Visual Art

Exhibits
Meet The Artists

Galleries
Besides public juried exhibitions, PSA Art Awakenings Galleries offer venues for its artists to enhance personal growth and professional skills as they exhibit and sell their artwork. The Phoenix and Casa Grande Galleries feature juried exhibitions that typically include paintings, sculpture, mosaics, and jewelry. The Phoenix Gallery is also home to the Artistic Treasures Shop which offers non-juried, hand made items of jewelry, cards, leatherworks, ceramics, artist aprons, batik, mosaics and an array of unusual, quality products in addition to paintings.

Many artists also participate in Phoenix “First Friday”, “Art Under the Stars”, and Casa Grande “Art in the Alley”. The First Friday Art Walk signals the monthly rotation of artwork in the Phoenix and Casa Grande Galleries and often coincides with special solo exhibitions by our adult or youth artists. Click on the links to view this month’s selections.

Staff works closely with artists to market their work including commissioned jobs not limited to murals, paintings, and other forms of public art. Every purchase contributes to the professional development and recovery of our artists, with each artist receiving eighty percent of the proceeds from every sale they make. The remaining twenty percent goes directly back into the PSA Art Awakenings program. With each sale, artists gain empowerment, pride and a greater sense of self-sufficiency and accomplishment.

Lease with Purchase Option Program

PSA Art Awakenings Gallery’s lease purchase program is a great benefit to businesses and artists alike. Local business owners can demonstrate corporate citizenship while affordably leasing quality artwork through the Gallery’s Businesses-Art-Community Program. It allows businesses the opportunity for continuous, updated space and enhanced aesthetics for a welcoming, professional environment while providing important support to PSA Art Awakenings artists. At any given time, the Open Consignment Collection offers a broad selection of about 300 pieces of obtainable fine art for sale or lease without a large, capital investment.

Gallery professionals provide a site consultation and assist with the selection of artwork that compliments the office space. A 90 day lease offers monthly rental fees with the option to buy an artwork package and deduct 100% of the lease payments from the total purchase price. Great art is obtainable!

Exhibits

First Friday

Every First Friday of the month in Downtown Phoenix brings together a collection of juried artwork from all of our Studios. The monthly exhibit can be viewed on line and purchased at the Gallery, even after the First Friday Art Walk. Click here for details about this event. Click below to browse and enjoy this month’s exhibit…

Enter This Month’s First Friday Exhibit

Art in the Alley

Enter This Month’s Art in the Alley

Solo Exhibitions

Promoting professional development, independence, social and marketing skills, each artist develops a resume, bio, and artist’s statement, submits a body of work to be juried, and plans the opening reception to showcase their art. Click here to see snapshots of recent exhibitions featuring Jo Allebach, Beva Chavez, and Lori Wilson.

Meet the Artists

Michelangelo, Picasso, Beethoven, Kahlo, Hemingway, Dickens – All amazingly talented people who happen to be affected by behavioral illnesses. Much like the Masters, the PSA Art Awakenings artists offer a bounty of talents and varied levels of artistic skills to produce quality, well executed art.

Jo Allebach

Jo Allebach has been painting for a mere seven years. An extensive traveler, she attributes her specialization in acrylic impressionist landscapes to the love she has seen in the beauty of this country. To intrigue her viewers, Jo also ventures to other subjects and media. Her work can be seen in Phoenix, Scottsdale and the surrounding valley. JoAllebachFineArt.com

Bear

A local artist for the past 30 years, Bear has been an artist ever since childhood. Originally from Oklahoma, he has a Native American background, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University, and describes his work as strongly influenced by Fritz Scholder and Pablo Picasso. Bear’s passion is to continue his art for the rest of his life.

Ignacio

Ignacio has been drawing since he was in the first grade. Always admired by classmates, he did a lot of drawings throughout grade school and on until high school. Seven years ago he returned to art and mainly focused on drawings of “muscle people” dogs, and dinosaurs. His passion for art has inspired him to expand into terra cotta sculpture, photography, poetry and painting. He loves every aspect of art and plans on continuing his exploration into other modalities.

David B.

David has been attending PSA Art Awakenings since 2005 and enjoys photography, journaling and writing poetry. Playing drums since the age of 10, David is also the drummer in the Art Awakenings house band.

