By Tyson Qualls

Marble sculptor Pete Incardona represents the third consecutive generation of quarry owners, and has a wealth of knowledge that can only be gained from several lifetimes of experience. It is no wonder that he has an immense amount of respect for the raw product.

“I just try not to overpower what God has already done,” he says.

The Incardona family is an embodiment of the now venerable concept of the American Dream. The family began the trek to America in 1916. Incardona’s grandfather emigrated from Italy, and after becoming financially stable in the United States, he returned to Italy to retrieve his family and settle down in America. Quarry work was in the blood of his ancestors, and Incardona has successfully continued the tradition.

The world of marble sculpting has evolved significantly over the years. Incardona’s father did not have the luxuries of today’s tools. It is hard to believe that in his day, he sometimes had to spend over nine years working on a single project. Incardona has been able to craft new and exciting creations without sacrificing the traditions of generations of rock sculptors. While he may not take nine years to finish a piece, he still puts his heart and soul into each work of art.

Specializing in custom work, Incardona’s Sunrise Mine Marble Gallery houses a multitude of treasures. Seeing them in photos represents only a fraction of their beauty, and luckily for potential clients, Incardona is far from a reclusive artist. Warm and friendly, he readily opens up about his life’s work. As a well-respected businessman, Incardona serves the entire Valley with pride.

Incardona’s workshop at the Sunrise Mine is a haven for limitless projects. Anything can be found there, from sculptures and fountains to benches and tables. Incardona is known for his ability to take on even the toughest custom requests from clients. While his specialty is fountains, Incardona is capable of creating a masterpiece out of any client’s assignment. Two of the most popular types of marble handled by Incardona are Arizona onyx and Aguila stone. He has used these frequently throughout his career and enjoys working with such beautiful types of rock. The easiest way to get your hands on these prized possessions is to head up to Wickenburg, Arizona and meet with Incardona at the Sunrise Mine. With a little bit of time and imagination, he can satisfy the needs of any customer, no matter how difficult the project may be.

As a frequent contributor to ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, Incardona also understands the need for a society that helps support those less fortunate. All work done for Extreme Home Makeover is without compensation. A man of principle, Incardona once put ABC executives on hold so he could finish an important cut so as not to sacrifice the quality of his work. His charitable work factors in his future goals. In the present sagging economy, he has made it his mission to “try and make custom marble work affordable for the public and more in the realm of people’s pocketbooks.”

Incardona is deeply zealous about his line of work. The creative opportunities and unique work environment goes beyond a traditional nine-to-five. It is rare to encounter an individual who is so enthralled with his profession. A man of many talents, Incardona is a kindhearted artist with a passion for helping others. Ironically, the reason behind his love for marble sculpting is as simple as it is ingenious.

“Every time I cut a rock, I see something I’ve never seen before,” he says.

By Alana Stroud

GUADALUPE APODACA

Colorado-born Scottsdale resident Guadalupe Apodaca discovered his artistic side in the third grade. Now, with oils and pastels, Apodaca uses bold colors and strokes to create, as described on his Web site, “vibrant movement and a soft abstract quality seen in the Native American dancers, enchanting children, and captivating landscapes he translates to the canvas.”

Three paintings: All oil on linen.

Apache Basket: Bright colors and muted lines bring life to this woman holding up a woven basket.
Night Dancer: A man dressed in traditional Native American attire performs a dance.
San Miguel Vendor: A woman shields her eyes from the sun as she awaits a buyer at the market.

guadalupeapodaca.com

DWIGHT BENNETT

Paradise Valley resident Dwight Bennett was born in Phoenix and graduated from Glendale High School. He, too, began his art endeavors in the third grade, when he was caught and punished for carving tiny sculptures out of this crayons with his fingernails. As a sculptor and craftsman, he has shown his work for over thirty years in numerous galleries and shows all across the U.S.

