Surprise Mayor’s Exhibit: A Tribute to Our Heroes

INAUGURAL SURPRISE MAYOR’S EXHIBIT WILL MARK THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11 TRAGEDY; OPENS SEPT. 3
Call for Artwork Now Open for “A Tribute to Our Heroes”

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Submissions are now being accepted for the first-ever Mayor’s Exhibit: A Tribute to Our Heroes, a partnership of the West Valley Arts Council, the Dysart Unified School District and The Vista Center for the Arts, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy by reflecting on how the heroes of this day have and continue to shape our nation into one of support, togetherness and collective endurance.

The inaugural free exhibit will run from Sept. 3-Nov. 11 at The Vista Center for the Arts, 15660 N Parkview Place in Surprise. The opening reception is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. at The Vista Center on Sept. 3.

Artist submissions in student (ages 13-17) and adult categories (age 18 and older) should be thematically tied to the events of Sept. 11 and/or works remembering and celebrating those who gave their lives in heroic acts. Submission fees for adult artists are $20 for West Valley Arts members and $25 for nonmembers. Students can submit for free. Deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 30.

A juried panel of partners, community members and Surprise Mayor Skip Hall will select entries. Artists can submit up to three individual pieces for consideration. Artists will be notified by Aug. 9. Submissions must be uploaded directly into the form at www.westvalleyarts.org.

“It is our deepest hope that we never again experience what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, but it is also our sincerest belief that we should never forget what happened that day or the incredible acts of bravery, service and sacrifice by the selfless heroes of that day,” said West Valley Arts President and CEO Sandra Bassett. “At a time in our nation’s history when divisiveness is so pervasive, we need, more than ever, to come together for the good of our country and what better motivation is there than through A Tribute to Our Heroes?”

For more information about The Vista Center for the Arts, visit www.thevistaaz.com. For more information about West Valley Arts, visit www.westvalleyarts.org.

About West Valley Arts: The West Valley Arts (WVA) enriches the West Valley by growing a vibrant and connected arts and cultural community. WVA serves 13 municipalities in the West Valley as an advisory, creator, and coordinator for arts programs including arts venues, grants management, arts festivals, public art, arts education, and regional arts promotion. By creating strategic partnerships we use our resources to grow and strengthen arts and cultural opportunities. Incorporated as the Cultural Arts Society West in 1969, the organization changed its name to the West Valley Fine Arts Council in 1989 to reflect a broader, more inclusive vision. It became the West Valley Arts (WVA) in 2004. WVA has been central to creating what is recognized as a “high quality of life” for West Valley residents, and is the only multi-disciplinary arts organization of its type and scope in the Valley. Since its inception, the WVA has earned multiple awards including two Governor’s Art Awards! For more information, visit westvalleyarts.org.