Health care system one of 496 nationwide to receive coveted designation for fourth consecutive year
PHOENIX (March 28, 2022) – For the fourth consecutive year, Valleywise Health has been named an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization.
Valleywise Health was the first hospital in Maricopa County to participate in HRC’s 15th anniversary edition of the annual Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) and is one of only three hospitals in Arizona to receive a perfect score of 100. HEI has given the health system a perfect score the last three-years because of their commitment to providing discrimination protections and high-quality care to LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees.
The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:
· Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care;
· LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support;
· Employee Benefits and Policies; and,
· Patient and Community Engagement.
“We’re proud to be recognized for culturally competent care and for our commitment to provide equitable access to exceptional care, without exception, every patient, every time,” says Steve Purves, President and CEO of Valleywise Health. “As a major center of teaching, we have a special role in advancing care equity by training future health care providers and staff to offer competent, sensitive care to LGBTQ+ patients and their families while also ensuring our employees feel that same sense of inclusion.”
Created in April 2021, the Valleywise Health LGBTQ+ Rainbow Warriors’ Employee Resource Group spearheaded the HEI recertification efforts. Beyond that process, the ERG has activated internally to expand awareness and education, take part in community events, and orchestrate inclusive social gatherings for LGBTQ+ and allied staff. The HEI accreditation process was accomplished through dedicated workgroups focused on processes, protocols, and policies to increase the welcoming environment for all patients at Valleywise Health.
Key initiatives launched in the last year include Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Inclusion (SOGII) in medical records and processes, championing the use of pronouns throughout Valleywise Health, and making strategic changes in EPIC and with vendors to honor the identities of patients in a respectful, affirming manner. Other activities include fundraising for the AIDS Walk AZ & 5k Run, Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, and honoring the International Transgender Day of Visibility.
“Receiving this recognition further validates the importance of creating an inclusive environment within the walls of Valleywise Health, but in all we do externally in the community,” says Manuel Soto-Griego, Health Information Management Director at Valleywise Health.
Valleywise Health has a long and respected reputation for providing care to LGBTQ+ patients through Valleywise Community Health Center – McDowell, a specialty clinic providing primary care services for HIV positive patients, HIV prevention through PrEP and transgender hormonal therapy. This care has now expanded to its location in Mesa, but overall treat about 4,000 patients per year, with roughly 65% self-identifying as LGBTQ.
Located in Phoenix, Arizona and named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation by IBM Watson Health in 2020, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System) has a proud tradition of being the community safety net health care system with a mission and commitment to serving the underserved. Valleywise Health consists of Valleywise Health Medical Center, Arizona’s only public teaching hospital, Level 1 trauma center with ability to treat adults and children and Arizona’s only nationally verified Burn Center serving the entire Southwestern United States. Other services include primary HIV care at the McDowell and Peoria health centers, the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic, three behavioral health centers, and 11 community health centers. To learn more, please visit www.ValleywiseHealth.org
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Action Alert: two anti-trans bills passed the House of Representatives today and are headed to the Governor
Today, both SB 1138 and SB 1165 passed through Arizona’s House of Representatives, and will be headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law or vetoed. This is a pivotal moment for trans rights in Arizona. SB 1138 creates a governmental authority to override standards of care decided by medical experts and to restrict gender-affirming care for trans youth. SB 1165 rewrites school athletics policy for the entire state, from kindergarten through college, simply to keep trans girls from playing sports with their friends. These bills are hostile and discriminatory, and must be stopped.
What You Can Do Today
Write to Governor Ducey asking him to join Republican leaders from Utah and Indiana in vetoing anti-trans legislation. It only takes a few seconds to send a letter with our online advocacy form, and it’s important to let him know what kind of leader Arizona needs him to be.
Record a short video asking Governor Ducey to veto SB 1138 and SB 1165.
Post your video on social media and tag @equalityarizona on Instagram or Twitter.
