Landscape remains one of the most popular subjects for artists visiting and residing in Arizona. Philip C. Curtis, while not known as a landscape painter, draws extensively on that subject. Curtis came to the state in 1937 to establish the Phoenix Federal Art Center under the Federal Art Project, a New Deal program. He left two years later to head a similar facility in Des Moines, Iowa, but returned to Arizona in 1947. Settling in Scottsdale, he painted surreal compositions, with figures in Victorian costumes set in the desert. Arizona’s landscapes were a rich source of inspiration for him, and while his canvases do not portray any recognizable geological features, his work may be contextualized within the work of a broad spectrum of artists who came to the state. Curtis saw the desert through a lens of magic realism. This differed from Maxfield Parrish, Eugene Berman, and other artists who preferred more representational modes.

Spurred by the artists from the North East who comprised the Hudson River School, landscape painting was one of the most popular subjects in nineteenth-centuryAmerica. Pushed ever westward by expansionist notions of Manifest Destiny, a belief that such territorial expansion was inevitable and pre-ordained. Painters were also part of government initiatives to survey the vast region, particularly in regards to potential railroad routes and to learn about the indigenous populations they encountered. 

Various locations around Scottsdale.

Squidsoup returns to SMoCA with a site-specific artwork that uses a networked data system to connect hundreds of lights and audio sources, creating a responsive data swarm. During the daytime Murmuration offers a harmonious auditory experience. When the sun goes down, a dynamic audiovisual experience swirls around the Museum like its namesake-a term for a flock of starlings whirling in unison through the sky.

Reception and Performance in the Piper Repertory Theater.

With her consistently striking and dynamic performances, pianist Natasha Paremski reveals astounding virtuosity and voracious interpretive abilities. She continues to generate excitement from all corners of the world as she wins over audiences with her musical sensibility and powerful, flawless technique.

• Don’t miss one of the most beloved classical melodies of all time from the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, which the composer himself declared to be one of his best works.
• Phoenix Symphony Concertmaster Steven Moeckel shines on Walton’s Violin Concerto, contrasting agitated and jagged passages with warm and romantic melodies.
• Tucson Symphony Music Director José Luis Gomez opens this concert with Margariteña by Inocente Carreño, a landmark work of musical nationalism for his home country, Venezuela.
• Music historian Robert Greenberg will join Tito Muñoz and the orchestra to provide additional context to this program.