Beva Chavez

Beva is a native of Phoenix who first developed an interest in art while in kindergarten. In 5th grade she received art instruction by her teacher. She continued with general art studies in high school. In 1992 she received her associate degree in advertising art. She is self-taught and has worked in pen and ink illustration, watercolors, and cartooning. In 2003 she started painting with acrylics when she started at Art Awakenings. She exhibited as a solo artist show with the gallery in 2009. Some of her work can be seen periodically at the gallery. To see more of Beva’s work, visit www.BevaChavez.com .

Pamela

Pamela was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois and moved to Phoenix in 1995. Mostly self-taught, she first developed an interest in art around the age of four and has grown into a notable artist who primarily works with acrylics, mixed media, prisma colors, and pencil. Pamela paints and draws mainly fantasy-style artwork without using reference subjects to inspire and design original art pieces. Her first one woman show was in Illinois and she has since received numerous awards at local, state and international levels, most recently from the Arizona State Fair and Phoenix Sister Cities International Art Competition.

Steve D.

Steve first wanted to be a musician in 4th grade after seeing a John Denver special on TV. His parents gave him a plastic toy guitar and that was enough to start him down the path. He continued developing as a musician, songwriter and poet through school and the US Navy until 1989. That’s when schizophrenia robbed him of any interest. However In 1998, a newer, better medical treatment sparked a personal renaissance in his life. After battling to regain what he had lost, Steve is now developing more than any previous time in his life. He is also a past recipient of the PSA Art Awakenings President’s Award.
Steve’s Website…

Gill

Gill started painting when he became a part of PSA Art Awakenings. After several years, he continues to paint and now also works as a Tempe Studio Assistant. His work has been exhibited at ASU Gammage, ASU Kerr Cultural Center, and a number of other venues.

Christine G.

“I feel joy when I am able to use inorganic, geometrical shapes to create an organic design with both fluidity and balance. Although Matisse is my favorite artist, my faces show the influence of the Picasso exhibit that my mother took me to at the Boston Art Museum when I was a child.”

Anita F.

Native Phoenician Anita first developed an interest in art and amazed her parents at the age of five, painting a red rose on black velvet. Primarily working in acrylic and brush textures, she paints abstracts, religious and impressionistic images on canvas. Inspired by intense cycling emotions, life challenges, and experiences, Anita strives to express and identify with her emotions and spirituality through art. She hopes to engage and challenge art viewers to identify with their inner world of experiences, emotions, and spiritual journeys in life. Random brush textures, strokes, and symbols depict her numerous frantic and inner emotions bursting forth as depicted in her own unique style.

Larry F.

Larry was born and raised in South Carolina and first developed an interest in art in high school. He primarily likes to use acrylic or airbrush on canvas. His unique perspectives and ideas are inspired by cloud formations, spiritual experiences, expressions and emotions. He hopes that people can identify with his work.

Mareshah Henderson

Mareshah B. Henderson is an autodidactic artist who works in a wide variety of mediums. A Midwest farm girl who began selling her work and entering local and national art competitions at age seven, Mareshah’s work has been exhibited in nine states and she has received awards of excellence from five countries. Her main interests in art are the play of light in conjunction with shadows, how healing is accomplished through art and sharing the joy of art by mentoring others. She recently designed the prototype for “AMY” of the Arizona Museum for Youth’s “My Favorite Monster” exhibition.

Kerry J.

Kerry J. was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona and first developed an interest in art when he became an adult. His work features three dimensional leather carving and crafting. Kerry also teaches leatherworks classes and hopes that people find joy in his work.

Dorothy K

Dorothy was raised in Boise, Idaho and recalls finger painting in the first grade as the beginning of her interest in art. She now enjoys painting and describes her creative process as “featuring on canvas, what she sees.”

Nenet

Nenet’s creativity and sensitivity show in all of her artwork. There is not a single medium with which she hasn’t worked. She teaches private classes, and is attending college to become a teacher while she seriously pursues her career in the art world. “I have to have a balance between helping people and using my time for artwork. If I don’t have time for both, there is neither.”

Paul Hassman

Paul was born and raised in Pennsylvania where his artistic talents emerged in the 3rd grade. His teacher was instrumental in enrolling him in the “Moore College of Art” where during his nine years in the “Saturday Children’s Program” he became proficient in design, ceramics, metal, oils, pencil, and jewelry making. Paul’s passion for art grew as he earned a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Ever since, his artistic abilities have continued to blossom with his passion for the beauty of creativity, zest for life and art growing daily. Paul recently exhibited at the ASU Kerr Cultural Center and his work is currently featured in the Arizona Museum for Youth’s “My Favorite Monster” exhibition.

