Scottsdale-Alamos Sister City Program creates art for sale

By Ruben Hernandez

 Wooden chairs created by Alamos, Sonora, Mexico craftsmen are being turned into works of art by Scottsdale students and adult artists in the Scottsdale sister-city project, “Las Sillas de Alamos” (The Chairs of Alamos).

 “Las Sillas de Alamos” is a cultural exchange project between Alamos and Scottsdale. The Scottsdale Sister Cities Association manages the program for the City of Scottsdale. Its goals are to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.

 The 15 sturdy chairs are fashioned after a bishop’s chair from the colonial church in Alamos, which was established in late 1700s. The basic chairs have been turned over to 15 Scottsdale artists, including art students from each of Scottsdale’s high schools, to create their own version of the chairs of Alamos. 

Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane will be on hand as the final versions are showcased at the Legacy Art Gallery, 7178 E. Main Street in Old Town Scottsdale, on Tuesday, Dec.18, with a reception featuring mariachis from 5 -7 p.m.  The chairs will be on sale at the gallery through the Fiesta Bowl Artwalk on Saturday, Dec. 29. The proceeds from the chairs will benefit future student exchanges between the two sister cities.

 Kathy George, the chair of the Alamos committee for Scottsdale Sister Cities, is coordinating the chair project. George says the exchange program offers students a window into another country’s world.

 “We want the students to experience another culture, to be able to look at what economic opportunities might be available in the country they are visiting, to be exposed to different languages, and just to make friends and have fun,” she says.

George adds that eight Alamos students will visit Scottsdale next year. A trip to the Grand Canyon is among the many things they will do.

 “Everyone – the eights students and seven adults – has done a remarkable job with their chairs, and we hope we raise enough to fund the student exchange,” she says.

 Daniela Alcazar is a student artist from Chaparral High School who decorated one of the chairs. Her chair with its Native American “dreamcatcher” theme and colors will be for sale at the gallery. She also was an exchange student to Alamos this year.

 “We went there last spring break,” she says. “I liked it because the people there were so close. As Americans we really don’t have that. I don’t even know my neighbors here. I made friends with two girls there. Alamos was amazing. The plaza and music everywhere. Me and my friends danced in the street!”

Alamos is a former Colonial silver mining boomtown in Sonora. The Alamos parish church was built from 1757 to 1804 to host the first bishop of Sonora.

 The history-rich town now is a favorite getaway for American tourists, and especially Arizonans. Its streets are narrow and cobbled, some old mansions have been converted into hotels and restaurants, and people gather in its central Plaza de Armas on Sunday afternoon. In 2000, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo declared Alamos a National Monument.