January 13th, 2026
Opening Jan. 30, “Teaching Artists” showcases the creative dialogue between professional teaching artists from XICO, Inc., and the young artists they mentored from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.
IMAGE: Scottsdale Arts will open “Teaching Artists” at the Center Space gallery inside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 30.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Opening Jan. 30, “Teaching Artists” showcases the creative dialogue between professional teaching artists from XICO, Inc., and the young artists they mentored from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.
Organized by Lyndal Pleasant, community engagement manager for Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, the exhibition highlights the distinctive role of teaching artists as professional creatives who bridge their own artistic practice with education. Through mentorship and shared creative processes, the exhibition reflects how teaching artists help nurture emerging voices and cultivate artistic literacy.
The exhibition features artwork created by youth participants, alongside works by their teaching artists, illustrating how different perspectives, techniques and ideas intersect throughout the learning process.
“I liked how all of the artists had a different perspective on viewing art,” said Gaby R., a participating Boys & Girls Club member.
Another Club member, Israel R., shared how the experience helped deepen his connection to creative expression. “I was able to speak through the painting,” he said. “I learned how colors express feelings, and it made me more interested in making art.”
“Teaching Artists” reflects on the connections formed through collaboration and emphasizes how art can foster a strong sense of community and belonging. Set against the backdrop of the desert environment, the works explore themes of place, sustainability and the relationship between people and their surroundings, inviting viewers to consider how teaching, art and local ecology intertwine to inspire future generations of artists and makers.
The exhibition includes works by Saray Martiny, Martin Moreno, Agustin Vargas, Timothea Haider and Bronson Soza. Each of these artists has taught and exhibited their art in Arizona, including Xico Gallery, Yavapai College Art Gallery and the Eric Fischl Gallery.
Soza is a visual artist from Phoenix, specializing in printmaking, drawing and papier-mâché. He is one of the incoming artists participating in the ArtSpark program. A recent endeavor by Scottdale Arts, ArtSpark is a career-development program for emerging artists, providing recipients with a significant stipend, studio or rehearsal space for a year and career development courses.
Drawn to mediums that allow art to be shared in economical and accessible ways, Soza regularly leads workshops and classes for diverse audiences, believing that the exchange of artistic knowledge and technique plays a vital role in building a more expressive and connected community.
Through this exhibition, Soza reflected on how education became central to his artistic practice.
“In the last two years, teaching has become a big part of my creative practice,” Soza said. “I gravitate toward mediums that are accessible and able to be shared with others, such as printmaking and papier-mâché. Teaching allows me to look at these mediums from another perspective and share something I love with my community.”
A public reception for “Teaching Artists” will be held on Friday, Jan. 30, at 5 p.m. Visitors can also see the exhibition in the Center Space gallery from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays, from Jan. 30 through April 19, 2026. The center is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit ScottsdaleArts.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sydney Ritter | SydneyR@ScottsdaleArts.org | 480-874-4663