Use the hashtags #GovernorDucey #VetoSB1138 #VetoSB1165 and #ProtectTransKids so that we can amplify your voice!
Why These Bills Are Wrong for Arizona
By crafting state law to restrict the medical care of a specific population, SB 1138 would set a dangerous precedent. Standards of care evolve, and should be decided by experts, not the legislature. Codifying today’s standards of care could mean that, as transgender health care improves over time, doctors are kept from following standards of care and put at odds with their industry boards. This bill is unnecessary, unjustified, and comes at a time when many families worry that the decisions they make with teams of doctors and psychologists to support their children could place them in legal jeopardy.
Like SB 1138, the student athlete ban SB 1165 discriminates against a very small minority. In the past five years, only 16 trans students (both boys and girls) have appealed to play in high school sports in Arizona under the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s inclusive policy, out of over 170,000 total student athletes in our high schools. We already have a policy to ensure fairness for all students when trans kids ask to participate in sports, and that policy is working. Rewriting sports policy at a state level to ban a very small number of girls from sports is unjustified and would have drastic unintended consequences for all girls. The strict standards of scrutiny for gender in SB 1165 will make it harder for tomboyish girls to feel comfortable joining a team, or for a tall girl to feel like she could play basketball or volleyball without unfair suspicion, and will contribute to a culture of bullying and invasive accusations.
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Southern Arizona Senior Pride’s mission is to celebrate, support, and unite LGBTQI+ older adults. We recognize and respond to the unique concerns of our community by delivering social and support programming in three areas: (1) social & learning; (2) health & wellbeing; (3) arts & culture. We vet and share LGBTQI+ welcoming resources and increase awareness of aging issues in the LGBTQI+ community. Through advocacy and advisory participation with other organizations and projects, we shine a light on the needs of our traditionally invisible demographic. Founded as a program of Wingspan Community Center in 2002, Senior Pride became independent and volunteer-run with SAAF as a fiscal sponsor in 2014 when Wingspan closed. We have maintained past services and expanded our mission for seven years. Our 45+ dedicated volunteers moved the organization steadily forward enabling Senior Pride to become an independent 501(c)3 non-profit with paid staff positions on January 1, 2022.
Godat Award Recipient
Scott Blades (he/him/él) is the Executive Director and founder of the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN), the largest privately-funded and volunteer-driven AIDS service organization in the state of Arizona which this year commemorates 28 years of serving the community. Scott is passionate about engaging people to improve our community. He is a champion of social justice, equality, and inclusion for persons who are LGBTQ+ and persons who are living with and affected by HIV. Recognitions include the William S. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award from Equality Arizona (2014), the United Methodist Global AIDS Leadership Award (2016), and Community Leader of the Year from the Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce (2018).
Dr. Jean Baker Community Ally Award Recipient
Dr. Kay Bauman has dedicated her career to health care delivery to minority and underserved populations. In the early 1980’s she was the first Tucson physician to move past heterosexual presumption and provide a safe medical resource for the LGBTQ community. Her work put her at the forefront of the HIV epidemic in Tucson in its earliest days. She was on the Governor’s Task Force on AIDS and a member of the Board of Directors of the Tucson AIDS Project.
Richard Elías Public Servant Award Recipient
Karin Uhlich served as an out and proud LGBTQI+ member of the Tucson City Council from 2005-2017 and in 2021, and as Vice-Mayor of Tucson for two years. She moved to Tucson in 1993 to serve as the CEO of the Primavera Foundation, a nonprofit organization addressing poverty and homelessness. From 2002 to 2014, she served as the founding Director of the SW Center for Economic Integrity, an economic justice advocacy organization that targets exploitative commerce such as payday lending and day labor brokering. She has served on local nonprofit Boards of Directors including the Community Food Bank of Southern AZ, the Brewster Center Against Domestic Violence, and the LGBTQI+ Alliance Fund. Karin joined Arizona Complete Health in 2015 to lead their Medicaid work on housing and homelessness. She now serves as the Director of the Social Determinants and Health Equity team.
