From the stately lawns of Courthouse Plaza to the winding sidewalks of YC's Marcusen Sculpture Garden to the menagerie of lions, horses, heroes, dragons and eagles residing in galleries, office parks and alley murals all over town, Prescott has inspired a bounty of art. Each piece has its own story: the inspiration, the creation, the message it's trying to convey. Now, the Yavapai College Foundation and the American Association of University Women have collected these stories of Prescott's past to raise funds for its future.
The Prescott Branch of the American Association of University Women proudly unveils Art On & Off the Walls, a comprehensive guide to more than 30 well-known and little-known public art treasures in our community. Available for sale beginning September 17, Art On & Off the Walls will raise funds to support collegiate STEM scholarships for promising female students.
"Our Victorian Stroll last year was popular with the community and supplied generous funds for our scholarships," former AAUW Prescott Branch President Deb Dillon explained. "Since we know many are leery of indoor or group activities right now, we chose a fundraising opportunity that allows people to enjoy some of the wonderful outdoor art in our community on their own schedule."
Prescott's impressive public art portfolio ranges from iconic postcard images to heartfelt tributes to challenging abstracts. While many reside in galleries and public spaces, a surprising number of them linger in unlikely places. Art On & Off the Walls chronicles a variety of styles – Cowboy art, civic memorials, modern murals and Native-American creations – and turns the town you think you know into a kind of aesthetic scavenger hunt, telling the stories behind the works that people have seen – and pointing out a few pieces they may have overlooked.
"We used two teams," AAUW Scholarship Committee Co-chair Sandra Bennett explained, "'seekers,' who went around and looked for the art and gathered information about it, and writers who compiled the guide. "The information came from brochures, maps, and interviews at the sites."
The Art On & Off the Walls guide can be purchased with a $25 donation, beginning Friday, September 17. All proceeds will go to the AAUW's Centennial Scholarship at Yavapai College, which supports talented women students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math.
To make a donation and download the guide, click here. Those wishing to donate offline can mail their check to: Prescott AAUW, P.O. Box 10881, Prescott AZ. Please make checks payable to "Yavapai College Foundation," and include your email address, and you will receive the link to the guide.
Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.
