The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and Roche Tissue Diagnostics are proud to announce Ribbons of White, an art exhibition to benefit the El Rio Health Center Foundation’s cancer treatment fund and elevate awareness of lung cancer in the U.S. The virtual show will run from November 2021 through early February 2022.
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For example, did you know that:
- Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of both men and women in the United States ¹
- Nearly 20% of all lung cancer deaths occur in people who’ve never smoked a day in their lives.²
- Early detection of high-risk lung cancer can reduce chance of death by up to 20%. ³
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This virtual show kicked off in November during Lung Cancer Awareness Month and is therefore focused on the color white—the ribbon color denoting Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Artists were invited to submit original works of their choice with the only caveat that the finished pieces be at least 50% white, to truly make a statement in honor of this important month.
During the length of the exhibition, Roche colleagues and the local community will be encouraged to donate to a special El Rio Health Center Foundation campaign, the Cancer Treatment Fund, which provides financial support to cancer patients undergoing treatment.
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“The cancer treatment fund supported by donors to El Rio Health Center Foundation, provides life-changing and in many cases life-saving diagnostics and treatment for uninsured patients diagnosed with cancer. El Rio partners with multiple hospitals and specialists who help with discounted care, which allows these donations to help more people in need,“ shared Nancy Johnson, CEO, El Rio Health.
With a mission to provide patients with integrated, comprehensive, quality care, El Rio Health is dedicated to providing health care for all people. They serve over 115,000 people across Southern Arizona. As a non-profit health center, they focus on positive outcomes, treating the whole person, with a focus on prevention. El Rio Health receives funding from many insurers, co-pays from a sliding fee scale, government grants and private donations to El Rio Health Center Foundation. This campaign will provide support for qualified, uninsured patients who are diagnosed with cancer and need further screenings and treatment. |
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Based in Oro Valley, Roche Tissue Diagnostics provides innovative cancer tests, instruments and digitally integrated pathologist workflow, impacting nearly 27 million patients each year. With a Roche vision of doing now what patients need next, disease awareness is top of mind. Take a moment to read one patient's ongoing journey with ALK-positive lung cancer here.
Artwork will be featured at the Roche Tissue Diagnostics Ventana Gallery in Oro Valley, AZ, from November 2021 through February 2022. Although the Gallery will not be open to the public for viewing at the moment, the exhibition will be accessible in an interactive virtual gallery format at www.saaca.org for the exhibition's duration.
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2021 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
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Sheryl A Hester
www.sherylhester.blogspot.com Multiple award-winning artist and photographer who draws inspiration from nature's beauty. Geri Acosta www.geriacosta.com Geri's work has been called "Passionate and colorful". She describes it as impressionistic-expressionistic interpretations of portraits, landscapes, figures, and still-lives expressed on canvas with brush or palette knife via oil or acrylic paints. She endeavors to give subjects meaning that surpasses their reality. Lisa Agababian www.FuchsiaDesigns.com Sara Al Dabbagh https://www.instagram.com/artist.sakalda/ Sara is a native Tucsonan artist who specializes in 2D art pieces. Her artistic journey began following a traumatic car accident that transformed her perspective on the world. She enjoys creating works that hold an integral meaning to her identity and personal experiences. Sara's goal is to connect with her audience through her artwork. Timothy Arand-McIlrath Facebook.com/ArtguyProductions Mixed media artist combining fiber, kiln-formed glass and wood as media. The inspiration comes from the world around me, having been a lifelong Midwesterner and a Professor of Design/Fiber art at Iowa State University. Transplanted to Tucson for almost 5 yrs., and constantly amazed by the colors, textures, patterns, and light/shadow of the desert. Kathleen Arthur www.karthurart.com Kathleen Arthur is a professional studio artist. She creates canvas paintings with acrylics and occasionally mixed media. She uniquely assigns each painting a short description of her thought process surrounding the work. Kathleen is married to Dr. Andrew Arthur, who practices at El Rio Health. Bill Baker www.bbakerphoto.com Bill began doing photography while living in Navajo land near Teec Nos Pos, AZ, having been profoundly affected by the visual sense of timeliness the environment evoked and wanted to create images to share that feeling. After exhibiting around the Four Corners, he moved to Tucson and found the Sonoran Desert and urban architecture as subject matter for both exhibition and publication. Most recently, his photography is of the simple, ordinary objects and places, but in ways that hopefully cause the observer to begin looking at the world around them more closely and with fresh eyes. Linda Bennett http://lynaz.tripod.com Linda M. Bennett loves to do photography, drawing, and painting. She has done photoshoots