Artist Directory

After a successful career in high technology environments I felt the irresistible call of my muse. Contributing to my flair for creativity since childhood, the artist riding hidden in my soul has been an unending source of inspiration. I’ve accepted my responsibility to shape that nascent creativity, allowing me new freedom in expressing myself. That original passion has matured, honed by exposure to the analytical rigors of science, enabling me unique inspired vision. My work includes photography, pen & pencil sketch, watercolor, and sculpture. I write essays & poetry, occasionally performing as a jazz vocalist emergeART ™ was created as a vehicle to market my artwork which is inspired by the motto, “The Universe is found art … from chaos emerges beauty” On serious observation of the intrinsic beauty displayed in the detail of natural elements such as wood, rocks, sunsets or indeed the entire universe one may reflect on the fact that sophisticated patterns seem to originate from simple elements arranged in repetitive but complex forms. Properties of organization in the natural world allow intricate patterns of sometimes stunning and seemingly unexplainable beauty to EMERGE from out of chaos. Comprehension of the universality of chaos and emergent forms of order leads us to a deeper understanding of not only nature in its “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” (Charles Darwin) but also to a more in-depth appreciation of the art inherent in all creation. These insights can be used to provide new and exciting ways to express oneself through natural forms of shape and light. All inspired by the recognition of the nature of emergent patterns that are indeed universal and surround us all. My approach to art is unconventional as I combine the view of an analytical mind with the heart of an artist. This enables me to create uniquely inspired pieces using my technological background in addition to my artistic vision in synergy. Trained as a chemist, engineer and pilot I am semi-retired and have embarked on a journey to cultivate my spiritual and artistic nature. While creating much of my art using traditional methods My broad background gives me an unusual technological perspective and provides me with a unique and intimate knowledge of the properties of materials. As a youth I was always interested in arts and craft related hobbies. A ‘nature boy’ who explored the pine forests and bayous, I developed a familiarity and appreciation for simple beauty inherent in the environment. I was a designer and builder, learning tool operation, electronic circuitry and a wealth of modeling techniques. As a teen I ‘developed’ an interest in photography and scratched together my own darkroom. I worked in discount stores as a baby photographer and shot industrial gigs with one photo featured in Fleet Owner Magazine published by McGraw Hill. I designed brochures and catalog leafs using literal cut and paste techniques and advanced with technology to the use of computers. Over the years of modeling and in restoration of antique aircraft I learned simple metalwork and foundry techniques including welding, mold making and casting. As a consultant and engineer I have designed prototype and production equipment. Dual BS degrees in both Chemistry and Biology were attained over several years while working part time as an entrepreneur selling cars and aircraft or repairing commercial printing equipment and consumer electronics as well as a chemist for a small startup. Then I worked as a technician and chemist in a crime lab as a toxicologist. I worked as an engineer in a semiconductor prototype facility working in photo and etch and eventually became a process troubleshooter for a Motorola subdivision. With the experience I gained working with multiple clients I found myself a capital equipment salesman environment ($1.5M electron microscope at ASU Material Science Dept.) and sales manager. I have been fortunate to visit the 'basement labs' of some of the country’s most prominent research facilities such as Sandia, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore. At the Morton Thiokol facility in 1986 I actually handled the infamous O-ring material that caused the Challenger space shuttle disaster. Pursuant to a lifetime interest in aviation I trained to be a pilot and shortly after, at the age of 22, I rebuilt my first aircraft. Since then I have owned and restored various antique aircraft and currently own three antique or classic aircraft, a 1940 Taylorcraft BC-65, a 1951 Bellanca 14/19 Cruisemaster and a 1958 Piper PA28-180 Comanche. I have flown everything from biplanes to jet aircraft and have ferried aircraft across the breadth of this beautiful country. In my home I maintain an esoteric collection of historical aviation, scientific, technical and personal artifacts, as well as antique tools. For fifteen years I have been a computer and network consultant and installed a computer lab and lectured on computer technology at a charter school. I am a science judge and moderator at the Arizona Science Bowl and I have tutored science and mathematics as well as taught disabled adults and special needs children in arts and crafts. Volunteering and secular humanism have seemed to always return more than I ever gave and allowed me to meet celebrities like William Shatner and Jon Voight or Intellectuals such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. My work has been displayed at local galleries and my photography was once used in a commercial during 'The Johnny Carson Show' on TV. Larger pieces have been featured as displays at conventions. My portfolio spans over 35 years and includes published brochures and catalog leafs and logo/banner design as well as fine art and portrait work. An Arkansas Gazette newspaper article featured me (photographed in my 1941 Taylorcraft) as a 'Latter Day Lindbergh'. I have appeared on local television and radio interviews both as a chemist and as a military officer at Laughlin AFB. I love to sing and have an excellent voice and sing as a Jazz vocalist in a New York style. I have performed live on stage as a vocalist in various venues, jammed at 'The Orbit', ‘Gaslight Inn’, ‘Barwinkles’ and performed with the Kerry Campbell Quartet at 'Johnny's Uptown'. Cole Porter is a favorite composer. I admire Nat King Cole and the modern piano talent and vocal styling of Harry Connick, Jr. My repertoire includes jazz standards with some modern flavor thrown in for a mix. However, my abiding interest and passion will always be classical music and the works of Beethoven. While I am very happy with the work I have done so far, I see my limitations and I have much to learn in advanced technique. I strive to constantly improve my knowledge and craft. Promising initial efforts and the encouragement I have received over the years, first from friends and now from customers, have made it clear this new and exciting avenue of adventure is my new ‘path less taken’. I plan to develop professionally as an artist and make a lasting contribution incorporating what I believe are my unique talents and vision.

