Coconino Center for the Arts

Chicken Wire Empire
2026-03-13 19:30 (America/Phoenix) | Coconino Center for the Arts, 2300 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, United States
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Chicken Wire Empire is a Wisconsin-based bluegrass band known for their dynamic musicality, thorough arrangements, and true-to-life songwriting. The band emerged in 2016 with their debut self-titled album and have since released a prolific catalogue of studio projects and live performances. Their sixth and latest album, Growing Pains, releases June 1 and is a veritable culmination of the band’s growth through the past decade.
CWE continuously captivates audiences with thoughtful, energetic performances. Their high-level musicality turns up a fresh conversation with each show, like a brainstorm of creative musical substance. Americana Highways writes “These musicians must enjoy what they do because their joy translates through their instruments. The energy, fingering techniques are all proponents that deliver substance with a modicum of joy. There aren’t any low points, missteps, loss of heat in any of these melodies.”
The band has been recognized worldwide for their performances and recorded works, with Americana UK calling their latest album “a variety which transcends genre and rewards careful listening.” Capturing the ever-evolving sights and sounds of the road through the lens of their Midwestern roots, the band’s catalog of songs is ever-growing and CWE continues to be acknowledged for their pensive attention to detail in writing and crafting deeply engaging songs.
Chicken Wire Empire has partnered with dozens of artists from all corners of the bluegrass genre, from Sam Bush and Peter Rowan to Vince Herman and Keller Williams. Their forthcoming album features guest appearances from Grammy-winning artists Jerry Douglas and Kyle Tuttle. The long list of collaborators has lent a lifetime of taste and knowledge to CWE’s musical journey while the band has grown into its identifiably authentic yet original sound.

Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Diversifying Funding, Partnerships & Tax Awareness for Artists & Nonprofits
2026-03-07 09:00 - 12:00
Diversifying Funding, Partnerships & Tax Awareness for Artists & Nonprofits
Date/Time: Saturday, March 7, 2026, 9am-noon
FREE EVENT; Registration Required
In this workshop, participants will be introduced to diversified funding strategies tailored to today’s evolving federal funding environment. Learn how individual artists can collaborate with 501(c)(3) organizations through fiscal sponsorships, explore a range of funding opportunities, and discover approaches to developing collaborative, accessible, financially sustainable projects. The session will also cover how to build meaningful, strategic partnerships to support responsible and successful project execution. Participants will learn a few essentials of the federal tax code regarding those who receive grant monies, and how tax burdens fluctuate whether the recipient is a non- profit, a business, or an individual. This workshop will offer valuable takeaways to prepare grant recipients for filing tax returns.
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Greenhouse Productions Presents: An Evening with Bruce Cockburn
2026-03-01 19:30
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One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. The Ottawa-born artist remains deeply respected for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt, working for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Friends of the Earth. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while travelling to such far-flung places as Guatemala, Mali, Mozambique, and Nepal, and writing memorable songs about his ever-expanding world of wonders.

Bruce Cockburn has written more than 400 songs on 35 albums over a career spanning more than 50 years, of which 23 have received gold or platinum certification. His guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, has placed him in the company of the world’s top instrumentalists. He has sold more than nine-million albums worldwide, and has been honoured with 13 JUNO Awards, an induction into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and he has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

His commitment to growth has made Bruce Cockburn both an exemplary citizen and a legendary artist whose prized songbook will be celebrated for many years to come. In 2020 Cockburn celebrated his 50-year anniversary as a recording artist. As his producer-friend Colin Linden says: “Like the great blues players he admires, Bruce just gets better with age.”
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Mama's Broke
2026-02-14 19:30
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Mama’s Broke have spent the past ten years in a near-constant state of transience, pounding the transatlantic tour trail. They’ve brought their dark, fiery folk-without-borders sound to major festivals and DIY punk houses alike, absorbing traditions from their maritime home in Eastern Canada all the way to Ireland and Indonesia. Nowhere is the duo’s art-in-motion approach more apparent than on their long-awaited sophomore record Narrow Line (May 13, 2022 on Free Dirt Records); it’s the sound of nowhere in particular, yet woven with a rich synthesis of influences that knows no borders. It earned them a JUNO nomination for Traditional Roots Album of the Year 2022. The eleven songs on Narrow Line burrow deeply, with close harmony duets, commanding vocals, and poignant contemplations on cycles of life, including birth and death. Tinges of Americana stand side-by-side with the ghosts of Eastern European fiddle tunes and ancient a cappella ballad singing, melding into an unusually accessible dark-folk sound. A careful listen of Narrow Line invokes an ephemeral sense of place—whether real or imagined—inviting us to take comfort in the infinite possibilities of life, whether or not we ever choose to settle down.
For a group defined by constant touring, it’s not surprising that the two artists that make up Mama’s Broke, Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, met on the road. As Lisa remembers it, “Amy was driving her old Mercedes from Montreal to Nova Scotia and I was looking for a ride. We spent the 17 hours in the car talking almost exclusively about music. By the time we reached Halifax we started playing together, and within a week or two became a band.” Both coming out of traveling communities that are focused on music and protest, the two owe the way in which they move through the world to the integrated and self-sustaining nature of DIY culture and activism. It was a busy life that took them on a roundabout annual touring schedule running between Canada, the United States, Ireland, the UK, and Europe. In each country, they built grassroots DIY communities to support their music or moved along the pathways of communal organizing that sustained other touring artists.
The driving force behind this band is – and has always been – the commitment to challenge borders between people, places, and traditions; while encouraging freedom of expression and community through music.

Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Nolan McKelvey + Jesse Valenzuela(of Gin Blossoms)
2026-02-13 19:30
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Over the course of his thirty-year career, Nolan McKelvey has covered nearly every corner of the country and traversed all roads of Americana. From the pavement of alt-country, to the dusty trails of bluegrass, to the gravel roads of classic-country, to the interstate highway of rock-n-roll. Nolan has received critical acclaim along the way from magazines like No Depression, Country Standard Time, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, and Performer Magazine among many others.
Nolan has opened for luminaries of Americana like Greg Brown, Peter Rowan, Odetta, Fred Eaglesmith, Los Lobos, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, and Leon Russell. He has also opened for contemporary artists like Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Cowboy Junkies, Gregory Alan Isakov, Jack Johnson, Infamous Stringdusters, Jeffrey Foucault, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Son Volt, Josh Ritter, David Grisman and the list goes on and on…
Nolan performed in several bands in Boston, including The Benders, The Resophonics, with Kris Delmhorst, Ry Cavanaugh, The Vinyl Avenue String Band, Jabe, Bow Thayer, and his own 33. He was dubbed “Central to the (Boston) roots-rock revival” by WBUR radio. His bands won two Boston Music Awards (BMA) and were nominated for BMA’s 7 times in his 5 years in the city. Since returning to Arizona, Nolan was named “Best Musician” by the readers of the Arizona Daily Sun and has been dubbed “One of the best songwriters in the southwest,” and “Flagstaff’s Poet Laureate.” (FlagLive)
Nolan’s studio credits include recording with grammy-winner Levon Helm (The Band), Dana Colley and Billy Conway (Morphine), Paul Q. Koldrie (Pixies, PJ Harvey, Radiohead and more), Jennifer Kimball (The Story, Wayfaring Strangers) among many others. Nolan’s songs have appeared on 21 cds to date, he released five solo albums, five albums with The Benders, six with Muskellunge, four with former band Onus B. Johnson and a duo disc with Dave Desmelik. Nolan’s work as a bass player and harmony singer pushes the release list over 75 recordings.
Nolan’s latest release is How Small We Are, recorded at the Tone Kitchen in Tempe, Arizona. Produced by the core band of PH Naffah (Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers), Jeff Lusby-Breault (Enormodome), and Nolan. The record includes appearances from some of the most talented musicians in the Phoenix area including Jesse Valenzuela (Gin Blossoms on 2 & 9), Jon Rauhouse (Neko Case, Old 97’s, Sunpunchers on 2 & 10), Nick Sterling (Wyves on 6, 7, & 9), and Stephanie Groot (Mark Zubia Trio, Dusty Ramblers on violin on 4 & 7). Nolan imported old friend, Mandy Fer (Sway Wild) for the vocal duet “Anam Cara” (3), and longtime friend and former bandmate Tim Kelly (The Benders, The Resophonics) to play dobro (7 & 8). McKelvey penned all 10 tracks, played all upright and electric bass, acoustic guitar, and performed all lead and harmony vocals. How Small We Are builds on the momentum of Forward, about which Americana Highways wrote, “His voice is inspired and his reliance on poignancy is admirable.” Rootstime compared him to singersongwriters such as David Gray, Ryan Adams, and Damien Rice. Blaskans Vanner stated, “Somehow these songs glide away towards the forest and meadows of beauty.”
To put it as succinctly as possible, Jesse Valenzuela loves music.
“Ever since I was a kid, music has had a hold on me – and one of the great blessings of my life is that I’ve been able to keep a hold on music.”
And then some.
As a founding member of Tempe, Arizona’s melodic, melancholic Gin Blossoms, Jesse Valenzuela has climbed a musical mountain.
For more than three decades, Jesse has provided the multi-platinum group with hit songs (“Til I Hear It From You,” “Follow You Down,” “Mrs. Rita”), masterful guitar playing and exquisite harmony singing. And, historically, the Gin Blossoms have been true road warriors, often playing more than 150 shows a year.
But for Jesse Valenzuela, music isn’t just a career, it’s a calling.
Solo artist, producer, session musician, film and television composer — all part of answering music’s call.
On those rare nights when the Gin Blossoms aren’t on the road, you might find Jesse playing in a Phoenix-area pub, delighting audiences with Gin Blossoms classics and dipping into his deep bag of rock, folk, country, blues and flamenco favorites. Chances are you may hear him covering the Monkees’ “Daydream Believer,” and confiding: “This is my sister’s favorite song.”
An artist in love with music.
The road stretches out and the beat goes on.
As Jesse once wrote: “Some rides don’t have much of a finish/That’s the ride I took.”

Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Chase Coleman: Soundscapes through Time
2026-02-01 15:00
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This program invites you on a musical journey spanning two centuries and bridging two worlds. It explores how composers use deeply personal experiences to create powerful and evocative music, from the heart-on-sleeve Romanticism of Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms to the cultural fusion of contemporary Navajo composer Connor Chee, the jazzy Art Deco elegance of Bix Beiderbecke and the atmospheric Impressionism of Claude Debussy.
Chase Coleman is a Flagstaff-based pianist and music educator known for his versatility in performing both classical and jazz repertoire. An active member of the Southwestern music community, he has appeared as soloist with Orchestra Northern Arizona, the Verde Valley Sinfonnietta and as a soloist in performances across the region and internationally. Beyond his performance schedule, Coleman is also an accomplished composer, with two original musicals to his name and a third currently in development. He maintains a busy piano studio where he offers lessons and also serves as the organist at Peace Lutheran Church in Flagstaff. He has served on the music faculties of the Boston Conservatory, Coconino Community College and Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy. Coleman received his musical education from Boston University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. His eclectic artistic sensibility has led him to explore a wide range of musical genres, from the Renaissance to contemporary classical and jazz works.
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Guitar Dreams featuring Jake Allen and Ryan David Green
2026-01-31 19:30
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Jake Allen has toured globally, is endorsed by Takamine Guitars, and has shared stages with guitar legends such as Andy McKee and Mike Dawes. As a solo artist, Allen utilizes impeccably timed live looping to create a captivating one-man show, with his hypnotic command of the guitar bringing every inch of the instrument to life.
Ryan David Green has been called “a full blown shredder” by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. A graduate of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, his instrumental “Time Is Not What You Think It Is” was awarded 1st place in the 2024 American Songwriter Song Contest and his original compositions have received numerous film and TV placements, including shows on E!, Lifetime, and ABC Family/Freeform.
Together, performing a blend of beautiful instrumental guitar pieces and delicate vocal tunes, they’ll be taking audiences to a place both otherworldly, and somehow surprisingly intimate.

Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Greenhouse Productions Presents: Kalos
2026-01-30 19:30
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Kalos is drawn to water. Every performance is like stepping into a river—they never play a song the same way twice. They make music inspired by the maritime traditions of Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and North America. Their album titles—Harbour and Headland—honor the meeting point between the land and sea and they sing songs about shorelines, seafarers and drownings. They revel in the driving danceability of Irish tunes, but also take inspiration from the pastoral melodies and naturalistic metaphors of Scottish music. But while the music they write is forged in tradition, it is nonetheless cast and tempered in new and unexpected ways.The trio spans three generations, three cities and two countries. Ryan McKasson (violin, viola, voice), Eric McDonald (guitar, mandolin, voice) and Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano, voice) met over the years at highland games, contra dances and fiddle camps across North America. They made their first recording in 2016 and have been touring together since 2019. Kalos prizes the magic of live performance—breathing, dancing and weaving together like high-wire acrobats. They are as generous as they are virtuosic. Like nature itself, their music is full of chaos and chance yet always feels spacious and balanced. Their concerts are more an exposé than a performance—they are immersive, trance-inducing experiences.Kalos appreciates how acoustic music can be a balm, a respite in the midst of our radio-static modern life. “As noisy as music is, it feels like meditation compared to the clatter of social media,” McLane muses. All three band members come from Scottish immigrant families, so even when they venture beyond the edges of traditional Celtic music they remain deeply connected to past centuries and forgotten folkways. The acoustic instruments they play are made of sonorous wood—mahogany, spruce, ebony—and the band is always attuned to the sonic quality of the spaces they play in. They love a reverberant church or a forest green encircled by the far-off hum of cicadas.Kalos is an ancient Greek word that means “beautiful” or “praiseworthy.” It’s the root of the English words “calligraphy” and “calisthenics.” Like a fine calligrapher or adept gymnast, each musician possesses a profound attention to detail and form. But within the exquisite architecture of their compositions, they remain inventive—finding new flourishes and discovering unseen ley lines in the fertile ground of traditional music. Folk Worlds magazine says, “There’s a spontaneity at work as the three musicians alternately contest and duel, combine and coalesce to bring their talents together.”
Kalos has performed at the Lotus Festival (Bloomington, IN), New Bedford Folk Festival (New Bedford, MA), New World Festival (Randolph, VT), Gracie Center (Bangor, ME), Old Town School of Folk Music (Chicago, IL), Seattle Folklore Society (Seattle, WA) and more. They have taught workshops and masterclasses at Tufts University (Somerville, MA), Celtic Arts Foundation (Mount Vernon, WA) and Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School (Boulder Creek, CA). With music that enlivens the human spirit, Kalos brings warmth, grit and exuberance to every performance
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Board Basics: Bylaws, Roles, Development, and Succession Planning
2026-01-24 09:00 - 12:00
Board Basics: Bylaws, Roles, Development, and Succession Planning
Date/Time: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 9am-noon
FREE EVENT; Registration Required
Learn the Basics of Nonprofit Board of Directors. This workshop is designed to meet the community’s ongoing demand for Board Development, focusing on Board member roles and responsibilities, expectations, cultivation and recruitment, organization structure, policies and procedures, strategic and succession planning, and much more. This presentation will offer insight to new and seasoned Board members and nonprofit organizations.
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FORE! A Miniature Golf Art Installation
2026-01-17 17:00
FORE! is a miniature golf art installation exhibition and fundraiser to support exhibitions and programming at CCA. Following the success of the pilot project in 2023, FORE! will return this January. CCA’s 4,000 square foot gallery will turn into a 9-hole miniature golf course, with each green uniquely designed by an Arizona artist or local community group!
Gather a group of four to play in our FORE!
Opening Tournament on Saturday, January 17th. Tee times 5-7:30 pm, and awards and artist recognition will start at 7:30 pm.
REGISTER HERE
Registration includes:

A team of four (4) to play 9-holes of artist-created miniature golf
Virtual reality experience for all team members
4 drink tickets per team
Commemorative swag
Opportunity to win an array of prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Best Team score, Best Individual Score, and Audience Vote for Best Dressed

Golf Greens created by:
The Hive
Flagstaff All Theaters
Amy Dries
Wesley Eaves & Friends
Ron Tuckman
Randy “SQRL” Gra

Shifting Topographies: Extracting the Landscape, closing reception & discussion
2025-12-20 18:00 - 19:00
Tonizhoniani Presenter