for Christmas and other occasions and did candid photos for a wedding. She has done drawings for an actor, family, and friends and has had multiple works in a gallery with SAACA. Sue Bergman Sue Bergman embraced photography once it became digital. Using a Nikon SLR or her cellphone, she takes special pleasure in capturing subtlety. Sue's work has been shown at Arizona Fairs and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum." Judy Björling www.Bjorlingstudios.com My work is abstract. It exists in that colorful, many-layered, but shallow space that lies just beyond realism. It attempts to allow the mind to play and to blur the distinction between what we know and what we feel, capturing an essential mood or feeling. Joe Bourne www.joebourne.com Originally from Cambridge, Mass. Oro Valley Resident Joe Bourne is a Jazz and popular music vocalist. Since the early nineties, he has added painting to his repertoire. He derives his inspiration from the forms and rhythms of deserts, mountains, big skies, and canyons and rotates between the Acrylic and Encaustic mediums (Painting with Bees Wax). Joe's artwork is exhibited at Absolutely Art Gallery, Que Bonita, and the Flying Leap Wine Tasting Room. Sandra Brittain www.FineArtbySandyBrittain.com Sandy enjoys the freedom of experimental work using collage, acrylics, pastels and/or watercolor to express her journey of discovery. Andres Cubillos I am recently graduated from Florida International University (FIU) BA in Arts. My main interest right now is black and white landscape photography of Arizona mountains. When I first came to Arizona last year, I saw these majestic mountains and said out loud: The walls of a castle. I like sketching and also, I am a computer animator. Marilynn Davis https://saddlebrookefinearts.org/artists-2/marilynn-davis/ After receiving degrees in art, Marliynn Davis, taught art for 13 years in Chicago suburban schools. Later a move to interior design created an interest in Japanese art and design. The use of negative space became an underlying aesthetic in her work. The desire to engage the viewer on a personal level is the goal of the artist, and the gestural aspects of drawing and the use of expressive lines are always present in her work. Christina Dentel www.lebrazen.com Christina is a self-taught artist who left her coding job to pursue art full-time with her business partner at Le Brazen Arts Education & Studios. Paint pouring, abstract art, and sculpture are her passions. She gets inspiration from natural elements such as landscapes and botanicals. Paint pouring is enjoyable as the final product is always a surprise dependent on the interaction of the pigments with each other. Tanja Eltze www.moca23.com Tanja Caterina Eltze is a German abstract artist living and working in Oro Valley whose love for modernism and minimalism show in many of her works. In Germany, she developed an appreciation for modern architecture and interior design and sees art as an integral part of an overall design concept. In 2015 Eltze turned her passion for art and design into her profession and is creating modern, commissioned artworks for her clients, aiming to improve their living or working environment. Tanja Eltze works mainly in acrylics and likes to experiment with non-traditional material to create new and often surprising art pieces. Kathleen Farmer http://kjfarmerfineart.com Kathleen Farmer paints predominantly in acrylic on canvas with textures. Her style is abstract impressions of desert and mountain landscapes. The Tucson area, with its mountainous and saguaro landscape, presents many opportunities to paint this style. Erica Freese www.ebfreese.etsy.com I ended up in Tucson, Arizona, five years ago and fell in love. I have found the desert to be rich in animals, plants, and community. There are many patterns, and designs found all throughout nature that I try to highlight and add to. I find drawing in such detail to be highly meditative and love to share my work for others to enjoy. Rebecca Ganz www.CoachRGanz.com Rebecca has been creating art since she was 5, but didn't devote time to paint until a good friend/artist mentor encouraged her to paint in 2005. Since then, she has explored the expression of life's magic through an impressionistic approach using acrylic, watercolor, oil and mixed media. In addition, she has had the opportunity to study under established artists both locally and abroad. Rebecca is a member of SAWG, NCS and Paperworks. This has opened great opportunities to share her joy with those who have purchased her works. Rebecca currently resides in Tucson, AZ with her husband, Bill Ganz and 12-year old dog, Redford. Luis Garcia www.borderphotographyservices.com Alisa Garvey The artist has engaged in drawing/painting for most of her life while working in accounting and legal professions. She is now exhibiting to the public. Susie Gillatt www.susiegillatt.com Susie Gillatt is inspired by nature and captivated by light. She is a photographer who also likes to create using watercolors. Sometimes she combines these and other mediums. She lives in Tucson, Arizona and in Durango, Colorado. David Griffin Re-awakened to photograph in 2008, David began his photographic journey by documenting places he traveled to to keep friends and family updated on his life as a 'nomad'. Over time he gradually migrated to images of people and landscapes, both rural and urban. While still an amateur photographer his work has been included in juried exhibits at Tohono Chul, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and the Arizona State Fair, where he currently was awarded 'Best in Show' for amateur Harrie Handler www.artbyharrie.com After receiving a bachelor of fine arts degree in art education and photography from the University