Life: This beautiful sculpture of the human heart measures approximately 9 by 11 inches. The piece was sculpted from Arizona ironwood and is inlaid throughout with shimmering silver.

Ironwood Vase: Also made from Arizona ironwood and inlaid with sparkling veins of silver, this voluptuously curvy vase stands 16 inches tall.

Flamingo: Carved from dark-red Arizona ironwood, this flamingo stands 4 feet, 5 inches tall and, of course, shimmers with inlaid silver.

dwightbennett.com

RON HEAD

Phoenix resident Ron Head has had a passion for art throughout his life. Upon graduating high school, he was awarded two scholarships to the Interlochen Arts Academy in northern Michigan, where his creativity was nurtured. His confidence in his talent led him to pursue a career in fine arts. Taking interest in multiple mediums, Head works in oils, acrylic, terra-cotta, bronze, ivory, and wood, and says he will work in “ice, sand, water, or in the air, if that is what it takes.”

Soldier: This cold-cast bronze soldier has his guardian angel looking over him at all times.

Abstract Angel: Blended colors and media draw one’s eyes heavenward.

Terra-Cotta Lady: Molded from terra-cotta clay, this sharp-featured woman appears wistful.

ronhead.net

By Kylie Gad

If you only do one thing this month…

Ice sculptures in July? No, really. The nineteenth annual Summer Spectacular Artwalk will be chillin’ in Downtown Scottsdale. July 10. scottsdalegalleries.com

You could dance all night, or you could check out My Fair Lady at Gammage Auditorium. June 17. ticketmaster.com

Ballet Arizona brings a little of New York City to the desert with a tribute to NYC Ballet legend George Balanchine. June 6–8. balletaz.org

Doubling up on culture? Try this…

The North Valley celebrates movies, song, poetry, and literature with the Cave Creek Film and Arts Festival. June 27–July 19. cavecreekfilmandartsfestival.com

Laugh yourself silly at the second annual Arizona Comedy Experiment, a showcase for local comedic talent. June 18. arizonacomedyexperiment.com

Mix and match movies and music with The Phoenix Art Museum’s Jazz Film Series. Admission is free to all Movies at the Museum. June 8, 15, and 22. phxart.org

For seriously devoted art-lovers…

Be the first to witness Concert 1, the premiere performance by Novaballet, a local Arizona troupe determined to expand the vocabulary of dance. July 11–13. novaballet.com

Get in style with Tatiana Sorokko, contributing editor to Harper’s Bazaar, as she discusses the elite world of fashion in her lecture Collecting Haute Couture at the Phoenix Art Museum. June 10. phxart.org

Local artist Marcus Payzant exhibits his collection of paintings at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix. July 8–August 6. shemerartcenterandmuseum.org

Contemporary artist interprets her world with Renaissance color.

By Ronald T. Floyd

Roberta Kritzia is an artist of her travels, having spent the last twenty-two summers painting and sketching her way through the Italian regions of Umbria and Tuscany on the painting tours she conducts for groups of twenty students. She talks of being inspired by the classical painters and captivated by the colors of the Renaissance artists. She connected with the master artists of the Renaissance period when she studied under Theodore N. Lukits at the Art Center College of Design and UCLA, and later with the internationally known art instructor Glen Vilppu, commonly referred to as “the living Raphael.”

Kritzia created artworks as a child, and viewed her artist family as role models, particularly her father and uncles. Her life is a rich tapestry of influences, coming as much from the family’s background as illustrators at the famous Push Pin Studios in New York as from her travels and former art teachers. “I never felt any pressure to be an artist, but I did have an urge to create,” she says.

Kritzia needs to have an intense connection with her subject before starting to paint, but she also gives great importance to technique. An earlier art teacher taught Kritzia that art is visual music, and every student must learn to read the notes. Kritzia considers composition, color, drawing, and painting as parts of that music, and feels that they should be as significant to every artist. She paints with thirty-four mixed colors and their tints, and feels that this technique has given her an advantage over artists who squeeze out three or four colors onto a palette.