A Winter's Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends
2025-12-12 19:30
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Join Multi-GRAMMY ® Award Nominee David Arkenstone and six-piece band of virtuoso musicians as he proudly returns to Flagstaff with his enchanting holiday concert A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends. This lively winter celebration of beloved holiday classics “reimagined” joyfully blends world music, Celtic, cinematic, new age, and neo-classical crossover. David’s concerts captivate audiences each year with seasonal tunes from his treasured holiday albums Celtic Christmas and Christmas Lounge. Experience fan favorites of this magical season to delight and dazzle your holiday senses.
Since the release of his first album Valley in the Clouds, David Arkenstone has become one of the most engaging and prolific multi-instrumentalists of our time. With 5 GRAMMY® nominations to date, over 2 billion streams worldwide, 70+ albums, film and TV scores, gaming scores for World of Warcraft, David Arkenstone’s music has become the soundtrack to millions of listeners’ lives across the globe.
“Right up there with greatest concert ever!” ~Dyan Garris, New Age Notes Radio
“The most enchanting and magical music ever to be on our stage!” ~Yuma Historic Theatre, Yuma, Arizona.
David Arkenstone and his fantastic band absolutely wowed the TLCA audience last year with their amazing Christmas concert event!” ~Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, Palmer Lake, Colorado.
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Sihasin
2025-12-11 19:30
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Multi-award-winning independent artists and cultural ambassadors Jeneda and Clayson Benally deliver a powerful, genre-defying sound rooted in their Navajo heritage. With just bass, drums, and vocals, this sibling duo blends traditional Navajo music, folk, world, and post-punk energy to create a unique musical experience that inspires audiences worldwide. Sihasin (pronounced See-ha-sin), meaning hope in Navajo, was formed following their internationally acclaimed band Blackfire. Raised amid forced relocation, sacred site desecration, and human rights struggles on the Navajo Nation, Jeneda and Clayson channel these experiences into music that empowers, heals, and advocates for justice.
Sihasin’s music embodies hope, resilience, and a strong cultural foundation. In Diné (Navajo) tradition, music is a tool for healing and unity; Sihasin continues this tradition by inspiring listeners to rise up, speak out, and create positive change.
“Every second they were on stage, the stage was on fire.” –The Huffington Post
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Stargazer Collaborative Theatre Presents: Winter Cabaret
2025-12-07 14:30, 2025-12-06 19:00, 2025-12-05 19:00
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The Stargazer Winter Cabaret is a joyous blend of showtunes, dancing, live music, and acting to celebrate the holidays and help us reflect on the true meaning of the season, spreading love. This fully produced family friendly show is perfect for all ages and will feature songs from Wicked, Hamilton, Anastasia, White Christmas, Moana, and more!
In-person and streaming tickets are available for this show. While the show cannot be live streamed, virtual audience members will be sent the link to watch the show the week of December 8th, 2025 and will be available for streaming through the New Year.
In partnership with the Northland Family Help Center (NFHC), Stargazer will be donating 10% of all net ticket sales to NFHC for them to continue their mission and the amazing work they do throughout our community!
Northland Family Help Center’s mission is to provide safe haven, advocacy, counseling, and education to promote and restore healthy relationships. They envision a community where all people live in safety, where all forms of violence have been eradicated, and where healthy families and individuals serve as the foundation of a vibrant and productive community. Learn more about NFHC and other ways to get involved at:https://northlandfamily.org/
Stargazer’s 2025 Season is proudly sponsored by the Art Flores Memorial.
Directors: Caitlin Burd, Sarah Casey, & Dani Commanda
Accompaniment: Chase Coleman
Cast:
Staci Dickens
Rachel Lemons
Alex Benavidez
Mike Casey
Alec Walsh
JoJo Hood
Amalia Baxter
America Fregozo
Antonio Stevens
Becki Zaritsky
Bee Ward
Caitlin Burd
Chase Coleman
Colleen Little
DeLano Hays
Doug Riddle
Egle Rucci
Emerson Commanda
Emma Little
Ezra Commanda
Genevive Stevens
Gillian Bruha
Hope Bouck
Leslie Baker
Lexi Markoutsis
Lily Stevens
Liv Scott
Nathan Henderson
Nicola Sarn
Penelope Espinoza
Sam Butler
Scout Houston
Seneca Markham
Shaye Barber

Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Holiday Art Markets
2025-12-07 10:00, 2025-12-06 10:00
Shop the Cultural Corridor on Fort Valley Road. 3 winter markets, 2 days, 1 road. Children’s activities, live music, refreshments and more!

Coconino Center for the Arts (2300 N Fort Valley Road)
Saturday 10am* – 4pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm
Museum of Northern Arizona (3101 N Fort Valley Road)
Saturday 10am* – 5pm
Sunday 10am – 5pm
Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy (3401 N Fort Valley Road)
Saturday 10am – 4pm
Sunday 10am – 3pm

*Members’ Preview at MNA and CCA on Saturday from 9-10am

Tin Can Conversations: Artist Talk with Neal Galloway
2025-11-20 18:00 - 19:00
Flagstaff artist Neal Galloway’s Tin Can Conversations uses the core motif of a tin can telephone to explore the fragility, complexity, and profound value of interpersonal communication. Galloway is an artist and educator serving as the Associate Director and an Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Art + Design at Northern Arizona University.

