Yumans among 40th annual Governor’s Arts Award nominees

For 40 years, the Governor’s Arts Awards have celebrated the creative side of Arizona, lauding individual artists, arts organizations and educators, businesses and philanthropists for their contributions to the beauty and charisma of the state.

More than 100 nominations were given for this year’s series of awards, and four of them are Yuma’s very own.

George and Neely Tomkins, proprietors of Tomkins Potter, are nominees in the awards’ artist category; the McKivergan Foundation, the philanthropists category; and Ballet Yuma and the

Yuma Orchestra Association, the small arts and culture organization category.

According to the Arizona Citizens for the Arts, which organizes the event each year, category finalists will be announced later this month, with the 2021 Governor’s Arts Awards to be presented to the winners in a virtual-hybrid event March 26 at 6 p.m.

GEORGE AND NEELY TOMKINS

Yumans since the early 1970s, husband-and-wife George and Neely Tomkins entered the emerging arts scene as Yuma’s first artists-in-residence via a newly established program housed by the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

“We were kind of the new arts blood in town,” said Neely. “It was a pilot program to bring artists to rural areas in hopes that they would put down roots and stay there and contribute to the community – which worked, because we’re still here.”

“The blood is considerably older now than it was back then,” added George. “The town was just starting, they were starting to develop an art center, the state arts agency wanted to promote Yuma and we walked in a really good time. We were lucky.”

Things have ebbed and flowed as Yuma’s art scene has evolved, and according to George, it seems to be headed in a positive direction.

“There’ve been ups and there’ve been downs,” said George. “Things kind of go in waves. Everybody gets excited for a period of time and then whatever you were excited about becomes old news and something else becomes worth the community’s attention. I think we’re on a definite ‘up’ cycle.”

According to Neely, amid the ups and downs – especially those that have accompanied COVID-19 – the couple’s studio on West Second Street has been a refuge.

“It’s always there,” she said. “It’s a joy to have that to go to no matter what’s happening in the community,” said Neely. “We’re there every day just like we have been for the last 35, 40 years. It’s a lifestyle, it’s not a job. We never really thought about doing anything else.”

The governor’s award nomination is a first for the two as a couple; Neely was nominated several years ago for her work with the Yuma Arts Symposium, but neither she nor George have been distinguished in the artist category until now. The two said they were a bit surprised yet honored to be counted among the other local nominees.

“When Neely read the list (of nominees), she said, ‘Wow, we’re in good company,’” said George. “It was good to see several nominations from Yuma. Being down here in the corner of the state, we often get left out – we’re an afterthought to the Phoenix area on a lot of occasions. So I was happy to see Yuma well represented.”

According to George, the couple owes kudos to the people of Yuma for their support through the years.

“This community has really been supportive of us, and I hope that it continues to support all of the arts in that they have as much opportunity as we’ve had,” George said. “I think we need to thank all the people who have Tomkins pottery in their homes and supported all of our operations. I can’t get out the word ‘thanks’ enough, because we’ve had a good run in this community.”

“We’ve been very lucky,” said Neely. “It’s been great living here. A day doesn’t go by without something wonderful happening because we’ve lived here for so long and people know us. I would love to see the arts community here continue to grow, with or without us, because finding a way to constructively express yourself is really important. The arts are a really therapeutic, non-destructive way for people to express their feelings.”

MCKIVERGAN FOUNDATION

Steered by Michael and Maria McKivergan, the McKivergan Foundation has been instrumental in painting Yuma with equitable and easily accessible opportunities to experience the arts. Though the couple was nominated for last year’s Governor’s Arts Awards, they were surprised to find their name on this year’s list as well.

“We’re pretty humbled by it; it wasn’t something we were anticipating,” Maria said.

According to the McKivergans, both natives of Yuma County, a key factor in establishing the foundation was to “make Yuma cooler” than many locals felt it was.

“We wanted to try to elevate Yuma a little bit more artistically and culturally,” said Maria. “I know for myself, I didn’t really grow up around a lot of art; I didn’t have a lot of exposure to it and it was something I felt like I lacked. We wanted to add that to our children’s upbringing here in Yuma.”

