Photo courtesy Valley Cultural Collective
“What inspires me creatively?” asked Tennousei Liila Leslie, who goes by Tennousei one of the founders of the recently-formed art group the Verde Valley Cultural Collective. “It’s in my heart, it’s just in my soul … just like any other artist. Everyone looks at life differently if you like to create, and you see something and you have the eye for it. Since I [was] a little girl I loved art and I was just always making something.”
The Verde Valley Cultural Collective, which aims to engage artists of all ages, held its first popup art sale on May 18, at the Distant Drums RV Resort in Camp Verde, with the group’s four founding members, Barry Brennan, Jennifer Kira Eissinger, Efren Lopez and Tennousei.
Liila Leslie has been a professional photographer in the Verde Valley for nearly 12 years.
“Barry is a photographer and painter,” Tennousei said. “Efren Lopez is a professional [photographer] and has a book out on Route 66, and has shops all over and products all over the place. Jennifer Eisinger is just amazing. She does all kinds of art from jewelry to [glass]. I spend time with her, and it’s like we’re always just having super fun creating something new.”
Photo courtesy Verde Valley Cultural Collective
Photo courtesy Verde Valley Cultural Collective
“We have made it the Verde Valley Cultural Collective, because we want to be inclusive of all artists and creators in an array of different arts,” Tennousei said of the organization’s intent. “That will include artists of every kind: Photographers, painters, sculptors, leather workers, musicians, poets, writers, etc. There’s been other groups that have formed over the years, a lot of different artists groups, and we wanted something unique [that] would not disclude any specific type of artist. We’ve got some future plans that integrate the community more.”
The collective has not yet filed as a 501(c)(3) non profit organization with the Arizona Corporation Commission or the Internal Revenue Service but does plan to register as a nonprofit and will be discussing the process with a speaker from the Arizona Art Alliance at the collective’s next meeting on Tuesday, June 25, at the Camp Verde Community Library at 11 a.m.
Photo courtesy Verde Valley Cultural Collective
The next regular monthly meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 2, and subsequent meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of each month, at 11 a.m. during odd-numbered months and 5:30 p.m. during even-numbered months, also at the library. The group hopes to livestream its meetings in the future.
The VVCC has started working with the town of Camp Verde to host a fine arts and crafts festival on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Camp Verde Community Center, located at 395 S. Main Street.
“This event is limited to 30 to 40 vendors and will be a $30 fee for three tables and a 10×10 space to put them in,” the VVCC website states. “Tables will be supplied to each vendor, but you will be required to come set up and take down your own booth. We will be taking reservations for this event in mid-July. The fees collected for this venue will go towards VVCC’s nonprofit status.”
Following the festival, VVCC plans to host an exhibit at the Camp Verde Community Library during the winter.
Until then, interested parties can also contribute to the collective’s logo and banner contest through their Facebook group. The winner will be decided by a unanimous vote of the membership and will earn a free membership to VVCC’s online gallery.
For more information, visit VerdeValleyCulturalCollective.com.