Nature is also a great teacher, as well as a painter. Since moving to Arizona from Los Angeles, Kritzia has been studying the effects of morning light on objects and can see why artists are profoundly influenced by the Arizona desert. She has found the art here to be heavily influenced by the desert sun and much more Western-oriented than that in Los Angeles.

What advice would Kritzia give to aspiring artists? “You must take responsibility for your work and believe in yourself,” she says. She sees too many people taking years of art classes, and believes they need to stop the classes and start creating art. Kritzia tells artists to build their studios, concentrate on what their teachers have taught them, and practice their drawing skills before starting to paint. And the most important thing to remember? Believe in your art.

For more information on artist Roberta Kritzia, visit artisttravel.com.

By Marilyn Eisenberg, MFA
Photography by Scott Sampli

On New Year’s Eve, Arizona Broadway Theatre’s executive producer, Kiel Klaphake, was celebrating the theater’s second anniversary in the $5 million, 32,000-square-foot facility. Kiel and his father, ABT’s CEO Ronald Klaphake, took some time to reminisce about the evolution of their dream since the January 3, 2006 grand opening.

“When people think of theaters, they often assume they are locally funded or nonprofit,” Ron says. But ABT is privately owned and operates on earned revenue. Rather than compete with other philanthropic endeavors, the Klaphakes devised a business plan, presented it to a bank to secure funding, and quickly built ABT to serve the demand for theater in the Northwest Valley. Recently, the Klaphakes created a nonprofit affiliate supporting their Academy for Young Performers, which offers after-school programs and spring and summer classes to children Valley-wide. This dynamic father-and-son team has significantly raised the bar for exceptional theater and elegant dining in Arizona.

Before launching the 2005 premiere musical, Anything Goes, twenty-five cast members served as ABT’s first “audience” and took a flashlight tour of the construction site at 77th Avenue and Paradise Lane. When the date of completion was moved back, Anything Goes was staged in a tent at the Peoria Sports Complex. Concerned about the rented audio-visual equipment, lights, and generator, the Klaphakes parked a motor home onsite and served as security until ABT’s doors were installed.

“We built shaded canopies for dressing areas and rolled costume racks from the ballpark’s concessions to the tent,” Ron says. Today, ABT houses an impressive kitchen, expansive dressing rooms, and professional costume, prop, and set departments.

ABT now employs 160 people, including actors and musicians, has over 200 volunteers, and supports internships and artist-in-residency programs. The company produces seven musicals annually, offering eight shows each week, including weekend matinees. Last year, ABT received 24 Arizoni Theatre Excellence Award nominations, an unprecedented amount in “Zoni” history. Three ABT productions were nominated for Best Musical. But there is more to the shows than the musicals themselves—there’s gourmet food.

“In 2005, ABT catered food from offsite,” said Kiel. “Now, we prepare gourmet cuisine themed by each show and served in a relaxed dining environment.”

Kiel is gratified by the public acceptance of ABT. He leases the theater, its catering services, and professional touring ensemble Bits & Pieces to the public for numerous events. ABT has participated in Toys for Tots campaigns, Community of Joy’s annual auction, Peoria Police Department’s casino night, Dr. Geary Bush’s private art exhibition, and the Miss Teen World US pageant. This year, Pepsi will rent the auditorium for a private party, and the Phoenix Music Awards will host a function there as well. Wedding rehearsal dinners, meetings, corporate retreats, and piano recitals are held in ABT’s private banquet room and spacious lobby.

ABT brings East Coast big-city theatrics to its shows while staying true to the family base and the Valley of the Sun. It utilizes high-tech sound and lighting systems, rigging, trapdoors, and fly systems typically found only in New York-based theatres. Its current production of Fiddler on the Roof (running through March 2) showcases a revolving stage and stars Jimmy Ferraro, direct from the Broadway revival.

