Tempe
Emry Kopta - Hopi Flute Player
50 E Gammage Pkwy, Tempe (ASU)
The story behind Emry Kopta’s exquisite bronze, Hopi Flute Player, is one of bad things turning out very well. Emry received a commission to design a fountain on the Arizona State University campus with funds from the New Deal, attempting to stimulate the economy after the great depression. The Kachina Fountain, in front of Old Main on campus, was partially completed (you can read about the Kachina Fountain at Greater Phoenix Public Art). It was supposed to be topped with a nine-foot-tall version of the Hopi Flute Player. Unfortunately, funding ran out and the statue portion was never completed. However, in 2002, through efforts from the Hopi tribe, a six-foot-tall version of Hopi Flute Player was completed and placed in the idyllic setting of ASU's School of Music building courtyard. It is now one of those perfect sites where art and setting come together to produce a magical experience. It can be easy to miss the statue, as it stands unassumingly under a tree, but look for it to the west of the main doors into the building lobby.
Emrya has an interesting story in relation to Arizona. Born to a violinist father in Austria in 1884, Emry studied the violin, hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps. When Emry was only nine years old, his father informed him that he would never be good enough to be a concert violinist. After his family moved to San Francisco, Emry got exposed to sculpting and turned his attention to mastering that skill, ultimately studying in Paris. In 1911, Emry moved to Los Angeles and met Arizona artist Lon Megargee. Lon convinced Emry to move to Arizona where Emry connected with the Hopi tribe, even living on the reservation for part of his life. A life-long relationship was born and that relationship is what facilitated the completion of this sculpture in 2002.
Parking at ASU can be tricky if you do not have a permit. Takin light rail will allow you to avoid that issue. If you also visit the Arizona State University Art Museum, you can get a two hour parking pass in their parking lot, which is right next door to the Music building.
Also a photographer, Emry took many photographs of the Hopi people, including this image of Hopi potter Nampeyo. This photograph was on view at the Heard Museum.
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