On October 6th, 2023, Say it Loud Arizona made its debut at the AIA Arizona State Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is an example of the collaborative relationship that our chapter has been nurturing over the past few years. The exhibit was well received and was the catalyst to the subsequent installations that would follow, including at Shepley Bulfinch in late October as a part of a City of Phoenix Chamber Concert Series event that is free and open to the public.
Representation matters and it is foundational to bringing equity and diversity to the design industry. This means not only creating welcoming spaces where design is traditionally practiced and celebrated, but also expanding those spaces to reach those who are most disenfranchised from it. This is key to the missions of NOMAarizona and the Sagrado Galleria and is the primary driver that led to hosting the Say It Loud official opening reception exhibition at the gallery on NOvember 30th, 2023. The Sagrado was established in 2016 as a response to the city’s lack of commitment to the South Phoenix community, arts, and culture. It stands as the only community arts organization and art gallery in South Phoenix that nurtures our community’s cultural identity and serves as a cultural bridge for the Valley.
Through this partnership of aligned programs and shared resources, we identified the Sagrado as a space to welcome the greater design community to recognize the diverse talents and backgrounds of women and people of color in Arizona in a location that reflects some of the history, culture, and identities of the exhibitors. This memorable event gathered friends and family from the local architecture, engineering, and construction industry to celebrate diversity in design and share remarkable personal stories and their impact on our communities. Legacy exhibitors Tara Brown, the first Black woman registered architect in Arizona and Norma Escandon Michaels, the first Mexican American woman from Arizona to become a nationally certified interior designer reinforced the significance of the exhibition through the telling of their professional journeys. The night also included remarks from NOMA Arizona’s founder, Gary J. Nelson and Immediate Past President, Maurita Harris, and event coordinator, Nakia Neves whose personal narratives reminded the audience why NOMAarizona and the Sagrado’s missions are so important and why we are all so committed to their success.
As a spin off of our annual Home Cooking Away from Home event, we partnered with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and were able to show the Say it Loud exhibit at Taliesin West. It was a wonderful night to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and fellowship with our NOMA family. We are already meeting with FLW Foundation discussing future collaborations.
Stay tuned for upcoming installations of Say it Loud Arizona around the valley including Arizona State University, the Burton Barr Central library, the AIA offices downtown, and even in Tucson at the University of Arizona.
Thank you to all of our volunteers and sponsors who made this possible.