Sports + Recreation

The Real Smashing Machine

In His Corner: A Love Story Beyond the Big Screen Article by Nadine Bubeck | Photography by James Patrick Photography Before the red carpets and before Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stepped into his body, Mark Kerr walked out of a hotel room in Japan carrying a pillowcase filled with cash. No entourage. No press. No security. Just a world champion fighter trying to get hundreds of thousands of dollars through an airport without getting robbed. Today, Mark is best known as The Smashing Machine...

Food + Beverage

21 Questions: Chef Erika Gonzalez

Meet Pinyon’s Flavor Architect Photography by Provided: Pinyon In every issue of PVCL, we play 21 Questions with an esteemed Valley chef. This month, we’re hanging with Chef Erika Gonzalez of Hi Noon Hospitality, the culinary force behind Scottsdale’s Mediterranean-inspired Pinyon. Known for coastal flavors, live-fire cooking, and ingredient-driven menus, Erika brings calm intensity and creative depth to everything she does. 1. Where did your culinary journey begin? Growing up watching my...

Life + Culture

Partners in Power

Five Powerhouse Couples Shaping Business, Family, and Life in the Valley Photography by Provided Andrew and Nicole Hopkinson Hopkinson Aircraft Sales HOW DID YOUR LOVE STORY BEGIN? Andrew: Our love story began when we met as teenagers. I unexpectedly showed up at a friend's house where they were laying out by the pool, and I instantly fell in love. Although we didn't start dating until college, I made a 24-hour drive to get a New Year's kiss, and from that moment, we've been...

Arts + Culture

The Art of Leadership

Jim Ballinger’s Influence on Arizona as Scottsdale Art Week Returns Photography by Provided: PhxArt Archives   This March, as Scottsdale Art Week returns, one of Arizona’s most influential cultural leaders is receiving the recognition his life’s work deserves. James (Jim) Ballinger will be honored with the Scottsdale Art Week Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging more than four decades of leadership that reshaped the Phoenix Art Museum and, in the process, transformed the cultural...