We hope that you will be able to join us in celebrating our honorees at this year’s Out Brunch on Saturday, April 23rd, 2022. Tickets are currently on sale get your tickets now and show your support for the LGBTQ+ community!
Who: Food & drink, and lifestyle reporters, and community members interested in supporting one-n-ten.
What: Postino Wine Cult, Postino WineCafe’s recently launched a counter culture wine club, is joining forces with State Bicycle Co. to support local nonprofit, one-n-ten, by hosting a Pride Ride and raffle to benefit one-n-ten, a local non-profit that supports Arizona’s LGBTQ+ youth. The Pride Ride will begin at the Postino Central parking lot (5144 N. Central Ave) on Sunday, April 10 at 8:30 am. Registration starts at 8:00 am and costs $35. For every ticket sold, Postino will make an additional $35 donation. 100% of ticket sales will benefit one-n-ten. Attendees can sign up here.
For those who can’t make it to the ride, raffle tickets are also available March 18 through April 10, 2022, every $1 donation to the fundraiser page will count as a raffle entry. 100% of donations benefit one-n-ten, and there is no limit to the number of donations/raffle entries. The winner of the Pride Raffle will receive a bike from State Bike Company (up to a $400 value) and a Brunch & Wine Tasting Experience at Postino (valued at $300). For more information and to donate, click here.
“Postino strives to make every individual that walks through our doors feel good,” said Colin L.V Reeves, Guest Engagement Manager. “We are excited to partner with State Bicycle Co. and invite the community to join us for an event that gets people outside and moving in the beautiful Arizona weather while also supporting one-n-ten.”
One-n-ten’s mission is to serve LGBTQ+ youth and young adults ranging in age from 11-24. Through its efforts, one-n-ten changes lives by providing empowering social and service programs that promote self-expression, self-acceptance, leadership development, and healthy life choices. The organization’s focus this year is to create safe spaces and resources in smaller communities that lack LGBTQ+ resources. One-n-ten strives to expand their POND Housing Program which offers services to help LGBTQ+ youth with rent, budgeting, education and job hunting.
The Valley’s original local wine café, Postino began 20 years ago with a vision and some homegrown determination. After renovating the historic Arcadia Post Office Building, the partners built a foundation with unique, approachable wines; simple, delicious food prepared with local ingredients; and a warm, edgy culture that brings everyone together. Today, Postino continues this tradition with twenty unique locations, each set in historically relevant buildings integral to the neighborhoods that surround them.
About Postino Wine Cult
Postino Wine Cult, the first-ever subscription-based wine club created by the team behind Postino WineCafe, invites you to capture the spirit of enjoying the Wine Cult on a picnic, hike or even a bike ride. Launching on April 11 with their second box of wines, this quarter’s theme is to get outside and enjoy everything that Arizona has to offer. When signing up, members will receive a stylish box filled with four guaranteed-great wines, four times per year for only $60 per quarter (or save with a $220 annual subscription). Postino Wine Culties will also receive exclusive perks and monthly hookups, including a sign-up gift of a branded Wine Cult tote filled with stickers, and their choice of a complimentary bottle from Postino’s regular menu. Additionally, they will get 20% off bottles to-go, exclusive access to small batch wines, and first tastes of the new seasonal By The Glass wines. https://www.instagram.com/postinowinecult/ | For more info and to sign up, visit postinowinecult.com
For media inquiries please contact MMPR Marketing 602-264-2655
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19th Annual Downtown Phoenix Festival is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
PHOENIX — The 19th AnnualRainbows Festival, Arizona’s second-largest annual LGBTQ event, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 30-May 1, 2022 at the Heritage Square Historic District in downtown Phoenix. The festival will be open on both days from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. It is produced by Phoenix Pride and presented by Embry Health.
This will mark the Rainbows Festival’s return from a two-and-a-half-year pandemic-induced hiatus. The last was held in November of 2019.