Thin Air- NAU Literary Magazine Poetry Workshop
2025-11-19 17:30 - 19:00
Thin Air Magazine proudly cultivates a Flagstaff-based, MFA student-led literary community with global reach to publish emerging authors with intriguing ideas. On November 19, Thin Air will host a poetry workshop led by poet and writer, Sherwin Bitsui. Participants will explore poetic forms that are in conversation with the works displayed in the “Shifting Topographies: Extracting the Landscape” exhibition.
Sherwin Bitsui is the author of three collections of poetry, Dissolve, Flood Song, and Shapeshift. He is the recipient of a Whiting Award, an American Book Award, and the PEN Book Award. His poems have appeared in Narrative, Black Renaissance Noir, American Poet, The Iowa Review, LIT, and elsewhere. He is Diné of the Todích’ii’nii (Bitter Water Clan), born for the Tlizílaaní (Many Goats Clan), and has received fellowships from the Lannan Foundation and the Native Arts & Culture Foundation.
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S.E. Willis Presents an Evening of Flagstaff Blues
2025-11-15 19:30
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Saturday November 15 will be an evening of Flagstaff Blues featuring S.E.Willis, Tommy Dukes, Bob Blasi, Roger Smith, Dale Caddell, Chuck Curry and Greg Varlotta.
I started playing music in bands while attending Coconino High in Flagstaff. I was playing rock’n’roll music as it existed in 1969, for fraternity parties, high school dances and teen dances at Oddfellows Underground on Arrowhead. At that time, aside from other teen bands and country groups, the other side of town was represented by Winslow’s Tommy Dukes. Tommy was a grown, if young man at that time and he was the star of South Side, an area we didn’t venture into much. Back then Tommy wasn’t playing a lot of hard core blues (though he did play some killer Jimmy Reed), mostly soul and R&B. But Tommy came to Winslow from Hattiesburg Mississippi and had the look and the sound and as time went by he was more influenced by B.B. and Albert King, among others. And Tommy Dukes is still here and still playing great blues music.
Meanwhile, I was searching out the few Blues records that arrived here. Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King, and, most of all for me, Robert Johnson. My piano models were Memphis Slim, Otis Spann and Johnny Johnson.
Local musicians through the 70s, 80s and on mostly played in bars (and still do). Concerts were for touring, more respectable acts.
In 1984 I started Monday Night Blues at Charly’s in the Weatherford Hotel with my brother John on bass, Charlie Mossman (RIP) on drums and Dave Duncan on guitar. And I tracked Tommy down—I didn’t see how we could claim to be playing Blues without him.
It was very popular and is still happening now, though on Wednesday night.
We all moved on. I went to San Francisco where I got to perform with a lot of great blues musicians, most not widely known, but also Elvin Bishop, Charly Musselwhite, Bo Diddly, Chuck Berry, Albert King, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton and many others.
Now I’m back in Flagstaff and Tommy is still here playing excellent blues. We’re older, and I don’t know how many more opportunities we’ll have, but Saturday November 15 we’re bringing the old school Flagstaff Blues to Coconino Center for the Arts. I’ve put together a band that includes four members of the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame: myself, Tommy, Bob Blasi (drums and vocals) and Roger Smith (bass). We also have Flagstaff’s own Dale Caddell on guitar. I met Dale at Coconino High and have played with him off and on ever since, notably in a popular local 80s band, the Shake. Dale recorded with Tommy as Tommy Duke and the Blue Bloods (also featuring Bob Blasi), so he seemed like the best choice for this show. Tommy’s blues has frequently featured horns, and local hero Chuck Curry (trumpet) agreed to be a part of this, along with Greg Varlotta on trombone.
I wanted the people of Flagstaff to have a chance to support their local bluesmen, and to present Tommy’s music (and mine and Bob’s, with Roger, Dale, Chuck and Greg) in a concert setting. I hope everyone will come and support real homegrown Blues Music!
– S.E. Willis
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Premazzi/Nasser Quartet
2025-11-13 19:00
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Italian pianist Simona Premazzi and Boston native saxophonist Kyle Nasser met in New York and found themselves on gigs together over the last decade. Formalizing their musical partnership as a collaborative entity in 2021, they teamed with bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Jay Sawyer to explore their own take on highly melodic modernist jazz blended with harmonies and techniques from classical music. From the major jazz venues in New York, to festivals around the US and South America, the Premazzi / Nasser Quartet further defined their sound, built on lustrous melodies, vivid compositions and a dynamic group aesthetic.
“A fearless modernist composer and improviser with a deep lyricism at her core, pianist Simona Premazzi is one of the most fascinating and creative pianists in New York today.” Hot House Magazine
“Cycling rhythms and recurrent melodic themes propel the saxophonist’s music through an ever-evolving terrain of advanced harmony and raw emotion…cerebral without being pretentious, gnarly but far from vulgar.” DownBeat
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Greenhouse Productions Presents: Mason Jennings
2025-11-09 19:30
