#ArtLitPhx

Unintended Consequences: Artistic Collaboration between Three Past Contributors

Artists Carolyn Lavender, Monica Aissa Martinez, and Mary Shindell, known for their previous exhibit Creature-Man-Nature at Mesa Art Center, have come together for a project titled Unintended Consequences to be showcased at Center Space at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. The project tells the story of life in Arizona through a combination of biology, botany, and zoology, all expressed in paintings done by the three artists.

Registration and directions can be found by visiting the Center Space’s website here. Their project’s opening ceremony is on Friday, February 17th from 7:00PM to 8:00PM Arizona time. Tickets are free. Beyond the opening ceremony, the group’s paintings can be viewed at the Center Space from February 17th through May 28th.

Carolyn Lavender and Monica Aissa Martinez’s drawings were featured in issue 9. Mary Shindell’s artwork appeared in issue 11. Learn more about them and their works: Carolyn Lavender’s website, Monica Aissa Martinez’s website, and Mary Shindell’s website.

Meet the Review Crew: Scott Blair

Each week we feature one of our many talented interns here at Superstition Review.

Scott Blair worked as an Art Editor for Superstition Review in the fall of 2010 and enjoyed it so much that he came back for a second semester. Now stepping into the role of Content Coordinator, Scott’s gaining a different perspective on all the work that goes into creating and marketing such an impressive journal.

Scott shies away from social media, going as far as to proudly point to his four-year-old Twitter account that has never sent a tweet. At 30 years old, Scott remembers chartrooms at 28k, how Gmail addresses used to be by invitation only, and when MySpace pages only had plain white backgrounds. He doesn’t consider himself a technophobe, but finds TVs that report your usage and cell phone apps that tag your location to be a bit disturbing.

This semester Scott will graduate with a writing focused degree in English from ASU. Come fall, he’ll be back on campus working toward his Master’s in Secondary Education. By the time he graduates again, Scott should be highly qualified by Arizona standards to teach Biology, English, and General Science. Every once and a while, Scott thinks about taking the three classes he’d need to be qualified to teach choir as well, but three specialties seems to be enough. His ideal career would be in the English department of a public school but because the Sciences are in demand and English teachers less so, he expects to work in biology until a spot opens.

Meet the Interns: Gary Blair, Art Editor

Gary Blair is a junior in ASU’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program with concentrations in Biology and Creative Writing.

Superstition Review: What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

Gary Blair: With Superstition Review I’m an Art Editor. Specifically, I review the open art submissions adding my input to the final selection process and solicit art from established sources to increase the quality of SR publications.

SR: How did you hear about Superstition Review and what made you decide to get involved?

GB: I was looking into an internship with Hayden’s Ferry Review, Arizona State’s print literary journal, when I received an email from the ASU English Department asking for applications to join SR. I chose to apply to SR because as an undergraduate I can be more involved in material selection and publication processes.

SR: What are you hoping to take away from your Superstition Review experience?

GB: I’m planning to learn how an online literary journal works. Though I’m only responsible for a small percentage of the work, being behind the scenes allows me a first-hand perspective for most everything involved.

SR: Describe one of your favorite literary or artistic works.

GB: Many years ago when I was in elementary school, we had a program called Art Masterpiece. Once a week a volunteer would come in with a famous print then tell us about it and the artist. Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh grabbed me at a young age. Maybe I like the contrast of yellow and blue, maybe it’s the swirling in the vegetation, I’m not sure. I just can (and have) sit for hours, letting the painting take my mind.

SR: What are you currently reading?

GB: Mostly, I read my anatomy and physiology textbook. I do keep bookmarks in my poetry textbook, 100 Hair-raising Little Horror Stories edited by Al Sarrantonio and Martin H. Greenberg, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, and The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson.

SR: What is your favorite Superstition Review section, and why?

GB: Art! On almost every site on the web you find some attempt at art. It’s often no more than a decoration, but it’s there. Some of it’s bad and most is cute for cute’s sake. SR promotes artists who provoke thought, a rarity on the web.

SR: Do you prefer reading literary magazines online or in print?

GB: In print. My netbook doesn’t do well in the tub and there’s something to be said for paper products that I can drop into a bag without worrying about. As phone and/or Kindle-type technology improves, I may change my mind.

SR: Do you write or create art? What are you currently working on?

GB: The day poorly drawn stick figures are popular, I’m set. Until then I write fiction. I’m currently submitting a story entitled “Penny as My Thoughts” to other journals. It’s a vaguely creepy short story about a penny obsessed man who discovers that some of his pennies are good luck and while others are bad. I’m also finishing the editing of a fantasy novel. It centers on a young woman whose home is only kept safe from ravenous plants by mages who keep the ground frozen.

SR: Besides interning for Superstition Review, how do you spend your time?

GB: Schoolwork, family, friends, the usual. Sometimes I write, paint models, play computer games, mess with my two fish tanks, or read a book. I have 200+ TV channels and a DVR yet watch less than five hours a week. I hear that Americans average five hours a day. That almost makes it a full-time job for someone to pick up my slack.

SR: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

GB: Married and living in the greater Phoenix area. I’ll be employed as a Physician’s Assistant in a setting with five or less medical providers. I’d like a family practice, though an urgent care clinic could be fun too. In my free time I’d like to continue my writing and have at least one story published.