Mat Bevel Company sponsor Mary Estes loves to travel, and infuses cultural influences from around the world into her architecture design solutions. She travelled to Japan in 2017.

Mary Estes is a Principal at Norris Design in Phoenix, Arizona. With a background in both landscape architecture and architecture, she works on all types of projects, from large planning efforts to single-family residential design, and everything in between. 

“I didn’t know anything about the profession before I went to college,” says Mary. “While at Texas A&M University, my studies were in ‘Environmental Design,’ which despite how broad the name sounds, was actually more focused on architecture.” 

Mary launched her career in New York City, in small architectural practices, but soon transitioned to a landscape architectural firm. She has never looked back.  

What Mary appreciates about landscape architecture is the diversity of work.  She explains, “You can specialize in one area or you can develop a broad knowledge base. I feel like landscape architecture is where horticulture, design, ecological science, and engineering all come together.”

Mary’s passions and interests outside of work include travel, hiking and trail running (and exercise in general…), yoga, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.  She played competitive soccer for over thirty years, so lately she’s been enjoying watching the Women’s World Cup games. Through international travel, Mary infuses cultural influences from around the world into her design solutions.

Mary supported Mat Bevel Company during the “Escape Velocity” campaign to make the educational content from The Universe Within world-building course accessible to more students.  She just completed her first semester teaching as a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University, so the exposure to formal teaching has provided the motivation to help others learn. 

She says, “Mat Bevel Company allows students to explore their creativity and combine that with art and engineering, so it feels totally aligned with my professional career.  I share my knowledge with my colleagues at work, to help them grow to be competent landscape architects, and I learn something new every day.  I guess you could say I am driven by learning and knowledge.”

Thank you, Mary, for your continued support!

MBC sponsor Doug Rogers with wife Mary at the Grand Canyon.

During last year’s annual fundraiser, Doug Rogers helped Mat Bevel Company (MBC) reach its financial goal with a matching gift challenge during the last 15 days of the campaign. His support of MBC over the last several years stems from his fascination with innovation. He says, “A lot of innovation comes from people who develop the ability to think in active and creative ways. Ned Schaper’s world of Beveldom encourages people to think outside the box.”

Doug Rogers is a Certified Public Accountant who co-founded Sonora Investment Management, LLC in August 1986 with business partner Brad Toland. Prior to this, he worked for a national CPA firm in Los Angeles, California, and in industry in the financial accounting realm. A native Arizonan, Doug received his Bachelors in accounting and finance and an M.B.A. from the University of Arizona.

As a former auditor and verifier of companies’ financial statements, he’s learned that financial statements reveal some things about a company, but certainly not the whole picture. Doug’s passion and experience researching businesses help him see common-sense success patterns and predict the odds of their long-term viability for client investment portfolios.

Doug Rogers with his dog Zoey.

“Sometimes people have negative perceptions of business, but I think that’s misplaced because successful companies are solving problems. They’re creating a service or product that people choose because it’s better than someone else’s, it’s cheaper than others, or it’s one-of-a-kind.

And that’s where his interest in Mat Bevel Company comes in. Doug believes if you solve a problem that no one has solved, often that’s the ingredient of a very good business. “Most innovation requires someone to think in a creative and different way, or to make a connection that other people don’t see. Ned Schaper is compelled to take risks and think in new ways, and that’s where the world’s progress comes from.”

As a financial advisor, Doug maintains financial success follows from solving problems or simply materially improving on what already exists. He believes that the world of Beveldom transports us from the mundane to the fantastical realm, to a place where imaginative solutions can address some of today’s critical problems. He’s banking that innovative programs like The Universe Within world-building educational course and Bevel Café arts entertainment for the whole family will inspire people to re-connect with the physical world, become more aware of available resources to solve problems and strive to think creatively to help reach our greatest potential as individuals. He says, “I think Mat Bevel Company is extraordinary as a way of making that creative and mind-expanding thought happen.”

Thank you, Doug, for supporting Mat Bevel Company’s work during the 2018-2019 season!

Mat Bevel Company (MBC) Sponsor Jack Zittere is a field ecologist, whose vocation and passion is nature and how it interfaces with science and art. For him, the Surrealistic Pop Science Theater and The Universe Within world-building course represent the confluence of art, nature and science, and even more. Jack is inspired by MBC President Ned Schaper’s work which he describes as “the most original and broadly integrative bodies of work of an individual artist I’ve ever seen. The way his theater blends kinetic sculpture, poetry, science and music is wondrous and spell-binding.”

Jack and Ned met nearly 30 years ago at high teas which took place with a small group of writers and thinkers. Jack remembers these get-togethers as “a multi-disciplinary gym where we would talk about ideas and do conceptual art and science. The juggling of art and science was incredibly fun and imaginative.”