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Minneapolis songwriter Mason Jennings shares his new video for the single, “Only Lovers Welcome” from his brand new album, Underneath The Roses out now via Loosegroove Records. Underneath The Roses is available on limited-edition colored vinyl and is available here. Watch and share the video for “Only Lovers Welcome” here.
Jennings writes that the songs from Underneath The Roses were, “Written in an unprecedented burst,” following the birth of his son, Western, in March 2022. Jennings explains, “I hadn’t written any songs in about a year. I had been dealing with the psychological after effects of the pandemic as well as the loss of my dad. So, when Western was born I didn’t expect to be writing much. But immediately he was responding to music in a very intense way. For this album, between May and November 2022, I wrote 48 songs! They certainly uplifted me and connected me with the creative spirit, and spirit in general, again. They cover all kinds of ground but, when I listen back, I think the central theme is overcoming fear with love.”
Jennings also released a video for, “No Ordinary Friend,” which he explains, “Depicts two of the most important decisions a person can make. One, whether or not they believe in a loving higher power and two, who they decide to choose as a life long romantic partner. This song is referring to both of those and the choices I’ve made.”
“Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar from Loosegroove Records helped me edit the 48 down to 11. I then enlisted the help of my Painted Shield bandmates to record the songs.”
Jennings and Gossard are ongoing collaborators in the band Painted Shield, who released their 2021 debut album on Loosegroove, the influential indie label that Gossard founded back in 1994 issued records from acts such as Critters Buggin, Malfunkshun, Weapon of Choice and Devilhead, and was the launching point for Queens of the Stone Age’s debut album in 1998.
Jenning’s previous album ‘Real Heart’ came out in January 2022 and received Triple/Non-comm radio across KCMP Minneapolis, WFPK Louisville, WPYA Birmingham, KRCL Salt Lake City, WMMM Madison, WQKL Ann Arbor, KCSN LA, KRVB Boise, WCLZ Portland, WDSE Duluth, WRLT Nashville, WXPN Philly, WXRV Boston, & WZEW Mobile.
Press highlights include: American Songwriter, Relix, No Depression, Grateful Web, Take Effect 9/10 review, & Jam Bands
Jennings adds “I called it Underneath The Roses because I feel like these songs are musical roses and when I look below them there are many thorns and so much dirt and soil. All of it was needed for them to come into existence and bloom. It’s been a long hard road of self-discovery and discernment for me the last few years and the roses wouldn’t be here without what lies underneath. Hope you enjoy the music!”
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Greenhouse Productions Presents: The Brothers Reed
2025-11-08 19:30
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With their comedic brotherly banter, impeccable harmonic expression, and widely varying influences, a Brothers Reed performance will have you reflecting on lost lives and lovers, laughing hysterically and leaving completely entertained. The bros will soothe your soul with songs that are familiar yet original. Whether they are finger picking their way through a lamentable ballad or bringing you around full-speed with a barn-burning bluegrass number, The Brothers Reed are masters of their craft.
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Managing Web Presence for Artists
2025-11-08 09:00 - 12:00
Managing Web Presence for Artists
Date/Time: Saturday, November 8, 9am-noon
FREE EVENT; Registration Required
Feeling overwhelmed by all the ways you’re supposed to show up online? You’re not alone—and you’re not doing it wrong. This workshop is designed to help you take a step back, make sense of your digital presence, and move forward with more clarity, confidence, and creativity.
We’ll explore approachable strategies to boost your visibility across key platforms and connect with the people who matter most—without burning out or getting lost in the noise.
Led by the team at Mountain Mojo Group, this session brings real talk, real tools, and a whole lotta support for artists, makers, and mission-driven teams doing big things.
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Greenhouse Productions Presents: Della Mae
2025-11-07 19:30
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Each generation, perhaps once a decade, bluegrass experiences a band or an artist that redefines and recenters the genre itself. Della Mae is one such band.
The GRAMMY-nominated string band was founded in 2010 and over the next decade and a half they’ve demonstrated to the roots music world, once and for all, that a band of all women is not, nor has ever been, a mere novelty. They remain at the forefront of the explosion of women instrumentalists and all-women acts in roots music and their impact is striking and measurable – not just in North America, but around the globe.
Now 15 years since their origin, Della Mae can boast their strongest lineup yet. Founders Kimber Ludiker and Celia Woodsmith are joined by guitarist and songwriter Avril Smith and vocalist and two-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Vickie Vaughn.
There has never been a band like Della Mae in roots music before, but thanks to Kimber Ludiker, Celia Woodsmith, Avril Smith, Vickie Vaughn – and all of the women who have been part of this band over its long life – we know there will be many more bands, singers, songwriters, and pickers just like Della Mae in the future.
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