“I think we saw Yuma was missing something, because we had seen it elsewhere in larger cities,” said Michael. “We thought that if we started bringing in some of the best artists in the world and putting together these projects, people would experience these works and kind of be part of the whole process, too, and it would change the conversation about what Yuma is, what Yuma could be and maybe, as a city, we could develop an appetite for something we weren’t really consuming at the time.”

The couple said they’ve seen this come to fruition over the years as new mural projects have sparked the curiosity of passersby, engaging community members in conversation with the artists and with one another. Some have even incorporated the finished artwork into their family photoshoots.

“Overall, the community has responded very positively to the fact that they exist,” Maria said. “The community has been so supportive of our ideas, and we’re thankful to everyone who’s been involved in these projects.”

Over the last several years, the couple has worked with the City of Yuma, Arizona Western College and other local agencies to bring public art to various corners of Yuma, including Brad Downey’s Drone Survival Guide in the Valley of the Names, the Eltono mural above the Historic Yuma Theatre, the MOMO mural series and residency and the Arizona Creative Communities Institute DIY mural series.

“We always try to pick artists that are at the top of their respective list,” said Michael. “MOMO and Eltono are two of the most important abstract muralists in the world; when we were picking these artists to work with, we were looking for things like that, because it was easy for kids growing up in Yuma to say, ‘Nothing ever happens in Yuma.’ But in reality, things do happen in Yuma. By selecting artists that were at the top of their part of the art world, we were able to bring in some incredibly high-quality, world-class artists.”

According to Michael, each of the artists brought a nuanced perspective to Yuma as many of their works compounded on the culture, location and history of the place so many call “home.”

“They were actually very attracted to come to Yuma because of the idea of working in a small community like ours in the desert,” Michael said. “They thought it was like an adventure or something exotic and exciting. It was also really enriching for us to watch the artists interpret their experience in Yuma, because their interpretation was completely the

opposite of how a lot of

kids and a lot of people in Yuma might potentially view Yuma. It occurred to us that through these works, people might come to understand and appreciate the community they live in a little bit more.”

While the McKivergan Foundation is largely responsible for catalyzing these experiences, the couple said it’s always been for the sake of the community, not a pursuit of notoriety for themselves.

“For us, success was a cultural victory – the subtle changes in the way the local community thinks, talks about and interacts with art,” Michael said. “We never do it for the credit, we don’t like to put our name on things – that’s the last thing we want. Even being nominated for this award kind of makes it a bit uncomfortable. We really do it for the cultural victory, and what we’ve seen so far has been really rewarding.”

BALLET YUMA

This year marks Ballet Yuma’s first-ever Governor’s Arts Awards, to the knowledge of company manager Jenn Coleman, who has been with the company for about seven years.

“We are very excited and very honored; usually the smaller companies in smaller communities, like ourselves, aren’t recognized,” said Coleman. “I think this year has opened a lot of people’s eyes to what our smaller communities bring to the arts. Just being nominated, whether we win or not, will just have another impact for Yuma itself in saying, ‘Look, we have these fantastic things here.’ I think that’s pretty amazing.”

Last spring, Ballet

Yuma was one week away from its annual spring performance when COVID-19 ransacked the region, forcing the cancellation of numerous performances, education and outreach programs; but, according to Coleman, the dancers never stopped practicing and preparing “for whatever may come.”

“We agreed from Day One that our goal is to dance,” said Coleman.

“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for all of us, but everybody has really kept the positivity. The motto has been ‘We’re rolling with it.’ It’s been phenomenal to see our dancers grow not just in dance but emotionally, in how they’re communicating with each other and working together as a team.

Out of all the bad that’s happened throughout the last year for everyone, there have been moments of good and joyfulness. That’s what we’re trying to hone in for the community – we want to bring you joy and the excitement of a production.”

In December, the company was able to deliver its annual Nutcracker production al fresco on the Yuma Catholic High School football field; according to Coleman, it was a relief to be able to keep the tradition, COVID-friendly modifications and all.

“People were craving so much to be in community again together,” said Coleman. “It’s a let-down when you can’t participate in something you’ve always done, as an individual and as a community as well. Seeing all of the people in our audience...when our dancers got on stage they said it was the greatest feeling they’d ever felt. You could see it on their faces as they were dancing – they were so elated to be back on stage to give back to the community.”