of Arizona, Harrie began teaching high school photography for seven years in the Tucson Unified School District during the day, and Art for Personal Development at night for Pima Community College. Her teaching continued for 21 years, teaching photography and home arts in TUSD middle school. After retirement, she was contracted to lead two commercial interior design projects, and then concentrate on her painting which is now her preferred art form. While her original emphasis was oil painting, she currently paints mostly in acrylic. Inktuce www.etsy.com/shop/inktuce Inktuce is a Tucson-based artist and creator of unique, colorful characters. They dabble in many different mediums, including oil and acrylic painting, digital illustration, collage, and block printing. Inktuce may be your neighbor, or even your closest friend. Pamela Higby @phigby_eclecticart A Pennsylvania native, Pamela moved to Arizona in 2019 and became a member of the Southern Arizona Arts Guild (SAAG) to continue to pursue her passion for art. A graphic designer turned photographer/painter, she creates eclectic works of art by intertwining bold, shapes and colors with the softer influences of the natural world. Pamela is excited to hike and explore the desert for more inspiration. Amanda Higgins Amanda is a scientist by day and an artist by all other times. Proof that logic and whimsy can hold hands. She spends too much time starting projects and not enough time finishing them, but has fun anyways. |
Jesse Hinson
Jesse is a Tucson, Arizona-based printmaker and craftsperson who is currently pursuing her MFA at the University of Arizona. Originally from rural North Carolina, she studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute before returning home to complete her degree at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. You can find her eating chicken wings and vacuuming dog hair when she is not in the studio. JoAnne Hungate www.artbyjoanne.com JoAnne has focused on art for most of her 80 plus years, producing art for classrooms and school papers and programs when in high school, exploring opportunities through college and with private workshops. Her colorful paintings are in homes, hospitals, offices in many places here and overseas. Her eye never stops watching for good design, color, that special mood or face that she wants to capture in a painting. Darlene Kryza Darlene Kryza is a visual artist living in the southwest and schooled in the midwest earning both a Bachelors and Masters of Fine Art. Although she no longer shows her work regularly, she loves the creative process and developed these pieces specifically for this exhibition. Typically her work is multilayered and reminiscent of altars, retablos and shrines that give reverence to her subjects. Jo Kubran www.Jokubran.com She earned a BFA degree in Graphic Design/Advertising at The Academy of Art University, San Francisco, and for 15 years worked as a designer at various design studios, an advertising agency, and in retail advertising in San Francisco while also studying photography under the tutelage of photographer Rod Dresser, a former assistant to Ansel Adams. Laura Madden https://shop.iamlauramadden.com/ Laura Madden advocates for fashion, art, philanthropy and sustainability through her work as an abstract artist. In August 2019, Laura decided to brand her art and start sharing it publicly as Refashioned Art; it is abstract, modern, sustainable and stylish. Laura uses found objects that would otherwise end up in landfill as means to create a narrative around sustainability, beauty and the impact waste is having on our planet. Rebecca Manchester www.rebeccamanchester.com Rebecca is inspired by the amazing desert landscape and wide open skies here in Tucson and the surrounding Sonoran Desert. She's always drawn and primarily used pen and ink, but after moving to Tucson, she's focusing on honing her skills painting with acrylics. Casonti McClure www.casonti.squarespace.com Casonti looks for the flow and movement of color in her paintings. She is most comfortable with the abstract form, letting the color flow through the space to create dimension and depth. Her intention is to create a mood or emotional response to the image, drawing the viewer in and allowing them to find something new each time they look at the painting. Emely McConkey www.EmelyMcConkey.com Born and raised until the age of 6 in Cuba, Emely spent much of her early life exploring and relishing the outdoors. Winning first prize in the school science fair in 7th grade was a defining event for her, adding a love of science. Her pursuit in science (MS 1984) honed her powers of observation, also a curiosity in the why and how of things, which today extends to her art practice. Learning, and experimentation with new techniques result in her art ever-evolving with time. She has been painting full time since 2012 and is self-taught. Currently she is exploring layers, translucency and hidden images in oil and cold wax." Fawn Medesha https://fmedesha.wixsite.com/fawnmedesha Fawn Medesha is a painter, photographer and 3D printing artist in Tempe, Arizona. She is Founder and CEO of It's 3D Now! a company that gives mobility to disabled humans and animals. Since she was a child, she has been drawing and painting looking for things to keep busy during the long winters in Fairbanks, Alaska. As part of her third act she is returning to art. She has won a variety of art and photography competitions. This painting reflects the progression of white Fawn and her pups experienced through the loss of her husband Doug to lung cancer. FootZ is white faced now so she chose her to be the pup in the painting. Angela Puffer www.angelapuffer.com Angela's work is an echo of shapes and patterns that she observes in