Our efforts to create a photographic history of Fountain Hills are proceeding nicely. To date we have waded through tens of thousands of photographs from my personal collection and from the collections of Keith McMahan, MCO Properties, The Fountain Hills Times, Cassie Hansen, Arnie Dworkis, Bonnie Kline, Roy Kinsey, Don Kinder and several others. We have photos reflecting the history of Christ’s Church, a comprehensive set of photos of the Community Theater and others. I am trying to get photos from Ft. McDowell. I have a few of Ft. McDowell that I have taken, but not enough. Jean Linzer has chimed in with some marvelous pictures of our local birds that she has taken over the years.  Bob Scott sent me his great javelina pictures that were published in The Times not long ago. Don Kinder even gave me a picture he took from the old P-Bar Ranch home showing the desert, which is now the site for our town.

We have scanned and saved about 7600 of these pictures and I have pruned those down to about 350 that will form the basis of our photographic history. By no later than September I hope to have 100 or so on permanent display in the L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time museum. I will soon be asking members of the Museum Board of Directors and the Public Art Committee to help make this last pruning.

If you are a long-time resident and have pictures reflecting our past, I would like to borrow them. No more fountains, however, unless you have something startling unusual. Without question, our fountain is the most photographed element of our community, perhaps one of the most photographed items in the state.

I have two great fountain pictures that will go into the exhibit and probably into our final publication. One is an aerial shot of the fountain and the surrounding area taken by MCO in the early 1970s. It pictures the fountain with hundreds of surrounding acres of land graded and ready to develop. The companion picture is one I took from a helicopter in 2004, showing the same setting, with almost everything around fully developed.

Our animal wildlife is a key part of our community and I need more pictures of these. I need pictures of rabbits, coyotes and perhaps a good rattlesnake shot. If you have some good ones, I would love to borrow them. Besides her bird pictures, Jean Linzer gave me a fantastic picture of a bobcat sitting on her backyard wall. A few years ago there was a bear spotted in a palm tree in our town. I am looking for that picture.

And to the other churches in the area, I have a great collection of photos from Christ’s Church which Pastor Don Lawrence loaned to me, quite a few from the Presbyterian Church, a handful from the Methodist Church but nothing except exterior shots from the other local churches. Please help me out.

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The Fountain Hills Artists Gallery is entering its second year of existence. At the end of the current operating year (May 31) several artists dropped out, but they were quickly replaced by others. The gallery is a cooperative venture, a non-profit Arizona corporation operated by its participating artists. The gallery takes no commission on sales, so prices tend to be quite a bit cheaper than in commercial galleries. You will find work of fine quality on display, oil and watercolor paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography and various other media. One artist, Steve Failows, has a great exhibit of hand-made kaleidoscopes. It’s worth taking a look. The gallery is located on the north side of the Avenue of the Fountains just west of Saguaro Blvd.

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Thanks to the cooperative efforts of Francesca Carozza, Katie Decker and others, there is a new art walk brochure available at kiosks located in Town Hall, the Community Center, Fountain Park and the Chamber of Commerce. It includes an easy-to-read map with the names and locations of all the more than 60 pieces in the town’s public art collection. Take a look yourselves, or treat your visitors to a guided tour.

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Be sure to get tickets for the musical “Annie Warbucks,” the Community Theater’s summer production. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through July 12.  Ticket prices are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors or youths under 18. The show is a sequel to the hit “Annie,” and is directed by Peter J. Hill with music directed by Miciah Dodge. The box office is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just call 837-9661.

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The Fountain Hills Artists Gallery is hosting children’s art workshops every Wednesday this month. Dennis Weber will teach clay workshops on July 8 and 22. Megan Junk will teach youngsters how to paint these clay creations with acrylics on July 15 and 29. The classes will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. and are open to ages 8 to 14. The cost is $40 per student, with supplies provided. Each session is limited to 3 or 4 students with registration on a first come, first serve basis. Call the gallery at 836-9919, or come in person with your check made out to Fountain Hills Artists Gallery.

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Remember that “Jazz in the Hills” continues every Friday night throughout the summer. Different combinations of outstanding jazz artists appear each week at the Appian Way Restaurant, which is located at the corner of Saguaro Blvd. and Amhurst. Doors open at 7:45 p.m. and music begins at 8:30. Come earlier to enjoy dinner, or have drinks and dessert while you listen to fine jazz. Call 837-4882 for more information. There is no admission charge, but donations are encouraged.

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The July exhibit in the Community Center is by local photographer Bill Levitt. Stop by and see his work. Even better, stop by and meet him at his reception on Friday, July 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.

There is also an exhibit by local artists this month at the Fountain View Village Beth Shafe Gallery. The theme is “Anything Goes” and work is by members of the Fountain Hills Art League.