Thanks to the Klaphakes and their supporters, Arizonans can now experience quality shows people travel to Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle or yes, New York, to see.

Coming Soon

After Fiddler, ABT is offering Jekyll & Hyde (March 7–April 20), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (April 25 – June 8), The Music Man (June 13–August 3) and Nunsense (August –September 21). For more information, visit azbroadwaytheatre.com or call ABT’s Box Office at (623) 776-8400.

By Kanksha Mehta
Photography provided by the Bison Museum

There’s a place for Wild West legends. Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Jessie James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Sitting Bull, and Daniel Boone have all, so to speak, carved out a place for themselves in the Bison Museum in North Scottsdale.

Dee Flagg’s impressive collection of eight life-sized wood-carved historical figures brings together these Western notables and is one of the crown jewels of the new museum. Flagg, who enjoyed a 65-year career carving incredible figures from wood by hand—never by machine—is considered the premier Old West woodcarver of his era. Neither the artist nor his estate has ever allowed reproductions of his original works, so the presence of this eight-piece collection in the Bison Museum is invaluable.

The museum also houses the Flagg family’s personal collection, recovered from auction. In all, the museum and its collection provide not only an interesting visit for Western history buffs, but also an outstanding educational resource for teachers and children.

Along with Flagg’s famous figures, valuable pieces like the collection of Buffalo Bill Cody’s original Sharps hunting rifles make Scottsdale live up to its reputation as “the West’s most Western town.”
Gary Martinson, owner of the Bison Museum and president of Bison Homes, created this unique venue for two reasons: to encourage a better understanding of our Western heritage and the vital role the bison has played in it; and to give Bison Homes the opportunity to present its mountain communities in an interesting way.

According to Martinson, the museum successfully brings together three interrelated components of our nation’s history: the American Bison, the Native Americans, and the Old West. The sheer volume of bison-related items and artifacts here is unmatched. A singing buffalo family, polished rocks, a saddled bison ride, a gift shop, paintings, and sculptures are just some of the amenities and points of interest that await both adults and children at The Bison Museum. The All Things Bison section features belt buckles, stamps, patches, toys, plates, spoons, knives, etched glass, and just about everything else that either has a bison image on it or is in the shape of a bison.

Other items of interest include Native American artifacts and an assortment of bronzes, paintings and prints by Remington, Russell, Catlin, Clymer, Damrow and others. All together, the Bison Museum houses what is described as the best Western collection in the United States. The museum is also equipped with spacious meeting facilities with state-of-the-art audio/visual capabilities and beautifully decorated party areas. And, if you’ve ever wanted to party with Billy the Kid, Martinson can accommodate that as well.

“We are currently building out the warehouse section of our building to create the ultimate party hosting facility, complete with a Western Town front, soundstage, and sit-down dining for at least 200,” Martinson says. The facility should be ready and functioning by January, and Martinson plans to hold the major events held during the winter months in the facility.

Making Arizona history and Western heritage front-page items is a goal for Martinson as his museum continues to grow in the North Valley. He is working hard to ensure that this original facility remains one of the finest of its kind in Arizona, and perhaps in the United States.

By Jo Anne Grammond
Photos courtesy of The Hermosa Inn

Located on six acres overlooking Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, The Hermosa Inn is a fixture in Arizona history. A trip there is a history lesson about the West, captured on canvases and murals in vivid detail by renowned cowboy artist Alonzo “Lon” Megargee mounted throughout the resort.

The resort’s main building was originally a small one-room studio and residence that Megargee built in 1935. According to Mike Gildersleeve, the inn’s general manager, Megargee added to the studio over time, using adobe blocks, old beams, and wood from abandoned mines. He aged the exterior walls with a mixture of oil and ash to create his own hacienda in the desert. “The Hermosa Inn is one of the few true adobe-style structures in Arizona, and is the oldest hacienda guest ranch,” Gildersleeve says.