nature. She studied at Savannah College of Art and Design and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award in Graphic Design her Sophomore year. She has had work on display at Dinnerware Artspace and Tohono Chul Park. She resides in Marana, AZ with her husband of 29 years, Chris. Peggy Rubin www.Peggyrubinart.com I specialize in large abstract paintings built from layers of acrylic paints, handmade papers, and found objects. My objective is to inspire an emotional reaction from the viewer beyond realism to a fantasy of wonder and delight. I am a member of CASA ( Contemporary Artists of Southern Arizona), SAAG ( Southern Arizona Arts Guild) and Fine Art America. My work can be seen in the SAAG Gallery in . Tucson, Blink art resource magazine, ADC Gallery in Cincinnati, and in residences and institutions throughout the country. Dee Ruff www.BlackCatMosaics.com Dee Ruff has had a rich and much-varied background (Psychology, Social Work, Massage, Needlepoint, Gardening) that since 2012 has culminated in a study of mosaics, one of the most ancient and durable forms of art. Dee has developed her own artistic voice through intensive self-study and professional studies with internationally renowned mosaic artists. Inspired by nature, Dee creates modern-day alchemy in each of her four styles of mosaic and mixed media art (Illuminated Shards, Travertine, Patinas, and Color Fields), and her available artworks can be purchased at BlackCatMosaics.com. Alicia Schilder www.alicia-art.com Color, texture, collage, oil and acrylic mediums inspire the artist to play and create. She uses kitchen tools, scrapers, spatulas, cardboard, credit cards, and just about anything she can find to spread paint and sculpting mediums on a variety of surfaces. This creativity has come later in her life and so she creates with a passion and awareness of the passage of time. Barb Simcoe Simcoe Studios on Facebook, Barb Simcoe on Instagram Barb Simcoe was born and raised in Corning, NY and received a degree in Art Education from SUNY, New Paltz. She moved West after college and spent many years in California before settling in Arizona; she continued to paint throughout her career in Workforce Development. Barb was diagnosed with lung cancer last year and after surgery and typical treatments of radiation and chemo, she was placed on an immunology-related drug, which is currently working well. She continues to paint and this entry is particularly poignant for her. Vicky Stromee www.VickyStromeePhotography.com Vicky Stromee is a fine art photographer based in Tucson, Arizona. Her fascination with photography began at an early age with her first Brownie camera at age 8. Watching the magic of an image emerge from the developing tray in her dad's darkroom; spending afternoons with her mom, lying under the baby grand piano with waves of sound resonating around and through her; texture, pattern, fluidity, and change - these are her earliest influences and they continue to unfold in her work. Vicky's work hangs in galleries, as well as in private and corporate collections throughout the US. Lisa Suarez Lisa's photography captures the whimsical and the ephemeral in nature and other settings. In addition to traditional photographic art, she has created a line of puzzles for all ages. Her work can be viewed at the Southern Arizona Artists' Guild Gallery in the La Encantada Mall in Tucson. Gavin Troy @gavinhughtroy Gavin Hugh Troy graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Fine Arts in 1995. The adventure began from that point,consistently making and showing paintings in coffee shops, restaurants, and wherever he can share and show the work. In 1998 Gavin moved to Tucson, where he currently lives and works with love. Rob Waters www.robwatersfineart.com Education: Pt, Loma Nazarene College and Art Center College of Design. Rob is a Southern California native, now living in Tucson, AZ....with several stops between. Rob has been drawing since childhood and painting since art school days and participated in drawing groups, such as The Art Student's League, NYC; the Palette and Chisel, Chicago; the Drawing Studio in Tucson, AZ. Rob's work is privately collected across the country. Rob Waters is also an award-winning, Graphic Designer in Marketing/Promotions. Rebecca Wilkinson www.rebeccawilkinson.com Rebecca Wilkinson is an Artist and Art Therapist who uses creativity and the art process to help herself and others cope best with life's challenges and see ourselves, others, and the world more appreciatively. Rebecca is the author and illustrator of The Desert Mandalas Coloring Book and the textbook Positive Art Therapy in Theory and Practice: Integrating Positive Psychology with Art Therapy. She lives on a patch of Tucson desert with her husband and some cats. Nan Wollman www.wollmanstudios.com Ms. Wollman has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from The University of the Arts, Philadelphia College of Art and a Masters of Fine Arts in sculpture from The University of Texas at San Antonio. She has exhibited and won honors for her work in the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand. She has been exhibiting and won honors for her work in the U.S., and abroad for a really long time. Dennis Wunsch www.denniswunsch.com Dennis Wunsch is an award-winning illustrator and painter whose career began drawing Scooby-Doo and Super Friends cartoons for Hanna-Barbera. He then spent over three decades as art director, creative director, and illustrator at advertising and publishing firms, where he continually developed his own artistic skills. Dennis lives and works just outside Tucson, Arizona with his wife and not so small family of rescued dogs and cats. He is also a volunteer for several local animal rescues. |