As in years past, the two-day outdoor event will be FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and FAMILY AND PET FRIENDLY, and will include hundreds of booths from local businesses, activities, food, two stages of live entertainment and more.
Comprising more than three-and-a-half acres (approximately 155,000 square feet) of fun for the whole family, the Rainbows Festival is expected to draw more than 20,000 guests over its two-day run. Headliners on the Festival’s Bud Light® Main Stage will include American Idol and Queen of the Universe finalist Ada Vox on Saturday, April 30; and Canadian Hot 100 singer-songwriter Mia Martina, on Sunday, May 1. In addition to the headliners and other Main Stage performers, the event will feature a full lineup of live entertainment throughout both days, on the Nissan Community Stage.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time to bring the Rainbows Festival back to the Greater Phoenix community, and after two-and-a-half years, it is finally in sight,” Phoenix Pride Executive Director Mike Fornelli commented. “As the second largest annual LGBTQ community event in Arizona, the Rainbows Festival is a vital connection point for our community, but also a chance to welcome and spend quality time with friends, family, neighbors, allies and the community as a whole. We’re excited to be back and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Heritage Square for the event of the Spring!”
“After waiting more than two years to reunite our community at the Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade this past November, we were reminded firsthand of how important it is to have safe spaces where we can come together and celebrate our culture. The Rainbows Festival will give us another sorely needed opportunity to do just that,” President of the Phoenix Pride Board of Directors Tait Moline added. “Building on the incredible success of our fall events, we are expecting a phenomenal turnout for Rainbows, and, as always, everyone is invited to join us for a fantastic weekend of fun, food, music and inclusion.”
For more information on the 2022 Rainbows Festival, including detailed event, parking and accessibility information, the public is encouraged to visit http://phoenixpride.org/events/rainbows-festival.
The 19th Annual Rainbows Festival is a production of Phoenix Pride, which has helmed the event since 2012. The Rainbows Festival in Phoenix originated in 2002.
Embry Health is the overall presenter of the 2022 Rainbows Festival. They are joined by supporting partners, including Bud Light®, Nissan Motor Corporation and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
ABOUT PHOENIX PRIDE
Phoenix Pride is the producer of the two largest annual public LGBTQ+ community events in Arizona: the Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade, and the Rainbows Festival. Founded in 1981, the organization engages year-round in its mission to unite, educate and engage people to support and empower the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Additional information regarding Phoenix Pride is available online at the agency’s website, http://www.phoenixpride.org.
ADVANCE AND SAME DAY COVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES
IN CONNECTION WITH THE 19TH ANNUAL RAINBOWS FESTIVAL ARE AVAILABLE,
BY CONTACTING JEREMY HELFGOT, BY PHONE AT 310-413-3360,
FEMME HOUSE –THE NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM THAT SEEKS TO CREATE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND OTHER MARGINALIZED GENDER EXPRESSIONS IN THE TECHNICAL AREAS OF MUSIC CREATION– ANNOUNCES THE ‘FEMME HOUSE TAKEOVER TOUR’
Michael Feinstein will commemorate Judy Garland’s life on March 20 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Photo courtesy of Michael Feinstein.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Legendary performer Michael Feinstein will salute the great Judy Garland and celebrate her 100th birthday at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on March 20.
Audiences are invited to join a nostalgic and spectacular musical exploration of Garland’s illustrious career. Executive produced by Liza Minnelli, this performance will be packed with special surprise moments as Feinstein honors Garland’s unparalleled talent and charisma.
This brand-new multimedia show features big screen film clips, never-before-seen photos, rare audio recordings, great music and good humor. Feinstein will lead you on a historical journey through Garland’s amazing life, telling stories he learned from Minnelli — Garland’s daughter — and from the legend’s close friends.
Audiences will be treated to recently discovered and previously unheard musical arrangements while gaining rare insight into the enduring Garland mystique.
