Years of effort and passion have gone into making Globe and the surrounding Copper Corridor “not just livable, but lovable,” according to Thea Wilshire, executive director of Love Where You Live, a nonprofit that beautifies outdoor spaces with public art.
That work is once again earning statewide recognition. Love Where You Live has been named a finalist for the Oonagh Award, named after Oonagh Boppart, whose legacy was her passion for arts, culture, education and the sciences.
Nominated by Globe Mayor Al Gameros, LWYL is one of four finalists selected from 29 nominees. Wilshire, along with Regina Ortega, the organization’s creative services director, will attend the award ceremony on May 8.
“Thea and I are so proud of our rural artists, community partners, and the many cross-sector collaborators who have helped make such wonderful things happen in our neck of the woods,” Ortega said. “We’ll be representing all of you on May 8 when the award recipient is announced.”
What began as a small, art-focused effort during the COVID-19 pandemic — the “I Art Globe” initiative, aimed at “Reigniting Hope in Globe through Art” — has since grown into a wide-reaching nonprofit serving the Copper Corridor. The nonprofit designation has allowed LWYL to qualify for grants to further serve the area.
The nonprofit has been responsible for more than 100 art installations throughout the Copper Corridor, including in San Carlos and Kearny, Ortega said. These include the Stairizona Trail and the Rainbow Bridge pet memorial.
In addition to two-dimensional art involving works like murals, paintings and tile work, the organization has been expanding its focus to three-dimensional art. Among its most recent projects is the installation of sculptures on the walking path near Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center.
Those sculptures are the result of a collaboration between LWYL, the CVRMC Foundation and Freeport-McMoRan, which earlier this year hosted a public sculpture contest. Nine designs were submitted, and a board selected top entries to receive $2,500 contracts to create permanent, weather-resistant works.
The winning designs were “Miami Signpost” by Amanda Rae Churchouse, “We Choose What To Take With Us” by Darrel Yerkovich, and “Copper Tradition” by Rob Otero and George Anderson. The sculptures are currently being created and installed, with a public dedication planned in May.
Other sculptures along the walking path were donated by Resolution Copper and Lynnea and Chris Spencer. LWYL also used grant funding to purchase a sculpture by artist Alex Heveri, whose work Wilshire said she first encountered at Boyce Thompson Arboretum.
Another recent LWYL project blends art with preservation and technology. The historic Pay’nTakit sign, located on a building near Sycamore and Broad streets, had long drawn community interest in restoration.
There was a lot of public outcry to keep and restore the sign, Wilshire said.
Using virtual reality, local artist Otero was able to restore the sign.
The project combined heritage and innovation, “breathing new life into an important piece of local identity through modern technology,” Ortega said.
Preservation was also the focus of the nonprofit’s Globe Gila monster restoration at the corner of Oak and High streets. Originally created in the 1930s, the wall sculpture had lost its tail and back legs more than 20 years ago.
With funding from BHP, local cement mason Brandon Crowson completed the restoration, returning the piece to its original form.
Ortega said multiple artists had come to them with different ideas, but they wanted it restored back to its original state, and they happened to find Crowson who could do the work.
LWYL’s work continues to draw recognition across the state and beyond. The organization has been featured in numerous publications, including Arizona Highways and the Arizona Republic, and the Stairizona Trail received the Governor’s Tourism Award for Best Cultural Preservation last year.
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