AE Reiff

Sculptor, writer, painter, book design, exhibits high fire ceramic sculptures of laminated clay, designs and publishes titles for Grand Canal Flyway books.

AV Dunn

I read somewhere that art is fundamentally a social activity. I've often said that I'm not a social person, but maybe that's a lie. Maybe I just do it differently. I want my work to make people think, to look closer, pay attention, and question their first impression. The people who engage their curiosity and who take the time to discover, those are the people that I would want to get to know. Which I would wholeheartedly do, if I were a social person.

Abbey Messmer

Abbey Messmer, originally from Dallas, Texas, received a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from University of North Texas. She lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona, balancing time between local non-profit Scottsdale Arts and her studio art practice from La Melgosa on Grand Ave. in downtown Phoenix. Messmer's exhibited at Phoenix Art Museum, Mesa Arts Center, Herberger Theater Center, Shemer Art Center, Estrella Mountain Community College, Monorchid, and participated in a project called Art360 with the Arizona Science Center where her work was animated and projected on the dome of the Dorrance Planetarium. Messmer was a member of Phoenix art collective Eye Lounge from 2012-2015 and was a Contemporary Forum Arts Grant recipient in 2015. She was an Artlink Artist Council member from 2018-2024. Her work contemplates the fluid nature of perception and reflects the fragility of our physical and mental states.

Acrylic Ninja

Mori Pablo, aka Acrylic Ninja is a Filipino Canadian, freelance artist currently based in Phoenix, Arizona. Born in Vancouver, B.C., Canada and influenced by the bustling culture of New York City and laid-back vibes of California, she is known for her thought-provoking and visually striking works. Using acrylic paint on canvas, she skillfully captures the essence of characters and conveys a sense of depth through her grey scale portraiture. “Through my art, I aim to tap into the essence of nostalgia, transporting viewers to a realm where memories intertwine with the present, igniting a profound sense of connection and introspection.” With a steady hand, creative layouts and distinctive style, Acrylic Ninja's work serves as a catalyst for reminiscing and contemplation.

Adaptability Clothing

Kimberley Warack is owner and designer of Adaptabilty a Fashion Brand that is designing fashionable inclusive design to ensure that your clothing is accessible yet fashionable for women in wheelchairs.

Aeson

Ahchipaptunhe

Native Modern Art, Sculptor, Designer Ahchipaptunhe, born of European and Lenape indigenous ancestry. His work confronts issues of identity, authenticity, individuality, and self-acceptance. He has found the art of creativity to be his place of renewal. Ahchipaptunhe seeks to honor the journey of life by holding equal weights to what has come before, and how those moments' drive current interactions of self, and society. Graduating in 2019 from Pratt Institute Ahchipaptunhe began working in the arts while continuing his passion for painting and sculpting. His education was heavily influenced by the teachings of Rowena Reed Kostelow, a leading designer of the 20th century. Utilizing concepts of form, space, and movement Ahchipaptunhe has applied these elements with that of oral tradition in doing so creating what he calls “Native Modern.”

Alaina Tesarek

My name is Alaina Tesarek. I am a 20 year old indigenous artist studying interior design at Arizona State University. My main mediums are colored pencil, acrylic, ink, and oil pastel. I would consider my main style to lean more surrealistic but I also enjoy exploring as many styles as possible.

Alberto Carbajal

Phoenix self taught black and grey multimedia and mixed media artist

Alex Chili Jankowski

Alex Kohli

Most of my creative work has been in 3D animation, design for art installations and mutant vehicles, and performance art. I started in film and television in Chicago and Memphis, after graduating with a Film degree from the College of Visual & Performing Arts at Syracuse University. Through the '90s, I taught myself the emerging technologies of digital art, non-linear video editing, audio production, web design, and 2D/3D animation. In 2004, I opened my own animation house in Phoenix, Kohli Marketing Design LLC, a catch-all for all the media that had caught my interest and years of professional practice for Fortune 500 companies. Since then, I have served as Chair of the Goodyear Arts & Culture Commission, sat on the boards of various arts and maker organizations, have been on the design/build teams for several art cars and installations for Burning Man, received a regional Emmy® Award, and helped put on many a spectacle like designing the fire/water feature for Canal Convergence for several years.