According to Coleman, Ballet Yuma is currently preparing to revive last year’s spring production in late April, once again outdoors at Yuma Catholic “so everybody feels safe and at ease.”

“Without the arts, your community’s environment is lacking in so much,” Coleman said. “It brings more value to what you’re doing already; it brings a creative side to things that may not have been viewed as creative before. It brings a sense of community to the community – you’re going to attend something or be part of something, your children are part or something. Things like our annual Nutcracker (performance), everyone looks forward to that as a community.”

The nominations for Yuma imbue a sense of pride and affirmation, Coleman said, as agencies outside the locale recognize what it brings to the table.

“Everybody’s rooting for Yuma,” she said. “Yuma knows what we have here, but maybe other places don’t. This is such an accolade to even be nominated, because it shows that Yuma does have something to offer. We all know how hard we’re working to give our best, and it was nice to see somebody outside of Yuma see that Ballet Yuma is striving to be an organization that gives and wants to be part of our community in big ways. Yuma is a busy, busy place. We are proud of all of the nominees in Yuma, not just ourselves; we’re very proud of Yuma as a whole.”

YUMA ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION

In existence for 40+ years, the Yuma Orchestra Association (YOA) strives to foster a warm regard for classical string music in the area. Having its efforts acknowledged by the state, according to YOA Chairman Fred Earle, is a weighty and welcomed distinction.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Earle. “It’s always a battle to keep arts funded; that’s the first thing that is cut if there’s a budget crunch. The governor has been very supportive of the arts, and we appreciate that. It’s important to us to stay in front of the governor in order to keep the importance of the governor in front of people.”

To achieve this, YOA houses an extensive music library, an instrument loan program, scholarships for tuition and lessons and mentorship and educational programs for students and conductors. Its ensembles feature musicians of all ages, beginning at the elementary level and extending beyond retirement.

“It’s a way to further art education; it’s way beyond just performances,” Earle said. “Years ago every school, starting in elementary, had a music and arts program. As budgets got tight, the school districts started cutting back on those programs. The Yuma Orchestra Association stepped in to fill that void. That’s really important; if kids don’t get exposed young, orchestra music will go by the wayside.”

Just shy of 30 years ago, YOA partnered with Yuma School District One, Yuma Union High School District and Arizona Western College to establish the Yuma Consortium for String Education – a shared initiative through which the entities could pool their resources to increase orchestral opportunities for students in the local public school system. According to Earle, YOA is aiming to formally involve more of the elementary school districts in the consortium going forward.

“Our mission statement is to champion and leave a legacy of orchestral music in our community,” Earle said.

Traditionally, YOA hosts four major concerts each year – all of which were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. Earle indicated that uncertainties still loomed as to when the association will be able to perform for a corporate audience again.

We’re hoping we can go back into performances soon,” he said. “People will come to those who’ve not been exposed to orchestra music and find that it’s far beyond classical music – it’s a lot of fun stuff. We hear constantly, ‘I didn’t realize orchestra music was so entertaining.’ There are some very, very high-quality musicians in the group. That’s what surprises people.”

According to Earle, music education students involved in YOA are required to perform in an orchestral concert in order to pass their classes. Rather than serenading a 500-person audience inside the Historic Yuma Theatre or the amphitheater on the campus of AWC, the students were able to perform for a socially distanced crowd of 20, for which they prepared through Zoom meetings with their instructors.

Amid all of the changes and cancellations imposed by COVID-19, it was important to YOA to maintain some sense of normalcy for its students, Earle said.

“There are numerous studies that have shown when students are involved in music, or the arts in general – it might be choir or crafts – they perform better in their other classes,” said Earle. They do better in school when they’re involved in these types of activities. While it may not be reading, writing and arithmetic, it is very important to early education. And that is what we’re committed to: providing that early childhood education and giving them an outlet as they get older to continue to perform.”

Earle said YOA is proud to see its commitment to arts and music education honored by the state; YOA is also grateful for its supporters, who’ve made the nomination possible.

“We have some great supporters who support the organization and allow us to keep on keeping on,” he said. “We’re very thankful for being nominated. We don’t take that responsibility lightly to live up to that. We really thank the governor for being a supporter of the arts; he has a great deal of influence over the funding for the arts.”