“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate the iconic Judy Garland on her 100th birthday, especially knowing the authenticity and love that went into this project with her daughter Liza Minnelli as the executive producer,” said Abbey Messmer, programming director at the center. “With the Ambassador of the American Songbook leading this journey, it’s certain that we’ll feel Judy’s spirit when we hear songs like ‘Get Happy’ and ‘Come Rain or Come Shine.’”
Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last three decades, bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. From his multi-platinum-selling recordings that have earned him five Grammy nominations to his Emmy-nominated PBS television specials, his acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe.
His live performances, film and television appearances, and 35 albums — including the upcoming release of “Gershwin Country,” featuring duets with country superstars like Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss and more — have made Feinstein an all-star force in American music.
Valley audience members can join Feinstein for this celebration of Judy Garland at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, Arizona. There will be two concerts at 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 20. Tickets start at $79. For information, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org/events or call 480-499-TKTS (8587).
All guests age 12 and older must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test, taken within 72 hours of the performance date, along with photo ID, to attend performances. As an alternative, guests may provide proof of full vaccination. Masks are highly encouraged to protect artists, staff and patrons. For full health and safety protocols, visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org/covid-19-response.
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Marking 20 years of progress through the Corporate Equality Index, a record 842 companies achieved a top-score for LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace policies
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, released its 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which is celebrating 20 years of being the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring company policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. This year, a record-breaking 842 businesses employing 14.3 million workers earned the CEI’s top score of 100, up from only 13 in its inaugural year—demonstrating the incredible impact the CEI has had on the business world over its 20-year life.
Throughout the CEI’s two decade history, new criteria have been periodically introduced to ensure more robust, inclusive policies for LGBTQ+ workers—this year marks the next chapter in the tool’s evolution. HRC Foundation’s newly created CEI criteria will focus on expanding gender-affirming healthcare and workplace policies, ensuring equality in LGBTQ+ family formation benefit offerings, centering LGBTQ+ intersectionality through training and data collection best practices, and more—setting a new standard for LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace.
When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers—from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns—could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically.We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again and ensuring our ‘Best Places to Work’ label continues to be the gold standard. Evolving the CEI’s criteria to mirror society is imperative to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere.”
Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training
The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2022 CEI now includes 1,271 participants; further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,268 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 40.7 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe.
Other key findings revealed in the 2022 CEI include:
379 of Fortune 500 businesses have official CEI ratings based on submitted surveys, as compared to 366 last year—with actively participating Fortune 500 companies having an average score of 94 percent, up from 92 last year.
71 percent of the Fortune 500 and 91 percent of all CEI-rated businesses offer transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage, up from 0 in 2002, and 14 times as many businesses as ten years ago.
56 percent of the Fortune 500 and 77 percent of all CEI-rated companies offer comprehensive domestic partnership benefits, up from 69 percent of companies in 2002, which at that time only required same-sex partner benefits.
The CEI criteria are reviewed annually and are periodically updated, this year HRC Foundation is releasing several criteria changes that will go into effect for the 2023 CEI. The new criterion is outlined below:
The minimum requirements for transgender-inclusive healthcare policies have been increased.
A new category has been created centering on family formation that works to ensure equitable access to family benefits for same and different sex legal spouses and domestic partners.
An ease of access to benefits information is now required for transgender healthcare benefits, family formation and HIV/AIDS health benefits coverage.
At least one employee training integrating concepts of intersectionality will be required.
Employers will be required to implement at least one self-ID data collection practice—for example, confidential surveys, human resource systems, or a mechanism for board members to self-ID.
Gender transition guidelines are required as well as implementing at least one additional transgender-inclusion best practices, such as gender-neutral restrooms and inclusive dress codes.
The 2022 CEI criteria are its 5th iteration and fall under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies across business entities; equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) will show an eclectic mix of exhibitions in 2022, including, clockwise from top left, “Brad Kahlhamer: Swap Meet,” “Teresa Baker: Capturing Space,” “Beverly McIver: Full Circle,” and “Phillip K. Smith III: Mirrorworks.”