Darlene

Darlene grew up in Santa Monica, California being carted around from art show to art show by her mother who was an oil artist. She moved to Phoenix in 1971, where learned to play guitar and became one of the Balladiers for Arizona. All the while she studied different mediums of art which inspired her to be an art and guitar teacher. She also attended painting classes given by the late well-known Arizona artist Don Ruffin, who inspired her to paint even more about Arizona. Darlene describes her time in the Art Awakenings program as opening up new chances and opportunities to grow in her arts and career.

Laura Lefkowitz

Laura Lefkowitz is a painter, muralist and children’s storybook illustrator. An Arizona resident of German descent, she was born in Germany and at age five was considered gifted. With the encouragement of her mother, Laura became an avid drawer and won numerous awards. She possesses a strong compassion for animals and is known for her animal art. Laura lends herself to whimsical portraiture art of animals as well as people.

Harlie

Growing up in a family of artists, Harlie was encouraged to paint and draw and has always loved the arts. He expanded his skills by taking classes throughout the years, most recently as a fine arts student at Phoenix College. He is adept with many different mediums including painting with acrylics, metal sculpture, ceramics, computer design and photography. Having exhibited and sold works at a number of galleries and shows, Harlie’s work is always changing. He hopes you enjoy his art.

JP

JP has always had an interest in the arts. Writing for most of her adult years, she hopes to someday write a positive self-help book to inspire others when they feel over-whelmed with sadness and hopelessness. As a child she was influenced by watching her artists, mother and sister, but did not paint until joining Art Awakenings. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from ASU and recently won the Art Awakenings Fire Award for personal growth. JP is a positive and inventive person who feels grateful and honored when she can help others.

Tom S.

Tom is from the Midwest where he worked as a professional photographer. He “has always enjoyed the arts and is excited about exploring his painting skills”. Tom does not accept commissioned work but instead prefers to paint at his own pace and chosen style of the moment.

Emma Thorn

Emma was born in and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and first developed an interest in art at age five. She primarily works with acrylics, painting wild life and portraits of people. She hopes that people find joy in her work, are inspired by it, and feel the love she feels for the subjects she paints.

ht.

Ht. was highly motivated to be interested in art at a young age, which she attributes to her father’s influence. She took art classes in high school, and at Mesa Community College and Arizona State University. In her words, “Art saves me from feeling less than what I can be.”

Victorious Warrior

As a preschooler Victorious helped her mom tie quilts. She took an art class by mail and when she was a teen had some of her large crayon art framed for her family. Victorious was inspired by her mom’s advanced color calligraphy, painting and training of others after retirement. Victorious wanted to get in touch with that creative openness which she had not found until her own senior years. Having done crafts for many years, Victorious experiments with mixed media for her own use in three dimensional journaling. For sale, her media focuses on joyful, thanks-filled, useful healing arts.

Nansi Beadle Whiteis

Phoenix, Arizona native Nansi Beadle Whiteis developed an interest in art a very young age which she attributes to her father’s influence as a design architect. Nansi’s unique style shines through in her abstracts as well as the animals she paints. Skilled in various mediums, Nansi “puts a lot of happiness into her paintings” and hopes that people can see that in her work. She has exhibited in various Phoenix galleries along with other venues.

Lori Wilson

Lori’s plans to become a math teacher changed after she gave way to her creative and free spirit to attend Arizona State University and study industrial design and design history. Her illness developed and she found PSA Art Awakenings which she credits for saving her life. “I have been able to explore many different mediums and styles of art. The work I am showing is very reflective of my time here. Some pieces reflect my struggle to stay sane; other pieces show my sense of humor and desire to have fun making art. Either way, creating good art heals my soul.” Lori recently had her first solo exhibition and moved into her own studio space.

Read the article about Lori published in the Arizona Republic on 8-23-09

Lucy Zapata

Lucy describes art as her “number one interest”. “It [art] helps me escape to another place in my head and create wonderful things that make me feel so positive…and for me that’s a great way to express myself in wonderful ways that I can’t begin to explain!” Lucy is known for her abstract paintings and primitive jewelry, and primarily enjoys working with acrylic and water colors. She also helps out at the Studio, often serving as Gallery curator to install exhibitions. Her work has been exhibited at ASU Gammage and ASU Kerr Cultural Center.