Jack was first introduced to the theater when Ned’s sister Paula Schaper moved to Tucson in 1993 to help her brother co-produce a performance series at a small venue in ‘Lost Barrio.’ Jack says, “I had never seen this type of integration before in the performance art world.”

Jack recalls when Ned moved into the former Downtown Performance Center, a 5,000-square-foot performance venue that became well-known as the Mat Bevel Institute. Jack explains, “I loved the creative community that surrounded the theater and world of Beveldom at the Mat Bevel Institute. The museum and theater became a performance center for Zeitgeist Jazz at the Institute and other public events. The Day of the Dead procession would conclude at the Institute with a huge community celebration. When the building was demolished, we lost a huge community asset.”

Jack believes that in our modern consumerist society, there is a greater need than ever to have a creative community where people can dream their dreams and spur their imaginations. He supports MBC’s theater and educational curriculum because he believes it adds a visionary component to people’s lives and the Tucson community.

What excites Jack most about MBC’s new home at Launchpad Artspace is that it provides the resources to fully implement Bevelvision Productions. “In the translation of Ned’s theater and Available Resource Technology practices into film, the world will get a glimpse of the Bevel Universe. It’s so important that people experience Beveldom because this magical world not only feeds the soul with art, it educates the mind with surrealistic physics and mechanics in an artful way.”

A dumpster diver and collector of cultural relics, Ned’s work intersects with Jack’s through the shared value of resourcefulness. Jack says, “It’s cool to see someone upcycling. To turn throw-aways into art is a grand gesture. Since my parents lived through the depression, I’ve always been impressed with people who are resourceful.”

According to Jack, “MBC’s importance is already established. Ned is so far ahead of our cultural curve, his work’s relevance will only increase with time.”

The Hermosa Mine outside of Patagonia, Arizona is expected to contribute $676 million annually into Arizona’s economy as one of the world’s biggest producers of zinc. 

South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company with operations in Australia, Southern Africa, South America and now North America, with the addition of Hermosa Mine near Patagonia, Arizona. Hermosa, one of the most exciting base metals project in the industry, is expected to become one of the world’s biggest producers of zinc. The mine also is expected to produce significant amounts of lead and silver, along with manganese, and a concentration of copper also has been found in some areas.

According to an economic-impact report released by Arizona State University, the Hermosa Project is expected to have an average of 451 employees over a project lifespan now expected to last until 2049, with a peak of 525 workers, and those jobs will support an average of 3,225 other private, nonfarm jobs. Over its projected 32-year life, the mine is expected to add more than $21 billion to the state gross domestic product, adding $676 million annually into Arizona’s economy.

Hermosa provides the opportunity to leverage the underground mining and processing methods South32 uses at its Cannington operation in Queensland, Australia. South32 works in collaboration with its host communities to deliver long-term environmental, social and economic benefit. The company’s sustainability approach and actions aim to create positive change by supporting local health and well-being, quality education, economic growth, industry innovation, climate action, responsible consumption and production and life on the land.

From left: Denise Bowden and Diana Marquez at South32’s Patagonia Office and Visitor Center.

South32 is a major sponsor of Mat Bevel Company’s educational world-building course called The Universe Within. Their support has been a critical component in helping a small team to develop 32 hours of curriculum that will benefit 26 third and fourth graders at Patagonia Public Schools. Lessons have been designed to increase student’s creative intelligence using the educational industry’s best practices as well as creative play from Mat Bevel Company President Ned Schaper magical world of Beveldom and his lifelong Available Resource Technology (A.R.T.) creative training practices. The course will be taught beginning in early March by science and math teacher David Clovesko-Wharton.

According to Greg Lucero, vice president of community and government affairs for South32, “We support Mat Bevel Company because we believe that this innovative curriculum will cultivate creativity and innovation in students who participate in the program. Our goal is to employ local talent and thereby offer the community economic opportunities. Having a workforce that can innovate and solve problems is critical to our success.” 

You can visit the South32 Visitor’s Center at 303 McKweon Avenue in Patagonia or their main office in Tucson located at 2210 E. Fort Lowell Road.  Learn more about South32 at their website: https://www.south32.net.

NP Photonics proprietary fiber technology is used in various applications, including acoustic sensing, LIDAR, injection seeding and environmental sensing, coherent communication, optical trapping, and short pulse and SBS-free amplification applications.