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – Artists Beverly McIver and Brad Kahlhamer will be featured in new exhibitions this spring at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) with other exhibitions scheduled throughout 2022.
“Beverly McIver: Full Circle,” a survey show of more than 70 works that captures the arc and continued ascent of the contemporary artist, will open to the public on Feb. 12. And opening on Feb. 26, “Brad Kahlhamer: Swap Meet” finds the New York- and Arizona-based Native American artist drawing inspiration from the ethnographic experience of fieldwork at swap meets throughout the Southwest.
Opening in April, “Teresa Baker: Capturing Space” features seven large-scale hanging works by Los Angeles-based Mandan/Hidatsa artist Teresa Baker, whose work is influenced by mid-century, New York, abstract expressionist artists. And in October, SMoCA will present the seventh iteration of its Architecture + Art series with “Mirrorworks,” an exhibition of new large-scale works by Southern California artist Phillip K. Smith III that creates a richly hued environment.
“Emerging in a post-pandemic world, SMoCA looks to artists who connect strongly with community and who help us expand our thinking about the world we live in,” said Jennifer McCabe, SMoCA director and chief curator. “Through these large-scale solo exhibitions, we are proud to present some of the most important artists of our time that represent a regional, national and global focus.”
Beverly McIver, “Black Girl Beauty,” 2018. Oil on canvas. Collection of Matthew Polk and Amy Gould, Maryland.
Beverly McIver: Full Circle Feb. 12 – Sept. 4, 2022
“Beverly McIver: Full Circle” presents a survey of more than 70 works that demonstrate the diversity of the artist’s thematic approach to painting over 25 years. Kim Boganey, director of Scottsdale Public Art, is curating the exhibition, her first at SMoCA since “HairStories” debuted there in 2003. “Beverly McIver held her first solo exhibition as an emerging artist with Scottsdale Arts,” Boganey said. “More than 20 years later, we are excited to bring her back to SMoCA, this time as someone who has reached a national audience. I’m honored to curate this survey exhibition, both as a woman of color, and someone who has seen firsthand the tremendous arc of her career and her influence on others.”
The exhibition will include self-portraits that explore expressions of individuality, intimate portraits of family members and portraits of other artists and notable figures. This show will include recent work, resulting from a year McIver spent in Rome with American Academy’s Rome Prize.
A complementary exhibition, “In Good Company,” will include artists who have mentored McIver, such as Faith Ringgold and Richard Mayhew, as well as those who have studied under her, including melissa m button, Claudio Dicochea, Chris Santa Maria and Lamar Whidbee, to name a few.
A catalog will accompany the exhibition, published by University of California Press, which includes a conversation between McIver and Boganey. Additional essays include one by leading Black feminist writer Michele Wallace — daughter of McIver’s graduate school mentor Faith Ringgold — and another by Richard Powell, a distinguished scholar of African American art history.
“Full Circle” is curated by Kim Boganey, director of Scottsdale Public Art. This exhibition is generously supported by Wells Fargo, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Craven Allen Gallery.
New York- and Arizona-based Native American artist Brad Kahlhamer first exhibited at SMoCA in 2004 with the hugely successful “Let’s Walk West.” For his second SMoCA exhibition — nearly 18 years later — Kahlhamer draws his inspiration from the ethnographic experience of fieldwork at swap meets throughout the Southwest, with which he has engaged since his childhood.
The social and cultural space of the swap meet models and fuels Kahlhamer’s artistic practice in varying mediums of painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, performance and music. At the cross-section of Native American cultures and his own culture as an artist, “Swap Meet” becomes Kahlhamer’s meditation on a nomadic and intersectional contemporary condition that involves a social network of individuals of different ages, residency status, class and race. The exhibition is accompanied by a series of performances, a catalog and a new major commission by SMoCA.
“Brad Kahlhamer: Swap Meet” is organized by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and guest curated by Natasha Boas, PhD. Exhibition support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Garth Greenan Gallery and Arlene and Keith Bronstein.
