ARTish.org - The Sky IS Falling! Art Exhibit

The Sky IS Falling Art Exhibit

Opening Reception Thursday, June 8, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Performance at 6:00 p.m.
Free and open to all.
Exhibition dates: June 2 - August 5, 2006
Exhibition hours: Mon.- Thurs. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.; Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.;
Sat. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed Sun.
Coconino Community College Lonetree Campus - V. Philip Tullar Commons 2800 S. Lone Tree Road, Flagstaff, AZ
Information: Rachel Wilson 928-526-8485 or
Rose Moon 928-282-7730

“The Sky IS Falling” and artists have something to say about it! Thirteen well known artists from northern Arizona have banded together and created a show presenting their reactions and visual interpretations to the dangers and challenges of the post 9/11 world. It isn’t all gloom and doom --many of the works have a great deal of humor, some are interactive, some have recycled parts, but all of them are thoughtful and thought provoking . Participating artists are: Shonto Begay, Elaine Dillingham, Skip Fox, Mike Frankel, Paul Gazda, Suzanne Klotz, Debbie Leavitt, Greg Mason, Rose Moon, Alan Petersen, Sarita Southgate, Brando Welhelm, and Rachel Wilson. Storytelling starts at 6:00 p.m. at the reception. Come see the art and join the discussion about our future. Everyone is welcome!

Everyone has heard the Chicken Little story, but Sedona storyteller Marge Fallon will explain the connection to the exhibit. At 6:00 she will perform a reading of her Chicken Little fable for the 21st century. Ms. Fallon is a well-known storyteller in Sedona, having performed in schools, libraries and parties for the past eighteen years.

Though the subject matter is serious, The Sky IS Falling is not all gloom and doom. Many of the works have a great deal of humor, some are interactive, some have recycled parts, and some of them are simply outrageous. All of them are thoughtful and thought provoking. A good example is the work of Suzanne Klotz, who has put together several stitched and collaged pieces. One of them, “The Coverup Coverlet,” combines the American flag with the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme into a hybrid that is both funny and scary.

Greg Mason’s “Black Gold” is a light sculpture that doubles as functioning lamp made of 1960’s world globe, a high pressure gauge, and assorted metal parts and industrial gears. In this elegant sculpture, he conveys the message that world wide energy problems have been building over time, and the pressures are rising.

Debbie Leavitt combines four photographic works into one piece for her work, “Freedom Is On the March.” Her striking photos convey an optimistic sense that political awareness is rising.

Sarita Southgate’s collages are inspired by her warm personal memories of Middle Eastern Friends, and evoke the beauty of traditional Islamic art. Paul Gazda’s collages use an entirely different assortment of heavy weight materials to explore the interaction of concepts, ethics, language and symbols.

Rose Moon puts a new twist on the old expression that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Her vivid painting “The Committee” shows a group of elegant ladies playing and primping, entirely preoccupied with themselves, while tanks roll down the street toward them.

Several of the artists approach the post 9/11 world more abstractly, Look for Alan Petersen’s subtle, evocative colorscapes, Elaine Dillingham’s allegories, Rachel Wilson’s surreal landscapes, Shonto Begay’s beautiful brushwork and Skip Fox’s strong twisting metal.

For a complete change of pace, Mike Frankel and Elaine Dillingham offer interactive artworks that invite the viewer to play and participate in the creative process.

Viewer reactions to The Sky IS Falling will be as diverse as the viewers themselves, but hopefully everyone will go home with some new insights and food for thought. Come see the art and join the discussion about our future. Everyone is welcome!