all around us,” she states, “and it leaves me with a sense of wonder. When I press the leaf or flower into the clay, I learn so much more about the plant; the glazes I use accentuate these details. It reminds me of the importance of looking deeper at an object in the same way one might dig deeper and ask questions of another person. There is always more to learn beneath the surface.”

 

“Whimsical and functional,” she continues, “best describe my high and mid-range fired ceramic pieces. I have been working with clay, both throwing and hand-building, for the past 20 years. All my pieces are created for daily use—for a morning cup of tea or espresso, as a bowl for soup or a dish to serve a treat—with the intention of adding a slice of beauty to everyday life.”

After twenty years as a professional calligrapher, Sid Freeman is working her way back to her roots as a painter, but this time she is incorporating words and “sound symbols” that make up our speech. Her love of letterforms and quotations continues to inspire her work in a way where they lean towards creating their own meaningful expressions. The art itself is the common language using letterforms as the means of expression. Sid contemplates, “Can we build bridges back to our ancestors’ basic unity with the earth, before the time when language was only connected with specific cultures? And can it be done in today’s technological world of sound bites? I would like to try.”

  

In this show, Sid Freeman presents one of her largest calligraphic works based on the poem, “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” by Lewis Carroll. Sid notes, “I have always loved Lewis Carroll’s adventures with Alice. This poem became important to me when I made a presentation of it in my high school speech class. Later, while working in a chaotic restaurant, I recited the poem to myself to help me keep calm. Now, after rereading Carroll’s whole series, I decided to give the characters their own calligraphic voices of the poem. This included 18 stanzas of the poem using calligraphy in with a mix of mediums: acrylic, watercolor and colored pencil.”

 

Fine Art acrylic painter Bernie Lopez creates original art inspired by his adventures throughout Arizona’s spectacular destinations. Some of his works are inspired by the photos he has taken during his trips which serve as a reference; Others are inspired by the feelings and memories of a specific place and time he has experienced. Lopez describes, “I work in series including Sunset, Silhouettes, and Clouds, and I use a minimum color palette to focus on contrast of color.” Painting in this way, Lopez creates a broader view of the sometimes stark, but always impactful, Western Landscape.

“Impressions” is an opportunity to visit the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery and meet the artists during a reception on Jerome’s First Saturday Art & Wine Walk ~ Saturday, Aug 3 from 4–7:30 pm. Snacks, beverages and live music are provided for an evening of fun & entertainment. 

Open to the public. Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery 502 N Main St, Jerome www.jeromecoop.com 928-639-4276 Currently accepting applications for membership.

Visual Dialog

 The Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery is excited to present, “Visual Dialog,” a three-member show. An art walk reception will be held for the artists on Saturday, June1 from 4-7:30 pm at the Jerome Co-op Gallery, ground level, 502 N Main Street, Jerome. The show runs thru July 31.

Jo Agostinelli describes, “As artists, we use our skills to express things we feel, know, intuit. Exhibiting our work creates an interaction with the viewer. Their thoughts and interpretations may or may not be what the artist had in mind but are an important part of the Visual Dialog. When art elicits a reaction – be it an emotion, an opinion, or an insight, it creates a dialog between artist and viewer. The thoughts of the viewer are just as valid as the artist’s intentions, as all works of art can be appreciated on many different levels.”

Jo, originally from Connecticut, currently lives in Clarkdale, AZ, just south of Sedona in the beautiful Verde Valley. “The beauty and diversity of Arizona’s landscape and heritage have seeped into my work over the years,” Jo notes. “I’m inspired by nature regardless of what piece of the planet I am standing on!”

 

Jo’s pastels and oils have been exhibited throughout the country from Cape Cod to California. Her professional affiliations include membership in the Connecticut Pastel Society (signature member), the Pastel Society of America, and the Arizona Pastel Artists Association (signature member) and ‘Made in Clarkdale, her home-town art organization.

Corey Reese, also inspired by Arizona’s immense landscape, says, “Our local landscape is beyond breathtaking from our own frame of reference, but take that perspective 10-400 ft higher, and a whole new AMAZING viewpoint is revealed!” That is the point of view Aerial Drone Photographer, Corey Reese, is out to capture!

 “From a photographer’s standpoint,” Corey says, “think of a drone as a floating tripod. You can place the camera in ways that were once unimaginable; thus giving the subject of the photo a new immersive perspective.” Corey continues, “Landscapes can now have an almost surreal feel with a ‘Bird’s Eye’ line of sight. But the journey doesn’t end with the snap of a shutter button. To complete the story, my prints are available in many different sizes and varieties: From top quality metal prints to reclaimed barn wood hand-framed archival paper prints; each style portrays my work in a unique way.”

Thomas Hammond’s art journey began when he was in his teens. “Later, I was trained as a commercial artist with an emphasis on representational art, graphic design and calligraphy,” he states. “During those years some of my luminaries were Andrew Wyeth, Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish.

He continues, “As the years tumbled by, and my interest moved in the direction of Fine Art, I was impressed with and stirred by such superb artists as Richard Schmidt, Howard Terpning and William Mathews. Then about 30 years ago, I came to Phoenix to pick up a Design award. Later that week, on a friend’s recommendation, I visited Sedona. The landscape blew me away! Six years ago, my dream of living in and painting the scenic panorama of this area was a romance come true!”

“This show”, Thom continues, “has provided me with the opportunity to paint the stunning beauty of the Arizona landscape on a larger scale. I am entirely dedicated to representing Arizona in a way that other folks who have been smitten by living, hiking and traveling in this enchanted region, as I was, will find a Dialog, an emotional trigger and a firm connection to the peacefulness and drama of our surroundings.”

Surround yourselves with the art of three of Jerome Co-op’s landscape visionaries and welcome their perspectives into your homes and offices through their Visual Dialog. Jerome’s First Saturday Art & Wine Walk from 4 – 7:30 pm on June 1. Snacks and beverages are provided along with live music. Open to the public. Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery 502 N Main St, Jerome.

Currently accepting applications for members in all mediums.

928-639-4276

info@jeromecoop.com 

www.jeromecoop.com

www.Jo-Agostinelli.com 

ThomHammond.com

www.atomicdronez.com