Press Release

March 30, 2022

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2022 
MEDIA CONTACT: Sydney Ritter | [email protected] | 480-874-4663

Visions ’22 makes grand in-person return to Scottsdale

Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation will open its “Visions ’22” exhibition in the Center Space gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on May 13. Photo: Scottsdale Arts 

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — “Visions ’22,” a new exhibition showcasing the skills and inspiration exchanged between students and professional artists during art workshops throughout the school year will open on May 13. 

The artwork will remain on display through Oct. 2 in the Center Space gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd Street, Scottsdale. 

Visions is a multi-visit, invitational visual arts program that has been provided to Valley teens for 23 years. Brittany Arnold, teen and family coordinator for Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, has been facilitating the Visions program for three years. Arnold said that even in that short amount of time, she has seen such an astounding variety of skill and conceptual development from the students. 

“I’m always amazed at how elaborate the students’ thought processes are and how they are so socially aware of the world around them,” Arnold said. “Things such as mental health, climate change and beauty standards are at front of mind for these students, and they are taking bold steps with their artmaking as future changemakers.” 

After last year’s Visions program had to be entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Visions students from six local high schools were able to experience the program to its fullest by attending monthly workshops conducted by professional artists, touring the University of Arizona School of Art and connecting with exhibitions offered by Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA).  

“Being part of this program has exposed me to artistic talents that I could have never imagined,” said Ben Winkler, a student at Shadow Mountain High School, who participated in the Visions program. “The pieces I have seen in this program have been intricate, detailed and most importantly, meaningful. I want to make sure my piece reflects that same thoughtfulness. Working directly with artists, like Brianna Noble, has given me an amazing opportunity to use art in its truest form.” 

Both the SMoCA exhibitions and artist-led workshops inspired the students to choose one or two artists who were of interest to them. Local teaching artists lectured on their professional backgrounds, successes and barriers while also teaching new art-making techniques and conceptual approaches. It is through these exchanges and meaningful conversations that the Visions students were able to find a better understanding of the world, their peers and themselves. 

Kendra Sollars, a Phoenix-based artist who works in video-based public installations, was among the professional artists who worked with the students during the 2021–22 program. 

“Working with the Visions students makes me very excited for the future of art in Arizona, especially in digital art,” Sollars said. “I was so impressed with their creativity, their interpretation of the prompt, their willingness to try new techniques and how engaged they were in the process. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young artists as they continue forward.” 

The results of the program can be seen in the artworks on display in the “Visions ’22” exhibition. It opens on Friday, May 13, with a reception for the students, their family members and their friends and is open to the public. Visitors will also be able to see the exhibition for themselves in the Center Space from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays through Oct. 2. The center is closed on Mondays.

For more information, or to view a virtual version of the exhibition, visit ScottsdaleArtsLearning.org/exhibitions/.