Founded in 1998, NP Photonics is a leading manufacturer of specialty fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and transport fibers for the near- and mid-infrared (IR) wavelength bands. The company makes 1-micron, 1.5-micron and 2-micron fiber lasers, multi-channel fiber laser systems, fiber amplifiers, and mid-infrared transport fibers. The company’s core strengths are technology innovation, product development, quality engineering and manufacturing world-class products for applications in Oil and Gas sensing, defense, metrology and research markets through distributors or sales representatives worldwide.

NP Photonics sponsored Mat Bevel Company’s coursework The Universe Within to help STEM education, outreach to minority populations and enhance diversity.

From left: Joshua Olson, a graduate student studying ultrafast fiber lasers; Nasser Peyghambarian; Veyesi Demir, a postdoctoral researcher working on optical computing. (Photo: Paul Tumarkin/Tech Launch Arizona)

Dr. Nasser Peyghambarian is the Founder and General Manager of NP Photonics. He joined the University of Arizona in 1982 where he is currently a Professor at both the College of Optical Sciences and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. Dr. Peyghambarian is also Chair of Photonics and Lasers at the University of Arizona. He is the Director of the National Scienmce Foundation Center for Integrated Access Networks, 2008-present.

Dr. Peyghambarian’s research has been, and continues to be, widely published. His research interests include optical networks and optical communication, fiber optics, fiber lasers and amplifiers, quantum science and engineering, organic photonics, 3D holographic display and 3D telepresence, nonlinear photonics, optical modulators and switches, laser spectroscopy, nanostructures, and quantum dots. He has been an author on more than 600 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, and his research has been reported in over 700 invited talks, published conference proceedings, and contributed presentations.  Additionally, he has authored or co-authored 28 books and book chapters and is the inventor on 36 patents.

He is the recipient of the University of Arizona 2007 Technology Innovation Award, International Francqui Chair, Belgium 1998-1999, TRW Young Faculty Award, and 3M Company’s Young Faculty Award. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Optical Society of America (OSA), the Society for optical engineers (SPIE), and the American Physical Society (APS). 

In 2016, Dr. Peyghambarian was elected as a 2016 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. The technology that the UA licensed to NP Photonics represents one of the largest licensing agreements in UA history. 

As a teacher, Dr. Peyghambarian has advised over 80 graduate students who can be found in leading positions around the world in industry, academia and government labs.

Both undergraduate and graduate students have benefited greatly from the research opportunities provided through Dr. Peyghambarian’s research group, and his combination of teaching, advising and research has prepared many students for successful careers in optics.

NP Photonics currently has over 1,400 lasers installed worldwide, and continues to grow through technology development, strategic partnerships and engagement with markets in which the company has a clear sustainable advantage. Since its inception, NP Photonics has successfully engaged in government-sponsored and customer-funded development programs to leverage core competencies and develop new technologies.

For more information visit NP Phontonics online.

The nonprofit Santa Cruz Foundation for the Performing Arts (SCFPA) is dedicated to presenting high-quality live performances of classical and contemporary chamber music in the Benderly-Kendall Opera House, its exquisite performing arts building.

During the 2017-2018, SCFPA presented 25 performances at its Opera House in Patagonia. A fantastic array of outstanding concerts is scheduled for the 2018-2019 season with performances from November through April.

Musicians from around the world look forward to performing at the Opera House. One musician said, “It’s like a dream come true.” Both Patagonia residents and visitors agree that the Benderly-Kendall Opera House is an amazing community treasure.

Over a century ago, Patagonia’s bustling community frequented its very own opera house. In 2017, SCFPA revived the tradition by building a new one that’s inspired by the classical elegance of the music salons in Europe. Today SCFPA’s Opera House seats audiences of up to 80 guests for its intimate and acoustically rich performances.

In addition to the Opera House, SCPFA has a professional, custom designed stage on wheels called the Concert Haul® that brings performers to the audience. The Concert Haul® also serves as the onsite venue for SCFPA series of free outdoor community concert series during the month of June.

SCFPA’s Opera House seats audiences of up to 80 guests for its intimate and acoustically rich performances.

In addition to sponsoring nonprofit Mat Bevel Company’s work, SCFPA generously supports many local nonprofit organizations.

CHOP – Community Housing in Patagonia
The Santa Cruz Parent Love Connection
Mountain Empire Rotary
Patagonia Creative Arts Association/Tin Shed Theater
Patagonia Fall Festival (Main Sponsor this year 2017)
Patagonia Youth Enrichment
Patagonia Fire Department
Patagonia 4th of July Committee
St Andrews Children’s Clinic Nogales
KPUP Community Radio Station
Patagonia Regional Community Foundation
Patagonia Union High School
Holiday Art Walk
Tumacacori National Historical Park

For more information and a schedule of concerts, visit SCFPA online.