To supplement his art income, Megargee opened his home, which he called Casa Hermosa, to guests. Megargee eventually sold the home, and a string of new owners carried on the tradition of hospitality, adding amenities such as tennis courts and a pool.

Today, The Hermosa Inn is owned by local residents Fred and Jennifer Unger, who purchased the property in 1992 and have worked to restore the property to reflect its original ambience and honor its artistic heritage. The inn features thirty-five guest rooms, all of which display Megargee’s works. The artist’s paintings are also featured in Lon’s Restaurant, which is located in the original structure.

True to its artistic roots, the intimate setting of The Hermosa Inn draws those who have an appreciation for art as well as those who are simply passionate about the Southwest. “Our roots are embedded in art, and we have a commitment to preserving that strong relationship with Western art that began with Lon sixty-five years ago,” Gildersleeve says.

In keeping with the resort’s beginnings, The Hermosa Inn hosts an annual artist-in-residence program. Six brunch and six dinner events bring together local artists and writers in an intimate setting. The Hermosa Inn is also joining Phoenix and Scottsdale in celebrating National Cowboy Artist Month in October and will offer a package from October 20 through November 18 that will give guests an opportunity to learn the basics of art while experiencing the Western authenticity of The Hermosa Inn.

The package includes two nights of deluxe accommodations in a casita, daily breakfasts and one dinner for two at Lon’s restaurant, two tickets to the forty-second Annual Cowboy Artists of America Exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, art supplies, and two hours of private art instruction for two led by artists from the Scottsdale Artist School. Guests can choose their art experience in Western drawing, watercolors, or acrylics. The instructional session includes discussion about Western art and the local art community, basic drawing techniques, color mixing and complements, creating basic composition, and use of artists’ tools. The package is $1,195 plus tax and hospitality fee.

In addition to the Western Artist package, Lon’s Restaurant is offering a specialty Cowboy Tasting menu created by renowned executive chef Michael Rusconi. The menu includes Western-inspired dishes such as West Texas red chili beef stew, trail-smoked salmon, Durham Ranch buffalo relleno, Sonoran Desert-style venison T-bone, and cast-iron bread pudding with Knob Hill whiskey caramel sauce.

For reservations and more information, call The Hermosa Inn at (602) 955-8614 or visit hermosainn.com.

Life is for laughter, says outsider artist Bobbie Friedman.

Outsider art is a genre that nearly defies genre , and includes artists who, for lack of a less elusive definition, paint for themselves, without any training or thought of the opinion of their audience. With, perhaps, the exception of Friedman. “I hope people smile when they look at my paintings,” she says.

That attitude is evident when speaking with the artist, a transplant from Maine. “I have an Eastern heart in a Western body,” she says, with a laugh. “I wanted to be a cowboy.” Her move from Maine (she describes herself as a “Maine-iac”) took her first to Detroit, and then to Chicago for eight years, before she finally settled in Arizona in 2000. She drove here with two labs and three cats to “defrost my soul and absorb the energy from the sun.”

It must have worked, because that energy manifests itself in her artwork. The first thing that strikes you about Friedman’s work is the variety of vibrant colors and shapes—colors that infuse you with energy and shapes that often defy logic. It cannot by any stretch of the imagination be classified as Southwestern art, but it does borrow the brighter hues of the land—the turquoises, teals, coppers, and clays—fusing them together with broad strokes of whimsy.

Friedman’s paintings run a wide range of shapes and subject matter. Pieces in her Puzzle Series are filled with wide swashes of deep, rich colors that would brighten any room. These fun abstracts are created in two pieces and hung a precise distance apart, thus appearing to be one painting rudely interrupted.

Other paintings present a complete change from the large shapes. Martian Indians 3 has hundreds of small lines, squiggles, and swirls in a myriad of hues. One of the most endearing of her works is Sami , a painting from a photograph of her yellow lab wearing red earrings. One can’t help but smile upon catching a glimpse of the friendly faced mutt.