Film Screening & Live Music from Tha ‘Yoties
2025-11-05 18:00
In Defense of our National Monument: Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah kukveni – Ancestrial Footprints of the Grand Canyon

Driftwood Quintet - El Tango Nuevo: Angeles y Diablos
2025-11-01 19:30
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This suite of 8 tangos by Astor Piazzolla depicts an angel’s journey to save a small town in Buenos Aires and a demon’s brash attempt to stop it. Piazzolla perfectly blends elements of classical, jazz and Argentinian music to showcase the tango’s flirtatious rhythms and delicate nuances that will take your breath away.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the Driftwood Quintet is a chamber group dedicated to crossing genres and bending boundaries in classical music. Through the work of Driftwood’s arrangers, a performance can feature anything from orchestral masterworks or piano works to the imaginative soundtracks from the greatest video games and films. Driftwood also seeks to create memorable experiences through collaborations with artists from a variety of disciplines, ranging from jazz musicians and singer/songwriters to dancers and visual artists.
Driftwood also exemplifies its dedication to chamber music through educational outreach, engaging youth through interactive performances that integrate music with a variety of disciplines such as language arts, science, and history. Members of the Driftwood Quintet are active music educators in the Phoenix metropolitan area, working in underprivileged communities to improve the quality of public music education and foster lifelong musical literacy.
Originally from Mesa, Arizona, Gabe Hall-Rodrigues is a Seattle-based, Brazilian-American musician with a deep love for the accordion, piano, vocals, and composition. His musical ventures have led him to perform with diverse groups like Jared and the Mill, the Salt River Brass Band, the Seattle Philharmonic, the Ben Thomas Tango Project, and Brazilian forró band Foleada. He most recently dazzled audiences at the 2024 Ystad Jazz Festival as part of Bobby Medina’s Latin American Jazz Experience. Additionally, Gabe also co-creates beautiful music as part of the accordion duo Creosote with his wife Jamie Maschler, offering unique interpretations of Brazilian music and original compositions.
Gabe’s talent on the accordion has been recognized globally, with accolades such as winning the American Accordionists Association’s Solo Virtuoso Competition in 2010 and clinching 2nd place in the International Open category at the prestigious Trophee Mondial in Loule, Portugal in 2019.
A passionate educator, Gabe draws on nearly two decades of experience to inspire students both in-person in Seattle and virtually across the U.S. He also dedicates his time to nurturing the accordion community as the former conductor of the Rose City Accordion Club Camp (2017-2024), co-director of Emerald City Accordion, and as the current president of the North American Accordion Collaborative.
Gabe Hall-Rodrigues genuine love for music is palpable, and he uses his talents to connect with others and spread joy through his art. Gabe is a Harmonik and petosa artist
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

The Living Room
2025-10-30 18:30
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Presented by Liberation Earth, Kappé Rousseau and Armand Ramirez, The Living Room is a performance series designed to offer space for artists who may be underrepresented in the Flagstaff area. Expect a house concert–style event, centered around a warm, intimate setting—much like gathering in a spacious living room. One might even think of it as a modern-day salon.
More than just a performance, The Living Room invites the audience into a shared experience—a space where connection, curiosity, and deep listening come alive. It’s about breaking down the divide between performer and audience, creating moments of spontaneity, intimacy, and collective expression.
The evening will highlight original works, creative expression, and a diverse lineup of songwriters and musicians, featuring different musical modalities and instruments—some familiar, some unexpected—with an emphasis on storytelling, artistry, and connection. The goal is to create an experience that feels personal, alive, and truly reflective of the richness of our artistic community.
Proceeds benefit Liberation Earth.
Save 10% with membership! Use unique member number at checkout. Household members receive two tickets at a discount and individual members receive one. To learn more about membership and how to find your discount code, visit: https://www.coconinoarts.org/member-discount

SHIFTING TOPOGRAPHIES: Extracting the Landscape
2025-10-18 18:00 - 20:00
Opening Reception Saturday, October 18, 2025

Members Preview 5 – 6 pm
Public Reception 6 – 8 pm
Artist Talks 6:00 pm

SHIFTING TOPOGRAPHIES: Extracting the Landscape features projects by Carol Hartman (Red Lodge, MT), Jeff Schmuki (Stateboro, GA), and Klee Benally in memoriam (Diné, Black Mesa, Navajo Nation; Flagstaff, AZ). In a rapidly changing climate, we are witness to and complicit in irreversible scarring of the land. There are eight National Parks and Monuments within a 2-hour drive of Flagstaff that face potential threats to their preservation, due to the proposed federal reopening of protected sacred lands to mining. This timely and relevant exhibition theme—extraction—takes on a markedly different approach depending on the geographical and cultural perspectives of the represented artists. Hartman’s large-scale abstract paintings respond to the many phases of oil drilling and the environmental impact of fracking in the western U.S. Schmuki’s ceramic tableaus combine locally sourced clay and discarded porcelain figurines with glazes containing mine tailings and lithium oxide to portray the broader environmental impacts of mining including air, land, and water contamination along with deforestation and wildlife disruption. The late Klee Benally dedicated his unfortunately brief life to art and activism that expose the impact of uranium mining and waste on regional Indigenous communities. Benally’s work includes video projection mapping, banners, and activist performance that expose the degradation to the regional landscape and disproportionate impact on tribal communities.
Image credit: Jeff Schmuki, Extractive Figure, 2024, locally sourced clay, discarded porcelain figurines, and glazes containing mine tailings and lithium oxide, 24” x 16” x 14”