Teresa Baker, “Capturing Space,” 2021. Willow, yarn, artificial sinew, and Astroturf; 70 x 95 inches. Image courtesy of the artist and de boer gallery.
Teresa Baker: Capturing Space
April 16 – October 9, 2022
Los Angeles-based Mandan/Hidatsa artist Teresa Baker will feature seven large-scale hanging works in “Capturing Space.” Baker’s work is influenced by mid-century, New York, abstract expressionist artists, such as Helen Frankenthaler with her bold color fields and expanded scale.
Combining Native American craft traditions using buffalo hide, willow and other natural materials with artificial materials like AstroTurf and synthetic yarns, Baker said the exhibition contains new works made in response to the landscape of northeastern Wyoming on the high plains — beneath the Bighorn Mountains — and inspired by the vastness of that area, the unique geological formations of giant rocks (and the flora fossils imprinted on them), petrified logs and the sky.
“Essentially, I was inspired by the freedom of that land at Ucross, Wyoming, and wanted that freedom to enter my choices in my work,” Baker said. “I wanted to embody and capture that space in my work.”
Baker is the newest recipient of the Ucross Foundation’s Fellowship for Native American Visual Art and holds a master of fine arts from California College of Art in San Francisco.
“Capturing Space” is organized by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art with curator-at-large Natasha Boas, PhD.
Phillip K. Smith III, “10 Columns,” 2019. Aluminum, glass, LED lighting, electronic components, unique color program. Image courtesy of Bridge Projects and the artist. Photo credit: Lance Gerber
Phillip K. Smith III: Mirrorworks Oct. 29, 2022 – Aug. 6, 2023
Southern California artist Phillip K. Smith III creates experiential art that highlights changes in perception related to light, color, time and space, using reflections, varying translucencies and shifting colors. The artist’s interior installations provide richly hued environments that, as with other artists of the Light and Space movement, transform spaces to expand the sensorial experience of viewers.
“Mirrorworks” is the latest installment of SMoCA’s Architecture + Art series, which presents ground-breaking projects by individuals whose work explores and challenges the boundaries between architecture and art. This exhibition presents a new large-scale, site-specific work that incorporates Smith’s precisely paced program of changing colors.
“Phillip K. Smith III: Mirrorworks” is organized by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and curated by Jennifer McCabe, director and chief curator.
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SMoCA is located at 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale, Arizona 85251. It is open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and on Thursdays, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Admission is $10 for non-members; $7 for students, seniors (65+) and veterans; and free for Scottsdale Arts ONE Members and patrons 18 and younger. Admission to the museum is free every Thursday and every second Saturday of the month. Timed-entry tickets are required. Save time by booking online at SMoCA.org. View our safety protocols at SMoCA.org/reopening-guidelines.
SMoCA would also like to thank the following 2021–22 sponsors:City of Scottsdale, Billie Jo Herberger, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Walter and Karla Goldschmidt Foundation, Institut Français and The S. Rex and Joan Lewis Foundation.
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After a nationwide search, Visit Tucson announced today that Felipe Garcia, current interim President & CEO of Visit Tucson, has been chosen to lead the region’s destination marketing organization into its next chapter of driving tourism revenue for this community, effective immediately.
Garcia is replacing Brent DeRaad, who had been President & CEO since 2012. DeRaad resigned in October to head the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau in Texas.
“It was abundantly clear that Felipe has both the skills and experience for this new challenge,” said John Denker, Visit Tucson’s Board Chair. “Beyond just already knowing the business and staff of Visit Tucson, his passion for his work and the future of this community shine through in all that he does.”
“I am honored to continue to serve this community in this new role,” said Garcia. “Visit Tucson is a leader in both this industry and in driving economic impact for the people of metro Tucson. Along with Visit Tucson’s incredible team, I’m looking forward to finding new opportunities and continuing to be a catalyst towards attracting attention for this region.”