Friedman comes from an artistic family. Both her parents, she says, were artsy-craftsy types, and her aunt and uncle are included in Who’s Who of American Artists. Friedman, however, was more interested in outdoor activities like polo, tennis, and skiing when she was young. It wasn’t until she bought her home in Cave Creek and looked at the bare walls that she decided to pick up a paintbrush and create her own decor. She’s been painting ever since.

Friedman also works as a physical therapist, and her work and art are melded in one particular group of paintings that depicts figures with disabilities engaged in sports activities. Friedman plans to trademark these as a set of posters. She hopes they’ll be sold at fund-raising events and used to draw awareness to the abilities rather than the disabilities of the physically challenged.

“I’d like to see the posters hanging in kids’ rooms to inspire them that people with disabilities can still do sports and be active,” she says. “There are so many servicemen coming back with disabilities, it would be neat for their kids to see they can still do things everyone else can do.”

As an outside artist, Friedman has no formal training. She says that many artists, including Picasso, felt that self-taught artists were purer in spirit and in the execution of their talent.

“Sometimes I’ll just start painting, and I’m surprised at what shows up on the canvas,” she says.

The quote on Friedman’s Web site reads, “My artistic goal is to infuse my art with images that light up a wall with whimsy.” She easily achieves that goal with her paintings, and in fact lights up a room herself, brightening a conversation just by being a part of it.

Bobbie Friedman’s work is represented by the Rosensteel Gallery in Phoenix. She also has signed, limited-edition giclée (digital inkjet fine-art) prints available. For more information, visit her Web site at bobbiefriedman.com.

By Maureen Herron

Artist Kim Klass lives the imagery she creates in her custom jewelry designs. Klass integrated the panache of L.A. and the appeal of Western cowgirl into her spirit as she moved in her early years from Southern California to Idaho, then to Nevada, and six years ago to Arizona. The glitz and glamour of over-the-top gems with historic Americana merge in Klass’s designs that range from custom diamond, ruby, or sapphire-gemstone bracelets; custom “brand” jewelry; charm necklaces; filigree cuff bracelets; ornate wedding rings; and saddle and bridle trim featuring pearl conchos.

“Designing and producing jewelry has brought much joy to my life,” Klass says. “I never tire of the constant scrollwork that embellishes every piece. I love the intricate detail. Improving and blending those nostalgic designs of the American West with classic shapes and colorful jewels is the essence of my work. This hardy, made-to-be-worn jewelry elegantly offers a passionate link with the past that can be treasured today and passed on as heirlooms to future generations.”

Klass’s work can be found at Blazing Saddles as well as in select national and international galleries and shops. She also designs a line of jewelry for Extasia, a California-based Victorian-style jewelry company.

“The traditional Western design came from Victorian scroll patterns, which are small and ornate,” Klass said. “The only difference is the size—Western designs are larger and a little more open.” The Kim Klass designs for Extasia feature brilliant colorful glass intaglios, cameos, and whimsical necklaces with a combination of key, horseshoe, star, and lock charms intermingled with pearls.

Klass produces custom work for clients, and will go to great lengths to discuss their specific needs, even traveling on occasion to the client’s home or workplace to finalize design requests and requirements.

Klass enjoys attending cutting horse events in the United States, and deals on a frequent basis with performance-horse enthusiasts. She is a member of the Arizona Cutting Horse Association and the Cave Creek Cutting Horse Association, and often meets with trade clients at the organizations’ shows.

American Beauty is an apt reference for Klass’s life and work—work that can be worn every day, evoking the spirit of Americana that is unique to each American who inspired the creation of a Kim Klass design.

Kim Klass Design is located at 51815 N. Forepaugh Peak Rd. in Wickenburg, Arizona (928) 685-4720. To view and purchase Kim Klass’s designs and contact the artist, visit kimklassdesign.com.