Please join all of us at Visit Tucson in congratulating Felipe on his new role.
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PHOENIX (March 28, 2022) – For the fourth consecutive year, Valleywise Health has been named an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization. 
Southern Arizona Senior Pride’s mission is to celebrate, support, and unite LGBTQI+ older adults. We recognize and respond to the unique concerns of our community by delivering social and support programming in three areas: (1) social & learning; (2) health & wellbeing; (3) arts & culture. We vet and share LGBTQI+ welcoming resources and increase awareness of aging issues in the LGBTQI+ community. Through advocacy and advisory participation with other organizations and projects, we shine a light on the needs of our traditionally invisible demographic. Founded as a program of Wingspan Community Center in 2002, Senior Pride became independent and volunteer-run with SAAF as a fiscal sponsor in 2014 when Wingspan closed. We have maintained past services and expanded our mission for seven years. Our 45+ dedicated volunteers moved the organization steadily forward enabling Senior Pride to become an independent 501(c)3 non-profit with paid staff positions on January 1, 2022.
Scott Blades (he/him/él) is the Executive Director and founder of the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN), the largest privately-funded and volunteer-driven AIDS service organization in the state of Arizona which this year commemorates 28 years of serving the community. Scott is passionate about engaging people to improve our community. He is a champion of social justice, equality, and inclusion for persons who are LGBTQ+ and persons who are living with and affected by HIV. Recognitions include the William S. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award from Equality Arizona (2014), the United Methodist Global AIDS Leadership Award (2016), and Community Leader of the Year from the Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce (2018).
Dr. Kay Bauman has dedicated her career to health care delivery to minority and underserved populations. In the early 1980’s she was the first Tucson physician to move past heterosexual presumption and provide a safe medical resource for the LGBTQ community. Her work put her at the forefront of the HIV epidemic in Tucson in its earliest days. She was on the Governor’s Task Force on AIDS and a member of the Board of Directors of the Tucson AIDS Project.
Karin Uhlich served as an out and proud LGBTQI+ member of the Tucson City Council from 2005-2017 and in 2021, and as Vice-Mayor of Tucson for two years. She moved to Tucson in 1993 to serve as the CEO of the Primavera Foundation, a nonprofit organization addressing poverty and homelessness. From 2002 to 2014, she served as the founding Director of the SW Center for Economic Integrity, an economic justice advocacy organization that targets exploitative commerce such as payday lending and day labor brokering. She has served on local nonprofit Boards of Directors including the Community Food Bank of Southern AZ, the Brewster Center Against Domestic Violence, and the LGBTQI+ Alliance Fund. Karin joined Arizona Complete Health in 2015 to lead their Medicaid work on housing and homelessness. She now serves as the Director of the Social Determinants and Health Equity team.
PHOENIX — The 19th Annual Rainbows Festival, Arizona’s second-largest annual LGBTQ event, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 30-May 1, 2022 at the Heritage Square Historic District in downtown Phoenix. The festival will be open on both days from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. It is produced by Phoenix Pride and presented by Embry Health. 
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) will show an eclectic mix of exhibitions in 2022, including, clockwise from top left, “Brad Kahlhamer: Swap Meet,” “Teresa Baker: Capturing Space,” “Beverly McIver: Full Circle,” and “Phillip K. Smith III: Mirrorworks.”
Beverly McIver, “Black Girl Beauty,” 2018. Oil on canvas. Collection of Matthew Polk and Amy Gould, Maryland.
Brad Kahlhamer, “Nomadic Studio,” 2020. Courtesy of the artist. © Brad Kahlhamer.
Teresa Baker, “Capturing Space,” 2021. Willow, yarn, artificial sinew, and Astroturf; 70 x 95 inches. Image courtesy of the artist and de boer gallery.
Phillip K. Smith III, “10 Columns,” 2019. Aluminum, glass, LED lighting, electronic components, unique color program. Image courtesy of Bridge Projects and the artist. Photo credit: Lance Gerber 
